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AAPG Bulletin

Abstract


Volume: 40 (1956)

Issue: 6. (June)

First Page: 1103

Last Page: 1107

Title: Oil and Gas Developments in West Virginia in 1955

Author(s): R. C. Tucker (2)

Abstract:

The total number of wells drilled in West Virginia in 1955 reported to February 7, 1956, was 732, a decrease of 28, or 3.7 per cent. Permits to drill or deepen totaled 813, or 22 more than in 1954, or an increase of 2.8 per cent. Abandoned during the year were 359 gas wells and 132 oil wells, or a total of 491 wells. These are all wells drilled before permits were required (May, 1929). No information about exact number of abandonments of wells drilled since May, 1929, is available as these wells are abandoned under original drilling permit number. Wells completed were: gas, 460; oil, 47; oil and gas, 51; storage, water-injection, brine, and pressure wells, 31; dry holes, 143; total, 732. Compared with 1954, gas wells decreased 11, or 2.3 per cent; oil wells decreased 10, r 1.8 per cent; oil and gas wells increased 20, or 64.5 per cent; storage and other wells decreased 46, or 59.7 per cent; dry holes increased 19, or 15.3 per cent. Depth of wells completed ranged from 445 to 13,331 feet, compared with 471 to 8,185 feet in 1954. Total footage drilled (1,926,376) decreased 157,178 feet, or 7.5 per cent under 1954 (2,083,554 feet). The average depth of wells (2,632 feet) decreased 110 feet under the 1954 average (2,742 feet), or 4 per cent. The total initial daily open flow of the gas wells was 390,242 MCF, a decrease of 3,783 MCF, or nearly one per cent from the 1954 total (394,025 MCF). The size of the gas wells ranged from 5 to 22,000 MCF, compared with 7 to 24,000 MCF in 1954. The total daily initial oil was 1,885 barrels, 55½ barrels less than in 954, or 3 per cent. The size of the oil wells ranged from 1 to 300 barrels daily, compared with ½ to 275 barrels in 1954. The number of wells drilling or unreported if completed at the end of the year was 317, 60 more than in 1954, an increase of 23.3 per cent. Letters were sent to 213 operators regarding 406 wells not reported. Replies were received from 95 operators (44%) regarding 237 wells (58%), leaving 118 operators (56%) unheard from regarding 169 wells (42%). The average size of gas wells was 840 MCF, compared with 810 MCF in 1954, an increase of 30 MCF, or 3.7 per cent. The average size of the oil wells was 24.5 barrels, compared with 26.8 barrels in 1954, a decrease of 2.3 barrels, or 8.6 per cent. Preliminary estimates of production for 1955: gas, 192,000,000 MCF, compare with 170,000,000 MCF estimated for 1954, or an increase of 12.9 per cent; oil 2,300,000 barrels, a decrease of 600,000 barrels under the 1954 estimate (2,900,000 barrels), or 20.7 per cent. The large drop in production was due to completion of water-flooding in most of the Cabin Creek field. The estimated number of producing wells at the end of 1955: gas, 14,010; oil, 12,805. The table of operations gives statistics by counties.

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