0il andgasdiscovery
wellsdrilled
in NewMexico
in 198b
byRonald
F.Broadhead,
Petroleum
Geologist,
NewMexico
Bureau
of Mines
andMineral
Resources,
Socono,
NM87801
Introduction
The number of wells that were drilled in
New Mexico for oil and gasin 1985was more
than the number that were drilled in 1984.
Statisticsobtained from the New Mexico Oil
Conservation Division indicate that 2,047
wells were completed in 1985,up l4Vo from
the 7,794wells completedin 1984and down
29Vofrom the record 2,867 wells completed
in 1981.In the PermianBasin,southeastNew
'1,,237
Mexico,
wells were completed in 1.985,
up from 1.,154completions in 1984;TgZwelIs
were completedas oil producers, 186 wells
were completed as gas producers, and 259
were plugged and abandoned, resulting in
a successrate of 79Vo
. In the SanJuan Basin,
northwest New Mexico, 863wells were completed in 1985,up from 640 completionsin
1984;270wells were oil producers, 539 were
gas producers, and 54 were plugged and
abandoned,resulting in a successrateof94Vo.
In addition, 41 wells were drilled to develop
further the Bravo dome carbon dioxide gas
field. A high level of exploration and drilling
activity continued in the Tucumcari Basin.
Significantoil discoverieswere made in the
previously nonproductive Espafiola Basin.
Significant exploratory wells were drilled in
the not-yet-productiveRaton, Albuquerque,
Acoma,Estancia,Pedregosa,and MesillaBasins, and on the Pedernal uplift in Lincoln
County (Fig. 1).
Total footage of hole drilled in 1985 was
10,955,593ft, up from 9,776,000ft drilled in
1984.The averagedepth of wells drilled in
1985was 5,352it,97 ft less than the average
depth of wells drilled in 1984.
For purposes of this report, a significant
wildut discweryis defined as 1) a well in which
commercialamounts of oil or gas were dis-
r-,
9
McKinley
oiolo
tn
k
I Cibolo
I ttocq
\
Bosin
Est
Bosin i
'i
Li
I
rrltl
_\|
grond
IB u r
lBosin
-l
r
vl
II
I
li*'a
lol"ro
?'7"
_-\
II
I
I
I
A
A
B
C
D
W..^^
^^G pool
^^^l
wogon M^r'h.l
Mound gos
Newkirkoil pool
Trons-PecosResourcesNo.l LotigoRonchA
YotesPetroleumCorp. No.l T-4 Cotle Co.
Significontdry holewifhoul
reportedshow
Significonfwildcolwelldri,lling,
nol compreleoor lrgnt of
end of 1985
FIGURE l-significant oil and gas discoveriesand wildcat wells drilled in New Mexico
rn
are taken from Broadhead and King (19g5),Cather
]r_a'l-Major g^eolog,ic_-features
(1984),Kelley (1978),Kottlowski and Stewart (1920),MJyer (1966),Moand Joh_n^s_o_n
lenaar (7977),Thompson and Jacka(1981),and Woodward et al (I978i.
May 1986 NewMexicoCeology
covered in a stratigraphic unit more than 5
mi from the limits of previously discovered
pools with commercial production from that
stratigraphic unit, or 2) a well that had an
unusually high initial potential (more than
1,000bbls oil per day or 10 million ft'gas per
day) and is 1-5 mi from the limits of previously discoveredpools with commercialproduction from that stratigraphicunit. A
significantutildcatdry holeis defined as a dry
hole drilled in a not-yet-productive basin or
a part of a basin where petroleum reservoirs
were evaluated. The locations of significant
wildcat wells that were drilled in 1985 are
shown in Fig. 1. Table1 summarizesthe significant wildcat discoveries, and Table 2
summarizesthe significant wildcat dry holes.
Table 3 lists other significant wildcat wells
that were being drilled, were not completed,
or were held "tight" at the end of 1985.
Each well is designated by a number in
parenthesesthat refers to its locationin Fig.
1.and its description in Tables1,,2, or 3.
SoutheastNew Mexico
Drilling activity in 1985was high in the
three geologic subdivisions of the Permian
Basin:the Delaware Basin, the Central Basin
platform, and the Northwest shelf. Drilling
activity was moderateon the Rooseveltuplift.
The Permian Basin yielded several significant oil and gas discoveriesin 1985(Fig. 1;
Table1). Kinney (1967,pp.26-27) presented
stratigraphiccharts of oil- and gas-producing
rock units in southeastNew Mexico.
The Delaware Basin, the deep-marine part
of the Permian Basin, yielded one significant
discoveryin 1985.That discovery,in the Belnorth PetroleumNo. 9 Nelson Federal3 well
(3), was oil in the Bone Spring Formation
(Permian).Becauseof the slack gas market,
explorationwas concentratedon finding new
oil reservesand not on finding new gas reserves. Development drilling in the Delaware Basin was almost exclusively for oil in
1985.Major targetsfor oil reservoirsin sandstones were the Delaware Mountain Group
(Permian) and the Bone Spring Formation
(Permian). Major targets for development
drilling of oil reservoirs in carbonate rocks
were the shallow (less than 6,000 ft) San
Andres and GrayburgFormations(Permian)
and the moderately deep (8,000-12,000ft)
upper Pennsylvanianand Wolfcampian (Permian) units. Few developmentgaswells were
drilled in 1985. Those wells were drilled
mostly for gas reservoirs in the shallow (less
than 6,000 ft) Yates and Seven Rivers Formations (Permian) and the deep (10,00014,000ft) Morrowan and Atokan (Pennsylvanian)clasticunits.
