--> ABSTRACT: Grant Canyon and Bacon Flat Oil Fields, Railroad Valley, Nye County, Nevada, by Harry K. Veal, Herbert D. Duey, Louis C. Bortz, and Norman H. Foster; #91022 (1989)

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Grant Canyon and Bacon Flat Oil Fields, Railroad Valley, Nye County, Nevada

Harry K. Veal, Herbert D. Duey, Louis C. Bortz, Norman H. Foster

The Grant Canyon field is located on the eastern side of Railroad Valley, 8 mi south of the Eagle Springs oil field. The discovery well, Grant Canyon Unit 1 (SW¼ NW¼, Sec. 21, T7S, R57E), was completed by Northwest Exploration Co. on September 11, 1983, flowing 1,816 bbl of oil/day from the Devonian Guilmette dolomite (4,374-4,448 ft). Two additional wells have been completed in the field. Through April 1988, cumulative oil production was 8,211,149 bbl of oil. During March and April 1988, wells 3 and 4 flowed an average of 6,089 bbl of oil/day. For these months, well 3 averaged 4,144 bbl of oil/day with 1,935 bbl of oil/day coming from well 4.

Production area appears to be 240 ac. The trap is a high fault block in the boundary fault zone that separates Railroad Valley from the Grant Range to the east. The Devonian Guilmette reservoir is an intensely fractured vuggy dolomite with some intercrystalline porosity. The top seal is the Tertiary Valley Fill, which unconformably overlies the Guilmette dolomite.

The oil column is about 400 ft thick and the field apparently has an active water drive, inasmuch as unit 1 had to be shut in because of water production. The oil is black, 26° API, 0.5% sulfur, and has a pour point of 10°F. Estimated ultimate recoverable oil reserves are 13 million bbl.

The adjacent Bacon Flat field is a one-well field (SE¼ SE¼, Sec. 17, T7N, R57E) completed by Northwest Exploration Co. on July 5, 1981, for 200 bbl of oil/day and 1,050 bbl of water/day from the Devonian Guilmette Limestone (5,316-5,332 ft). Cumulative production through April 1988 was 303,860 bbl of oil. During March 1988, the well averaged 108 bbl of oil/day plus an unreported amount of water. Estimated ultimate recoverable oil reserves are 400,000 bbl.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #91022©1989 AAPG Annual Convention, April 23-26, 1989, San Antonio, Texas.