G. Geology of Otis-Albert Field, Rush and Barton Counties, Kansas

Abstract The Otis-Albert oil and gas field is in central Kansas, in Rush and Barton Counties, approximately 15 mi northwest of Great Bend, Kansas. Gas first was discovered in the field in March 1930, and oil production was established in July 1934. No gas is being produced from the field because of depletion. The “Basal” (Reagan?) sandstone and dolomite of the Arbuckle Group are the two productive units in the field. Both gas and oil were produced from the “Basal” sandstone; the Arbuckle is productive of only oil. The geologic trap responsible for the accumulation of oil and gas in the “Basal” sandstone can be referred to best as a secondary stratigraphic trap. The basal Pennsylvanian conglomerate oversteps the truncated edges of the Arbuckle dolomite unit, the “Basal” sandstone, and the Precambrian crystalline rocks in the Otis-Albert field, and forms the cap rock for the “Basal sandstone” reservoir. The “Basal” sandstone pinches out updip against the Precambrian. The greater Otis-Albert field, composed of Otis-Albert, Merten Northeast, and Merten Southwest, consisted of 215 oil wells and 1 shut-in gas well as of January 1, 1959. Total productive oil acreage was 14,520 acres. Cumulative oil production to January 1, 1959, was 12,499,279 bbls from the greater Otis-Albert field. The difference between the quantity of metered gas (152.3 billion cu ft) and the quantity calculated as recoverable (173 billion cu ft) is approximately 20 billion cu ft. This difference probably is the result of gas being vented or otherwise not available for pipeline withdrawals in the early years of flush oil production. In October 1943 the U.S. Bureau of Mines put into operation a helium extraction plant just north of the Otis-Albert field. Approximately 32.3 billion cu ft of gas (at 14.7 psia and 60°F) was processed at the Otis Helium Plant from March 1, 1945, to January 1, 1960. During that period about 321 million cu ft of helium was extracted (at 14.7 psia and 10°F).