John C. McCaslin
Exploration Editor
There are more growing signs of renewed exploratory interest in the Paradox basin of the Four Corners region.
Coors Energy of Colorado staked the company's second remote wildcat test on the northwestern flank of the remote basin, 22 miles south-southwest of Green River, Utah. Announcement of this wildcat helps to beef up some fairly recent exploratory events in the basin. The new test also is part of a trickle of exploration drilling in several other almost quiet wildcat theaters in the Rocky Mountain province.
MORE EXPLORATION
Every wildcat drilled in the Paradox basin carries the remote label. The new Coors site is no exception.
The 1-2 MW-State is in SW NE 2-25s-15e, southeastern Emery County, about 13 miles southwest of Salt Wash field, an oil field in Grand County which production in the Mississippian rocks below 8,500 ft.
Coors was also busy drilling 5 miles northwest at 1-29 MW-Federal, NE NW 29-24s-15e. In January, this well was set to drill to 6,820 ft in the Mississippian.
Petroleum Information of Denver notes that 2 miles south-southwest of the new well location, Superior Oil Co. in 1963 completed a dry hole at 6,470 ft in NW NE 15-25s-15e. A core in the Pennsylvanian Ismay (Paradox) between 4,837 and 4,855 ft recovered nothing. There were also no shows in the Desert Creek-Hermosa at 5,9616,025 ft and none in the Mississippian at 6,230 tp 6,470 ft. Of interest are the log tops of the Superior duster: from a kelly bushing elevation of 4,973 ft; Hermosa at 4,018 ft, Ismay 4,840 ft, Desert Creek 5,070 ft, Hermosa 5,980 ft, Molas 6,196 ft, and the Mississippian 6,212 ft.
SHOULD BRING MORE SUCCESS
Exploration in the Four Corners region in the past three years has been an off and on thing.
In October 1987, Mobil Oil had completed a discovery at Mail Trail Mesa in 26-35n-20w, Colorado, flowing 364 b/d of oil and some gas from the Ismay at 5,622-43 ft. This opened Flodine Park East field, 1 mile southeast of Flodine park field in western Colorado.
Meridan Oil Co. was also luck on the Utah side of the basin that year at 11-14 Cherokee-Federal, NE NW 14-37s-23e, San Juan County. This one made 165 b/d of oil from the Ismay and 4,205 Mcfd of gas. Location was one half mile east of Alkali Canyon field and 1 mile north of Deadman Canyon field.
The ensuing months saw little in the way of new oil and gas finding in the Paradox complex. Last year, Yates Petroleum Co. completed an Ismay strike 9 miles eastsoutheast of Blanding in the southern part of the Utah portion of the basin. The 1 Shane-Federal, NE SW 7-37w-24e, flowed 979 Mcfd of gas at 6,227-40 ft in the Ismay.
Marathon Oil Co. produced 1, 1 01 bbl of oil and 4,394,000 cu ft of gas and 1,609 bbl of water from the Ismay in December of 1988 and January 1989 at 1 Lightning Draw, NW NE 35-30s-23e. Location is 5 miles west of deeper Mississippian and Devonian production at giant Lisbon field.
Copyright 1990 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.
