Abstract

The giant Big Escambia Creek Field, discovered in 1971, is productive from the Jurassic Smackover Formation. Considering its size and economic importance, very little has been published in the form of an integrated study solely on this field. A complete study of Big Escambia Creek Field was undertaken to provide a better understanding of its petroleum geology and reservoir engineering characteristics. Knowledge of this unique field should provide insight to petroleum geologists exploring other carbonate plays.

Big Escambia Creek Field produces sour gas and condensate from the Smackover at depths ranging from -14850 to -15350 feet (-4526 to -4679 meters). Cumulative production through 1999 was approximately 865.5 billion cubic feet of full well stream gas, 56 million barrels of condensate, 21 million barrels of gas plant liquids, and 6 million long tons of sulfur. The field is located on the south side of the Foshee-Pollard Fault System. The trapping mechanism is a complex mixture of structural, stratigraphic, and diagenetic components. The primary reservoir lithology is dolomitized limestone characterized by a diverse sequence of lithofacies with a mixed pore system. The reservoir is a retrograde reservoir that has exhibited surprisingly stable gas productivity and a steady condensate yield over time. Limited water influx may support reservoir pressure in isolated areas of the field.