Oil and Gas Developments in Southeastern States in 1989

Abstract

Total drilling activity in Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, including both exploratory and development wells, increased 72.5% from 608 wells in 1988 to 1049 wells in 1989. Most of the increase was a result of development drilling for coalbed methane in the Alabama portion of the Black Warrior basin. Exploratory drilling in 1989 in the southeastern states decreased 13.6%. Of the 229 exploratory tests in 1989, 55 were successful for a 24.0% success rate. This compares to 1988's 50 successful completions of 265 tests and an 18.9% success rate. The Paleozoic trend of northeastern Mississippi and northwestern Alabama accounted for 31.0% of the exploratory tests. This active trend had 13 new-field discoveries in 1989 compared with 17 in 1988. The Jurassic trend, with 22.3% of the total exploratory effort had 4 new-field discoveries in 1989 compared with 8 in 1988. The Upper Cretaceous trend accounted for 20.5% of the exploratory tests. This trend had 2 new-field discoveries in 1989, the same as in 1988. The Eocene, Lower Cretaceous, Oligocene, and Miocene trends accounted, respectively, for 16.2%, 5.2%, 3.9%, and 0.9% of the total exploratory tests. Four new-field discoveries were reported in the Eocene, 2 in the Lower Cretaceous, 2 in the Oligocene, and 2 in the Miocene.