Title Page
        Title Page
    1959 supplement to exploration for oil and gas in Florida
        Page 1
        Fig.1 Location of exploratory drilling 1959
        Page 2
        Page 3
        Page 4
        Page 5
        Page 6
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        Page 15
        Copyright
            Copyright

i-LCkIL)A


GEOL 'G ICAL ,J RVEY


JPr PLM AT TO
JNFORiAA-fJOj CIRCULAR O
(REVISED)


,\ fXPLORA ION-


FOR, OIL A G-AS


IN F LORJDA


ROERJT O. VERN ON,
AND
CHAKLES W. HE NDRY,Y


DIRECTOk
GEOLcG I


LLAHATh~ FC RID













OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES IN FLORIDA

During 1959


By

Robert O. Vernon and C. W. Hendry, Jr.


Ten permits to drill in Florida were issued by the State Board of

Conservation, Oil and Gas Division, in 1959. Eleven wells were completed,

including two that were permitted in 1958, one of which was an old well

that was deepened. The 11 completions represent a total of 80, 835 feet

of drilling. One well permitted in 1959 was drilling on January 1, 1960.

This well was an attempt by the Humble Oil and Refining Company to

develop the Sunniland West prospect.

The completed wells were divided rather evenly between the

Peninsula and the Panhandle, five wells having been drilled in Bay,

Franklin, Gadsden, Liberty and Santa Rosa counties and six in Dade,

Hendry, Hillsborough, Monroe (2) and Pinellas counties. In the Pan-

handle four prospects developed stratigraphic and structural data in the

Upper Cretaceous and in the Lower Cretaceous clastics. In the Panhandle

one well (Gulf Coast Drilling and Exploration, Inc., No. 1 Forestry Service,

in Liberty County) tested the Morringsport formation and first red

Rodessa sand.





P6 4


F
0


-*- TEST COMMENCED 1957, TEMPORARILY
ABANDONED JANUARY 1, 1960
- TESTS COMMENCED AND COMPLETED 1959
* TESTS COMMENCED 1959, DRILLING JANUARY I, 1960
,' OLD WELL DRILLING DEEPER

GEOPHYSICAL PROSPECTING
I GRAVITY METER
CORE DRILL
REFLECTION SEISMOGRAPH
E REFRACTION SEISMOGRAPH
H REFRACTION SEISMOGRAPH


APPROXIMATE LOCATION

OF GEOPHYSICAL AND

EXPLORATORY DRILLING

ACTIVITIES
DURING 1959


FIG. I


Co.o oaoo oo a










Of the wells of the Peninsula two are not deep enough to penetrate

the Lower Cretaceous beds and are nontechnical locations. Three of

the others (Commonwealth-Coastal, #1 State of Florida Lease 1055;

Commonwealth-Gulf Coast, #1 Red Cattle; and Gulf Oil, #1 State of

Florida Lease 826-Y) developed data on the Lower Cretaceous. The

California, #1 State of Florida Lease 1011 penetrated the Upper

Cretaceous as a lease commitment to the State. The Gulf Oil, #1 State

of Florida 8Z6-Y is the first offshore location in Florida drilled from

a deep water platform. This well is the deepest drilled in Florida to

date, reaching 15,474 feet and exceeding by 19 feet the Gulf Oil, #1 State

of Florida Lease 373, well drilled on Big Pine Key in Monroe County in

1947.

No oil shows were present in the Panhandle wells but each of

the wells of the Peninsula that penetrated the Sunniland section of the

Lower Cretaceous encountered oil shows and each well was tested by

drill stem tests. Oil shows are universally present in the wells of the

southern tip of the Peninsula but it has been unfortunately true that

where the deeply buried structures are indicated by refraction and/or

drilling, the porosity of the reef-rock is filled by secondary crystal-

lization or was never present. The expense of geophysical exploration,

deep drilling and lack of porosity and oil saturation in structures has

discouraged some companies from further attempts to prospect the area.

Mississippi has had during 1959, the greatest year of drilling









activity in its history. Of 664 completions, 303 oil and gas wellswere

completed with capacities exceeding 66, 000 barrels of oil and 80 million

cubic feet of gas daily. It is hoped that this phenomenal success will result

in attempts to develop drilling programs to the east in Florida, so that the

stratigraphy of the eastern border of the production can be more fully

understood.

