01-02_DrillingProducingDepth_T2.htm (Feb-2001)

A monthly magazine offering industry news, statistics and technical editorial to the oil and gas drilling, exploration and production industry.

Chronological record of deepest producing zones in the U.S., since 1938*
Year drilled		Production
Year drilled	Company, well and location	Type	Depth

1938	Fohs Oil Co.’s Buckley-Bourg 1, DeLarge field, Terrebonne Parish, South Louisiana	Gas	13,266
1943	Union Producing Co.-Fohs Oil Co.’s Fitzpatrick-Vizard 1, DeLarge field, Terrebonne Parish, South Louisiana	Gas	13,490
1944	Union Producing Co.-Fohs Oil Co.’s Buckley-Bourge 2, DeLarge field, Terrebonne Parish, South Louisiana	Oil	13,503
1945	Shell Oil Co.’s Smith-State Unit 1-1, Weeks Island field, Iberia Parish, South Louisiana	Oil	13,520
1946	Shell Oil Co.’s Smith-State Unit 1-2, Weeks Island field, Iberia Parish, South Louisiana	Oil	13,778
1947	Shell Oil Co.’s Smith-State Unit 1-3, Weeks Island field, Iberia Parish, South Louisiana	Oil	13,888
1947	The Texas Co.’s La Fourche Basin Levee District 1, Queen Bess Island field, Jefferson Parish, South Louisiana	Gas	13,904
1948	Pure Oil Co.’s Unit 1, West Poison Spider field, Natrona County, Wyoming	Oil	14,307
1948	Denver Producing & Refg. Co.’s School Land 1-A, Watonga-Chickasaw Trend field, Caddo County, Oklahoma	Gas	15,510
1949	Standard Oil Co. of California’s Mushrush 5, Masco field, Kern County, California	Oil	15,530
1953	Shell Oil Co.’s Weeks-Gall Unit 1-1, Weeks Island field, Iberia Parish, South Louisiana	Oil	17,122
1953	Shell Oil Co.’s Gonsoulin Minvielle-State 2, Weeks Island field, Iberia Parish, South Louisiana	Oil	17,306
1953	Richfield Oil Corp.’s Coles Levee “A” 67-29, Coles Levee North field, Kern County, California	Oil	17,892
1956	Richardson & Bass et al’s Humble-LL&E 1-L, Lake Washington field, Plaquemines Parish, South Louisiana	Oil	21,465
1964	Forest Oil Co. and Robert J. Zonne et al’s Charles J. Walker 1, Pecos County, West Texas	Gas	21,793
1965	Union Oil Co. of Calif.’s No. 1 W.C. Tyreel Unit 3, Pecos County, West Texas	Gas	22,032
1967	Humble Oil & Refining Co.’s Henry Wilbanks 11, Gomez field, Pecos County, West Texas	Gas	22,610
1968	Gulf Oil Corp.’s “DD” Unit 1, Gomez field, Pecos County, West Texas	Gas	22,752
1971	Texaco’s E. Riggs Gas Unit 1, Pecos County, West Texas	Gas	23,040
1972	Union Oil Co. of California’s Bruner 1-33, nw se ne 33-11n-25w, Beckham County, Oklahoma	Gas	24,548
1977	Chevron’s Ruth Ledbetter 1, Sec. 21, Blk. L, J.M. Lindsay Survey, Wheeler County, Texas	Gas	26,536
*All records provided by state and federal agencies. Depths are TVD measured from bottom of perforated interval or open completion interval.

FROM THE ARCHIVE