A high level of development drilling took
placeon the Central Basin platform, but only
one significant wildcat discovery was made
in this mature,denselydrilled area.That discovery was oil in a Woffcampian (Permian)
reservoir,in the Harvey E. YatesNo. l Howry
25 well (6). Development drilling was mostly
for oil in the San Andres, Grayburg, and
Queen Formations (Permian) and in the
Drinkard and Blinebry zones of the YesoFormation (Permian).Most of the drilling in the
San Andres and Grayburg Formations was
done to develop waterflood operations because these units will produce oil with the
eid of waterflood operations. The South
Hobbs Grayburg-SanAndres waterflood unit
was developed extensivelyby Amoco in 1985
and the North Hobbs Grayburg-San Andres
waterflood unit was developed extensively
by Shell. When waterflood operations are no
longer capableof producing oil economically,
carbon dioxide flooding will be used in enhancedoil-recoveryoperations.Phillips Peholeum initiated pilot flooding at the East
Vacuum Grayburg-San Andres unit in September.
The Northwest shelf was drilled actively
in 1985, and several significant wildcat discoverieswere made (1,,2, 4, 5). The most
significantof thesediscoverieswas gasin the
Montoya Formation (Ordovician)in the Read
& StevensNo. L North HaystackFederalwell
(1), which is located in northern Chaves
County.That discoveryis important because
only minor production had been obtained
previously from lower Paleozoicreservoirsin
ChavesCounty. Petroleum was found in Permian reservoirsin two welis, the YatesPetroleum Corp. No. 1-4 Dinkus StateGV (2)
and the ExxonNo. 1.LeggettFederal(4). Gas
was found in the MWJ Producing No. 1 Elkins Com. 6 well (5) in the Atokan (Pennsylvanian).Explorationon the Northwest sh-elf
was mostly for Permian and Pennsylvanian
targets.San Andres oil was explored for intenselyin 1985.
Development drilling on the northwest
shelf was mostly for oil. Main targets were
the shallow (lessthan 5,000ft) Queen, Grayburg, and SanAndres Formations(Permian)
and shelf-edgedolostonesof the Abo Formation (Permian). Most development drilling for gas was in the "tight" sands of the
PecosSlopeAbo pool and the south Pecos
SlopeAbo pool of northern and centralChaves
County. Abo gas was developed mostly to
prevent drainage by offsetting wells and to
hold leasesthat would expire if the gas was
not developed.The south flank of the Roosevelt uplift was drilled actively in 1985,but
no significantwildcat discoverieswere made.
Development drilling was mostly for oil in
Pennsylvaniancarbonatereservoirs.
Elsewherein southeastNew Mexico,Yates
Petroleum Corp. drilled several exploratory
wells (27-27,38) in Lincoln County on the
late Paleozoic-agePedernal uplift. Those exploratory wells were used to test the Abo
and YesoFormations,but no discoverieswere
made and no hydrocarbon shows were reported. However,the lack of successof those
few wells does not condemn the Pedernal
uplift. The uplift is a complex tectonic feature
and the distribution of traps and reservoirs
in that area is poorly understood. Several
more years of exploration and study of the
TABLE l-significant wildcat discoveries in New Mexico in 1985; the term formation is used in an
informal sensi. BOPD, barrels of oil per day; BWPD, barrels of water per day; MCFGPD, thousand
ff of gas per day; owwo, old well wolked ove| owdd, old well drilled deeper; NR, not reported.
Number
on
Fig. I
Lcation
(rcctioilomshiprst€,
County)
26-59-26E,
Chaves
2
Yates Petsoleum Corp
No. 1l Dhkus
State GV (owwo)
3_18S-30E,
Eddy
Belnorth Peholeum
No. 9 Nelson
Feaeral 3
Total
depth
(ft)
6,66
Euon
No. 1 Legtett
F€d€ral
Fodation
al
depth
tobl
GGnite
(Prembrian)
PrcducinS
lomation
Montoya
(OrdoYician)
Prcducint
intcdal
(ft)
Initial
potenhal
8,810
Morowan
(Pennsylvanian)
Glorieta
(P€mian)
2,2:X-2,456
4 BOPD +
3 BWPD
11,675
Morowan
(Pennsylvanian)
Bone Spring
(Pemian)
6,874-5,936
66 BOPD +
59 BWPD
a,425
Chester
(Mississippian)
Wolfcampian
(Pemian)
5,94-6,4W
11,$2-11,648
Devonian
378 MCFGPD
587MCFCPD
13,406
25-175 37E,
Lea
Hadey E. Yates
No. 1 Howry 25
lowwoJ
11,565
Atokan
(Pennsylvanian)
5-20N-2W
Sandoval
GaryWilliamOil
Producers
No. 16 Johnson 6
1/85
4,996
Semilla
(Cretaceous)
GalluP
(Cretaceous)
Semilla
(Cretaceous)
4,1 -4,582
14 20N -4W
Sandoval
Diamond Shamrocl
No. 14 Penistaja22
8/85
4,645
Semilla
(Cretaceous)
Callup
(Cretaceous)
3,893 4,360
8 BOPD +
10 MCFGPD
3-22N-5W
Sandoval
Menion Oil & Gas
No. 1 Navaio
I l/85
1,893
Caliup
(Cretaceous)
Callup
(cretaceous)
4,3U-4,762
16 BOPD +
385 MCFGPD
11/85
3,596
Lower Mancos
(Crehceous)
Niobiara
(Cretaceous)
2,740-2,760
Lower Manocs
(Cretaceous)
2,7t$-2,762
Lea
I I3N 8E,
SantaFe
26-14N-8E,
SantaFe
Black Oil lnc
No. I Ferrill
(owdd)
(Pennsylvanian)
Cha(€ Oil Co.
