Oil and Gas Developments in West Virginia in 1960

The total number of wells drilled in West Virginia in 1960, reported to February 22, 1961, was 1,216, an increase of 311, or 34%. Permits to drill or deepen issued by the Oil and Gas Division of the West Virginia Department of Mines totaled 1,349, an increase of 342, or 34%. 79 permits to drill were cancelled during the year. Abandoned during the year were 200 gas wells and 212 oil wells, a total of 412 wells. These abandonments are all wells drilled before permits were required (May, 1929). No information about the exact number of abandonments of wells drilled since May, 1929, is available as these wells are abandoned under original drilling permit numbers. Wells completed were: gas, 794; oil 49; oil and gas wells, 182; storage, water-injection, brine, rock salt, and pressure wells, 49; dry holes 142; total 1,216. Compared with 1959, gas wells increased 203, or 34%; oil wells increased 12, or 32%; oil and gas wells increased 87, or 91%; storage and other wells decreased 10, or 20% with some being drilled for gas storage; dry holes increased 19, or 15%, the percentage of dry holes to total completions bein slightly over 11%. Depth of wells ranged from 370 to 13,121 ft, compared with 206 to 8,635 ft. in 1959. Total footage drilled was 2,908,817 ft., an increase of 687,343 ft., or 29% over 1959 (2,321,474 ft.). The average depth of wells (2,392 ft.) decreased 173 ft. under the 1959 average (2,565 ft.), or 7½%. The total initial daily open flow of the gas wells was 983,422 MCF, an increase of 295,301 MCF, or 43%, over the 1959 total (688,121 MCF). The size of the gas wells ranged from 10 to 28,400 MCF, compared with 4 to 39,680 MCF in 1959. The total daily initial oil was 4,117½ bbls., an increase of 709 bbls. over 1959 (3,408½ bbls.) or 28%. The size of the oil wells ranged from ½ to 300 bbls., compared with ½ to 220 bbls. in 1959. The number of wells drilling or un eported if completed at the end of the year was 529, 82 more than in 1959, or an increase of 18%. Since we receive drilling and scout reports from several major companies, the status of practically every drilling well was known and no letters were sent to the operators regarding their uncompleted wells. It is believed the total completions will be greater than herein reported as also the production since many wells were reported as testing after fracture. The total initial gas production after fracture is generally several times the production before fracture. Several hundred wells were fractured during the year. The West Virginia University collects information concerning fracturing of wells and issues an annual report showing details for each of the wells fractured. The average size of gas wells was 1,111 MCF, compared with 1,003 MCF in 1959, an increase of 108 MCF or 11%. In calculating this average the number of gas wells was increased by one-half of the number of oil and gas wells (91) or 885 wells. The average size of the oil wells was 29 bbls. compared with 40 bbls. in 1959, a decrease of 11 bbls., or 27½%. One-half the oil and gas wells (19) was added to the 49 oil wells in calculating this average. Preliminary estimates of production for 1960: gas, 207,000,000 MCF, compared with 205,000,000 MCF in 1959; an increase of 2,000,000 MCF or approximately 1%; oil, 2,300,000 bbls., an increase of 116,000 bbls. over the 1959 estimate (2,184,000 bbls.) or 5 1/3%. The estimated number of producing wells at the end of 1960: gas, 16,485; oil, 12,669. The table of operations gives statistics by counties.