Oil and Gas Developments in Upper Gulf Coast of Texas in 1989

Abstract

Onshore drilling in the upper Gulf Coast of Texas during 1989 totaled 638 wells, a 21.6% decrease from 1988's total of 814 wells. Exploratory drilling remained at the same level, but development drilling declined 30.2% from 1988. Thirty-four new-field discoveries resulted from drilling 141 new-field wildcat wells in 1989, a 23.6% success rate. Fifty-three other wildcat discoveries resulted from drilling new-pool, deeper pool, or extension wells with a 60.2% success rate. The Eocene trend was once again the most active exploratory trend onshore with 40.6% of the onshore drilling; the Oligocene and Cretaceous trends had 25.3% and 3.1% of the onshore exploration activity, respectively. Offshore exploratory drilling in 1989 totaled 74 wells, a 32.1% decrease from 1988. Development drilling offshore nearly tripled with 174 development wells drilled in 1989 compared to 64 wells drilled in 1988. The exploratory success rate offshore was 31.1%. Exploration activity resulted in 20 new-field discoveries and 3 new-pool, deeper pool, or extension discoveries. Forty exploratory dry holes were drilled offshore in 1989. Offshore, the Miocene trend was most actively explored with 8.1% of the exploratory drilling in 1989 (66 wells were listed as undesignated).