Clay County
ANTELOPE NORTH PROSPECT
In June 2006, Golden Arch Resources, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Golden Arch Oil and Gas, Inc, acquired 236 hectares (583 acres) in the J. A. Scott Survey #2, abstract 693 of Clay County, Texas known as the Antelope North Prospect. The Prospect, located in North Texas, has been acquired specifically to explore the Burns Jones sand, the single most prolific per well producing horizon in the area as well as the Mobley sand. These targets are located at depths of 1,035 meters (3400’) and 1,160 meters (3,800’), respectively. Plans include drilling two exploratory wells to test the commercial potential followed by several development wells.
The Antelope North Prospect is located geographically southeast of Wichita Falls, Texas. Nearby towns include Joy, Windthorst, and Antelope the prospect’s namesake. This area is known for its shallow prolific oil production with oil production occurring as early as 1940 with the discovery by Shell Oil Company of the Antelope Field two and a half miles south of this prospect.
Oil production in the area is found from numerous pay intervals from near surface, less than 1,000’ in depth, downward through sands and limes to the Ellenburger dolomite, less than 7,000’ in depth.
Numerous smaller fields form various horizons also inhabit the area.
Zones of Interest |
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Potentially productive intervals on the prospect include: |
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| Gunsite Sand | 215 meters | (700’) | Secondary Target |
| Burns-Jones Sand | 1,035 meters | (3400’) | Primary Target #1 |
| Mobley Sand | 1,140 meters | (3750’) | Primary Target #2 |
| Bryson Sand | 1,340 meters | (4400’) | Secondary Target |
There exist several additional sands and intervals in the area, which have been productive or may yet still produce in the area, however, those listed have a real potential to produce on this prospect.
The primary target zones of interest of this prospect include the Burns-Jones sand, and Mobley sand.
Burns-Jones Sand (3400’)
This interval is the single most prolific per well producing horizon in the area. The interval was first discovered productive by Shell Oil in 1940 with the discovery of the Antelope Strawn Sand Field. That field’s productive area was approximately 1.5 sq/miles and produced in excess of 12 million barrels of oil. Initial per well production rates were sometimes near 1000 barrels of oil/day.
The field produced with a natural water drive. The trap was a combination, structural/ stratigraphic zone. The field draped across a very slight nose with the 40-60’ thick sand thinning from the top in the up dip southerly direction with the lower portion of the sand remaining intact. This thinning sand trapped the southerly and upwardly migrating oil against the shale barrier. The oil piled up in this “attic” situation until it spilled out at the lower portion of the sand body, which acted as a conduit.
In the case of the Antelope North Prospect, the Burns-Jones Strawn sand is again present as a 40’ thick, very porous, very permeable reservoir. The prospect is a mapped structural ridge with closure inferred by a strong “possible” log show in the Hassie Hunt Oil Co.’s #1 D.M. Cobb well drilled in (1952) and additionally by noted thinning from the top of the sand body in the southerly updip direction (the same trapping mechanism noted in the Antelope Field to the south). The Hunt well was drilled for a Caddo lime target from which several area wells were producing prolifically at that time period.
The Hassie Hunt Oil Company was apparently uninterested in the shallower horizons as the well was only logged with a detail section across the Caddo intervals. Personal conversations with previous Hassie Hunt employees confirmed that not only were they not interested in the shallower pays, but they also were probably not having shallow samples and cuttings analyzed. This is not an uncommon procedure as companies are always attempting to reduce costs.
The favourable result to the smaller operator is the ability (and common practice) to pick up the leftovers of the larger companies. Of significant note is that Hassie Hunt drilled their #2 D.M. Cobb in (1957), five years later than the #1 well. This well, again was looking for Caddo Lime, but this time the up hole section across the Mobley sand was logged and appears to be a by-passed pay zone. The Burns-Jones sand interval is present but, encountered structurally low to the #1 well and below an oil/water contact. Mapping indicates the possibility to get higher in the formation to both of these wells.
Several wells 4000’ south of the two Hassie Hunt tests were drilled with the Burns-Jones sand present and wet (water bearing). The thick upper portion of the sand body, where a possible show is seen in the Hassie Hunt #1 well, appears to have thinned somewhat from the top in these wells, much the same as occurred in the Antelope field to the south. One well, the Republic #1 Johnson, possibly has a slight show present.
Mobley Sand
As mentioned in the discussion of the Burns-Jones sand above, the Mobley sand appears to be carrying a show in the #2 Hunt well. That well was originally plugged and abandoned by Hassie Hunt and was later re-entered and completed in the Caddo lime. The Mobley Sand has no record of ever being tested. It would appear that the interval from 3766’-76’ is by-passed pay and the interval from 3816’-33’ may be a show or even pay as well.
Gunsite Sand
The Gunsite sand is known throughout the region due to it oil production at a very shallow depth. Some wells produce from just below the surface. The shallow depth has very low pressure and thus flow rates are generally restricted, yet respectable production cumulatives are common. Two miles northwest of this prospect, several Gunsite wells are located with individual wells having produced in excess of 10,000 barrels of oil.
Immediately north of this prospect several wells are present with Gunsite shows and by-passed pay. Mapping of this particular sand shows trending southward across the prospect with no sand present in the #1 Hassie Hunt well, but as much as 10’ of possible pay sand present in the #2 Hassie Hunt well.
Bryson Sand
The Bryson sand, though not the highest per well producer in the area, is by far the most common producing horizon in the area. Indicated average production from Bryson wells in the area is in the range of 50,000 barrels/well. Several fields in the area report multi-million barrel production. The Joy field to the east of the prospect area produced in excess of 15,000,000 barrels from this interval.
Across the Antelope Prospect the Bryson sand is poorly developed in the wells drilled and, though a structural high or ridge is mapped at the Bryson level, the sand quality appears to be lacking. The possibility does exist that a thick, porous, permeable sand would be present under the proposed location. For these reasons the Bryson is considered as a secondary target.
In summary, the Antelope North Prospect is located in a prolific, multi-pay, oil producing region. The prospect itself has an excellent possibility of producing from the Mobley sand at 3800’. The Burns Jones sand at 3400’ also has the potential of being productive and the potential reward if the logs shown are proven a reality is staggering.
Beyond the two horizons mentioned above, the Gunsite sand exhibits a show in the #2 Hassie Hunt well and may reflect a small shallow oil field for development. Other secondary targets also exist.
In late June, two wells will be drilled adjacent to the Hassie Hunt #1 and #2 wells. These wells appear to have shows or even bypassed pay in the Gunsite, Burns-Jones, and Mobley sands. A commercial test would open the potential for numerous development wells with success from the Burns-Jones horizon capable of multi-million barrel oil cumulatives.