Surface Anticlines Research Articles

Application of Geological Principles to Exploration for Oil and Gas in Kansas

Early History The Kansas oil industry celebrated its 100th birthday in 1960. Oil was first found near Paola in 1860 in a well 275 feet in depth. In 1884, natural gas was transported to Paola through a pipeline from a field seven miles eastward. About 1886, the first refinery was built at Paola. Despite considerable drilling activity in Eastern Kansas, only six counties produced about 74,000 barrels of oil in 1900 (Jewett, 1954, Table 2, p. 19) from 108 producing wells (Oliphant, 1904, p. 666). Most of the early drilling was apparently near oil and gas seeps, trend, controlled by creekology, doodlebugs, or purely random in character. Jewett (1954, p. 23) reports that Erasmuth Haworth, J. W. Beede and John Bennett were applying geologic principles to the occurrence of oil and gas by the early part of this century. By 1908, Haworth (1908, pp. 161-179) had recognized the relationship of lenticular sand bodies and anticlinal structure to the accumulation of oil and gas. The real impetus to oil and gas development was the discovery of the huge Eldorado field on a dome in 1915 as a result of geological work by Haworth and others. Development spread rapidly both east and west. The next 15 years marked the development of most of the shoestring sands fields in Butler, Greenwood and Cowley Counties. Although gas had been known in Rice County before the turn of the century, first oil production in Western Kansas was the unimportant Walton field in Harvey County. The discovery well of the huge Hugoton gas field was completed in 1922. The Fairport field was discovered in Russell County on a large surface anticline in 1923, and Kansas had entered the ranks of the important oil producing states.

GRAVITY AND AEROMAGNETIC EXPLORATION IN THE PARADOX BASIN

Aeromagnetic data are analyzed to study the configuration of the Precambrian rocks in the eastern Paradox basin, principally in the vicinity of the Gypsum and Dolores structures. The analysis shows that the Precambrian surface is uplifted several thousand feet on the southwestern flanks of the surface structures and that the uplifted Precambrian blocks are strongly mineralized ferromagnetically. It is postulated that this mineralization is contemporaneous with deformation that, in turn, resulted in the formation of the “salt anticlines” in the adjacent deep basement areas to the northeast. Gravity anomalies in the area are found to be entirely minimal and attributable to the masses of the salt “bulges” within the surface anticlines. These masses are quite well defined in the instances of these structures from the width of outcrop at Gypsum and from the depth to the Precambrian computed from the aeromagnetic data, the pre‐salt Paleozoic interval being quite uniform.

Status of Petroleum Exploration in Australia: ABSTRACT

No commercial oil field has been discovered in Australia but this must be related to the very small amount of exploration that has been undertaken and the deficiencies in knowledge about the sedimentary basins. Outcrop geology of the sedimentary basins in Australia is known only up to regional reconnaissance detail, and the limits of few basins are precisely known. The complete stratigraphic sequence and its variations are known adequately in few basins and the geological history in none. About 1 million feet of exploration drilling has been completed in the whole of Australia and Papua-New Guinea with a total basin area of about 1,480,000 square miles. The regional structure is indicated but not precisely established in the Fitzroy basin, Carnarvon basin and Perth basin (W.A.), Sydney basin (N.S.W.), Papua basin (P.N.G.) and the Great Artesian basin. Much of the structure, both regional and local, is of the synchronous type and surface anticlines do not necessarily continue downwards below unconformities. Petroleum source beds and shows are known in many basins but the geological conditions for accumulation have not been established. Much more information is required on the relationships among sedimentation, structure, and possible migration paths of oil. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1246------------

Pine Field, Dawson, Fallon, Prairie, and Wibaux Counties, Montana: ABSTRACT

The Pine field is located on the northwest-trending Cedar Creek anticline in Dawson, Prairie, Wibaux, and Fallon counties, Montana. Pine Unit No. 1, the discovery well, was drilled to test a subsurface seismic closure located near the crest of the known surface anticline. The well was completed in January, 1952, daily pumping 467 barrels of 33° gravity crude and 148 barrels of water, from the Upper Ordovician Stony Mountain (Gunton) formation. Subsequent outstep drilling was notable in that improved reservoir conditions were found in the Ordovician, and Silurian production was established in zones found water-bearing in the discovery well. Thin Devonian strata, shales and shaly dolomites, are effective barriers to vertical migration over Silurian productive zones. Silurian rocks thicken and rise structurally southeastward with associated development of porous and productive intervals. Upper Ordovician strata contain the major productive zones with included shale zones acting as effective cap rocks. Development indicates oil accumulation in the Pine field to be controlled by structure, but with stratigraphic variation important in reservoir properties. The structure is basically an asymmetric anticline, modified by minor culminations and saddles. Structure contours indicate a closure of approximately 200 feet. No gas caps are present in the field. Porosities of the pay intervals vary from 6 to 16 per cent with a mean of 11 per cent. The average permeability is approximately 5 md. Connate water in the pay intervals is estimated to average 30 per cent. The crude oil produced is black, 35° A.P.I. gravity with sulphur content of 0.44 per cent and a GOR of 150. Reservoir pressure is on the order of 4,150 psi. The greater part of the recovery will probably be determined by liquid expansion, and no active water drive has been ascertained. Approximately 3,800 acres are considered proved productive in the Pine Unit. Eighteen wells have been completed in the Unit, of which 14 are commercial producers, 2 are dry holes, and 2 are End_Page 533------------------------------ non-commercial wells. One dry hole was drilled on the steep west flank by the California-Canadian Company. Three Unit wells are being drilled at present, and one competitor location is drilling. Development is on an 80-acre pattern. For the week ending, December 10, 1954, 13 wells produced an average of 1,789 barrels of oil per day. Cumulative production to December 1, 1954, was 681,390 barrels of oil; 94,467 MCF gas. End_of_Article - Last_Page 534------------

