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AAPG Bulletin

Abstract


Volume: 62 (1978)

Issue: 8. (August)

First Page: 1399

Last Page: 1440

Title: Oil and Gas Developments in Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Previous HitVirginiaNext Hit, and West Previous HitVirginiaNext Hit

Author(s): Douglas G. Patchen (2), Kenneth A. Schwarz (3), Theodore A. Debrosse (4), E. Perry Bendler (5), Jeffrey B. Hermann (6), Louis Heyman (7), Cheryl L. Cozart (8), William W. Kelly, Jr. (9)

Abstract:

Development Paper District 20 includes Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Previous HitVirginiaNext Hit, and West Previous HitVirginiaNext Hit.

In Maryland, 3 gas storage wells were drilled in Accident field, Garrett County. Total new footage drilled was 22,830. Gas production from Garrett County fields (81,800 Mcf) increased 9% from 1976.

In Ohio, 2,624 new wells were drilled, a 48.1% increase from 1976. These included 844 gas, 372 oil, 1,237 combination, and 171 dry holes, yielding a success of 93.5%. The most active target remained the Lower Silurian "Clinton-Medina" sandstone with 2,081 wells, 1,977 of which were productive (95%). An additional 389 wells were drilled to the Lower Mississippian Berea Sandstone, 368 of which were productive (94.6%). Oil production (10,358,833 bbl) increased 3.6%, and gas production (99,656,379 Mcf) increased 11.0%. Total footage drilled in new wells was 9,640,162, up 25.6% from 1976. An additional 102,287 ft was drilled in 113 miscellaneous wells, resulting in total footage drilled of 9,742,449, an increase of 26.4%.

Pennsylvania's drilling activity increased in 1977 from that of 1976 by 26% in exploratory drilling and 15% in development drilling. In 1977, a total of 1,462 wells was drilled (1,438 new and 24 deepened), up 11.5%. The number of gas wells (694) increased 22.8%; oil wells (678) increased 5.9% and oil and gas combination wells (10) decreased 9.1%. There were 10 gas discoveries but no oil discoveries in 1977. Gas production (92,293 MMcf) increased 3% whereas oil production (2,659,000 bbl) decreased 9.8%. Footage drilled in new and deepened wells was 3,461,805 (up 18.1%), of which 348,926 ft (10.1%) was exploratory. Seismic activity (78 crew-weeks) increased 95% in 1977.

Drilling activity in Previous HitVirginiaNext Hit during 1977 increased substantially with 23 new wells drilled and 2 old wells deepened. The new-well total of 23 represented a 187.5% increase over the 1976 total of 8. Of the 23 new wells drilled, 19 were completed as producers and 4 were dry holes, resulting in a success of 82.6%. The 2 old wells deepened were completed as producers in the deeper zone. Exploratory drilling was fairly successful with 6 of 9 wells completed as producers for a success of 66.7%, whereas development drilling had a success rate of 92.9% with 13 new wells completed as producers. All of the successful completions were gas wells. The gas wells drilled in 1977 were productive in the Mississippian Ravencliff, Maxon, and Berea sandstones and Greenbrier Limestone (Big Lime), and the Devonian shale. Total amount drilled was 123,467 ft, including 1,523 ft of deeper drilled footage in 2 old wells, representing an increase of 80,013 ft or 184.1% from 1976. Development footage totaled 65,283 and exploratory footage totaled 58,184. Average footage drilled per well for the 23 new wells was 5,302 ft, with an average of 4,554 ft for the 14 development wells and 6,465 ft for the 9 exploratory wells. Production of natural gas in Previous HitVirginiaNext Hit during 1977 totaled 8,220,185 Mcf from 202 wells of 8 companies in 4 counties, representing an increase of 1,282,859 Mcf or 18.5% from 1976. This substantial increase in production was due primarily to the fact that Philadelphia Oil Co. commenced production from 40 new wells during the year. Production of crude oil declined considerably during 1977 with a total of only 1,742 bbl produced from 4 stripper wells in the Ben Hur and Rose Hill fields of Lee County. This represented a decrease of 954 bbl or 35.4% from the previous year's total. On the basis of present projections both production and drilling should increase slightly in 1978.

In West Previous HitVirginiaTop there was a significant increase (24.5%) in total well completions from 1976 to 1977. This increase in activity resulted in the most completions in a decade. Exploratory completions, however, remained constant. Exploratory programs concentrated on lower Chemung and Brallier sandstones in many

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north-central counties, and on Pocono and Greenbrier tests in central and southern counties. Scattered tests of the Devonian shales were drilled across a wide area, leading to several modest successes. Deep drilling increased nearly 100% during the year, but lacked a significant exploratory success. Griffithsville was the most active oil field, and Ashland-Clark Gap the most active gas field. Total footage drilled was 3,830,826, up 1,006,640 ft (35.6%) from last year. An additional 106,904 ft was drilled in 44 wells for injection, coal gasification, or brine production. Oil production (2,408,000 bbl) decreased 0.4%, and gas production (152,523 MMcf) decreased 0.5%.

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