Comprehensive Database of Wellbore Temperatures 

and Drilling Mud Weight Pressures by Depth for Judge 

Digby Field, Louisiana 

By Lauri Burke

Open-File Report 2010–1303

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

KEN SALAZAR, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Marcia K. McNutt, Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2010

For product and ordering information:

World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod

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its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment:

World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov

Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS

Suggested citation:

Burke, Lauri, 2010, Comprehensive database of wellbore temperatures and drilling mud weight pressures 

by depth for Judge Digby field, Louisiana: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2010–1303, 20 p.

Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply 

endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual 

copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted material contained within this report.
iii

Contents

Introduction.................................................................................................................................................................... 1

Data Organization.......................................................................................................................................................... 4

Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................................................... 7

References Cited........................................................................................................................................................... 7 

Figures

1. Index map showing the approximate location of Pointe Coupee Parish in southern Louisiana....................... 2

2. The location of Judge Digby field in the central region of Pointe Coupee Parish ............................................ 3

3. Temperature versus depth for the 108 study wellbores located in Judge Digby field, Louisiana .................... 5

4. Mud weight pressures versus depth for the108 study wellbores located in Judge Digby field, 

 Louisiana ................................................................................................................................................... 6 

Table

1. Depth, temperature, and pressure data for wells in Judge Digby field, Louisiana........................................... 8 

Conversion Factors

Inch/Pound to SI

Multiply By To obtain

Length

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m)

Density

pound per gallon (ppg) 119.8264 kilogram per cubic meter 3 (kg/m )

Temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) may be converted to degrees Fahrenheit (°F) as follows:

°F=(1.8×°C)+32

Temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (°F) may be converted to degrees Celsius (°C) as follows:

°C=(°F-32)/1.8
iv
1

Comprehensive Database of Wellbore Temperatures 

and Drilling Mud Weight Pressures by Depth for Judge 

Digby Field, Louisiana

By Lauri Burke

Introduction

The database described in this report represents a compilation of all the publicly 

accessible wellbore temperature and pressure data for Judge Digby field. Judge Digby field is a 

prolific natural gas field producing from the Upper Cretaceous lower part of the Tuscaloosa 

Formation in the Gulf Coast region. This natural gas field is located in Pointe Coupee Parish in 

the southern portion of onshore Louisiana, as illustrated in figure 1. The approximate surface 

locations of the wells that are available online from the Louisiana Department of Natural 

Resources (2010) and pertinent to this study are shown in figure 2. 

The wells in Judge Digby field penetrate depths exceeding 24,000 ft and required multistage drilling techniques. This drilling technology enabled multiple wireline logging tool runs 

and allowed for the acquisition of several temperature, pressure, and depth measurements within 

a given wellbore. Additionally, several wellbores in Judge Digby field have undergone 

recompletion or sidetracking, which enabled the collection of additional wireline logging 

measurements from a single surface location.
2

Figure 1. Index map showing the approximate location of Pointe Coupee Parish in southern Louisiana. 

The black rectangle shows the location of figure 2.
3

Figure 2. The location of Judge Digby field marked by the black contour in the central region of Pointe 

Coupee Parish. Solid black squares denote the approximate surface location of the well coordinates

that are publicly available online through the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (2010). Solid 

black lines mark parish boundaries.
4

Data Organization

 (Burke, 2010). Refer to Burke (2010) for detailed temperature analyses, geothermal 

gradients calculated from the surface, and geothermal gradients isolated over the productive 

reservoir horizons, as well as results from numerical modeling of thermal maturation and 

overpressuring mechanisms. 

The database was constructed from information located in well header files for wells 

within the Judge Digby field in Louisiana. The standardized American Petroleum Institute (API) 

well numbers or the unique well identification (UWI) numbers are decoupled from these data 

sets in order to preserve the ambiguity of the well operators and the exact surface locations of the 

wells. Consequently, the data for the well information in this database are given in table 1 by 

consecutive study well numbers from 1 to 108. 

The data are tabulated in four columns of information that provide the study well number, 

temperature, depth, and pressure measurements for a given wellbore. The temperatures (degrees 

Fahrenheit, °F) presented in this report represent the raw temperature measurements as given in

the well log header files. The pressure measurements (pounds per gallon, ppg) are from the 

drilling mud weights provided in the well log header files. The depth measurements (feet, ft) 

represent the driller depth measurements, or in some cases, the bottom of the logged interval. 