No. 2 Pinon Unit
18-29N-22E,
Colfar
Pema EnerSy
No.1 Rushton
3-5N-19E,
Guadalupe
Cummins & Walker
No. I SaladoDome
FederalUnit
Oil g.Yity
(detrcG
APf)
6,450-6,462 968 MCFGPD
MI 4 Pioducint
No. 1 Elkhs Com. 6
5-13S-35E,
13
Completion
date
Read & Stevens
No. 1 North
HaystackFederal
IG18S-25E,
Eddy
72)0s-21E,
Eddy
1l
Operator
w€ll numbe!
md lea6€
1/85
Wolcampian
(Pemian)
10,054-10,094 72 BOPD
368 BOPD +
47 MCFGPD
4,930-4,967
7,455
NR
Callup
(Cretaceous)
NR
3,374
Morrison
(Jurassic)
Dakota
(Crctac€ous)
2,9U-3,023
4,753
Granite
(Precambrian)
(Pemian)
80 BOPD
30 BOPD
100 MCFCPD +
60 BWPD
1,214-1,234t 230 MCFGPD +
r,6sa 7,666
10 BWPD
through perforations from 13,195to 73,214
ft and gas flowed at a rate of 350 MCFGPD
(thousand ft' gas per day). Although the
Northwest New Mexico
Phillips well was not completed at the end
of 1985,it is a significantwildcat becauseit
I n 1 9 8 5 ,8 5 3 w e l l s w e r e c o m p l e t e d i n
northwest New Mexico;640wells were com- tested the Paleozoicsection. Only about 30
pleted in 1984.Almost all of the wells were wildcat wells have tested the Paleozoicsecdrilled in the San Juan Basin. In the record tion in the New Mexico part of the San fuan
year of 1981, 1,379 wells were completed. Basin;most wells stop in the shallower,proThe diminished rate of drilling since 1981has lific Cretaceousand Jurassicpay zones.Probeen causedby a decreasedmarket for gas, duction from Paleozoicreservoirs is limited
which is the primary petroleum product of to nine small fields in the northwest part of
the basin.PaleozoicreservoirsareDevonian,
the San Juan Basin.
Three significant oil discoveries, the Gary Mississippian,and Pennsylvanian.The loWilliams Oil ProducersNo. L6fohnson 6 (7), cation for another significant Paleozoictest,
the Diamond Shamrock No. 14 Penistaja22 the Union Oil of California No. 1 Jicarilla
(8),and the Merrion Oil & Gas No. 1 Navajo H-9 well (35),was staked in 1985.Because
(9)wells, were madein the Gallup Sandstone the Paleozoicsection of the San ]uan Basin
(Cretaceous)
at depths of4,000-5,000ft. The has been drilled sparsely,it remains a fronGallup is the main oil-producing unit in the tier for petroleum exploration.
Developmentdrilling for oil in the Sanfuan
SanJuanBasin.The most prolific Gallup production is from northwest-trending offshore Basin was concentratedin the Gallup SandThe Bisti Gallup oil pool
sand bars (Campbell, L979), which many stone (Cretaceous).
workers refer to as Tocitosands.Someoil is of San Juan County was developed extenproducedfrom basinalsilty shalesnortheast sivelyin 1985.Severaldevelopmentoil wells
of the main Gallup trend. All three discov- were completed in two or more of the foleries are on the main Gallup trend, but they lowing stratigraphic units: Gallup Sandare southeast of previously discovered oil stone, Dakota Sandstone, Mancos Shale,
pools; this indicates that significant oil re- GranerosShale,GreenhornLimestone,and/
servesmay remain undiscoveredin the Gal- orJuanaLopez Member of the lower Mancos
lup Sandstone.
Shale (Cretaceous).The producing interval
The PhillipsPetroleumNo. 112-YSanJuan of each completion zone is typically 300-500
30-5 well (34)was spudded in 1985and dritted ft thick. Stone et al. (1983)summarized the
to a total depth of 14,000ft. The Barker Creek stratigraphy of Cretaceousrocks in the San
F o r m a t i o n ( P e n n s v l v a n i a n )w a s t e s t e d TuanBasin.
oF
uplift area may be needed before the petroleum potential is thoroughly evaluated.
Nm Mexico Geology May 1.986
TABLE 2-Significant wildcat dry holes in New Mexico in 1985; the term formation is used in an
informal sense.D&A, dry and abandoned;TA, temporarily abandoned;NR, not reported; DST, drillstem test; owdd, old well drilled deeper.
Number
Location
(s6tion-townshilF
on
Fig. 1
rante, County)
Operator
well number,
and leas€
74
34-9N-25E,
Guadalupe
15
19-1lN 22E,
Cuadalupe
McClellan Oil
No. 3 Bumer Fe
l2-10N-278,
Quay
YatesPekoleum Corp.
No. 1 T-4 Filly's Tooth
15-10N-328,
Quay
Gulf Oil Corp.
