The Rodessa Oil Field

ABSTRACT

The Rodessa Field was discovered August 3, 1930. and the discovery oil well was completed July 7, 1935. As of April 1, 1936, there were 120 oil wells and 20 gas wells in the field. As of the same date, 4,689,000 bbl. of oil had been produced. This was paraffin-base oil, with a gravity of 43 deg. API. At the present time about 6,500 acres may be considered as proven oil and gas acreage. The accumulation of oil and gas occurs on the upthrown side of the main Rodessa fault, in horizons underlying the Massive Anhydrite member of the Glen Rose formation at a depth of about 6,000 ft. The structure. is typically fault-line. Heavy-duty rotary rigs are used for drilling the wells, which are completed in approximately 45 days. Sticking and twisting-off of drill pipe, \" washouts,\" and sticking of casing and liner have been the principal drilling difficulties encountered. The major production problem has been in connection with the excessive gas-oil ratios resulting from the inability to land and cement the production string below the gas-oil contact, which occurs at a depth of approximately 5,725 ft. below sea level.

Introduction

The Rodessa Field, illustrated in Fig. 1, was discovered August 3, 1930, upon the completion of the R. W. Norton Hill No. 1 as a gas well at a total depth of 5,505 ft. Previously numerous wells had been drilled on the structure by other operators, but none had reached a sufficient depth to penetrate the Basal Anhydrite reservoirs which had been productive of oil and gas at Pine Island and cotton Valley, and which had produced gas at Sligo, Sugar Creek, and Bethany. After the completion of the discovery gas well, the field was developed for gas until July 7, 1935, on which date the discovery oil well was completed by the United Gas Public Service Company on the I. L. Young lease at a total depth of 6,048 ft. At that time a total of 20 gas wells had been drilled and completed in the field, proving its linear extent for about six miles. As of April 1, 1936, 120 oil wells had been completed in the field and approximately 4,689,000 bbl. of oil produced. As of the same date, there were about 62 active locations. At the present time about 6,500 acres may be regarded as having been proved for oil and gas production, and an additional 3,500 acres for the production of gas. Prior to the discovery of gas in the horizon immediately underlying the anhydrite, the Rodessa Field was generally not believed to be potential for production due to the absence of accumulation of either oil or gas in the reservoirs of the Upper Cketaceous formations such as the Nacatoch, Chalk, and the Buckrange, which formations had been productive in the closely adjacent Caddo Field and Pine Island Field, as well as in other fields of northern Louisiana and southern Arkansas.