INTRODUCTIONNatural gas geysers and bubbles erupted near Kingfisher, Oklahoma, on or about December 9, 2005 (Figure 1). A hunter discovered the geysers along Winter Camp Creek. The geysers erupted along a ten-mile stretch of Winter Camp Creek formerly known as Dead Indian Creek. The eruptions occur in clusters along a bearing perpendicular to the regional strike

of the beds (Figure 2). The Oklahoma Corporation Commission, Kingfisher Civil Defense, and Kingfisher Fire Marshall monitor the gas geyser eruptions for obvious safety issues.

Fourth Publication, 2005

Cont. pg. 2

By Galen Miller, OGS Staff

The Gas Geysers Near The Gas Geysers Near Kingfisher, OklahomaKingfisher, Oklahoma

Figure 1: Largest surface feature not located in a creek. Sec. 35, T16N, R8W. Photo by Galen Miller.

Figure 2: Geologic map with surface features marked.

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Oklahoma last witnessed such a phenomenon on January 30, 1980, when a well in southern Woods County lost mud circulation. The gas migrated through a fracture system in an evaporite unit in the Permian Flowerpot Shale, and finally escaped at the surface forming a gas geyser (Preston, 1980).

GEOLOGIC SETTINGThe Edmundson Trust #1-33 well is located in southwest Kingfisher County. The well is spudded in the Permian Flowerpot Shale (Figure 3). The Flowerpot typically is a reddish-brown shale with green-blue siltstone beds that contain numerous thin beds of gypsum, dolomite, and salt in the upper

part of the formation. The Flowerpot conformably overlies the Hennessey Group.

The Cedar Hills Sandstone at the top of the Hennessey Group is a reddish-brown siltstone with interbedded green-gray siltstone and very fine-grained sandstone. Below the Cedar Hills lies the Hennessey Shale,

The Gas Geysers Near Kingfisher, Oklahoma..., continued from page 1

Figure 3: Cross section showing the subsurface geology acting as a conduit for the escaping gas.

Table of ContentsThe Gas Geysers Near Kingfisher, Oklahoma…1–4New OGS Publication…5Locating Tools of the Trade…5Conference Announcement: Coalbed Methane and Gas Shales in the Southern Midcontinent…6–7

Repositories of Cores and Cuttings for Oklahoma and Arkansas…8–9The Booch Gas Play Workshop…10–11Calendar of Upcoming Events…12

Figure 4: Eruption or surface feature closest to the Edmunson Trust #1-33 well. The “Caldera” is approximately 10 feet across. Sec. 35, T15N, R9W. Photo by Galen Miller.

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composed of muddy siltstone and silty mudstone with a few mudstone conglomerate beds. The reddish-brown, fine-grained, poorly cemented Garber Sandstone underlies the Hennessey Shale. The Wellington Formation is below the Garber, and is mostly fine-grained,

poorly cemented sandstone. In western Oklahoma the Wellington contains several evaporite units. The gas is thought to have escaped somewhere at the level of the Garber and Wellington formations (Figure 3).

WHAT IS KNOWNChesapeake Energy Corp. reported that they encountered a high pressure pocket of gas about 9,400 feet below the surface while drilling the Edmundson Trust #1-33 well in Sec. 33, T15N, R9W. Chesapeake reported gas escaping into the formation wall between 1,300 and 1,700 feet. The gas appears to flow toward the surface along the surface casing. The gas somehow migrates through the Hennessey Shale possibly

through fractures in the overlying Cedar Hills Sandstone, and escapes into the atmosphere where the Cedar Hills is exposed at the surface. The Cedar Hills exposures occur mainly in creek beds where the streams eroded down through the overlying Flowerpot

Shale. The surrounding surface is composed of the Permian Flowerpot Shale and Quaternary wind-blown silt deposits. Gas geysers erupt along a bearing of 040-050◦, perpendicular to the regional strike (Figure 1). It is thought that the Hennessey fails to trap the gas because there are no eruptions or other surface features northeast of Kingfisher where the Hennessey Shale/Garber Sandstone contact occurs (see figures 5 through 7).

