Abstract

Atoka and Pushmataha Counties lie along the western most exposure of the Ouachita facies in southeast Oklahoma. To date, eight gas wells have been completed in this isolated exploration area, and six exploratory tests are in the drilling or completion stage. Seven of the completed wells are productive from the Mississippian Stanley sands, and produce at low daily rates. In mid summer of 1980, a gas well was completed from the Arkansas Novaculite, Lower Mississippian-Devonian-Silurian Age, and the Big Fork Chert, Ordovician Age. Although a production history is not available on this well, an extensive lease play has resulted, and increased exploratory drilling has begun. The Novaculite-Big Fork production appears to be primarily fracture controlled, but will deliver gas at very commercial rates. Only five tests in this general area were ever drilled deep enough to penetrate the Novaculite and/or Big Fork in the past, with three reporting commercial flows of gas, but due to being in an isolated area with no gas pipeline, exploration has been at a lull since the late 1950's. With the new drilling technology known today, the greatly improved stimulation methods, and adequate gas market conditions, this area will provide new exploratry targets in the 1980's.