Developments in West Texas and Southeastern New Mexico in 1946

Abstract

There were 2,219 wells completed in 1946 in the area of this report; 1,843 in West Texas and 376 in Southeastern New Mexico. In West Texas there were 335 exploratory holes (123 successful), and in Southeastern New Mexico 67 exploratory holes (15 successful). Pipe-line runs in West Texas were 191.27 million barrels in 1946, an increase of 9 per cent over 1945. Pipe-line runs in Southeastern New Mexico were 36.34 million barrels in 1946, a decrease of 1.5 per cent from 1945. There was a significant increase in every phase of geophysical activity. Discoveries of exceptional interest included oil and gas production in Pennsylvanian limestone on the Eastern platform and in the Midland basin; Mississippian limestone oil, for the first time in West Texas, in the Midland basin; and Ellenburger oil on the Eastern platform. Of prime importance in the Delaware basin was the discovery of oil in Lower Permian beds below 10,000 feet. No important field was discovered in Southeastern New Mexico during 1946. The exploitation of the long dormant shallow Bowers sand reservoir of the Hobbs field, notable extensions to the Paddock and Drinkard Permian pools, and the steady growth of the pre-Permian (Ellenburger) Brunson pool with resultant overlapping of these last three pools, constitute the most outstanding developments of 1946.