No. 1 Whatley
10-10NJ4E,
Quay
Munay Hill Oil & cas
No. 1 Stoner Unit
20-12N 33E,
Quay
Onshore Exploration
No. 1 Bahr Megan
25-13N 31E,
euay
Canyon Resources
No. l HarueyfuS
17
L9
Baker & Taylor
No. 1 Reillv Minerals
19-25-77E
Lincoln
YatesPetroleum Corp
No. 1-Y Cowboy
Mesa FederalAAY
27 2919E,
Lincoln
Yates Petroleum Corp.
No. 1 Chisum
Federal AAW
2l4S-1,6E,
Lincoln
Completion Total
date
depth
(mo/yr)
(ft)
Yates Petroleum Corp.
No. 1 Asparas Federal ABX
27-45-198,
Lincoln
Yates Petroleum Corp.
No. 1 Yardstick
Federal AAV
27-69-19E,
Lincoln
Yates Petroleum Corp.
No. 1 Macho Uno
Federal ABL
10 10915E,
Lincoln
Yates Petroleum Corp.
No. 1 Munoz Canyon
Federal AAN
20-65-138,
Lincoln
Dalton Kincheloe
No. 1 Arnold Federal
13,2N-10E,
Torance
Stevens Oil
No. 1 Hobbs
24-17N 88,
SantaFe
YatesPetroleum Corp
No. 2 La Mesa Unit
19-6N-2W
Valencia
Brana Corp. No. 2
PentecoTiinity
36-11N 8W
Cibola
Topaz Southwest
No. 1 State (owdd)
27-22rnv,
Luna
May Energy
No. 1 May Energy
10J3S-20W
Hidalgo
Arco Oil & Gas
No. 1 Fitzpatrick
Development drilling for gas in the San
fuan Basin was concentratedon sandstone
reservoirs in the Pictured Cliffs Sandstone,
Mesaverde Group, and Dakota Sandstone
(Cretaceous).
Amoco and El PasoNatural Gas
continued their extensiveinfill drilling of the
Dakota Basin gas pool. Other targetsof gas
drilling were the Fruitland Formation and
the Chacrazone (Cretaceous).
The EspanolaBasin is a frontier basin in
which two significant discoverieswere made.
Oil was found in the Black Oil Inc. No. L
Ferrill well (10) in fractured Niobrara and
lower Mancos shale; the oil gravity was 48"
API. Oil was found in the ChaceOil Co. No.
2 Pifion Unit well (11) in strata reported to
May 1986 Nm MexicoGeology
7,825
6,100
Fomation
at
total depth
Granite
(Precambrian)
NR
Comment6
No reported
shows
DST 5,034-5,113 fi
(Pennsylvanian), had fair
blow and recovered gas;
DST 3,996-4,075 ft
(Pennsylvanian),
recovered gas; Peil 1,0102,700 ft, swabbed load
water with tas show
drilled to 8,300ft to test the Paleozoicsection.
Four wildcats were drilled by the Brana
Corporation on the west edge of the Albuquerque Basin. All four wells were drilled in
a quarter section on a small fault block; only
the deepestof the four wells (30)is reported
here. All four wells were dry and no shows
were reported. In the Acoma Basin, the Topaz SouthwestNo. 1 Statewell (31)was drilled
to a total depth of 2,900 ft in the Entrada
Sandstone(|urassic),but it was abandoned
with no reported shows.
Northeast New Mexico
Severalpetroleum exploration wells were
drilled in northeast New Mexico in 1985.Petroleum has not been produced in this area
8,4U
Gianite
No reported shows
except for a brief period when marginally
(Precambrian)
commercial amounts of gas were produced
Pennsylvanian
6,800
No reported shows
from the Morrison Formation (furassic) and
the Dakota Sandstone (Cretaceous) at the
4,065
Pennsylvanian
No reported shows
currently inactive Wagon Mound field in Mora
County (Fig. 1, letter A). The Newkirk pool
3,398 Sangre de Cristo
No reported shows
(Fig. 1, letter B) produced 362 bbls of heavy
(Pennsylvanian)
(Triassic)
from the
the Santa
Santa Rosa
Rosa Sandstone
Sandstone (Triassic)
oil
oil from
2,579
Gianite
No reported shows
pilot steamflood
ith the
the aid
aid of
of a pilot
steamflood proiect.
project.
with
(Precambrian)
Some of the wells were drilled as a result
of low-volume oil and gas discoveries in
4,100
Precambrian
D&A No reported shows
Pennsylvanianreseryoirsfound by Trans-Pecos Resourcesin 1982(Fig. 1, Ietter C) and
2,780
Granite
D&A No reported shows
by YatesPetroleum Corp. in 1983(Fig. 1, let(Precambrian)
ter D) in the TucumcariBasin.Currentlv. those
3,750
Precambrian
D&A No reported shows
discoveriesare shut in. Severalexploratory
tests were drilled in 1.985,and seven of the
deepestones are reported here (14-20).The
3,532
Precambrian
D&A No reported shows
McClellan Oil Corp. No. 3 Burner Fee well
(15) was temporarily abandoned at a total
depth of 5,100 ft; Bas shows were reported
2,800 Precambrian
D&A No reported shows
in the Pennsylvaniansection. Petroleum was
not recovered during a drill-stem test of the
3,572 Precambrian
No reported shows
Pennsylvanian section in the Yates Petroleum Corp. No. 1 T-4 Filly's Tooth well (15),
1,590
Granite
D&A No reported shows
but it had a weak blow, which may indicate
(Precambrian)
the presenceof hydrocarbon-charged reser7,710 Precambrian
D&A No reported shows
voirs. The other five Paleozoic exploration
wells reached total depth in the Pennsylva2,840 Precambrian
D&A No reported shows
nian or Precambrian.Although no showswere
reported from those wells, their presencein2,900
Entrada
D&A No reported shows
dicatesthe continued interestof exploration
(Jurasssic)
companiesin the Tucumcari Basin.
