Petroleum Production – United States - Petroleum Development in North Central and West Central Texas during 1928

This report covers the area producing from limes and sands of Pennsylvanian age, roughly embracing the territory between the Red River on the north and the Llano Mountains on the south, and between Fort Worth on the east and Abilene on the west. It includes Archer, Cooke, Montague, Wichita, Wilbarger, Clay, Baylor and Foard counties in the North Central Texas or Red River Basin area, and Brown, Callahan Coleman, Comanche, Eastland, Erath, Palo Pinto, Stephens, Shackel-ford, Throckmorton, Young and Jack counties in the West Central Texas area. Furthermore, it includes a brief review of development in Jones, Runnels, Haskell and Fisher counties. North Central and West Central Texas during the year 1928 produced an approximate total of 50,948,7461 bbl. or oil. This represents a decrease of approximately 7,720,250 bbl. under 1927 total production. This decrease was due to a slump in production in Brown, Archer, Wichita, Stephens and Cooke counties. Brown County showed the greatest decrease. The 1928 prodction in this county was approximately 4,500,000 bbl. less than the 1927 production. Gross production during 1929 in the North and West Central Texas area can be expected to be lower than in the year 1928. Only one county showed a considerable increase in production. Wilbarger County production increased approximately 3,000,000 bbl. during 1928. Its daily average increased from 9000 bbl. in April to 36,000 bbl. in August. At the close of 1928 it was averaging close to 32,000 bbl. daily. Drilling activity in North and West Central Texas during 1928 showed but a slight increase in completions. The total number of completions during 1928 was 3902, of which 2094 (53 per cent.) were producers, as compared to 3805 completions and 2112 (56 per cent.) producers during 1927. Brown, Young, Wichita, Archer and Wilbarger counties were the leaders in development. The outstanding discoveries for the districts were the Consolidated pool, extensions in the Greyback pool of Wilbarger County, and the Stephens pool, Fisher County.