The author collected gas samples from the Edmunson Trust #1-33 well and a gas eruption site. Paul Philp from the School of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Oklahoma in Norman

analyzed the gas samples. The gas analyses from the eruption site and the well site show

Figure 5: One of the larger eruptions approximately 15 feet wide. Sec. 2, T15N, R8W. Photo by Galen Miller.

Figure 6. Mudflow from an eruption. Figure 4 is located in the creek behind the mudflow. Sec. 2, T15N, R8W. The feature in Figure 5 is in the creek behind the mudflow. Photo by Galen Miller.

Cont. pg. 4

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that the gas samples most likely share the same source (Figure 8).

CONCLUSIONSThe gas geysers and bubbles near Kingfisher are starting to diminish in volume and strength at the time that this is written. The mode of gas transport through the Hennessey Group is not properly understood. If the gas migrated along a small fracture system, gas geysers and bubbles at the surface likely would form an uneven fan-like pattern rather than the observed linear pattern. Other possible explanations include gas emerging at the surface casing; along an unknown fracture system perpendicular to the regional strike and in the near surface; in association with with dissolution of evaporite materials; or along some other unknown pathway.

Acknowledgments and ReferencesData, discussion, and assistance for this paper were provided by Chesapeake Energy Corporation, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, Kingfisher Civil Defense, Kingfisher Fire Marshall, several known and unknown land owners too numerous to mention, and finally those at the OGS: Charles Mankin, Stan Krukowski, Michelle Summers,

and Sue Crites. Your assistance was greatly appreciated.

Figure 7: Surface feature erupting along a fracture oriented 140-150o. Sec. 30, T16N, R7W. Photo by Galen Miller.

The Gas Geysers Near Kingfisher, Oklahoma..., continued from page 3

Figure 8: Serum Bottle and Well Head Samples analyzed by Dr. Paul Philp, University of Oklahoma School of Geology & Geophysics.The gas analyses from the eruption site and the well site show that the gas samples most likely share the same source.

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By Jane Weber, OGS Staff

► Scale – most commonly calcium carbonate or calcium sulfate – is associated with many water-related problems in the oil field, from mixing waters in a holding tank to injecting incompatible water into a formation. New Mexico has developed Scale Tools, which allow you to mix waters with a known chemical analysis to predict which scales will form and in what amounts. You simply choose a prediction method, enter your data, and let the program do the calculations. To access this free tool, go to http://octane.nmt.edu/waterquality/scale/scale.htm.

► PTTC Rocky Mountain Region has launched an interactive map-based search engine to locate core and sample collections throughout the United States. Library listings displayed thus far are from the PTTC Appalachian Region, Utah Geological Survey, Oklahoma Geological Survey, USGS in Denver, and Bureau of Economic Geology in Texas. Go to http://pttcrockies.htmlx.com/mapserver/USCoresMap.phtml to use this free tool.

New OGS PublicationSP2005-1: The Booch Gas Play in Southeastern Oklahoma: Regional

and Field-Specific Petroleum Geological Analysis

The Booch study is the latest in a series of play-based workshops sponsored by the South Midcontinent Region of the Petroleum Technology Transfer Council (PTTC) and the Oklahoma Geological Survey (OGS) designed to aid State oil and gas operators. The Booch Gas Play

complements a similar study for Booch oil that was done as part of the Fluvial-Dominated Deltaic (FDD) Oil Reservoir series [Northcutt and others, 1995].

The accompanying CD contains shape files for the regional study maps

and well data on Excel spreadsheets for the regional field studies. These datasheets include well names, locations, tops, thicknesses, gross and net sandstone, and Booch production in the field-study areas. Also included are listings of Booch core and core analyses that are maintained in the OGS Oklahoma Petroleum Information Center. All of the data on which this study is based are provided in digital format so that maps and datasheets may be edited or expanded for any area that might be considered prospective.

