Abstract

East-central Utah has a long history of hydrocarbon exploration and production activity under difficult geologic, geographic and economic conditions. Despite these hardships, twenty oil and gas fields have been discovered in the region, which in this report, includes all of Carbon, Emery, and Sanpete Counties.

A total of 12,864 bbls of oil and 1.3 BCF of gas was produced from seven oil and gas fields in east-central Utah during 1990. The primary productive intervals include the Cretaceous Ferron Sandstone Member of the Mancos Shale, the Triassic Moenkopi, and the Tertiary Wasatch Formations. Eleven oil and gas fields are currently shut-in. Many of these fields are not producing because of marketing difficulties.

Three significant exploration wells have been drilled in east-central Utah since 1989. The Meridian Oil Company East Mountain Federal 32–23 well successfully re-established production from the Ferron Sandstone in the previously abandoned Flat Canyon field. The Diversified Operating Corporation Federal Rockwash 13–35 well was drilled to evaluate the potential of the Last Chance field based on hydrodynamic considerations. The Celsius Energy Company Federal 8–1 well, located on the western flank of the San Rafael Swell, tested a regional stratigraphic trap in the Permian Kaibab formation.

Also underway in east-central Utah are two coalbed methane projects in early phases of exploration and development. Cockrell Oil Corporation’s Castlegate Project will evaluate the potential of the Cretaceous Blackhawk Formation along the southern flank of the Uinta Basin. The objective of River Gas of Utah’s Drunkards Wash Unit Project is to explore and develop the coalbed methane resources of the Ferron Coals along the flanks of the Wasatch Plateau.

Although the producing fields of east-central Utah currently contribute less then one percent of the state’s annual hydrocarbon production, wildcat and development drilling suggests industry confidence that significant oil and gas deposits remain to be discovered.