Setting and Gas Production History

The Hugoton field, which is only one of the numerous gas and oil fields in the Hugoton area, is the largest gas field in North America and one of the largest gas fields in the world. It is nearly 12,000 square miles in size and contains over 11,000 producing gas and oil wells. Since 1928, the gas fields of southwestern Kansas, including Hugoton, Panoma, Bradshaw, and Byerly, have produced over 26 trillion cubic feet of gas. Hugoton production is a major source of gas and oil for the state of Kansas and the nation. In 1997 gas production from the area was 689 billion cubic feet and represents 92% of total Kansas gas production. Oil production in 1997 was 8.3 million barrels. This is over 20% of the state's annual oil production. Both Hugoton gas and oil production have doubled over the last decade. This increased production is in sharp contrast to the steady production declines in the rest of the state.

Most of the gas is produced from the Permian Chase and Council Grove Groups. The Hugoton, Byerly, and Bradshaw fields produce gas from the Chase Group. Council Grove Group production is restricted to the Panoma field that is underneath and geographically overlapped by the Hugoton field. Deeper Pennsylvanian and Mississippian formations also produce significant amounts of oil and some gas in the Hugoton area, but many of these deeper zones have not been thoroughly tested.

	Production from the low-permeablity Council Grove Group in the Panoma field, underlying the Chase Group began in 1958. Over its 43 year history the Council Grove has produced approximately 2.7 Tcf.