The large maps on the wall are of the East Texas Oilfield. The maps show the Discovery Well Daisy Bradford #3 which is the lowest silver dot, the Lou Della Crim #1 the silver dot mid-way up the map, and the F.K. Lathrop the silver dot towards the top of the map. Each little blue dot (and number) represent a well that was drilled in this field. There have been approximately 32,000 wells drilled. There are about 3,000-4,000 of these wells are still producing today.
Over 6 billion barrels of oil have been produced and over 1 billion are still underground. One barrel of oil is 42 gallons.
Field production for 1988 was 45,000 barrels with 1 million barrels of saltwater. In 2021 the field produces 133 barrels of saltwater for every 1 barrel of oil.
The saltwater is injected back into the ground for conservation purposes, to boost reservoir pressure as well as for a safe means of disposal.
Check out the flip panels to learn some really cool facts!
Core Sample and Oil Exhibit:
We call this the elephant in the room because it's large and grey!
This core bit is used to cut a section of rock from the bottom of the hole and bring it to the surface. The core is then analyzed to see if oil exists at that particular depth. Several methods were used to determine the existence of oil. Oil and gas are contained in the “pores” of rock, sandstone, and shale.
In addition to looking at the core sample, geologists in the 1930s would sometimes smell and even taste the sample to determine how much further they had to go to get to the oil.
Now head into the Elevator Ride to the Center of the Earth, located within the Gladewater Museum. Scroll to the bottom and click "Next" for directions on operating the elevator.