The exploratory activity in Florida during 1959 is slightly higher than

that of 1958, although none of the wells produced favorable shows, trends or

structures. If the interest in offshore Florida continues and if some favor-

able trends develop, there is a possibility that the oil shows present in all

of the wells of the Peninsula will promote some additional drilling along the

Gulf margin and near the Sunniland oil field.


1959 GEOPHYSICAL ACTIVITY

During the last six years, 1954-59, only a moderate amount of

geophysical search has been conducted in Florida, the crew weeks expended

generally running a little above or below 200 annually. However, the total

crew weeks for 1959 is the lowest of the past nine years. The geophysical

investigations reflect a continuing interest in deeply buried structures of the

Peninsula affecting Lower Cretaceous reef-rock and similar structures in

clastics and carbonates of the Lower Cretaceous of the Panhandle.

Five seismic crews during early 1959, three during late 1959, one

core rig most of the year and one gravity-meter crew in early 1959, were









active in Florida. A total of 170 crew weeks were spent in seven counties

and the high percentage of hours were in refraction seismology, an attempt

to evaluate the deep structures. The summary of the activity is given in

Table 1, and the location of the work is shown on figure 1.


COUNTY


SEISMOC
Reflection


COLLIER

ESCAMBIA

HENDRY

LEE

MONROE

SANTA ROSA

SARASOTA


TABLE 1

1959 GEOPHYSICAL CREW WEEKS

By Counties

3RAPH CORE GRA\
Refraction DRILL MET.


VITY
ER


35


43 1/2


54 1/2


TOTALS
(7 Counties)


Total Crew Weeks in
Total Crew Weeks in

Net Decrease


1958 357
1959 170

187


NOTE: There were no magnetometer or resistivity crew activities in
Florida in 1959.


TCTAL


35

46 1/2

12

1

14

60 1/2

1


--


-


--






SUNNILAND OIL FIELD

No attempt to develop the Sunniland field was made in 1959, but

Humble Oil and Refining Company was drilling a well in the Sunniland V est

prospect on January 1, 1960. It is anticipated that this well will encounter

strong shows in the Sunniland pay zone and it is hoped that it can be developed

as a producer. The trend of production in the field is summarized in Table 2.

TABLE 2

Production of Oil in Barrels from the Humble Oil and
Refining Company Sunniland Field, Collier County.


January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December


1945


402

581

403

725

4,110

5,700

4,455

2,775

2,976

2,666

2,717


32,095

26,091

31,963

31,136

28,146

47,649

46,740

50,578

48,130

45,715

52,813

44,965


40,618

35,900

38,436

38,273

40,900

37,746

42,184

42,385

40,611

41,959

42,354

41,994


43,246

38,664

42,985

40,542

41,054

38,427

41,028

39,996

38,113

39,424

37,814

39,088


39,558

34,447

37,813

38,277

41,629

36,007

38,552

38,847

38,072

38,510

38,764

39,136


38,613

34,880

38,431

38,786

37,929

36,628

37,009

37,356

36,493

36,335

37,013

36,413


1950 1955 1956 1959 1 957 1.958
4. 4. 9 9 4.-


Month


36,362

32,779

37,077

35,489

35,415

34,928

34,549

36,496

34,797

36,382

34,446

33,893


Total by
Year 27,510 486,021 483,365 480,331 459,612 445,886 386,251

Cumula-
tive total
all years 43,330 1,578,571 4,317, 340 4,797, 721 5,257, 333 5,703, 219 6,089,470


--


1950


1.958


1955


1956


1957


1959











Eleven wells in this field are being produced slowly to obtain the

maximum recovery of oil. Allowables for the field are unrestricted because

of the depth and the porosity of the limestone aquifer. However, the Humble

Oil and Refining Company maintains a careful check and control of the pressures

and types of fluids in the field. The discovery well has been converted to a

salt-water disposal well.

The acreage proved productive of oil in Florida remains at 1, 920

acres. The total area under lease for oil and gas in non-productive areas

as of January 1, 1960, is above 12, 500, 000 acres.










SUMMARY OF EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES DURING 1959


TESTS COMMENCED IN 1958
COMPLETED IN 1959

Hillsborough County

Sumner Oil Limited
No. 1 Julian Sumner
3, 001 feet deep. Dry and abandoned.