The temperature and pressure data by depth are provided in table 1. In addition to the 

tabular format, the database is also supplied graphically: figure 3 illustrates the geothermal 

characteristics of Judge Digby field, in which the temperature data are plotted against depth, and 

figure 4 illustrates the overpressures encountered in Judge Digby field, in which the mud weight 

pressures are graphed against depth. The file Judge_Digby_Database.xls provides the entire 

tabular database in a digital format compatible with Microsoft Excel software. 
5

Figure 3. Temperature versus depth for the 108 study wellbores located in Judge Digby field, Louisiana.

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450

Temperature, in degrees Fahrenheit 

Depth, in feet
6

Figure 4. Mud weight pressures versus depth for the108 study wellbores located in Judge Digby field, 

Louisiana.

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

Pressure, in pounds per gallon

Depth, in feet
7

Acknowledgments

Permission to show well information given by IHS Energy Group, Cambe Geological 

Services, and the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (R. Gorsuch, Cambe Geological 

Services, written commun., 2010 ; P. Stark, IHS Energy Group, written commun., 2010). 

Reviews by U.S. Geological Survey research geologists K. Whidden, J. Pitman, and W. Keefer

resulted in improvements to the manuscript. 

References Cited

Burke, L., 2010, Temperature trends and preservation rates in the deep Tuscaloosa Formation, 

Judge Digby field, Louisiana: Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies Transactions, v. 

60, p. 77–86. 

Cambe Geological Services, 2010, Data Library: Cambe Geological Services, accessed August 

1, 2010, at http://www.cambe.com/data/. 

IHS Energy Group, 2008, PI/Dwights PLUS U.S. well data: Englewood, Colo., IHS Energy 

Group. 

Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, 2010, SONRIS Lite database: Louisiana 

Department of Natural Resources, accessed August 20, 2010, through the portal Web site

http://sonris-www.dnr.state.la.us. 
8

Table 1. Depth, temperature, and pressure data for wells in Judge Digby field, Louisiana. Data are from 

IHS Energy Group (2008), Cambe Geological Services (2010), and Louisiana Department of Natural 

Resources (2010). Depth units are feet (ft), temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit (°F), and 

pressures are in pounds per gallon (ppg).

Study well 

number

Depth

(ft)

Temperature 

(°F)

Pressure

(ppg) 

1 4,041 98 9.0

13,122 210 9.4

16,127 243 10.6

19,420 330 17.1

19,798 338 17.1

19,993 - 17.1

20,359 342 17.1

20,588 - 17.1

20,615 - 17.0

20,625 - 16.9

21,343 - 14.8

21,346 382 14.8

21,346 - 16.0

2 16,330 264 11.7

20,018 356 17.0

20,152 358 17.0

20,657 378 16.9

20,657 370 16.9

20,802 373 16.9

21,500 387 15.1

3 21,700 364 16.2

4 21,080 276 11.8

21,052 - 17.0

5 4,010 102 9.3

16,198 246 11.9

19,350 - 16.9

20,201 358 17.0

20,421 363 17.0

21,141 372 17.5

16,196 - 11.9
9

Table 1. Depth, temperature, and pressure data for wells in Judge Digby field, Louisiana. Data are from 

IHS Energy Group (2008), Cambe Geological Services (2010), and Louisiana Department of Natural 

Resources (2010). Depth units are feet (ft), temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit (°F), and 

pressures are in pounds per gallon (ppg).—Continued

Study well 

number

Depth

(ft)

Temperature 

(°F)

Pressure

(ppg)

6 4,048 - 8.9

15,488 230 11.8

16,427 259 12.1

16,427 258 12.0

16,779 - 17.8

17,116 - 17.5

17,653 - 17.5

18,394 - 17.6

19,910 - 17.3

20,164 - 17.4

7 13,272 - 9.2

14,690 - 9.5

16,335 257 11.9

18,019 - 16.9

19,070 - 16.9

19,757 - 16.9

20,284 355 16.9

20,285 - 16.9

20,570 - 16.9

20,674 - 16.9

20,680 - 17.0

20,710 - 17.0

21,250 - 16.8

21,530 377 16.8

8 15,416 - 11.0

16,170 - 11.5

16,187 244 11.4

19,970 - 17.0

20,421 361 17.0

20,570 - 16.7

21,331 - 16.3
10

Table 1. Depth, temperature, and pressure data for wells in Judge Digby field, Louisiana. Data are from 

IHS Energy Group (2008), Cambe Geological Services (2010), and Louisiana Department of Natural 

Resources (2010). Depth units are feet (ft), temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit (°F), and 

pressures are in pounds per gallon (ppg).—Continued

Study well 

number

Depth

(ft) 

Temperature 

(°F)

Pressure

(ppg)

9 12,223 - 9.1

14,041 - 9.4

16,082 - 11.9

16,101 256 11.9

17,288 - 16.8

17,779 - 16.8

18,311 - 16.8

18,686 340 17.0

19,273 - 17.0

19,454 - 17.0

19,730 358 17.0

19,907 - 17.0

19,964 - 17.0

20,308 - 17.0

20,315 - 17.0

20,397 - 17.0

20,421 - 17.0

20,450 360 17.0

20,572 - 16.9

20,586 - 17.0

20,654 - 17.0

20,710 - 17.0

20,794 - 16.4

10 4,017 - 8.7

4,405 - 8.8

8,296 - 9.0

10,234 - 9.0

11,401 - 9.0

13,020 - 9.0

13,221 - 9.1 

13,838 - 9.5
11

Table 1. Depth, temperature, and pressure data for wells in Judge Digby field, Louisiana. Data are from 

IHS Energy Group (2008), Cambe Geological Services (2010), and Louisiana Department of Natural 

Resources (2010). Depth units are feet (ft), temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit (°F), and 

pressures are in pounds per gallon (ppg).—Continued

Study well

number

Depth

(ft)

Temperature 

(°F)

Pressure

(ppg)

10 continued 14,591 - 9.5

15,198 - 11.5

15,488 - 11.9

16,258 - 16.2

17,124 - 16.8

18,155 - 16.8

18,890 - 17.0

19,108 - 16.9

20,209 - 17.1

20,557 - 17.1

20,997 - 17.1

21,300 - 17.1

11 4,334 - 9.0

9,431 - 9.3

13,109 - 9.4

14,100 200 9.5

17,154 - 15.0

18,226 - 16.3

18,405 - 16.5

18,405 310 16.3

21,400 368 16.3

12 16,069 250 10.7

21,007 365 16.0

21,250 344 16.0

13 16,236 248 - 

16,240 - 10.9

20,086 325 - 

21,088 210 - 

21,640 360 - 
12

Table 1. Depth, temperature, and pressure data for wells in Judge Digby field, Louisiana. Data are from 

IHS Energy Group (2008), Cambe Geological Services (2010), and Louisiana Department of Natural 

Resources (2010). Depth units are feet (ft), temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit (°F), and 

pressures are in pounds per gallon (ppg).—Continued

Study well

number

Depth

(ft)

Temperature 

(°F)

Pressure

(ppg)

14 16,126 260 - 

20,160 332 16.9

21,005 345 - 

21,700 364 16.2

15 10,027 158 10.9

16 8,718 150 9.6

17 21,450 380 15.0

18 20,519 335 16.9

20,690 360 16.8

19 20,580 375 14.6

20 16,089 258 10.7

21,258 344 16.0

21 21,449 378 15.0

22 10,075 158 9.3

23 16,509 259 11.5

20,283 - 17.4

20,730 - 17.1

21,173 - 16.9

21,730 - 17.1

24 8,227 - 9.1

10,777 - 9.3

12,236 - 9.6

12,557 - 9.9

12,900 - 9.5

14,390 - 9.7

15,017 - 10.1

15,574 - 10.9

15,790 234 11.2

15,790 - 11.2

15,898 - 11.8

16,474 - 16.4
13

Table 1. Depth, temperature, and pressure data for wells in Judge Digby field, Louisiana. Data are from 

IHS Energy Group (2008), Cambe Geological Services (2010), and Louisiana Department of Natural 

Resources (2010). Depth units are feet (ft), temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit (°F), and 

pressures are in pounds per gallon (ppg).—Continued

Study well

number

Depth

(ft)

Temperature 

(°F)

Pressure

(ppg)

