The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1922-08-14

be obtained from a single well. OBJ
viously, then. there Is a limit to the
number of wells which may profitably
would vary with different fields and
with different sands. However. for the
Graham field of Carter county II may
reasonably be assumed that the figures
which have been worked out for the
Hewitt field will be as nearly applica.
ble as any which can be obtained in
advance Of development
Hewitt Graham Districts.
The accompanying table contains es-
Inmates of the net income per acre to be
derived from different spacing of wells
in the Hewitt and Graham districts
Wells ranging in cost from $40 900 10
$4,000 apiece. to fit different sand
depths, are considered. Likewise, diff.
ferent estimates of maximum total re.
covery, ranging from 10 900 barrels per
acre to 10000 barrels per acre, are con.
sidered. The Healdton field to date has
produced an average of about $1,000 per
/ tNAN anu Niit ilfMlll lltlu pIOlllStS "
average at least that much in ultimate
total production. Certain individual
properties in the Healdton field have
| produced more than $4,000 barrels per
acre. The lifting cost per barrel (oper.
ating eXpense) has been computed as
inversely proportional to the size OF
the wells. This Of course is only ap.
proximately true, but probably ap.
proaches the average situation.
Basing the computation on the most
conservative Interpretation of the two
bulletins of the Bureau of Mines, above
quoted the recovery Of oil for two
wells per 10 acres has been figured as
40 per cent greater than that from a
single well, and the recovery for four
wells to 10 acres as to per cent greater
than for a single wen.
Even on this conservative basis. YOU
will note that in every case considered
in this computation, except with 81 oil
and low recovery, two wells per 10 acres
will yield a larger net income per acre
than one well. The advantage in favor
OF two wells runs as high as s26, 600
per acre for lowest drilling and operat-
ing cost, greatest total production and
81 oil The higher the price of oil,
the greater is the advantage OF close
spacing of wells.
In many Of the cases considered in
this computation il will be noted that
wells to 10 acres will yield higher
ret return than two wells. This will
rot be truo with the price of oil at 50
however, except in the case of cheap
wells and low operating cost with high
total production, and in no case does
the advantage of four wells, as com.
pared with two wells, much exceed 10
per cent OF the net return. These fig.
ures emphatically support the conten.
ton that the idea spacing of wells in
our Carter county fields, where prop
erty lines make 1t possible. is approx
mately one well to five acres.
Those who favor one-well.to-10-acres
spacing probably have been influenced
by results in the lime production Of
certain gusher areas in northern Okla
homa or in central Texas. or elsewhere.
There seems TO be no more reason to
believe that it would have been the
most profitable spacing in the Healdton
field. True, the Graham wells are
deeper and more expensive to operate;
but these factors have been weighed in
making the computation whose results
appear IN the accompanying table Par.
ucularly, in such variable and freak.
ish sands as those at Graham. the
greater the distances between wells the
greater is the chance Of missing the
prolific streaks in those sands. Even
with sands as continuous and well-de'
veloped as the Bartlesville sand in the
BartlesvilIe field. it is evident that one
well to 10 acres will never recover az
large an amount OF oil as twice that
number OF wells will get. nor yield as
large a net return on the investment
Question OF Higher Prices.
II is argued that higher prices for
oil may be expected in the future than
are generally current in 1922, and that
the slower recovery which would be er'
pected from one-well.tol0-acres is an
advantage, because it will bring higher
prices for a larger proportion OF the
total recovery. This argument is in
valid, unless 1t can be shown that. a.
some time in the history OF producing
/ property. one well to 10 acres will act
ually produce more oil per day thar
tour wells would be producing from the
same property. had the four wells beer
drilled originally instead OF the one.
This question may be very simpl,
tested in the Hewitt field by studyin,
its production statistics. Part OF thli
field is now July 1922 three year
old. and practically all Of IL IL tw,