5,900
Abo
D&A Spudded in 1982;
Eiploration for Cretaceouspetroleum con(Permian)
No reported shows
tinued in the Raton Basin in 1985.The Perma
10,795
Epitaph
D&A No reported shows
Energy No. 1 Rushton well (12) was com(Pernian)
pleted as a low-volume discovery well in the
Dakota Sandstonethrough perforations from
be Gallup Sandstone(Cretaceous).
Although 2,984to 3,023 ft. Severalsimilar low-volume
production decreasedrapidly to subeconom- gasdiscoverieshave been completedin Creic volumes after completion of the well, the taceoussands of the Raton Basin in the last
Pinon Unit is nevertheless an important oil 10 years. All of those wells are shut in and
discovery. If the Black Oil Inc. No. 1 Ferrill no gas has been produced from the New
well sustainsa commercialamount of oil pro- Mexicopart of the RatonBasin.Low-volume
duction for any appreciableamount of time, gas wells in the Raton Basin are shut in beitwouldbe the most significantfrontierbasin causeof the poor gas market and the lack of
discovery in New Mexico sincethe discovery adequatepipeline facilities. The Jurassicand
of the Wagon Mound gas pool (Fig. 1, letter Paleozoicsections remain virtually untested
A) in Mora Countv inl973. Elsewherein the in the Raton Basin. In addition, the CretaEspafiola Basin, the Yates Petroleum Corp. ceoussectionhasnot beentestedadequately.
trld. Z La MesaUnit well (29)was abandoned
Four significant wildcat wells were drilled
at a total depth of 7,770 ft in Precambrian in the EstanciaBasinin 1985(28,39-41).The
rocks.The well remains "tight," but no shows Benz, Lyle, & Curtis No. 1 Benz well (40)
were reported; it had been scheduledto be was drilled to a total depth of 1,500ft and
7,705 Pennsylvanian D&A
DST 6,760 6,820 tt
(Pennsylvanian), weak
blow, received 710 ft mud
was held "tight" at the end of 1985; small TABLE 3-Significant wildcat wells that were drilling, not completed, or "tight" at the end of 1985in
volumes of oil and gas were reportedly re- New Mexico. MCFGPD, thousand ff of gas per day.
covered from the YesoFormation (Permian).
The MAR Oil and Gas No. L Esteswell (39) Number
Location
Operator
(section-townshipwell nurnber,
on
was drilled to a total depth of 2,913 ft and
Comments
and lease
range, County)
had not been completedat the end of 1985; Fig. l
Drilled to total depth of 14,000ft; perforated and
26-30N-5W
Phillips Peholeum
the Pennsylvaniansection was tested, and
acidized Barker Creek Formation (Pennsylvanian)from
No. 112-YSan Juan
RioArriba
oil, water, and carbon dioxide gas were re13,195-13,214ft; flowed 350 MCFGPD
30-6
portedly recovered.The StevensOil No. 1
to be drilled to 12,900ft to test
California
Scheduled
Oil
of
9-29N-2W
Union
Hobbs (28)and the JohnAday No. 2 D'Spain
Pennsylvanian section
No. 1 Jicarilla H-9
RioAniba
(41)wells were drilled, and no shows were
rePorted.
Marshall Young Oil Co. Drilled "tight" to total depth of 9,775 ft
33-2sS-15W
No. 1 Salty's Unit
Grant
The Bravo dome carbon dioxide gas field
continuedto be developedand 41 wells were
Schedu.ledto be drilled to 22,000ft to test Paleozoic
Phillips Petroleum
4275-1.E,
completed. The main reservoir is the Tubb
Dofla Ana
No. 1 Sunland Park Unit section; "tight" hole
sand (Permian). Carbon dioxide produced
Drilled "tight" to total depth of 4,300ft
YatesPetroleum Corp.
10-1S_19E,
from the Bravo dome will be used for enNo. 1 RamonABA
Lincoln
hancedoil recovery in the PermianBasin of
Drilled "tight" to total depth oI 2,913 ft; perforated
MAR Oil & Gas
35-5N-8E,
west Texasand southeastNew Mexico.Most
Pennsylvanian;recovered oil, COz, and water
No. 1 Estes
Torrance
of the carbon dioxide will be transported to
Drilled to total depth of 1,500ft; perforated Yeso
18-5N-9E,
Bem, Lyle, & Curtis
the PermianBasinby the recentlycompleted
(Permian); swabbed oil- and gas-cut water
Tonance
No. 1 Benz
Bravo pipeline. The Sheep Mountain pipeline will transport carbon dioxide to the PerDrilled to total depth of 1.900ft
12-5N-5E,
John Aday
No. 2 D'Spain
Tonance
mian Basin from the Bravo dome field and
from the SheepMountain field in southeast
Colorado.
