Kate Spring field discovery, Nevada Basin and Range

Journal Article · Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988 · Mountain Geologist; (USA)

OSTI ID:7110585

Flanigan, D M.H. ^[1]

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1. Flanigan and Flanigan, Inc., Reno, NV (USA)

Kate Spring field, the sixth commercial oil pool found in Nevada, was completed in January 1986. The well produced I 521 BO (10.6{sup 0} API gravity) before it was shutin because of engineering problems and collapsing oil prices. The No. I Kate Spring was drilled on a seismically and geomorphically defined fault block upthrown from the Eagle Spring field (I mi north) and from the Husky/Marathon No. I Soda Springs dry hole (with significant light oil and gas shows, 2 mi south of he discovery). Pennsylvanian Ely Limestone was encountered beneath the Miocene unconformity. Clay-rich valley-fill sediments above the unconformity serve as vertical seals for the underlying fractured Paleozoic carbonate reservoirs. High-angle Miocene and younger normal faults place the valley-fill downthrown against the Paleozoic carbonates, forming a lateral seal in three directions; gouge development along the major valley-bounding fault serves as seal to the east. Confirmation of Kate Spring field came with completion of the David M. Evans No. I Taylor Federal in October 1987, about 1000 ft west of the discovery well. Chemical characteristics of formation fluids recovered from the No. 1 Taylor Federal are essentially the same as those recovered from the No. I Kate Spring, indicating fluid continuity within the same fractured reservoir. However, the No. I Taylor Federal encountered lower units of the Upper Devonian Guilmette Formation beneath the Miocene unconformity. Preliminary data suggest that Kate Spring field has a water drive, porosities to 17%, and permeabilities to 4 darcies. Conclusive data is unavailable, however,and only subsequent drilling will define Kate Spring reservoir parameters.

• OSTI ID: 7110585
• Journal Information: Mountain Geologist; (USA), Vol. 25:4; ISSN 0027-254X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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