Abstract

The discovery in 1994 of production from the lowermost Cherry Canyon Sands in the War-Wink area generated an active development play over several years. Although not a true “Resource Play”, the Lower Cherry Canyon caused rethinking the idea that only certain parts of the Delaware Mountain Group (DMG) would be productive. This paper looks at the “back story” of how the play came to be tested, who were the participants in the play and what is the current status of the play.

The Lower Cherry Canyon was found to have higher producing rates than the upper part of the formation. Wells completed in the lower zones produced with initial flow rates of 100-200 BOPD for periods up to one year. Associated produced water was lower than with upper Cherry Canyon.

The War-Wink area was in a very favorable geologic setting as the trend was in the path of multiple high porosity/permeability sands. Structural uplift created traps wherein multiple sands produced. In some cases more than seven individual sands are known to be productive in a single well and some wells have not yet tested all possible zones. A recent development has been the drilling of locations as center five spot producers on the structural crest of one field.