Production of crude oil and natural gas li- and San fuan Basins will encourage explorquids in 1984was 79.3 million bbls, an in- atory drilling and development and should
SouthwestNew Mexico
creaseof 5.5Vofrom the 75.2 million bbls help prevent production declines in the fuExploratorydrilling for oil and gascontinproduced in 1983.Oil production decreased ture. In the last five years, oil discoveriesin
ued in southwestNew Mexicoin 1985.In the by approximately 2Voin 1985 (New Mexico the Delaware Mountain Group (Permian BaPedregosaBasin, the Arco No. 1 Fitzpatrick
Oil ConservationDivision data). Production sin), the Bone Spring Formation (Permian
well (33)was drilled to a total depth of 10,795
of natural gas in 1984 was 947 billion ft3, an Basin),and the Gallup Sandstone(SanJuan
ft before it was abandonedin reported Per- increase
of 6.9Vofrom the 886billion ft' pro- Basin)provide major new exploration targets
mian rocks. In Grant County, the Marshall duced
in 1983.Gas production decreasedby and add new oil reseryesand production that
YoungNo. 1 Salty'sUnit well (35)was drilled approximately
6V" 'in,1985(New Mexico Oil will supplant declining production from older
"tight" to a total depth of 9,775 ft. The PhilConservationDivision data).In 7984,93Vo
of oil pools. Productiondeclineswill be slowed
lips PetroleumNo. 1 Sunland Park Unit (37) the
state'soil and 52%of the state'sgaswere in the more distant future by implementation
is a "tight" hole that was scheduled to be produced
from the Permian Basin;77oof the of carbon dioxide flooding of existing fields.
drilled to 22,000ft to test the Paleozoicsec- state's
p. 3) estimatedthat 4.6-11 miloil and 48Voof the state's gas were Foster(1.980,
tion.
produced from the San Tuan Basin. As of lion bbls of oil per day could be produced
Although there is no current petroleum becember
31,,1,984,
New Mexicohad oil re- with carbondioxide flooding techniques.Such
production in southwestNew Mexico, there serves 941 million
of
bbls, an increaseof 84 additional production would replacewaning
is potential for future production. The Pa- million
barrels from December31, 1983.As production from older fields, but would not
leozoicand Lower Cretaceoussectionsin the
of December31, 1984,New Mexico had gas constitute an increasein reserves.Significant
PedregosaBasin area are particularly prom- reserves
of 15.3trillion ft', a decreaseof 0.4 increasesin oil reservesmav be made bv the
(Thompson,
ising
1980,1981).
trillion ft' from December 31,,L983.The oil
discoveryof new oil pools in the alreadyproThe sparselvdrilled BacaBasin of Catron
reservesinclude oil that can be recoveredby ductive Permian and San |uan Basinsor by
Countyind w-esternSocorroCounty has also enhanced-recovery
techniques.
the discovery of oil pools in the not-yet-prodrawn interest. In the last two years apThe decreasein oil production in 1985can ductive frontier areas, such as the Tucumproximately3 million acresof land havebeen
be attributedto two factors.First, oil reserves cari, Espanola,Albuquerque, Acoma, Baca,
ieasedby severalfirms including Shell, Elf found
and developed during the "boom" and PedregosaBasins, or in the Paleozoic
Aquitane, Sohio, Hunt Oil Co., High Plains
drilling years of 7980-7982reached peak de- sectionof the San ]uan Basin.
PetroleumCorp., Monarch Petroleum Corp.,
velopmentand production in 1983and 1984.
The decreasein gasproduction in 1985was
L e e d P e t r o l e u mC o r p . , Z i m m e r m a n R e Becauseof the drilling slump of 1983-1985, causedby a decreaseddemand for gas,rather
sources,Love Oil Co.,-the New Mexico and reserves
in larger pools were not developed than a decreasedcapability to produce gas.
Arizona Land and Cattle Co., and Sam,Gary,
quickly enough to supplant previously de- The large decline in gas production was
and Greg Merrion. Although no wells haie
velopedreservesthat were depletedby pro- causedprimarily by a poor market for gas in
been drilled in the BacaBasinsince1979,the
duction. Approximately 707o of the oil
California, the chief consumer of New Mexareahas been explored extensivelywith re- produced
in southeastNew Mexico is from ico gas.The future of gasproduction in New
flection seismology.Possiblereservoirobjec- 10
pools;production from those pools is de- Mexico is uncertain becauseof the unknown
tivesin the BacaBasinare Upper Cretaceous
clining at an averageof 4-l2Vo annually (Sta- demand for and price of gas in the future.
sandstones,the San Andres, Yeso,and Abo
metset al., 1985).Second,the decliningprice TheAmerican GasAssociationhas predicted
Formations (Permian), and Pennsylvanian
of oil lowered oil production. The price of no largeincreasein gasdemand for 1985(Oil
sandstones
and limestones.
west Texas intermediate crude oil with a and Gas journal, 1986b),but the long-term
gravity of 40' API felI2.7Vo from $28.00/bbl demand for gas is predicted to increase
Effect of discoverieson oil
in January 1985(Oil and Gas Journal, L985) (AmericanGas Association,1984).
and gas production
to $27.25bb1in January 1985(Oil and Gas
Decreaseddemand for gas has causeda
In7984, New Mexico was the seventh larg- fournal, 1986a).Becauseof the decreasein marked decreasein exploration.Someof the
est producerof crude oil and the fourth larg- price, economicallymarginal wells are less produced gas reserveswere not replaced by
estproducerof nafural gasin the United States attractiveto operateand produce.
new discoveries,and reservesdeclined ac(EnergyInformation Administration, 1985).
