BYU ALUMNI FIELDTRIP – COVENANT FIELD

 

BILL KEACH AND JOHN MCBRIDE   BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY, PROVO UT 84602

OCTOBER 19, 2006

 

The Covenant Field is the largest Rocky Mountain discovery in 30 years.  It has regenerated significant interest in the Utah overthrust belt.   The big field had eluded the many companies that had explored and drilled in the area.  In 1999 Wolverine Oil and Gas acquired lease acreage and seismic data for the area from Chevron, who had worked the area for over 50 years.  Wolverine’s geoscientists developed a new prospect that they attempted to sell to 65 potential partners in 2001-2003.  Unsuccessful they turned to friends, family and local investors.  They drilled the first well, the 17-1 Kings Meadow Ranches in late 2003, encountering >500 feet of oil bearing Navajo Sandstone.  Today they produce about 6,000 barrels per day of high gravity, 39.7 API, sweet oil from 10 wells. 

 

It was to this stunningly successful discovery that 17 BYU Geology alumni and friends visited on October 19 as part of 2006 Homecoming.  It was a great day to be outdoors with mild temperatures and clear skies.  Our first stop on this trip was to visit an exploration well that is actively drilling for another new discovery a few miles away.  Getting to see close-up an active drill rig was a first for several on the trip.  The operators of the rig were kind enough to allow us on the premises as they shared some of the details of how a well is drilled.

 

Our next stop was the field itself where the operations manager, Tony Cook, provided us a great tour of the collection facilities and the drill site itself.  Tony patiently and expertly answered every question we had about the history and operations of the field.  We learned that without a pipeline they load and ship out about 1 oil tanker truck every hour every day of the year.  Lunch was at the field site where we shared oil field stories of the area.  

 

Special thanks go out to Frank Turner, Mike Pinnel, Bill Lewis and Floyd Moulton.  Frank and Mike provided expertise on the local geology and drilling activity.  Floyd, though not in attendance, provided most of the maps and cross-sections provided to the attendees as handouts.  The assistance of these fine alumni and gentlemen made the trip an outstanding success.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text Box: VISITING THE WOLVERINE 10-1 EXPLORATION WELL: They are actively drilling in hope of finding another discovery in the area of the covenant field. This well was 11,500 feet depth at the time of our visit.

 

 

 

 

Alumni who attended Fieldtrip to Covenant Oil Field:

*not alumni

 

Ben and Lydia Olsen

Lawrence, Rebecca and Don* Bagshaw

Brett and Joyce Mustoe

Ferd and Valentina* Meyer

David Christiansen

Floyd Moulton

Mike Pinnell

Frank Turner

Gregg Jones

James Baer

John McBride

Bill Keach