History and geology of the giant Elk-Poca field, West Virginia, USA

Conference · Fri Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)

OSTI ID:7170568

Patchen, D G ^[1]; Bruner, K R; Noald, M T ^[2]

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1. West Virginia Geological Survey, Morgantown (United States)
2. West Virginia Univ., Morgantown (United States)

The 165,000 acre Elk-Poca field was discovered in 1933 when a wildcat well tested the Oriskany Sandstone (Lower Devonian) on the Milliken Anticline in Elk District, Kanawha County. Rapid expansion occurred northward, along the anticline, and westward into Poca District on the Sissonville high. Begun as a structural play, it soon became an exploration program for thick, well-developed clean sandstones. Elk-Poca is a combination stratigraphic and structural trap. In Jackson County, salt water is present downdip, and updip production is limited by a loss of highly permeable beds. The reservoir was developed in clean, highly permeable sandstones in the upper part of the Oriskany. The average pay section is 30 ft thick, and characterized by high permeabilities, and consistent, but low porosities. High initial flow rates for both natural wells and wells stimulated by shooting correlate with areas of thick sandstone. Nearly 1200 wells were drilled in the field, and more than 1100 produced gas. Since 1933, nearly 1 tcf of gas have been produced, with the best wells in areas of thick sandstone. Production decline was rapid, due to the high permeability and moderate porosity. This giant field is in the only area in West Virginia where a certain set of geologic factors coincide. The north-south structural strike is paralleled by an east-west decrease in sandstone thickness, and a westeast increase in thickness of the organic-rich Devonian shales. Gas migrated from the shales into the permeable Oriskany before compaction and cementation by carbonate eliminated all porosity and permeability. The presence of gas in open pores may have retarded further cementation.

• OSTI ID: 7170568
• Report Number(s): CONF-910403--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States) Journal Volume: 75:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
030200* -- Natural Gas-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
ANTICLINES
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGIC TRAPS
GEOLOGY
HISTORICAL ASPECTS
MASS TRANSFER
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NORTH AMERICA
PERMEABILITY
PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
POROSITY
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
USA
WEST VIRGINIA