Continued oil discoveriesin the Permian
Ne:o Mexico Geology
May 1986
cordingly. Generally, only the very best gas
prospects,or thosegasprospectsrequiredto
hold^leases,were diilled in'1985. Hbwever,
existinggaspools in the SanJuanBasincontinued to be developed.
ACKNowLEDGT,GNTS-Prentiss
Childs of the
New Mexico Oil Conservation Division provided the well completion statistics.Richard
Stametsof the New MexicoOil Conservation
Division provided data on the volume of oil
and gas produced. David Donaldson of the
New MexicoBureauof Geologyprovided the
reseryestatistics.Robert Bieberman,Frank
Kottlowski, and Sam Thompson, III, reviewed the manuscript.Lynne McNeil typed
the manuscript and Cherie Pelletierdrafted
the illustration.
References
American GasAssociation, 1984,The gas energy demand
outlook: 1984-2000:American GasAssociation,Arlinston, Virginia, 90 pp.
Broadhead, R. F., and King, W E., 1985, Preliminary
report on the stratigraphy and structure of pennsylvanian and lower Permianstrata,Turumcni Basin:New
Mexico Geological Society, Guidebook to 35th Field
Conference,pp 151-165
Campbell, C V , 7979,Model for beachshoreline in Gal-
continued from page 29
Loring, A K, and Armstrong, D G, 1980, Cambrian_
O.rdovician syenites of New Mexico, part of a regional
alkalic intrusive episode: Geology, r. 8, pp. 344-j48.
Mclernore, V. T., 1,982,Geology and geochemistry of Ordovician carbonatite dikes in the Lemitar Mountains,
Socono County, New Mexico: New Mexico Bureau ol
Mines and Mineral Resources, Open-file Report 158,
772 pp.
Mclemore, V T, 1983, Carbonatites in the Lemitar and
Chupadera Mountains, Socono County, New Mexico:
New Mexico Geological Sociery, Guidebook to 34th Field
Conference, pp. 235-240.
Mclemore, V. T., 1984, Preliminary report on the geology
and nineral-resource potential of Tonance County, Ne*
Mexico: New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources, Open-file Report l92,2ll pp.
Olson, J. C., Maruin, R. F., Parker,R. L., and Mehnert.
H. H., 1977, Age and tectonic setting of lower paleozoic
alkalic and mafic rocks, carbonatites, and thorium veins
in south-cenfral Colorado: U.S. Geological Survey,
Journal of Research, v. 5, no. 5, pp. 673-687.
P h a i l G . , a n d F i s h e r , F . C . , 1 9 6 1 , P b t a s s i cf e l d s p a t h i z a tion and thorium deposition in the Wet Mountains,
Colorado: U.S. Geological Survey, Professional paper
424-D, pp. Dt-D2.
Reim, K. M., 1955, Mineral resource survev of pedro Armendaris Grant. New Mexico: United Ceophvsical Corporation, Unpublished report for Kern County Land
Company, San Francisco, California, 57 pp.
lup Sandstone(Upper Cretaceous)of northwestem New
Mexico: New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources,Circular 764, 32 pp
Cather,S, M., and Johnson,B.D.,798/, Eocenetectonics
and depositional setting of west-central New Mexico
and eastemArizona: New Mex.icoBureau of Mines and
Mineral Resources,Circular 792,33 pp.
Energy Information Adminishation, 1985,U S crude oil,
natural gas, and natural gas liquids reserves:U S Department of Energy, Energy Information Adminishation, 1984annual report, DOE/EIA-0216(84),98 pp.
Foster, R. W., 1980,Carbon dioxide sourcesand use for
enhancedoil recovery: New Mexico Petroleum Recovery ResearchCenter,Report 80-4,73 pp.
Kelley, V C.,7978, Geology of EspanolaBaiin, New Mexico: New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources,GeologicMap 48, scale1:125,000.
Kinney,E E. (ed),1957, The oil and gas fields of southeasternNew Mexico; Roswell Geological Sociely, 1957
SymposiumSupplement,195pp.
Kottlowski, F. 8., and Stewart, W. J.,1,970,The WolfcampianJoyitauplift in central New Mexico: New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources,Memoir
23,pt.I,pp 1-31
Meyer, R F , 1,956,Geology of Pennsylvanian and Wolfcampian rocks in southeasi New Mexico: New Mexico
Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources,Memoir 17,
LZJ DD
Moleniir, C. M., Tgn,Stratigraphy and depositional history of Upper Cretaceous rocks of the San Juan Basin
area, with a note on economic resources: New Mexico
Ceological Society, Guidebook to 28th Field Conference/ pp 159-166.
