alteration of the rocks of this area, as in area 7, has not been as high as in the Arkansas River Valley. A coal analysis made from coal near Fayetteville showed a fixed carbon-combustible matter ratio of 1.96 to 1, or approximately 69.5 per cent fixed carbon. It may be that parts of this area have a lower rock alteration and that oil may be found, although it probably will be in small amounts. PRODUCING OIL FIELDS OF ARKANSAS Oil was first discovered in Arkansas in the S. S. Hunter well on April 10, 1920, located in the SW NE Sec. 13-15S-19W. This is about two and one-half miles east of Stephens, in southwest Ouachita County. The well was drilled to 2,121 feet and was never a commercial producer, although some oil was bailed from it. On April 22, 1920, a gas well with an estimated flow of 60,000,000 cubic feet per day was drilled in by the Constantin Oil & Refining Company in Section 12-18S-16W. The Hunter and Constantin wells did not attract a great deal of attention and it was not until January 10, 1921, when the S. T. Busey well, which was drilled in the NW Sec. 31-17S15W, began to produce, that progressive oil development began in the State. Seven, and possibly eight, petroleum producing areas have been proved in Arkansas up to the present time. These are: (1) The El Dorado (south El Dorado field), (2) East El Dorado (including Woodley), (3) Lisbon, (4) Smackover (East and West), (5) Stephens, (6) Irma (Nevada County), and (7) Bradley (Lafayette County. An eighth field will probably be developed near Urbana, Union County. El Dorado Field The discovery well in this field was the S. T. Busey well referred to above in NW Sec. 31-17S-15W. The field is located in Union County and covers an area of approximately 13,800 acres, or nearly twenty-two square miles, and is a narrow, irregular zone running slightly east of south from the southwest corner of the city limits of El Dorado for approximately eight miles (see map, Field No. 1). It varies in width from two miles to one-half mile. The producing sand in the El Dorado field is the Nacatoch sand of Upper Cretaceous age. This is encountered at about 2,150 feet and has an average thickness of about ten feet. A small amount of oil has been produced from a sand encountered at 2,900 feet. El Dorado oil varies in gravity from about 17.1 degrees to 43 degrees B. The larger portion is between 30 and 34 degrees B. The El Dorado field had produced 37,966,360 barrels upon to January 1, 1926, according to figures of the American Petroleum Institute. This was produced from 1,380 wells. The peak production in this field was reached during the week ending August 20, 1921, at which time the daily average production was 74,700 barrels. The production for the week ending November 20, 1926, was 6,600 barrels. (For detailed data and production curve see tables and chart.) East El Dorado The East El Dorado field was discovered shortly after the El Dorado field following an active drilling campaign which resulted in this extension of the El Dorado field. The East El Dorado field is located about five miles east of El Dorado (see map, Field No. 2) and covers an area of about 2,600 acres, or about four square miles. The producing sands are encountered at a depth of between 2,130 and 2,200 feet and have an estimated thickness of about twelve feet. The oil produced varies between 19 and 21 degrees B., and is a fuel oil somewhat similar to the Smackover heavy oil. The maximum production in this field was about 10,000 barrels daily during the first part of 1923. The figures showing the production of this field are combined with those of the South El Dorado field. (For detailed data and curve of production see tables and chart for the El Dorado field.) Lisbon Field The Lisbon field was discovered during the first week of March, 1926, and covers an area of approximately 2,400 acres, or nearly four square miles, and is located about five miles northeast of El Dorado (see map, field No. 7). The producing sands are the Nacatoch sands and are found at a depth of approximately 2,075 feet and the oil produced has a gravity of between 33 and 38 degrees B. The peak production in the field occurred the week ending May 22, 1926, with a daily average production of 11,750 barrels. The production for the week ending November 20, 1926, was 6,650 barrels per day. (For detailed data and curve of production see tables and chart.) Smackover Field The Smackover field is one of the great fields of the world and had produced, up to January 1, 1926, nearly four times as much oil as the rest of the