24 continued 16,586 - 17.6

16,775 - 17.5

17,834 - 17.5

17,885 - 17.5

18,289 - 17.3

19,144 - 17.2

19,962 - 17.2

20,008 - 17.2

20,013 360 17.2

20,318 - 16.9

20,632 - 17.3

20,699 - 16.9

21,000 - 16.9

21,000 376 16.8

21,188 - 17.0

21,410 - 17.0

21,690 - 16.2

25 17,315 - 14.8

17,379 - 14.8

17,445 - 15.3

17,549 - 15.3

26 16,089 - 14.8

20,917 - 15.3

21,258 - 14.8

21,433 - 15.3

27 16,089 258 10.7

20,917 352 15.7

21,258 344 16.0

21,433 370 15.2

28 14,056 200 9.5
14

Table 1. Depth, temperature, and pressure data for wells in Judge Digby field, Louisiana. Data are from 

IHS Energy Group (2008), Cambe Geological Services (2010), and Louisiana Department of Natural 

Resources (2010). Depth units are feet (ft), temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit (°F), and 

pressures are in pounds per gallon (ppg).—Continued

Study well

number

Depth

(ft)

Temperature 

(°F)

Pressure

(ppg)

29 20,520 335 16.4

21,120 360 15.2

22,119 382 15.2

22,814 380 15.2

30 20,246 345 16.5

21,920 380 15.0

22,417 390 15.2

31 13,750 - 10.5

21,092 356 16.3

32 13,802 - 11.0

16,090 - 16.5

16,282 - 17.0

18,407 - 16.1

20,198 340 16.1

21,692 370 15.3

21,704 382 15.3

33 20,040 335 16.0

22,324 396 16.0

23,095 402 14.5

23,472 398 15.2

34 4,438 - 9.1

7,295 - 9.4

8,700 150 9.6

35 20,760 335 15.9

22,100 366 15.5

36 20,200 352 16.9

21,019 360 16.1

21,768 373 17.3

22,974 396 15.5

23,220 398 15.5
15

Table 1. Depth, temperature, and pressure data for wells in Judge Digby field, Louisiana. Data are from 

IHS Energy Group (2008), Cambe Geological Services (2010), and Louisiana Department of Natural 

Resources (2010). Depth units are feet (ft), temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit (°F), and 

pressures are in pounds per gallon (ppg).—Continued

Study well

number

Depth

(ft)

Temperature 

(°F)

Pressure

(ppg)

37 10,255 - 16.4

20,000 339 16.8

21,243 351 17.7

21,875 371 18.2

38 10,798 225 11.7

15,947 236 11.5

39 21,650 365 14.9

21,745 378 15.0

40 21,611 362 17.4

21,805 362 17.4

22,962 390 15.6

41 19,398 340 17.2

21,692 368 17.6

22,698 390 15.8

42 16,300 270 12.0

19,368 328 16.8

20,692 345 18.4

20,908 - 18.2

43 16,300 258 12.3

20,675 346 17.3

21,735 362 16.4

21,950 368 16.4

44 8,733 190 9.9

20,532 358 17.3

21,192 360 17.0

21,417 365 17.0

45 8,733 190 9.9

20,532 358 17.3

21,701 368 16.2
16

Table 1. Depth, temperature, and pressure data for wells in Judge Digby field, Louisiana. Data are from 

IHS Energy Group (2008), Cambe Geological Services (2010), and Louisiana Department of Natural 

Resources (2010). Depth units are feet (ft), temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit (°F), and 

pressures are in pounds per gallon (ppg).—Continued

Study well

number

Depth

(ft)

Temperature 

(°F)

Pressure

(ppg)

46 16,225 259 12.0

20,606 343 17.3

21,800 348 16.3

47 15,704 258 12.0

19,680 344 16.8

20,585 352 16.8

21,241 368 17.5

48 15,992 276 10.9

20,508 355 16.9

20,665 361 15.9

49 16,326 264 11.7

50 19,658 356 17.0

51 19,644 358 17.0

52 20,661 378 16.9

53 20,663 370 16.9

54 20,809 373 16.9

55 21,509 387 15.1

56 16,162 240 11.7

57 20,315 349 17.1

58 20,582 360 17.1

59 20,759 356 17.1

60 20,816 376 17.3

61 21,054 276 11.8

62 4,049 102 9.3

63 16,200 246 11.9

64 20,158 358 17.0

65 20,376 363 17.0

66 21,142 372 17.5

67 16,516 259 11.6

68 20,276 360 17.4

69 20,718 355 17.1
17

Table 1. Depth, temperature, and pressure data for wells in Judge Digby field, Louisiana. Data are from 

IHS Energy Group (2008), Cambe Geological Services (2010), and Louisiana Department of Natural 

