Summary of Petroleum Resources in Paleozoic Rocks of Region 5—North, Central, and West Texas and Eastern New Mexico

Abstract

Region 5--North, Central, and West Texas and eastern New Mexico--encompasses all the Paleozoic producing provinces of Texas and eastern New Mexico except the Panhandle field on the Amarillo uplift and provinces north of it. Also included are nonproducing areas of Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic strata. Future reserves of petroleum will be found (1) in pre-Mississippian carbonate rocks, mainly in structural traps; (2) in Pennsylvanian sandstone and limestone, especially in stratigraphic traps; and (3) in Permian shelf and basin strata, mainly in stratigraphic traps. Cumulative production to December 31, 1967, in Region 5 was 15.9 billion bbl of oil and 41.2 trillion cu ft of gas. In-place oil is estimated to be 133.2 billion bbl, one third of which should be found in new fields or extensions to old fields. In-place gas is estimated to be 165.5 trillion cu ft, associated and nonassociated. About half of the associated gas and two thirds of the nonassociated gas remain to be found.