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AAPG Bulletin

Abstract


Volume: 47 (1963)

Issue: 6. (June)

First Page: 964

Last Page: 967

Title: Oil and Gas Developments in West Virginia in 1962

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

Abstract:

The total number of wells drilled in West Virginia in 1962, reported to February 22, 1963, was 1,557, an increase of 168, or 12.10%. Permits to drill or deepen issued by the Oil and Gas Division of The West Virginia Department of Mines totaled 1,649, an increase of 177, or 5.03%. 263 permits to drill were cancelled during the year, mostly permits issued previous to 1962. Dropped from the list of wells uncompleted at the end of the year were many locations carried from year to year but completed with no record of when completed or the results.

Abandoned during the year were 83 gas wells and 147 oil wells, or a total of 230 wells. These abandonments are all wells drilled before permits were required (May, 1929). No information as to the exact number of abandonments of wells drilled since May, 1929, is available as these wells are abandoned under original drilling permit numbers. Wells completed were: gas, 870; oil, 101; oil and gas wells, 329; storage, water-injection, brine, rock salt, and pressure wells, 58; dry holes, 199; total 1,557. Compared with 1961, gas wells increased 61, or 7.54%; oil wells increased 42, or 71.19%; oil and gas wells increased 33, or 11.15%; storage and other wells decreased 7, or 26.15%; dry holes increased 39, or 24.38%, the percentage of dry holes to total completions being 12.77%. Depth of well ranged from 246 to 17,111 ft., compared with 250 to 10,805 in 1961. Total footage drilled was 3,404,165½ ft., a decrease of 43,557½ ft., or 12.63% under 1961 (3,447,723 ft.). The average depth of wells (2,184 ft.) decreased 298 feet over the 1961 average (2,482 ft.), or 12.08%. The total initial daily open flow of the gas wells was 1,624,082 MCF, an increase of 353,770 MCF, or 27.85% over the 1961 total (1,271,312 MCF). The size of the gas wells ranged from 2 to 25,500 MCF compared with 5 to 20,850 MCF in 1961. The total daily initial oil was 15,165¼ bbls., an increase of 5,686 3/4 bbls. over 1961 (9,478½ bbls.) or 60%. The size of the oil wells ranged from ¼ to 410 bbls., compared with ½ to 400 bbls. in 1961. The number of wells drilling or unreported if c mpleted at the end of the year was 576, 80 less than in 1961, or a decrease of 12.19%.

Since we receive drilling and scout reports from several major companies, the status of practically every drilling well was known. Only 200 letters were sent to the operators whose wells were at completion depth or testing after fracture; replies were received from about half of the operators. It is believed that total completions will be greater than herein reported as also the production since many wells were reported as testing after fracture. The total initial gas production after fracture is generally several times the production before fracture. Approximately 90% of the wells were fractured during the year. The West Virginia University collects information concerning fracturing of wells and issues an annual report showing details for each of the wells fractured. Some of the reco ds received show oil and gas wells as low as 2 MCF and ¼ bbl. oil. Fracturing results were not shown in the official records. No operator would save any well whose production was that low.

The average size of gas wells was 1,569 MCF compared with 1,328 MCF in 1961, an increase of 241 MCF or 11.06%. In calculating this average the number of gas wells was increased by half of the number of oil and gas wells (165) or 1,035 wells. The average size of the oil wells was 57.2 bbls. compared with 45.8 bbls. in 1961, an increase of 11.4 bbls., or 25.2%. Half the oil and gas wells (164) were added to the 101 oil wells (or a total of 265) in calculating this average.

Preliminary estimates of production for 1962: gas, 253,400,000 MCF, compared with 248,400,000 MCF in 1961, an increase of 5,000,000 MCF, or 2 + %; oil, 3,470,000 bbls., an increase of 710,000 bbls. over the 1961 estimate (2,760,000 bbls.), or 25.7%. Possibly 38,000,000 M. went to storage. Gas is stored in West Virginia from four other states. The estimated number of producing wells at the end of 1962: gas, 18,277; oil, 12,880. The table of operations gives statistics by counties.

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