Possibilities of New Stratigraphic Trap Areas in Rocky Mountain Region: ABSTRACT

The Rocky Mountain region offers every type of structural and stratigraphic trap favorable for the accumulation of oil. The presence of many well defined surface anticlines has given the impression that this region is strictly a structural province and the stratigraphic trap has been relegated to a place of minor consideration. Because of the profitable development of the Cretaceous sand traps along the east side of the Powder River basin of Wyoming, this type of accumulation will be elaborated on to indicate that where similar geologic conditions exist in other of the Rocky Mountain basins the same type of production can be expected. Fundamental in this concept of sand trap accumulation is that structural considerations as we know them, do not apply. To discuss the various theories on the origin, migration and accumulation of oil to account for this type of accumulation is to beg the question. The fact has to be recognized that the Cretaceous sands of the Rocky Mountain region are extremely lenticular and are capable of forming favorable traps for the accumulation of oil due to the lensing of the sand members themselves--on structure, on regional dip, and in synclines. To date no method, other than the drill, has been devised to isolate an oil-bearing sand lens with any degree of certainty that one will be found. This punch-board type of exploration and development drilling is frowned upon as being unscientific, but it has proved very profitable to many operators in the Powder River basin of Wyoming. From the economic standpoint it has several End_Page 2320------------------------------ advantages in that very little preliminary geological work is required; because geophysics are of no aid in this problem they do not have to be considered; drilling depths can be chosen to suit the operator's equipment and finances; and finally, considerable latitude is offered in choosing a well site. Since there is no relationship between depth to the sand (if present) and production, the cost of exploring a sand lens area with wells 2,000 feet in depth (or less) would be commensurate to a core drill program of similar depth. To support the contention that accumulation of the type discussed is more dependent on reservoir media than on structural considerations the following producing areas are cited. 1. Shannon pool off north plunge of Salt Creek, and Bothwell syncline west of Salt Creek field 2. Dakota production in Big Muddy field 3. Dakota production in East Lance Creek field 4. Dakota production in North Ant Hills area 5. Newcastle sand, Dakota and Lakota production in Mule Creek field 6. Dakota production in Bridge Creek area 7. Muddy or Newcastle sand production in Mush Creek-Newcastle-Osage fields 8. Dakota production in Lodgepole area 9. Frontier production in Upton-Thornton area 10. Newcastle sand production in Moorecroft area All of the examples are in the Powder River basin of Wyoming. In conclusion it should be mentioned that there are many other areas in the Rocky Mountain region where production of the type discussed can be obtained. It can be further stated that in any one of the Rocky Mountain basins where Cretaceous rocks are present the possibilities for sand trap accumulation exist. End_of_Article - Last_Page 2321------------

GEOPHYSICAL EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY OF THE BUDAFAPUSZTA (LISPE) OIL FIELD IN HUNGARY

Interest was first attracted to the Budafapuszta area by its geographical position on the eastward projection of a known surface anticline, which had produced small quantities of oil at Peklenicza and Szelnicza. A test was located in 1920 on a small surface feature, and completed in 1923 as a dry hole. In 1934 a torsion balance survey was made by Eurogasco, a subsidiary of the Standard Oil Co. (N. J.) which indicated a dome with its crest 1500 m. north of the dry hole. A reflection survey verified the presence of the structure. The discovery well was located by the torsion balance data, and completed as a producer in 1937. A gravity meter survey made after the first two producers had been drilled, gave further information on the structure and assisted in the development of the field. This exploration history shows that a properly made torsion balance survey may be very efficient and economical even in hilly country. A geological map of part of the Szelnicza‐Peklenicza anticline, a topographical map, torsion balance, seismograph and gravity meter maps, a seismograph cross section and a subsurface contour map of the Budafapuszta structure are submitted.

Crinerville Oil Field, Carter County, Oklahoma

The Crinerville oil field, near Brock, Carter County, Oklahoma, occurs on a surface anticline in Pennsylvanian strata on the west side of, and faulted against, the Criner Hills. The reverse dip of 15° on the northeast side of the anticline disappears under a large part of the anticline in shales within 900 feet of the surface. Production comes from Pennsylvanian oil sands which overlap a truncated portion of the original Criner Hills of Ordovician limestone, now buried at a depth of more than 1,000 feet. The oil originated in the Pennsylvanian shales, and a small quantity migrated laterally into the Ordovician. The field was opened in January, 1922, and has produced between 1,000 and 1,500 barrels a day ever since. The total production to June 30, 1927, was slightly ore than 2,300,000 barrels.