Abstract: Jonah Field, a Basin-Centered Gas Field in the Northern Green River Basin, Sublette County, Wyoming

Douglas P. Battin, Scott R. Clark

Jonah field is a basin-centered gas accumulation located in T28-29N; R108W, Sublette County, Wyoming, between the Pinedale anticline and Labarge Platform, in the northern Green River basin. The field lies in the deeper portions of the basin and produces from fluvial, gas saturated, overpressured, stratigraphically trapped, Upper Cretaceous Lance Formation at approximately 10,000-11,000 feet.

The field was discovered in 1976, by Davis Oil Company. Due to the remote location and subcommercial flow rates, the field was not developed. In 1986 and 1987, Home Petroleum Corporation drilled two additional wells with encouraging results. In 1992, McMurray Oil reworked the Home wells and connected the wells to pipeline. Later, in 1993, McMurray completed the #1-5 Jonah Federal for 3770 MCFD and 40 BCPD from the Lance.

The Pinedale anticline, to the north, has been extensively studied by the USGS as a low-permeability, gas-saturated sand reservoir. Previous work suggested the potential for a large Upper Cretaceous gas accumulation off the structure of the anticline in the deeper portions of the basin. However, prior to 1992, commercial production had not been established.

Jonah field represents the first commercial gas production from the Lance Formation in the deeper portion of the basin and may stand as the analog for further exploration over a vast, sparsely drilled area in the northern Green River basin.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90986©1994 AAPG Annual Convention, Denver, Colorado, June 12-15, 1994