Arkansas fields combined. It was discovered on April 14, 1922, when the Oil Operators Trust, Murphy No. 1, located in Section 8-16S-15W, came in as a gas well and eventually formed a crater 450 feet in diameter and fifty feet deep. The first oil well was the V. K. F. Oil Company, Richardson No. 1, located at Section 29-15S-15W, which came in on July 31, 1922. The field is located in northern Union and southern Ouachita Counties and covers an area of 25,560 acres, or about forty square miles (see map, fields 3 and 4), and is divided into the East and West Smackover fields. Oil production has been obtained from four horizons in the Smackover field, the Nacatoch at about 1,920 to 2,050 feet, the Meekin at about 2,280 to 2,410 feet, the Graves from 2,360 to 2,470 feet, and the Blossom 2,540 to 2,670 feet. The oil produced is classed as light and heavy, the light oil ranging from 23 to 28 degrees B, and the heavy from 18 to 23 degrees B. The Smackover field has produced approximately 158,725,150 barrels up to January 1, 1926, from 3,483 wells. Of this amount 19 per cent was classed as light oil and 81 per cent as heavy. Peak production was not reached until the last week in May, 1925, when production rose to 443,950 barrels per day. This great production was short lived, however, and was due to the discovery of the Graves heavy oil producing horizon. The production curve is shown on the accompanying diagram and detailed statistics of the field follow. The Smackover field has also produced immense quantities of natural gas. Two zones have been productive, the Primm, from 2,235 to 2,385 feet, and the so-called "2700-foot" sand. The Smackover field is producing about 100,000,000 cubic feet of gas per day at the present time, November, 1926, from the 2700-foot sand. The Primm gas zone is not now producing. Stephens Field The Stephens field was discovered in November, 1921, upon the completion of the Hall No. 1, located in the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 11, Township 15 south, Range 20 west, known as the Poverty well. The field is located about four miles northwest of the town of Stephens and has an area of about 3,480 acres, or a little more than five square miles (for location see map, Field 5). The production is derived from the Nacatoch sand, which is encountered at about 1,542 feet, and produces oil of 14 degrees B. gravity, and also from the Blossom sand, which is encountered at about 2,150 feet, and produces oil from 26 to 31 degrees B. The field produced 2,408,000 barrels up to January 1, 1926, from approximately. 252 wells. Peak production was reached in 1923 during the week ending September 8, with a production of 3,900 barrels daily. The production of the field for the week ending November 20, 1926, was 1,500 barrels. (See accompanying chart and detailed statistics.) Irma Field The Irma or Nevada County field was discovered in September, 1922, by the Lyke Watkins well, located in Section 11-14S-21W. The field covers an area of about 680 acres, or slightly more than one square mile, and is located near the town of Irma, Nevada County. Production is derived from the Nacatoch sand, which is encountered at about 1,225 feet. The oil produced has an average gravity of from 13 to 17 degrees B. The field has produced 1,099,400 barrels up to January 1, 1926 from fifty-six wells. The peak production of the field was in 1923 during the week ending March 15, during which time 2,150 barrels were produced daily. The curve of production is shown on the attached chart and detailed statistics. of the field follow. The production of the lrma field for the week ending November 20, 1926, was 1,900 barrels per day. Other Fields Some oil was found near Bradley, Lafayette County, in the Arkansas Fuel Oil Company Allen No. 1 well, located in Section 18-19S-24W, in November, 1925. The oil was encountered at 2,785 feet and is 25 degree B. gravity. Five small producing wells have been drilled in this area. Two wells were drilled near Urbana in western Union County. The first, the Simms Oil Company and Sun Oil Company's No. 1 Simmons, located in NE SE Section 9-18S-13W, encountered oil at 2,650 feet and also 30,000,000 feet of gas. The second, the Walbert and Associates' No. 2 Cordell, located in Section 6-19S-13W, encountered oil of 29.5 degrees B. gravity in the 2,900-foot zone. wells in this area may be the forerunner of a new field. The TOTAL ARKANSAS OIL PRODUCTION FIGURES ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE AND THE U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY |