The Chanute oil pool in Neosho County, southeastern Kansas, was first exploited by the City of Chanute for gas between 1895 and 1898. Oil wells were drilled in 1899 and produced until 1908 when they were abandoned. The field was redrilled in 1913 for oil and again redrilled in 1937 to 1941 for water-flooding operations.

The oil-bearing sand is a shoestring sand body in the Cherokee shale. It is locally called Bartlesville, although it is probably somewhat younger than the Bartlesville sand of the type locality. The sand lies at a depth of about 725 feet and its maximum thickness is about 50 feet.

The sand body was cored and subjected to laboratory examination prior to the initiation of water-flooding operations. Nearly all new wells were drilled for the water-flooding project. Water is obtained from the Neosho River, chemically treated, and injected into input wells at a pressure of 700 pounds. The spacing between wells in lines parallel with the longer axis of the sand body is greater than in lines across the sand body because it has been found that the water travels faster lengthwise the sand body than across it.

The total oil produced per acre by water flooding has been about 2,300 barrels in 3 years on one lease and 3,500 barrels in 2 years on another lease.