THE DISCOVERY BY REFLECTION SEISMOGRAPH 
OF A SMALL PRODUCING STRUCTURE IN 
OKMULGEE COUNTY, OKLAHOMA 
G., H. WESTBY! 
INTRODUCTION 
Most of the reflection seismic work in Oklahoma which has re- 
sulted in the discovery of oil fields has been done in areas of structural 
relief of more than fifty feet of closure. It is well known that in older 
producing areas of the state, such as Okmulgee County, many prolific 
small oil pools occur which have structural relief of less than this. 
To locate such pools satisfactorily necessitates a refinement of method 
and technique which will reduce the normal seismic error to its mini- 
mum. In addition, extreme detail is required to delineate these small 
sharply dipping structures. It is the purpose of this paper to present 
from inception to completion a program of subsurface and reflection 
seismic study which has resulted in the discovery of a typical small 
oil field of this district. 
HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT AND SUMMARY 
J. L. Gartner of Tulsa, from a subsurface study of T. 15 N., R. 
1r E. concluded that a structure must exist near the common boun- 
dary of Secs. 27 and 28. A reproduction of his subsurface map on the 
Viola limestone which occurs immediately above the Wilcox sand 
is shown as Map A in Fig. 1. Gartner and Max B. Andreae acquired 
leases in this area and approached the Seismograph Service Corpora- 
tion early in 1933 to shoot this area and accept a part interest in the 
leases as part payment for the seismograph work. Seismic work was 
undertaken on this basis. This work was not definite but did tend to 
show that a point one-fourth mile north of the southeast corner of 
Sec. 28 was considerably higher than the well in the SE. NW. SE. of 
Sec. 28. In August, 1934, this work was repeated under the direction 
of the writer with the result shown by the reflection seismic map B in 
Fig. 2. This work appeared entirely satisfactory and confirmed and 
clarified the earlier work. The map indicated a structure of the type 
common in this area with suitable closure to produce. Since Seismo- 
graph Service Corporation had interest in these leases, Gartner and 
1 Seismograph Service Corporation, Tulsa, Oklahoma. 
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