Cost is $14.00; shipping/handling will be $2.80. Contact OGS Publication Sales at (405) 360-2886 or ogssales@ou.edu for further information.

Locating Tools Locating Tools of the Tradeof the Trade

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Conference Announcement and Program

8:00 Welcoming Address: Coalbed Meth-ane and Gas Shales in Oklahoma, by Charles J. MANKIN, Director, Oklahoma Geological Survey, Norman, OK; and Lori WROTENBERY, Director, Oil and Gas Conservation Division, Oklahoma Corporation Commission, Oklahoma City, OK

8:30 Geologic Controls on Coalbed Natu-ral Gas Production Trends in Eastern Kansas Coals, by Timothy R. CARR and K. David NEWELL, Kansas Geological Survey, Lawrence, KS

9:00 Oklahoma Coalbed Methane Activity, 2006 Update, by Brian J. CARDOTT, Oklahoma Geological Survey, Norman, OK

9:30 Coalbed Methane Horizontal Drilling Case Study — Osage County, Oklaho-ma, by Paul BRUCE, John F. SINCLAIR, and Simon TESTA, AMVEST Gas Resourc-es, Charlottesville, VA

10:00 Coffee Break; Exhibits; Poster Session 10:30 The Ins and Outs of Drilling Sideways

in the Arkoma Hartshorne Coal: Saga of Horizontal Drilling in Oklahoma, by David TSCHOPP, Orion Exploration, L.L.C., Tulsa, OK

11:00 Geochemistry and Thermal Matu-rity of the Mississippian Fayetteville Shale Formation, Central and East-ern Arkansas, by M. Ed RATCHFORD, Arkansas Geological Commission, Little Rock, AR

11:30 Outcrop Gamma-Ray Character-ization of the Woodford Shale, South-Central Oklahoma, by Alischa KRYSTYNIAK and Stanley T. PAXTON, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK

12:00 Lunch, Imperial Ballroom

1:15 Stratigraphy, Production, and Res-ervoir Characteristics of the Caney Shale in Southern Oklahoma, by

Richard D. ANDREWS, Oklahoma Geological Survey, Norman, OK 1:45 Hydrocarbon Potential of the Caney

Shale in Southeastern Oklahoma, by Scott T. SCHAD, New Dominion, L.L.C., Tulsa, OK

2:15 Gas occurrence in the Caney Shale, by Tyler J. MAUGHAN, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, and Unit Petro-leum, Tulsa, OK

2:45 Coffee Break; Exhibits; Poster Session 3:15 Outcrop-Based Cyclicity and Conodont Biostratigraphy of the Barnett Shale, by Darwin R. BOARDMAN II, Oklahoma State Univer-

sity, Stillwater, OK 3:45 Using Organic Geochemistry in Shale

Gas Prospecting and Development, by Daniel M. JARVIE, Hossein A. ALIMI, Tim RUBLE, and Brian M. JARVIE, Humble Geochemical Services, Humble, TX

4:15 Surface Reactive Fluids Effect on Shale, by Bill GRIESER, Matt BLAUCH, and Ray LOGHRY, Halliburton Energy Services, Oklahoma City, OK

PROGRAM EVENTSMeridian Convention Center, Salon H

COALBED METHANE AND GAS SHALES IN THE

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PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF MEETINGCoalbed methane (CBM) has been an important un-conventional gas play in Oklahoma since 1988 with as many as 600 completions a year. The most suc-cessful CBM wells are where specialized completion techniques were applied with a knowledge of coal as a reservoir. The success of the Barnett Shale as a gas shale in the Fort Worth Basin in Texas has generated an interest in other potential gas shales (e.g., Wood-ford Shale, Caney Shale, and Fayetteville Shale) in the Southern Midcontinent.

