Oil and Gas Developments in West Virginia in 1950

Abstract

In 1950, total wells drilled in West Virginia, reported to March 7, 1951, number 744, an increase of 44 over 1949, or 6+ per cent. Permits to drill total 848, an increase of 35 over 1949, or 4+ per cent. Wells abandoned under abandonment permits total 802, including 275 gas wells and 527 oil wells. These are wells drilled before May, 1929. Wells drilled since that date, when abandoned, are abandoned under the original drilling-permit number. Information is lacking for the second half of 1950, but 2 oil wells and 63 gas wells are reported for the first half of the year as abandoned under original drilling-permit number. Wells completed were: gas, 417; oil, 106; oil and gas wells, 34; storage, brine, water-intake, and pressure wells, 30; dry holes, 157. Compared with 1949, as wells decreased 10; oil wells increased 28; oil and gas wells increased 10; storage et al. wells increased 3; and dry holes increased 13. Percentage of dry holes was 21, up about ½ per cent over 1949. Depth of wells completed ranged from 220 to 6,097 feet, compared with 56 to 8,635 feet in 1949. One well is shut down at 9,085 feet. Total footage drilled increased 78,465 feet over 1949, or approximately 4.1 per cent. The average of wells (2,668 feet) was 56 feet less than in 1949. The total initial daily open flow of the gas wells was 468,334 MCF, an increase of 116,217 MCF, or 33 per cent. The size of the gas wells ranged from 11 to 25,000 MCF, compared with 6 to 25,000 MCF in 1949. The total daily initial oil in 1950 was 1,528¼ barrels, an increase of 685½ barrels over 1949, or 81 1/3 per cent. Size of oil wells ranged from ¼ barrel to 80 barrels, compared with ¼ barrel to 50 barrels in 1949. The number of wells drilling or unreported if completed at the end of the year was 313, an increase of 42 over the previous year. Letters were sent to 193 operators regarding 457 wells not reported. Replies were received from 115 operators regarding 356 wells, leaving 78 operators unheard from regarding 101 wells. Preliminary estimates of production for 1950: gas, 197,210,000 MCF; oil, 2,788,000 barrels. Estimated number of producing wells at end of 1950: gas, 13,875; oil, 14,575. A table gives statistics by counties.