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AAPG Bulletin

Abstract


Volume: 24 (1940)

Issue: 6. (June)

First Page: 974

Last Page: 993

Title: Developments in Michigan During 1939

Author(s): R. B. Newcombe (2)

Abstract:

During 1939 the limelight was taken in Michigan by three fields, Bloomingdale (Van Buren County), Temple (Clare County), and Walker or Grand Rapids (Kent County). Before the beginning of the year Bloomingdale had eclipsed Buckeye (Gladwin County) and led until July, when it was overtaken in production by the Temple field. By November the Walker field near Grand Rapids, which had only one active drilling well at the start of the year, reached an output which was in excess of any other field. This was the first year since the Muskegon "boom" in 1929 that western Michigan fields had taken foremost position.

The year established a definite Traverse producing area of regional magnitude in the southwest part of the state and set up a rivalry for supremacy between the shallow fields of southwestern Michigan and the deeper producing areas of the "Basin."

The other active fields of the year were Wise (Isabella County); New Salem and East Salem extension (Allegan County); South Columbia or Bear Lake (Van Buren County); East Columbia and Berlamont (Van Buren County); Dundee or Deerfield (Monroe County); and Wisner (Tuscola County).

There was active drilling for "Michigan stray" gas southeast of the Temple field and for Berea gas in the Clayton field (Arenac County). Pipeline construction of some magnitude followed both of these areas of drilling activity. A line was built from Amble (Winfield gas area, Montcalm County) to Greenville and also from the Walker field to the trunk line of the West Michigan Consumers, Inc. at Ravenna. A new shallow (Berea?) gas area was discovered in Wright and Polkton townships, Ottawa County.

The oil discoveries of the year were seemingly of minor importance in making large new reserves available. These were Hopkins (Allegan County), Bangor (Van Buren County), Zeeland (Ottawa County), Porter (Van Buren County), Silver Creek (Cass County), South Overisel (Allegan County), and Hope (Barry County). Wildcatting was much more extensive in southwestern Michigan than in the "Basin," which explains the localization of the discoveries.

Outstanding during 1939 was the passage of the new conservation statute which resulted in regulations covering proration and well-spacing programs. Crude-oil price strengthened gradually and by the end of the year it had reached nearly to market parity with other states.

Increased activity took place in the use of geophysics and soil analysis for exploration, largely with negative results. Test-well drilling for structure was carried on in several areas where it was reported to have been successful. However, regional subsurface interpretations from scattered wildcats led to most of the discoveries in the past year.

Deep tests to the Sylvania (middle Monroe) were carried on in the Porter, Buckeye, and Bloomingdale fields, and on the Kawkawlin structure, but only small amounts of oil were found.

No major oil pipelines were built but several gathering systems and feeders to railheads were laid to service the Wise field, and the fields of southwestern Michigan. Five small refineries were constructed: two at Grand Rapids, two at Bloomingdale, and one at Kalamazoo. The older refineries with cracking and reforming units so increased output that retail gasoline prices took a sharp drop in western Michigan, and particularly in the Grand Rapids marketing area.

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