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the middle part of the Cherry Canyon Formation. (Figs. 21, 22). Production in the
lower Brushy B zone is from sandstones at a depth of approximately 7400 ft. Prod0.
tion in the Cherry Canyon is from sandstones at depr:' of 5500 to 5900 ft. In
addition, there appears to be relatively minor production obtained from localized,
scattered traps in the upper Bell Canyon at 3600 ft, and from the thin sandstones
scattered throughout the Cherry Canyon and upDer Brushy Canyon.
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XI-20
The Cabin Lake pool was discovered in 1986. Pool development has been
rapid, averaging about seven new wells per year from 1987 through 1993. At the end
of 1993 there were 33 active wells in the Cabin Lake pool, of which five were shut
in. Wells have been drilled on 40-acre spacing, typical for the Delaware in southeast
New Mexico. Production has been established in the one-mile-wide additional study
area, but no wells'have been drilled within the WIPP land withdrawal area for
developing this pooL Cumulative production for the entire Cabin Lake pool totaled
1.6 miIlion bbls oil and 1.3 biIlion ff associated gas as of December 31, 1994 (Table
8). Beginning in 1991, production was enhanced with a pressure-maintenance project.
Pressure maintenance is accomplished by injection of water into sandstone reservoirs
in the Cherry C"-,,yon and Brushy Canyon from depths of 5600 to 7400 ft.
Two wells have been used for water injection (Table 8). In December 1993,
45,009 bbls water were injected in the Phillips No.3 James A well at an average
injection pressure of 710 pounds per inch 2 (psi). During the same month, 70,166 bbls
\\2f were injected in the Phillips No. 12 James A weU at an average injection
pressure of 390 psi. When the pressure maintenance project began, oil field waters
produced from Phillips' wells in the area were used for injection (New Mexico Oil
Conservation Division Order No. R-95(0). These produced waters are presumably
still the source of injection water.
Oil is trapped in combination muItipay structural stratigraphic traps in the
Cabin Lake pooL The primary trapping mechanism is structural. with oil accumulations
in the various reservoirs localized on a southe ,plunging structural nose (Fig.
25); Depositional pinchout of reservoir sandstones d1e northwest providesupdip
limits to oil accumulations in each reservoir. Oil-water contacts in the reservoir
sandstones proVide limits to production on the southeast (Fig. 33). The main pay in
the one-mile-wide additional study area and the one with the most potential of
extending into the WIPP land withdrawal area is the lower Brushy Canyon B zone.
The isopach map of gross thickness of the B zone (Fig. 34) indicates maximum
thickness in two distinct areas; one area is in the eastern (downdip) part of the Cabin
Lake pool and the other area is in the northwestern, updip part of the 0001. The B
zone is not the major reservoir in the intervening thinner area. Productive Cherry
Canyon reservoirs are limited to the updip (northwest) parts of the Cabin Lake pool
and do not appear to extend into the WIPP land withdrawal area. Productive reservoirs
in the B zone are present within sec. 12 1'225 R30E in the additional study area.
It is not known if the oil column in this reservoir extends downdip to the southeast