Association
forWomen
Geoscientists
fieldtrip
Kate ]ohnson of the USGS, a noted expert on
the Salmon River area of west-central ldaho. will
lead a three-daytrip on the SalmonRiver on lulv
4-6, 1986.The iower canvens of the Salmon Rive'r
cut through someof the inost spectacularcountry
any"wherdinthe U.5. Johnsonwill discussthe locil
outcrops ofTertiary and Cretaceousrocks exposed
in the canyon and the regional geology and tectonic setting of the area. In addition, we will have
ampletime to study the modern point-bardeposits
of the SalmonRiver, which are exposedas white
W y l l i e ,P ,J . , a n d B i g g a rG
, . M . , 1 9 b 6F
. r a c r i o n aclr y s t a l The generalpolicyis that measurementsshould
lizationin the "carbonatitesystems"CaO-MgO.tO5
be givenin the unitsorlglnal/yusedand conversions
H2O and CaO-CaF5P2O5-CO5H2O; in Inteinational
mineralogical association volume: Mineralogical Soci- will not be given in parenthesesunlessspecifically
ery of lndia. pp. 92-105.
requestedby the author.This means:
n
May 30, 1986 SEPM short course "Glacial sedimentary environments,,,in champaign,
Illinois
June 14-15, 1986 SEPM short course "structures and sequences in clastic rocks," in Atlanta, Geor81a
june 14-15, 1985 SEPM short course "Modern and ancient
deep sea fan sedimentation," in Atlanta,
Georgia.
June 15, 1986 sPEM short course "paleoclimatology and economic geology,,,in Atlanta, Georgia
June 15, 1985 SEPM core workshop "Modern and ancient shelf clastics,,, in Atlanta, Georgia.
August l-2, 1986 SEPM field seminar, "Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks of the
Golden-Boulder area
and Denver Basin, Colorado," in Golden, Coloradir.
For more information or to regiqte-r for any of the above courses, contact:
Joni C. Merkel, Society
of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, P.O. Box 4756, Tulsa, OklahomaT4159-.0756,
(97g)
743J498.
May I98b
New Mexio Ceology
sand beachesthat make some of the best campsites
in the west. The cost of $300for membersand $S0
for nonmembers include$ all expenses on the river
and round-trip transportation-between Grangeville, Idaho, and the river. The trip is limited-to
24 people. For information call Malcia Knadle at
(206)593-6510or JeanneHarris at (3031694-@76,
or write to; Association for Wbmen Geoscientists,
National Field Trip, Box L005, Menlo Park, California 94024.
Editor'snote: Becauseseveralarticlesin this isStaatz,
M H, Adams,
N M, 1965, sueincludeboth conventional(Americanand BritJ W, andConklin,
Thorium-bearing microcline-rich rocks in the southern ish) and metric units, I have reprinted below the
CaballoMountains, SierraCounfv, New Mexico:U.S. current policy on use of measurementsin Nezl
GeologicalSuruey,ProfessionalPjper 525-D,pp. D48- Mexico
Geology.Comments are invited.
D51.
society
of Economic
Paleontologists
andMineralogists
Gourses
40
Oil and GasJournal, 1985,SelectedU S and world cmde
prices: Oil and Gas Joumal, v. 83, no 1, p. 120.
Oil and GasJournaI,1986a,
SelectedU.S.and world crude
prices: Oil and Gas Journal, v. U, no. 2, p. 85.
Oil and GasJournal,1985b,AGA-gas surplus to retain
price rein: Oil and GasJournal, v. M, no. 1, pp. 52-53.
Stamets,R. L., Kautz,P, Brooks,L., and Busch,E , 1985,
New Mexico: The Oii and Gas Compact Bulletin, v. 49,
no 1, pp 31J3
Stone,W. J, Lyfotd, F P, Frenzel,P F, Mizell, N. H,
and Padgett, E T, 1983,Hydrogeology and water resourcesof San Juan Basin, New Mexico: New Mexico
Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources,Hydrologic
Report 5, 70 pp.
Thompson, S., ilI, 1980, PedregosaBasin's main exploration target is Pennsylvanian dolostone: Oil and Gas
Journal,v 78, no. 42, pp 202,207,21.0,275
Thompson, S , ilL, 1987, Petroleum source rocks in exploration wells drilled to Paleozoicor Mesozoic units,
Hidalgo and Grant Counties, New Mexico: New Mex_ico Energy Institute, Report EtrdD2-65-3306, 720pp.
Thompson,S., III, and Jacka,A. D.,1,981.,
Pennsylvaniln
stratigraphy, petrographt and petroleum geology of
the Big Hatchet Peak section, Hidalgo Counfy, New
Mexico: New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources,Circular176,1,25pp
Woodward,L. A., Callender,J. F., Seager,W. R., Chapin,
C. E., Gries, J. C., Shaffer,W. L., and Zilinski, R. E.,
1978,Tectonicmap of Rio Grande rift region in New
Mexico, Chihuahua, and Texas;inHawley, J. W. (compiler), Guidebook to Rio Grande rift in New Meico
and Colorado: New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources,Circular 153, sheet 2.
tr
1) Geographicdislancesor elevationsin the U.S.
should be given in conventionalunits (miles,
yards, feet) regardlessof the kind of measurementsused elsewherein the paper.
2) Field,section,fossil,or other measurements
made originallyin metric units should be reportedthat way even if this meansthat some
measurementsin the paper are reportedin
standardunits (. , . the study area is 10 miles
north of Socorro. .) and some are reported
i n m e t r i c u n i t s ( . . . t h e 6 - m - t h i c ks e c t i o n . . . ; . . . w e u s e da 2 - m mm e s hs c r e e n
to...).
3) Any quotedmaterialmust,of course,be identicalto the originalpublishedtext. Conversion
of metersto feet withina quote (. . . "the 6-meven
[19.7-ft-]thicksection. . .")is unnecessary
if in the rest of the paper only standardunits
are used.
4) An exceptionis made on figures where we
requireone scalebar that has both metricand
conventionalunits delineated.