The Cushing Oil Field, also known as the Cushing-Drumright Oil Field, is an
oil field in northeastern
Oklahoma, part of the
Mid-Continent oil province. The by field includes southeastern
Payne County, northwestern
Creek County, and northeastern
Lincoln County. Named for its primary supply center at
Cushing, Oklahoma
Cushing ( sac, Koshineki, iow, Amína P^óp^oye Chína, ''meaning: "Soft-seat town"'') is a city in Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 7,826 at the time of the 2010 census, a decline of 6.5% since 8,371 in 2000. Cushing ...
, the field was developed from 1912.
20th century production
In 1912, the discovery well, the
Wheeler No. 1 Oil Well
The Wheeler No. 1 Oil Well was the first well drilled in the Drumright-Cushing Oil Field of northeast Oklahoma, near Drumright. The success of the well, drilled in 1912 by Thomas Baker Slick, Sr., led to the development of the Cushing field and ...
came in near
Drumright for wildcatter
Thomas Baker Slick, Sr.
Thomas Baker Slick Sr. (12 October 1883 – 16 August 1930) was born in Shippenville, Clarion County, Pennsylvania to Johnson M. and Mary A. Baker Slick. He became notable in 1912 for discovering Oklahoma's then-largest oil field, the Cushing O ...
Peak production was in May 1917 at 310,000 barrels per day, accounting for two thirds of the refinable crude oil production in the western hemisphere during that time, and provided twenty percent of the petroleum sold in the United States in 1915-1916. At the peak, 3,090 wells were producing, making the field the most significant production field in Oklahoma. The Drumright Dome, near
Drumright, Oklahoma, was the first area to be exploited, followed by the Shamrock Dome. The field stimulated the construction of up to fifty refineries and ten
natural gasoline ("casinghead gasoline") plants in the area.
Production declined quickly after 1920, dropping to 6,209 barrels per day in 1955.
[Weaver, Bobby D]
"Cushing-Drumright Field,"
''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', Oklahoma Historical Society. Accessed February 23, 2016.
Geology
The Cushing-Drumright Field is defined by four small
anticline
In structural geology, an anticline is a type of fold that is an arch-like shape and has its oldest beds at its core, whereas a syncline is the inverse of an anticline. A typical anticline is convex up in which the hinge or crest is the ...
s, the Dropright
Dome
A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a ...
, the Drumright Dome, the Shamrock Dome and the Mount Pleasant Dome. The Dropright Dome, named after the former town of Dropright, is the northernmost formation, about in length. The Drumright Dome is named for the town of Drumright, which lies on the west side of the dome. The Mount Pleasant Dome is named for a church on its slope. The Shamrock Dome is close to
Shamrock, Oklahoma, and is the southernmost structure. Each structure has a corresponding
syncline
In structural geology, a syncline is a fold with younger layers closer to the center of the structure, whereas an anticline is the inverse of a syncline. A synclinorium (plural synclinoriums or synclinoria) is a large syncline with superimposed ...
. The primary production horizons include the Layton Sand, the Wheeler Sand and the Bartlesville Sand.
History and today
The
Drumright Gasoline Plant No. 2
The Drumright Gasoline Plant No. 2, near Drumright, Oklahoma, began operation August 2, 1917. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The listing included four contributing buildings and five contributing structures. ...
is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...
.
See also
*
Jackson Barnett No. 11 Oil Well
The Jackson Barnett No. 11 Oil Well was the most productive oil well in the Cushing Oil Field of northeastern Oklahoma, USA, to the south of Drumright. The well was drilled in 1916 in the Shamrock Dome section of the Cushing field by the Gypsy Oi ...
*
West Texas Intermediate
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is a grade or mix of crude oil; the term is also used to refer to the spot price, the futures price, or assessed price for that oil. In colloquial usage, WTI usually refers to the WTI Crude Oil futures contract ...
References
External links
Cushing-Drumright Fieldat the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
{{coord missing, Oklahoma
Oil fields in Oklahoma
Geography of Creek County, Oklahoma
Geography of Lincoln County, Oklahoma
Geography of Payne County, Oklahoma