AAPG Methods in Exploration No. 14, Chapter 4: Results and Conclusions of a Horizontal-drilling Program at South Pass 62 Salt-dome Field

A horizontal-well redevelopment drilling program around the flanks of the South Pass 62 salt-dome field resulted in significant successes and costly failures. Successful wells exploited thin, oil-filled shoreface sandstones; partially depleted zones; and massive, sand-filled channels. Failures were those wells that attempted to connect multiple fault blocks and drain low-resistivity/laminated-sandstone reservoirs. This paper reviews the field history; describes the geologic setting, including a summary of significant structural features and producing-sandstone depositional environments; discusses the horizontal-well strategy; and examines successful and unsuccessful wells.