Resources (2010). Depth units are feet (ft), temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit (°F), and 

pressures are in pounds per gallon (ppg).—Continued

Study well

number

Depth

(ft)

Temperature 

(°F)

Pressure

(ppg)

70 21,166 381 16.9

71 21,726 378 17.1

72 16,310 257 11.9

73 20,280 355 16.9

74 13,272 - 9.2

14,690 - 9.5

18,019 - 16.9

19,070 - 16.9

19,757 - 16.9

20,285 - 16.9

20,570 - 16.9

20,674 - 16.9

20,680 - 17.0

20,710 - 17.0

21,250 - 16.8

21,528 377 16.8

21,530 - 16.8

75 16,188 244 11.4

76 20,421 361 17.0

77 21,350 385 16.3

78 16,120 256 11.9

79 18,702 340 17.0

80 19,758 358 17.0

81 20,472 360 17.0

82 12,147 - 15.8

12,223 - 9.1

14,041 - 9.4

16,082 - 11.9

17,288 - 16.8

17,779 - 16.8

18,311 - 16.8
18

Table 1. Depth, temperature, and pressure data for wells in Judge Digby field, Louisiana. Data are from 

IHS Energy Group (2008), Cambe Geological Services (2010), and Louisiana Department of Natural 

Resources (2010). Depth units are feet (ft), temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit (°F), and 

pressures are in pounds per gallon (ppg).—Continued

Study well

number

Depth

(ft)

Temperature 

(°F)

Pressure

(ppg)

82 continued 19,273 - 17.0

19,454 - 17.0

19,730 - 17.0

19,907 - 17.0

19,964 - 17.0

20,308 - 17.0

20,315 - 17.0

20,397 - 17.0

20,421 - 17.0

20,572 - 16.9

20,586 - 17.0

20,654 - 17.0

20,710 - 17.0

20,794 - 16.4

20,900 - 16.3

21,256 - 15.8

21,502 - 15.8

21,519 - 15.8

83 8,227 - 9.1

10,777 - 9.3

12,236 - 9.6

12,900 - 9.5

14,390 - 9.7

15,017 - 10.1

15,574 - 10.9

15,790 - 11.2

15,898 - 11.8

16,474 - 16.4

16,586 - 17.6

16,775 - 17.5

17,885 - 17.5
19

Table 1. Depth, temperature, and pressure data for wells in Judge Digby field, Louisiana. Data are from 

IHS Energy Group (2008), Cambe Geological Services (2010), and Louisiana Department of Natural 

Resources (2010). Depth units are feet (ft), temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit (°F), and 

pressures are in pounds per gallon (ppg).—Continued

Study well

number

Depth

(ft)

Temperature 

(°F)

Pressure

(ppg)

83 continued 18,289 - 17.3

19,144 - 17.2

19,962 - 17.2

20,008 - 17.2

20,318 - 16.9

20,699 - 16.9

21,000 - 16.9

84 12,557 - 9.9

20,632 - 17.3

21,188 - 17.0

21,410 - 17.0

21,690 - 16.2

85 16,800 260 12.1

21,432 357 16.4

21,725 362 16.4

86 18,381 310 16.3

87 21,404 368 16.3

88 15,471 230 11.8

89 16,416 258 12.1

90 17,116 - 17.6

91 16,134 259 12.0

92 15,800 234 11.2

93 17,885 - 17.5

94 20,029 360 17.2

95 21,024 376 16.8

96 21,220 344 16.0

97 16,062 250 10.7

98 21,014 365 16.0

99 21,088 350 15.9

100 20,086 325 17.3

101 21,640 360 16.1
20

Table 1. Depth, temperature, and pressure data for wells in Judge Digby field, Louisiana. Data are from 

IHS Energy Group (2008), Cambe Geological Services (2010), and Louisiana Department of Natural 

Resources (2010). Depth units are feet (ft), temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit (°F), and 

pressures are in pounds per gallon (ppg).—Continued

Study well

number

Depth

(ft)

Temperature 

(°F)

Pressure

(ppg)

102 22,168 380 14.8

103 16,788 260 12.1

104 21,440 357 16.4

105 21,756 362 16.4

106 20,154 332 16.9

107 16,161 240 11.7

20,300 349 17.1

20,561 360 17.1

20,740 356 17.1

20,833 376 17.3

108 21,700 364 16.2

16,126 260 - 

21,005 345 -