KENDELL, CARL F., Flying J Oil & Gas Inc., North Salt Lake, UT, and GAYLE BECHTOLD, Geophysical Consultant, Denver, CO

ABSTRACT: Wheat Draw Field: Exploration for Small Dunal Stratigraphic Traps in the Permian Upper Minnelusa Formation, Northeast, Wyoming

Wheat Draw field was discovered in December 1990 with the drilling and completion of the Flying J Oil & Gas Thompson 10-25 located in Sec. 25, T51N, R69W, Campbell County, Wyoming. The field produces from the upper B sand interval of the Permian upper Minnelusa formation. Three producing wells currently exist, and the field appears to be fully developed at this time.

Wheat Draw was discovered as a result of standard subsurface-mapping methods in an area of fairly dense well control, with confirmation by the acquisition of state-of-the-art seismic data. The prospect progressed in two phases. Phase one was comprised of the shooting of a single seismic line over the prospect, which also crossed two producing wells in the East Stewart Ranch field 1 mi to the south. A strong amplitude anomaly on this line was drilled in April of 1990. This well encountered a thick (70 ft) porous Minnelusa sand with fair to good oil stain in the upper 10 ft, which tested salt water. As a follow-up to the well, phase two was comprised of shooting a second seismic line perpendicular to the first, to determine the updip extent of the sand body encountered by the first well A second well was then drilled, which resulted in the discovery of the field.

Following the discovery, four more seismic lines were acquired to define the extent of the pool, which appears to cover only about 110 ac.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90993©1993 AAPG Rocky Mountain Section Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 12-15, 1993.