Texaco explores near giant McKittrick field

Texaco Exploration & Production Inc. has nine confidential exploratory wells and four development wells on tap in the area of 100 year old McKittrick field in California's San Joaquin Valley. All nine exploratory wells are planned in NW 20-30s-22e, Kern County, 1 mile west of McKittrick townsite. Proposed depths of the wildcats are confidential. The development wells, in NE 19-30s-22e, will go to 1,000-1,185 ft. Texaco has not divulged the reasons for drilling nine wildcats on a 160 acre

Oct. 20, 1997

2 min read

Texaco Exploration & Production Inc. has nine confidential exploratory wells and four development wells on tap in the area of 100 year old McKittrick field in California's San Joaquin Valley.

All nine exploratory wells are planned in NW 20-30s-22e, Kern County, 1 mile west of McKittrick townsite. Proposed depths of the wildcats are confidential. The development wells, in NE 19-30s-22e, will go to 1,000-1,185 ft. Texaco has not divulged the reasons for drilling nine wildcats on a 160 acre tract.

Sec. 19 is where Klondike Oil Co.'s 1 Shamrock gusher in 1896 flowed 1,300 b/d of oil from the Olig zone in the Monterey formation of late Miocene. The Olig produces 12° gravity crude from an average depth of 800 ft. Texaco later acquired the Shamrock property.

This well led to recognition that the field might be a giant, although asphalt had been produced from pits and mine shafts in the early 1860s. McKittrick cumulative production stands at 278.6 million bbl of oil and 201.1 bcf of gas. The state Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Energy estimates reserves at 6.3 million bbl of oil and 10.3 bcf of gas.

First quarter 1997 production averaged 5,436 b/d of oil and 3.8 MMcfd of gas from 482 wells. Oil production was up from the 1996 average 5,137 b/d, and gas production lagged last year's 3.9 MMcfd.

McKittrick field's major producers in the first quarter were CalResources LLC, now part of Aera Energy LLC, 3,390 b/d from 125 wells; Chevron USA Inc. 1,210 b/d and 3.760 MMcfd from 89 wells; and Texaco 786 b/d and 54 Mcfd from 240 wells.