Pinellas County

S. W. Barnett and W. C. McLean (Deepened R. E. Skinner)
No. 1 Hancock-Powell
3,510 to 4, 103. Dry and abandoned.


TESTS COMMENCED AND COMPLETED IN 1959

Bay County

A. W. Williams Drilling Company
No. 2 E. L. Jordan et al
4, 748 feet deep. Dry and abandoned.

Dade County

Commonwealth Oil and Coastal Petroleum Company
No. 1 Florida State Lease 1055
11,676 feet deep. Dry and abandoned.

Franklin County

The California Company Coastal Petroleum Company
No. 1 Florida State Lease 224-A
7, 030 feet deep. Dry and abandoned.

Gadsden County

Sun Oil Company
No. 1 American-Sumatra Tobacco Corporation
4, 186 feet deep. Dry and abandoned.











Hendry County


Commonwealth Oil Company Gulf Coast Drilling and
Exploration Company
No. I Red Cattle
11,646 feet deep. Dry and abandoned.

Liberty County

Gulf Coast Drilling and Exploration, Inc.
No. 1 U.S.A. Forestry Service
11,011 feet deep. Dry and abandoned.

Monroe County

The California Company
No. 1 Florida State Lease 1011
6, 033 feet deep. Dry and abandoned.

Gulf Oil Corporation
No. 1 Florida State Lease 826-Y
15,474 feet deep. Dry and abandoned.

Santa Rosa County

McCormick and Short
No. 1 T. R. Miller Mills Company, Inc.
6,437 feet deep. Dry and abandoned.


WELL COMMENCED IN 1959
NOT COMPLETED JANUARY 1, 1960

Collier County

Humble Oil and Refining Company
No. 2 Gulf Coast Realties Corp. ''B'
Drilling at 11,361 feet- e, )December 31, 1959.
Oil shows Sunniland Field est prospect.












ADDITIONAL SUMMARY


.Vells commenced in 1958 completed in 1959

Wells commenced and completed in 1959

Total completions in 1959

Wells commenced in 1959 not completed by 1960


Total footage of completed wells drilled in 1958

Total footage of completed wells drilled in 1959

Production of oil (barrels) from Sunniland Field
for the year 1959

Cumulative production of oil (barrels)
1943-59


2

9

11

1


67,705

80,835


386, 251


6,089,470






BAY COUNTY


I COMPANY OR FARM OR D. F, ELEV. / "
DATE I OWNER -,ELL NAME LOCATION TOTAL DEPTH REMARKS

Comm. A. W. V illiams #2 E. L. Cen. N/4 105/4:748 Dry Hole. Plugged
1-5-59 Drilling Co. Jordan et al of SW/4 of 1-15-59.
Sec. 15, TIS, Upper Cretaceous 281b
R12 I7 Lower Tuscaloosa 436'
Logs: Electric
Drillers
Samples from 700-4725





COLLIER COUNTY


COM-PANY OR FARM OR I D.F. ELEV./
DATE OO-'.P.ER WELL NAME LOCATION TOTAL DEPTH REMARKS

Comm. Humble Oil & #2 Gulf Coast Cen. SE/4 Drilling Dec. 31, 1959
11-3-59 Refining Co. Realty Corp. Sec. 13,T48S at 11,361
"B" R28E






DADE COUNTY


COMPANY OR FARM OR D. F. ELEV. /
DATE CV NER WELL NAME LOCATION TOTAL DEPTH REMARKS

Comm. Commonwealth #1 State of Cen. SE/4 20/11676 Dry Hole. Plugged 6-27-59
4-14-59 Oil Co. Fla. Lease of SA /4 D. S. T. No. 1 8,085-8,132
Coastal Petro- 1055 Sec. 11, T54S, No. 2 -11,395- 456
leum Co. R35E No. 3 -11,546- 554-
oil cut mud
Logs: Electric
Drillers
Samples from 4140 to 11,400
Cores 11,400 to 11,675
Top WVashita 7,487
Sunniland 11,388

FRANKLIN COUNTY

COMPANY OR FARM OR D. F. ELEV. /
DATE CWvNER vVELL NAME LOCATION TOTAL DEPTH REMARKS

Comm. California Co. #1 State of 11 mi.E.Apala- 26/7030 Dry Hole. Plugged 11-6-59
10-12-59 Coastal Fla. Lease chicola in St. Logs: Electric
Petroleum Co. 224-A George Sound- Drillers
bearing N 59 Samples from 1240 to 7030
31'20"E,8713.44 Upper Cretaceous 3328
from USC &.GS Lower Tuscaloosa 4668
Station "Gap", Lower Cretaceous 5365
sec. 7, T9S,
R5W.
________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________






