Geology and Development of Washita Creek Field
Authors: Tutten William D. 
Published: December 2007

This paper was prepared for the 1972 Deep Drilling Symposium of the Society of Petroleum Engineers of AIME to be held in Amarillo, Tex., Sept. 11–12, 1972. Permission to copy is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words. Illustrations may not be copied. The abstract should contain conspicuous acknowledgment of where and by whom the paper is presented. Publication elsewhere after publication in the JOURNAL paper is presented. Publication elsewhere after publication in the JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY or the SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERS JOURNAL is usually granted upon requested to the Editor of the appropriate journal, provided agreement to give proper credit is made. provided agreement to give proper credit is made. Discussion of this paper is invited. Three copies of any discussion should be sent to the Society of Petroleum Engineers Office. Such discussions may be presented at the above meeting and, with the paper, may be considered for publication in one of the two SPE magazines.

The Washita Creek Gas Field is located in southeastern Hemphill County, Texas approximately 20 miles southeast of the town of Canadian. The field is located in the deep western sector of the Anadarko Basin and north of the synclinal axis. The producing area is on a dome shaped anticlinal feature slightly elongate in a northwest-southeast direction.

The deepest test well in the Texas Panhandle has been drilled into the Panhandle has been drilled into the Ellenburger formation on the Washita Creek structure. Abnormally high pressure gradients are associated with the Morrow shale and sand sequence resultings in higher drilling costs.

Washita Creek - Hunton dry gas production was discovered in 1966, however, a Morrow sand gas reservoir was Penetrated in 1960 in the field area. Gas from the Morrow was placed on production in 1969 and from the placed on production in 1969 and from the Hunton in 1970.

There are five sorrow and seven Hunton gas wells. The Pennsylvanian Upper Morrow sand, which produces in four wells, lies at the 13,600 foot. level in the subsurface. Five Lower Morrow sand members ire between 15,200 and 16,200 feet. One well Produces from Lower Morrow sand. Primary gas production is from the Silurian-Devonian production is from the Silurian-Devonian Hunton reservoir at depths between 19,300 and 20,400 feet. The Hunton group of limestone and dolomite rock averages 500 feet in thickness. Porosity developed as a result of dolomitization in the Hunton. The porosity is stratified and is mostly porosity is stratified and is mostly intercrystalline in nature with some vugs. Loss of permeability contributes in great measure to the trapping mechanism. Washita Creek wells have established large gas reserves.

Introduction

The Texas Panhandle's Washita Creek Field is located in southeast Hemphill County near the Oklahoma line, 130 miles northeast of Amarillo and 165 miles west of Oklahoma City. There are seven gas wells producing from the Hunton and four from the Morrow formation. Morrow gas is produced around the 13,600 feet level and Hunton gas from an average depth of 19,900 feet.