G. Alan Petzet
Exploration Editor
A look at one Jurassic Smackover field in southern Mississippi about 2 years after discovery shows that exploration in the area can be attractive.
The Weeks Exploration Co. 1 McCoy Heirs, in 20 10n-7w, Wayne County, Miss., was completed in May 1988 and opened Clear Creek field.
On completion it flowed 888 b/d of 41 gravity oil and 810 Mcfd of gas through a 16/64 in. choke with 1,800 psi flowing tubing pressure from perforations at 14,313-648 ft.
The field is about one half mile east of Cretaceous Lower Tuscaloosa production in North Yellow Creek field and 1 1/8 miles west of Jurassic Norphlet production in North Hiwannee field (OGJ, Oct. 31, 1988, p. 82).
THE FIRST 2 YEARS
A snapshot of Clear Creek field's first 2 years is provided in Mississippi Geology by Jack Moody of the Mississippi Bureau of Geology.
The discovery well is by far the best of the field's three wells, Moody wrote. It flowed 218,908 bbl of oil and 201,260 Mcf of gas from May 1988 through December 1989.
The well produced for 496 days in that period for an average rate of 441 b/d of oil and 406 Mcfd of gas. It flowed 8,969 bbl of oil in January 1990 and was placed on pump in February 1990.
In March, the first full month on the pump, the well averaged 341 b/d of oil, 15 b/d of water, and 165 Mcfd of gas.
OFFSETS LESS ATTRACTIVE
One of the offsets is a poor well, and neither has been nearly as good as the discovery.
The first offset, 2 McCoy, began producing in December 1 988. It flowed 50,382 bbl of oil and 46,106 Mcf of gas from then through July 1989 for average rates of 338 b/d of oil and 355 Mcfd of gas.
It went on the pump in August 1989 and yielded 49,117 bbl of oil and 37,307 Mcf of gas from then through March 1990.
Production in March 1990 averaged 210 b/d of oil, 4 b/d of water, and 237 Mcfd of gas, Moody wrote.
The 3 McCoy began producing on the pump in September 1989. It produced 1,002 bbl of oil, 258 bbl of water, and 1,400 Mcf of gas in the first month.
In October it pumped 510 bbl of oil, 84 bbl of water, and 700 Mcf in 14 days. In November it pumped 191 bbl of oil, 42 bbl of water, and 350 Mcfd in 7 days before being shut-in through February 1990.
It pumped 1,513 bbl of oil, 471 bbl of water, and no gas during 7 days in March.
Comparing cumulative oil and gas production with completed well costs of about $1 million/well to 15,000 ft in the area indicates that the working interest owners should have achieved a healthy return on investment.
Copyright 1990 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.