GADSDEN COUNTY


COMPANY OR FARM OR D. F. ELEV. /
DATE OWNER WELL NAME LOCATION TOTAL DEPTH REMARKS

Comm. Sun Oil Co. #1 American- Cen. NE/4 221/4186 Dry Hole. Plugged 2-15-59
1-26-59 Sumatra of NW/4 of Logs: Electric
Tobacco Corp Sec. 23, TZN, Drillers
R4" Samples from 100 to 4186
Top chalk 2571
Lower Tuscaloosa 3766




HENDRY COUNTY

COMPANY OR FARIN OR D. F. ELEV. /
DATE OWNER WELL NAME LOCATION TOTAL DEPTH REMARKS

Comm. Commonwealth #1 Red E- of NE/4 50/11646 Dry Hole. Plugged 10- 22-5'
8-15-59 Oil Co. -Gulf Cattle of NE/4 of Logs: Electric
Coast Drilling Sec. 23, T45S, Drillers
& Exploration, R28E Samples from 30 to 11,410
Inc. Cores from 11,400 to 11,521
Upper Cretaceous 5560
Lower Cretaceous 7598
Sunniland 11,357 (core)
11,472 (Schl. )


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______ I






HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY


COMPANY OR FARM OR D. F. ELEV. /
DATE OVNER WELL NAME LOCATION TOTAL DEPTH REMARKS

Comm. Sumner Oil, #1 Julian SE/4 of NE/4 55/3001 Temporarily abandoned.
7-20-58 Ltd. Sumner Sec. 30, T31S, No logs or samples.
R20E




LIBERTY COUNTY

COMPANY OR FARM OR D. F. ELEV. /
DATE OWNER WELL NAME LOCATION TOTAL DEPTH REMARKS

Comm. Gulf Coast #1 U.S.A. Cen. SW/4 49/10010 Dry Hole. Plugged 4-6-59
3-15-59 Drilling & Forestry of SE/4 Logs: Electric
Exploration, Service Sec. 4, T5S, Drillers
Inc. R7W Samples from 0 to 10,010
Wilcox 2938
Upper Cretaceous 3037
Lower Tuscaloosa 4496
Massive Sand 4962
Lower Cretaceous 4623
Morringsport 7305
1st Red Rodessa Sand-7581
Paleozoic 9600






MONROE COUNTY


COMPANY OR
OWNER


California Co.








Gulf Oil
Corp.


FARM OR
WELL NAME


#1 State Lease
1011







#1 State
Lease 826-Y


LOCATION


NW/4 of
NE/4 Sec. 1
T67S, R29E






22f mi. ESE
Dry Tortugas
240371N
82002121"W


D.F. ELEV. /
TOTAL DEPTH


20/6033








52/15475


REMARKS


Dry HoLe. Plugged
10-28-59.
Logs: Electric
Drillers
Samples from 1112 to 255G
Paleocene 3346
Upper Cretaceous 5170

Dry Hole. Plugged 8-15-5i'
Logs: Electric
Drillers
Samples from 261' to
15,470
Upper Cretaceous 5500
Lower Cretaceous 7347 j


PINELLAS COUNTY

COMPANY OR FARM OR D. F. ELEV./
DATE OWNER WELL NAME LC CATION TOTAL DEPTH REMARKS

Comm. S. W. Barnett #1 Hancock- NW/4 of 36/3510 to Dry Hole. Plugged4-15-5v1
8-24-58 & W.C.McLean Powell SW/4 Sec. 10, 4103 Logs: Drillers
(R. E. Skinner T27S, R16E No samples.
deepened)


DATE


Comm.
9-21-59







Comm.
2-17-59


,


,


,








SANTA ROSA COUNTY


COMPANY OR FARM OR D.F. ELEV. /
D ATE OWNER WELL NAME LOCATION TOTAL DEPTH REMARKS


McCormick-
Short


#1 Miller
Mill Co., Inc.,


Sec. 16,
T5N, R28W


220/6437


Dry Hole. Plugged
12-12-59
Logs: Electric
Drillers
Samples from 3000 to
6430
Wilcox 1603
Top chalk 3552
Lower Tuscaloosa-6035


Comm.
1-24-5










FLRD GEOLOSk ( IC SUfRiW


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