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XI-34
Two wells have drilled through the Morrow section within the confmes of the
WIPP site, the Clayton Williams Badger Federal Unit No.1 (NE/SW of sec. 15 T22S
R31E) and the Bass Enterprises No. 13 James Ranch Unit, which was directionally
drilled to a bottom-hole location in the SEv..SWv.. sec. 31 T22S R31E (Fig. 51). A drillstem
test in the Badger Federal Unit NO.1 tested the upper part of the Morrow clastic
interval with no success, and indicates poor sandstone development at its location (Fig.
56). The No. 13 James Ranch Unit well did not lest any of the Morrow section even
though some potentially productive sandstone seems to be present (Fig. 50). This well is
completed and producing from the aforementioned Atoka reservoir and mayor may not
be productive in the Morrow.
Wells completed in the Morrow ·at the end of 1993 by Mnchell Energy immediately
to the west of the WIPP land withdrawal area give somewhat mixed information
regarding the potential of the Morrow surrounding them. As cross section F-F' (Fig. 50)
indicates, these wells, the No.1 Apache 24 (NEv..SEv.. of sec. 24 T22S R30E) and the
No.2 Apache 25 (SE 'ASE '4 of sec. 25 T22S R30E), penetrated what appears to be
prolifically productive Morrow based on the quality and quantity of sandstones present
and the excellent initial potential (IP) tests. However, examination of the limited amount
of production information available for these wells indicates that they are not yet
producing anywhere near the volumes indicated by their IP tests. September 1994 daily
production averaged less than 100 MCFD for both wells combined. As such, these two
wells do not conclusively evaluate productive capability of adjacent acreage within the
WIPP land withdrawal area.
Due to the complex nature of both Morrow sandstone deposition (multiple stacking
of distinct sandstones) and trapping mechanisms (a combination of stratigraphic, structural,
and/or diagenetic factors), it is very difficult to ascertain the probability and qualir'­
any Morrow production within the WIPP land withdrawal area. Certainly it can reason
ably be assumed, based both on adjacent production and sandstone development, that a
minimum of six 320-acre proration units along the western edge of the boundary should
be capable of an average cumulative production approximately equal to the "average"
production established for the area (approximately 2 BCF per well). A gas production
decline curve for a typical Morrow well is shown in Fig. 58. The wide variation in
production among Morrow wells, and an insufficient number of productive Morrow wells
in the area, rendered construction of an average decline curve unfeasible, so a curve from
a typical well is shown instead. With the apparent presence of a distinct .structural nose
trending across the WIPP site, which should enhance the productive potential for the
Morrow (Fig. 57) and using nearby developed areas for analogies (T21S R32E and T23S
R31E; Fig. 50), an additional estimated 10 locations may be present under the WIPP site
(Fig. 59; Table 2). Probable resources within the; .6 proration units are 32,000 MMCF
gas a..'ld 107 KBC. An additional 28,789 MMCF gas and 106 KBC are present in the 22
drilled and undrilled proration units within the one-mile wide additional study area that
surrounds the WIPP land withdrawal area (Fig. 59; Table 3).
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