Thermal Maturation of Woodford Shale in Okla-homa, by Brian J. CARDOTT, Oklahoma Geo-logical Survey, Norman, OK

Subsurface Coal Rank in the Arkoma Basin, Oklahoma, by Brian J. CARDOTT, Oklahoma Geological Survey, Norman, OK

Estimated Ultimate Recoveries (EUR’s) of Coal-bed Methane in Selected Basins of the U.S., by Troy A. COOK, U.S. Geological Survey, Den-ver, CO

Surface Reactive Fluids Effect on Shale, by Bill GRIESER, Matt BLAUCH, and Ray LOGHRY,

Halliburton Energy Services, Oklahoma City, OK

Coal Nomenclature — From Basin to Shelf, Northeastern Oklahoma, by R. Vance HALL, geoPLUS Corporation, Tulsa, OK; and J. Glenn COLE, JGC Oil and Gas Exploration, Sapulpa, OK

Same-Day Downhole Critical Gas Content With-out the Core, by John POPE, WellDog Inc., Laramie, WY; and Bob LAMARRE, Lamarre Geo-logical Enterprises, Denver, CO

The Fayetteville Shale Gas Play in Arkansas, by M. Ed RATCHFORD and Scott M. AUSBROOKS, Arkansas Geological Commission, Little Rock, AR

POSTER SESSION

SOUTHERN MIDCONTINENT: MARCH 21, 2006

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Cores and cuttings brought to the surface during a drilling operation are a valuable permanent resource for study of the earth and its processes. Such material is especially important in the exploration for, and development of, oil and natural gas prospects and evaluating petroleum fields and individual wells. While the largest collection of Oklahoma samples is at OPIC (Oklahoma Petroleum Information Center) in Norman, the Well Sample Library in Little Rock contains the most Arkansas samples. Drillhole material from these two states can also be found in other locations.

Additionally, various repositories define and catalog geological samples differently. The word “core” may apply to whole (full-diameter), slabbed or sidewall core or core plugs. “Cuttings”, synonymous with core chips, remnants or pieces, may be washed or unwashed. Sometimes this term includes core plugs. Outcrop samples, thin sections (slides prepared for examining microscopic details of rocks), and paleontology/palynology/geochemistry samples are frequently maintained and counted as part of a “core” or “well sample” collection. Some states collect material not only from oil and gas test holes but also from industrial mineral, coal exploration, and water wells.

The following list points toward Oklahoma and Arkansas core-related material. The numbers are ever-changing and therefore approximate. They are given only to indicate the amount of possibly relevant material available at that site. Without close inspection of the data, it is not always clear what a given number represents. For example, from the same well, a repository may house 2 cored intervals, 4 intervals of well cuttings, and 1 thin section. This may be reported as 1 sample, 3 samples, 4 samples, or 7 samples, depending how that facility records their list of samples. All the repositories listed here include Lease/Well Name, Company/Operator, and Depth information but only some give specific Location information.

OPIC2020 Industrial BoulevardNorman, OK 73069Contact: Gene Kullman, 405-360-2886� 8976 OK cores, representing 4649 wells. List available at http://www.ogs.ou.edu/OPIC� 50,000 OK cuttings, digitally catalogued (list available upon request). Additional samples, indexed

on cards, are continually being digitized. � Small number of boxed samples from AR, representing 51 locations. Type of sample (core,

cuttings, outcrop…) not yet determined.

Norman F. Williams Well Sample Library1911 South Thayer StreetLittle Rock, AR 72202Contact: Jack Stephenson, 501-324-9167� 50 AR oil and gas cores, mainly from south Arkansas, and 1500 AR cores from mineral

exploration tests in the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains� 2500 AR cuttings from oil, gas, and water wells

RRepositories of epositories of CCores and ores and CCuttings uttings for for OOklahoma and klahoma and AArkansasrkansas

By Jane Weber, OGS Staff

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The Petroleum Technology Transfer Council (PTTC) gratefully acknowledges that its primary funding comes through the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy through the National Energy Technology Lab (NETL).

