The Red Fork Sandstone produces oil and gas in a large area of north-central Oklahoma. There are indications that several oil fields comparable with the Burbank field (½ billion bbls) can be found in northwestern Oklahoma during the next few years by using available well control for detailed reconstruction of the depositional environments of the Red Fork Sandstone.

End_Page 1690------------------------------

The Red fork Sandstone was deposited west of the Nemaha ridge during "Cherokee" (Desmoinesian) time in a large embayment called the Enid embayment. There were two early phases of offshore bar deposition, followed by a brief period when the sea receded from the area and channel sandstones were deposited. Using this interpretation, several unusual problems can be explained.

The Oakdale field in southeastern Woods County has oil reserves in excess of 20 million bbls from the Red Fork Sandstone. The sandstone in this field is in two linear bodies. The Southwest Wakita field in Grant County produces from two fairly distinct Red Fork Sandstone bodies that correlate with the sandstone at Oakdale. The Wakita trend in Grant County produces from a thin Red Fork Sandstone slightly higher stratigraphically than that at Oakdale and Southwest Wakita. In the Cheyenne Valley field in Major County, the Red Fork is interpreted as a channel deposit, and it is higher stratigraphically than in the previously mentioned fields. This channel-type deposit is productive and fairly widespread in the Enid embayment. It has several distinguishing characteristics.

By reconstructing the depositional environment of the Red Fork Sandstone and by interpreting this interval as representing three fairly distinct phases, the Red Fork is seen to be a reservoir with great potential in the Anadarko basin. These are several good indications of potential major producing areas, and they can be found by basing an exploration program on detailed reconstruction of depositional environments to explain the problems that arise, and to make interpretations necessary to find prospective Red Fork Sandstone trends.

End_of_Article - Last_Page 1691------------