The McKittrick Prospect is located in western Culberson County in Blk. 64, T. 1 and Blk. 63, T. 1, T & P RR CO., six miles north and northwest of the Signal Peak (Penn.) Field which is the farthest western most production of hydrocarbons in the Texas portion of the Permian Basin. The objective of the prospect is turbidite "depositional lobes' (Mutti) and/or 'fan lobes' (Bouma) in the Guadalupian age Delaware Sands. These sands are divided into three groups in the Delaware Basin, the Bell Canyon, the Cherry Canyon, and Brushy Canyon Groups in descending stratigraphic order.
The Bonanza-Pierson #1 well in Section 26 of Blk. 64, T. 1 had excellent sample shows in the Cherry Canyon and Brushy Canyon Groups of the Delaware Sands, and the sands of these two groups constitute the secondary and primary targets of this prosepct respectively. This well was drilled in 1961 and reached a total depth of 7,025' in the Pennsylvanian. This was long before the Brushy Canyon Sands were considered a viable drilling objective so little credibility was paid to its potential in the Brushy Canyon. Analog fields for this project lie in the Southeast New Mexico segment of the Permian Baslin where Brushy Canyon sands produce in such fields as N.E. Loving, Avalon, Livingston Ridge, Sand Dunes, Ingle Wells, Poker Lake, Parkway, Red Tank, Cedar Canyon, Lost Tank, Lusk, Hat Mesa, Herradura Bend, Los Medanos, Brushy Draw, and Cabin Lake (See index map). The sample shows on the commercial sample log for the Bonanza well surpass those on any of the corresponding logs for key wells in the analog fields.
Experience teaches the explorationist that the best resources available to discover Brushy Canyon Sand fields are sample shows, net feet porosity maps, and structure maps. Of these three resources, perhaps, the best and most critical is the sample shows, and this is the key to this prospect; the excellent sample shows in the Brushy Canyon Sands. Sparse well control limits the usefulness of net feet porosity and structure maps in this area of the Delaware Basin.
Mulitple turbidite fans commonly overlap one another or are stacked on top of one another. When this occurs there can be multiple pay sands in the Brushy Canyon or Cherry Canyon Groups. Operators complete these pays in two primary fashions; by perforating, treating, and producing one sand at a time or by perforating, treating, producing and commingling all potential sands at a time. Moderate to heavy frac jobs are required to establish good potential and production rates. Frac sands with multiple diameters in the larger, high end range of sizes usually give better results.
Surface exposures in this area are the upper sands of the Bell Canyon Group. The Bone Spring Formation lies a a depth of 3,000'. Turbidite fans commonly range 2 x 4 miles in size. Seismic data to date has proven to be of little if any help in exploring for fans. Lewis controls 860.35 acres in leases and options and is negotiating on another 1694.10 acres for a total of 2554.46 acres. This acreage spread would cover parts of two or more fans. Additional acreage necessary to complement the 2554.46 acres and complete blocks over two entire turbidite fans is available. Much of this additional acreage is TXL acreage which is currently controlled by Texaco. Texaco does make trades on its TXL acreage, and negotiations are underway with them to secure a block to cover one or two complete fans.
RECOMMENDATION:
A) Drill a twin to the Bonanza well in Section 26 of Blk. 64, T. 1 to a depth of 3,100' +/- after leasing or trading on 12 sections to complete the acreage blocks to cover two fans.
B) Complete, produce, and evaluate discovery and then continue drilling.
