This paper presents a summary of the history, geology, and development of the Hawkins oil field, southeast Wood County, Texas, from its discovery in December, 1940, to September, 1945, when regulations of the Petroleum Administration for War were rescinded. Active field development followed completion of the discovery well, and although drilling was restricted by war emergency regulations, 415 oil wells have been completed, producing from the Woodbine formation at an average depth of 4,850 feet.

The Hawkins field occurs on a large northeastward-trending, faulted anticline situated near the north-central part of the East Texas geosynclinal basin. A major fault downthrown toward the northwest and trending northeast-southwest crosses the east part of the field. A pronounced gravity minimum indicates that the field is underlain by a deep-seated salt mass. Structural growth increases progressively with depth to the point where the Woodbine producing formation has structural closure approximating 1,200 feet. The Woodbine oil and gas reservoir, which is 5 miles long and 4 miles wide, underlies 8,774 acres. The estimated ultimate recovery from the oil-productive area, which contains 8,372 acres, is 449,717,500 barrels. Cumulative production to September, 1945, was 43,134,613 barrels. The oil produced from the field is a predominantly asphaltic mixed-base crude with a brownish black color, and the gravity ranges from 16 to 31°. Gas occurs above the Woodbine in the sub-Clarksville sand of the Eagle Ford formation, where porosity is developed.

Extensive coring, together with modern development methods, have made possible an intensive study of the reservoir characteristics which may be unparalleled in any other field. Detailed reservoir information is, therefore, far superior to that available in any other Woodbine field in the East Texas basin. Surface mapping of geologic structure first directed attention to this area, and core-drill information later supplemented and confirmed the earlier surface work. It is noteworthy that until the time of the discovery of the field, the activities of the principal operator were not influenced by geophysics.