USGS Core Research CenterBuilding 810Denver Federal CenterDenver, COContact: 303-202-4851Indexed by state, all lists are available at http://geology.cr.usgs.gov/crc� 44 OK cores� 245 OK cuttings� 2 AR cores

Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG)Austin, TXAll geological material stored at BEG’s Austin, Houston, and Midland facilities is searchable by state and various other criteria at http://begdb1.beg.utexas.edu/Igor� 2265 OK cores� 2637 OK cuttings� 1034 OK “other” samples� 267 AR cores� 463 AR cuttings� 68 AR “other” samples

Kansas Geological SurveyLawrence Core LibraryContact: 785-864-2119Access list at http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Magellan/CoreLibrary/index.html� 24 OK cores

Wichita Office (for cuttings)Contact: 316-943-2343Access list at http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Magellan/Cuttings/index.html� 1267 OK cuttings� 5 AR cuttings

Louisiana Geological SurveyCore RepositoryBaton Rouge, LA 70803Contact: Pat O’Neill, 225-578-8590Access list at http://www.lgs.lsu.edu/pubs/repository.html� 90 AR cores

Collections of existing cores and drill cuttings represent drilling replacement costs of billions of (today’s) dollars. One estimate puts storage costs at ~0.05% of the cost of drilling to replace the same footage. With storage space now a limiting factor at many facilities, preservation is becoming increasingly important. At this point, OPIC has room for several hundred thousand more boxes of samples and will accept both Oklahoma and non-Oklahoma donations.

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On December 2, 2005, more than 50 participants gathered in Norman for the much-anticipated Booch Gas Play Workshop, presented by OGS Geologist Dan Boyd and Maxwell Tilford of Tilford Pinson Exploration, LLC.

As a natural gas producing state, Oklahoma ranked second in the nation in 2004 — producing about 1.7 trillion cubic feet to provide 9 percent of America’s needs. The Booch is a major gas-producing formation in Oklahoma. The Pennsylvanian sandstones in the Booch were significant oil and natural gas reservoirs during the early history of the oil industry in Oklahoma. The Booch’s cumulative

production through April 2004 of ~78 MMBO (million barrels of oil) and 467 BCF (billion cubic feet) of gas from 2,690 wells indicates that its reservoirs, some of which have still been abandoned, are still important today for recovery of additional gas, as well as oil by water-flooding or other enhanced recovery methods.The Booch stratigraphic interval in eastern Oklahoma extends from the Kansas border on the north to the Choctaw Fault on the south. However, the Booch gas play, which accounts for 70% of cumulative and current Booch production, lies within the limits of the Arkoma Basin.

This one-day workshop was intended to help speed the evaluation process for those that may be interested in pursuing Booch gas, as well as to provide a valuable resource for those already producing Booch reservoirs. The Booch play is located on the Cherokee Platform in northeastern Oklahoma and extends southward beyond the hinge line of the McAlester Formation into the Arkoma basin.

Following a rigorous regional review was a detailed examination of three Booch gas fields. The geological analysis was supplemented by a presentation of Booch drilling

and completion practices from guest speaker Max Tilford, who is intimately familiar with Booch operations.

Thick, somewhat immature

Booch Gas Play Workshop HeldBooch Gas Play Workshop HeldBy Sue Crites, OGS Staff

Participants Carlyle Hinshaw, Bluejacket Exploration, and Harold Hanke, Consultant.

OGS workshop participants always seem to enjoy the opportunity to discover which publications/maps, etc., OGS publications sales has to offer...

11

core data to construct 9 regional cross sections. Field studies of Texanna SW (part of the large Brooken Field), Reams SE, and Pine Hollow South were chosen to illustrate production from different parts of the Booch. A special feature of the program covered practices used by long-time Booch operator Max Tilford. Tilford indicated that he prefers air drilling for Booch gas in the basin and mud drilling for oil prospects on the shelf.

The Booch study is the latest in a series of play-based workshops sponsored by the South Midcontinent Region of the Petroleum Technology Transfer Council and the Oklahoma Geological Survey designed to aid State oil and gas operators. The Booch Gas Play complements a similar study for Booch oil that was

Booch marine shales, containing gas-prone kerogen and 3-18% TOC, are thought to be the source of most Booch gas. The lower thermal maturity of the shales may explain the underfilling of the gas reservoirs. Reservoirs in the Booch gas play are significantly underpressured, requiring compression early in the life of producing wells. Stratigraphy is the key trapping mechanism, although faults and structural closures are important. The Booch formation is shallow and cheap to drill. Risk is manageable due to abundant well control; and the prolific Hartshorne lies just beneath the Booch, offering an attractive secondary objective.

This study was designed as a starting point for those interested in pursuing Booch natural gas. Conclusions presented were based on a widely spaced data grid, using well-log and

done as part of the Fluvial-Dominated Deltaic (FDD) Oil Reservoir series [Northcutt and others, 1995]. Since 1995, over 12,200 individuals employed in Oklahoma’s energy industry have attended the OGS/PTTC workshops, conferences, and field trips.

If you were unable to attend the workshop, but are interested in obtaining the publication, please see page 5 of this newsletter for details on how to purchase a copy.

Co-presenter Maxwell Tilford, along with Bruce Carpenter, Log Experts, and Mike Stewart, Tilford-Pinson Exploration.

Participants take time out to view the core samples on hand.

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PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER COUNCIL (PTTC)South Midcontinent Region (SMR)

Oklahoma Geological SurveyRegional Lead OrganizationDr. Charles J. MankinSMR PTTC Program ManagerDirector, OGSFletcher LewisSMR PTTC PAG ChairFletcher Lewis Engineering

Larry Bengal, DirectorArkansas Oil & Gas CommissionBekki White, DirectorArkansas Geological Commission

Michelle J. Summers, OGSWorkshop CoordinatorJane L. Weber, OGSPublication, Database CoordinatorSue Britton Crites, OGSPTTC Information, Newsletter, Web

CONTACT INFORMATION:Oklahoma Geological Survey100 E. Boyd, Rm. N-131Norman, OK 73019-0628 405/325-3031; 800/330-3996Fax: 405/325-7069e-mail: ogs@ou.edu<http://www.ogs.ou.edu>

Oklahoma Geological Survey’s Oklahoma Petroleum Information Center• Publication Sales• Well Data ServicesPhone: 405/360-2886 Fax: 405/366-28822020 Industrial Blvd.Norman, OK 73069e-mail: ogssales@ou.edu

CCalendar of alendar of UUpcoming pcoming EEventsvents

MARCH 21, 2006 “COALBED METHANE AND GAS SHALES IN THE SOUTHERN MIDCONTINENT” CONFERENCE Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma Geological Survey (OGS), Petroleum Technology Transfer Council (PTTC)

MAY 10, 2006 “FAYETTEVILLE SHALE” WORKSHOP Ft. Smith, Arkansas Arkansas Oil & Gas Commission; Arkansas Geological Commission; OGS; PTTC

JULY 26 (OR) AUG 2 (OR) 3, 2006—TBA “CANEY PLAY” WORKSHOP Norman, Oklahoma OGS; PTTC

SEPTEMBER 20, 2006 “3-D SEISMIC” WORKSHOP Norman, Oklahoma OGS; PTTC

UPCOMING EVENTS CONTACT INFORMATION:

Oklahoma Geological Survey, Michelle Summers, 405/325-3031; 800/330-3996; e-mail: ogs@ou.edu; website: http://www.ogs.ou.edu

CHANGE OF ADDRESS?(OR DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE OUR NEWSLETTER?)

NAME ________________________________________________________________COMPANY NAME_______________________________________________________YOUR TITLE_____________________________________________________________ADDRESS______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________PHONE____________________________E-MAIL _____________________________PLEASE RETURN FORM TO: SMRPTTC; Oklahoma Geological Survey; 100 E. Boyd, Rm. N-131; Norman, OK 73019-0628