Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 165, pt. 4, originally published in 1963
Originally published in 1963 as Kansas Geological Survey Bulletin 165, pt. 4. This is, in general, the original text as published. The information has not been updated. An Acrobat PDF version (1.3 MB) is also available.
The Kansas Basement Rocks Committee of the Kansas Geological Society, in cooperation with the State Geological Survey of Kansas, is continuing an active research program on Precambrian basement rocks. A list of 112 wells, in addition to those previously published, that penetrate the buried Precambrian basement in Kansas is presented. The number of wells known to encounter the basement as of December 31, 1962, is about 2,300.
Increased interest in the Precambrian basement in recent years has resulted in numerous studies of these rocks which form a rigid, complex "floor" beneath the overlying sedimentary sequence. Since its formation in 1958, the Kansas Basement Rocks Committee of the Kansas Geological Society, in cooperation with the State Geological Survey of Kansas, has been collecting information pertaining to the basement. To date, data on more than 2,300 wells reaching the buried basement have been tabulated and published so that they are readily available. This report is one of the series of such publications.
In addition to tabulating information on wells penetrating the Precambrian basement in Kansas, the Committee is actively collecting well cuttings and cores for analysis and preservation for future study. Selected samples will be studied for information on rock type, magnetic susceptibility, density, and radioactive age dates. These data can then be analyzed to gain understanding of the relations between the surface magnetic and gravity values and the configuration and distribution of basement rocks, to resolve the age of the basement complex, and perhaps to allow grouping of the rocks into meaningful units to help interpretation of their complex history. A knowledge of the basement will also be useful in understanding waves transmitted through the earth and recorded at seismograph stations.
It is possible that undetected mineral deposits of potential commercial value occur in the buried Precambrian rocks of Kansas. Only the closest scrutiny could reveal iron ore such as the Pea Ridge deposit found in Missouri's Precambrian several years ago. For many years, oil has been known to occur in fractures in Precambrian rocks, and it is produced in several fields in the central part of the state on the Central Kansas Uplift. Approximately 0.5 percent of Kansas' cumulative oil production has come from reservoirs in Precambrian rock. Exploration, and especially exploitation, of the Precambrian basement will be difficult, but the potential rewards warrant such investigations.
We would like to acknowledge the continuing support of the Kansas Geological Society and of the many individuals and companies that have graciously supplied information and samples. A list of Precambrian wells maintained by the Oil and Gas Division of the Kansas Survey, of information reported by Data, Incorporated, was especially useful for checking the list prepared for this report. Miss Sally S. Liggett of the Kansas Geological Survey helped assemble and check the information on the wells.
Several preliminary and progress reports have been issued by members of the committee:
These reports indicate the general nature of the Precambrian rocks, but many aspects of the Kansas basement need to be studied.
Currently, members of the Kansas Basement Rocks Committee are engaged in directing several projects. Petrography and petrology of the. basement rocks are being investigated in some detail. Stratigraphy of beds overlying the Precambrian is being studied. Potassium-argon age dates have been determined for several samples and soon will be reported in print by J. L. Kulp. A bibliography of publications dealing with the Precambrian in Kansas is being compiled. Wells producing from the Precambrian and their production history are being listed.
For ease in handling and updating data, all Precambrian well information is being transcribed to punch cards for processing by high-speed, electronic digital computers. Several projects utilizing electronic data processing are under consideration; preliminary investigations have been generously supported by The University of Kansas Computation Center, R. G. Hetherington, Director.
The task of collecting information is never ending, and donations of cores or cuttings are always gratefully accepted. The information is kept on file in the offices of the Kansas Survey at The University of Kansas, Lawrence, and the data made available to all interested students of Precambrian geology.
The following list (Table 1) contains information for each well as to county, company and farm name, location, surface elevation, depth to Precambrian, Precambrian datum, rock type, rock unit on basement, and total depth. The wells are arranged by township and range, west ranges listed first. Information is presented in the same format as that in the earlier publications.
These data have been collected from a variety of sources including electric and radioactivity logs, top cards, drillers logs, sample logs, and logs of the Kansas Sample Log Service. For verification, information was checked from two sources wherever possible. The list includes not only boreholes completed in 1962, but some older wells omitted from the previous lists. Any additions, corrections, or omissions noted should be addressed to the Kansas Survey.
All information has been forwarded to the American Association of Petroleum Geologists Basement Rocks Project Committee, P. T. Flawn, Chairman, and to the basement rocks project of the Advanced Research Projects Agency, W. R. Muehlberger, Director.
Table 1—Additional boreholes drilled to Precambrian rocks in Kansas.
| County | Company, well number, and farm |
Location | Surface elevation, feet |
Depth to Precambrian, feet |
Elevation of Precambrian, feet |
Precambrian rock type |
Rock unit on basement |
Total depth, feet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norton Terrel & Nat'l. No. 1 Melroy 19-1-23W 2411 3594 -1183 19 ft. granite Pennsylvanian 3623 NW NW NW wash on granite Norton Raymond No. 1 Sauer 31-1-23W 2472 3707 -1235 35 ft. granite Pennsylvanian 3771 C SW NW wash on granite Norton Raymond No. 1 McKinley 15-1-24W 2373 3551 -1178 7 ft. granite Marmaton 3566 C NW NW wash on granite Norton Geochemical No. 1 Scrivner 8-1-25W 2394 3570 -1176 39 ft. granite Pennsylvanian 3618 C SE NE wash on granite Norton Geochemical No. 1 Jenkins 9-1-25W 2341 3532 -1191 14 ft. granite Pennsylvanian 3560 C NE SW wash on granite Norton Champlin No. 1 Railsback 15-1-25W 2403 3573 -1170 33 ft. granite Pennsylvanian 3606 C NW NE wash on granite Decatur Walker No. 1 Huff 10-1-26W 2493 3591 -1098 15 ft. granite Pennsylvanian 3618 C NE SE wash on granite Decatur Sauvage No. 1 Cozad 11-1-26W 2440 3582 -1142 20 ft. granite Pennsylvanian 3612 C NW SE wash on granite Decatur Chem. & Tech. No. 1 Knutson 11-1-26W 2477 3606 -1129 19 ft. granite Pennsylvanian 3631 C SE NW wash on granite Decatur Murfin & Ainsworth No. 1 Bremmer 18-1-26W 2500 3591 -1091 granite Marmaton 3602 NW NW NW Decatur Sauvage No. 1 Mizell 25-1-26W 2518 3747 -1229 15 ft granite Pennsylvanian 3769 SW SW NW wash on granite Do Sauvage No. 2 Kilzer 2-1-27W 2605 3674 -1069 19 ft. granite Pennsylvanian 3702 C NW NE wash on granite Do Sauvage No. 1 McQuillan 23-1-27W 2433 3565 -1132 granite Reagan 3582 C NW NE Do Kidd No. 1 McQuillan 23-1-27W 2475 3554 -1079 granite wash Marmaton 3560 NW NW NW Do Rains & Williamson No. 1 Metcalf 33-1-27W 2486 3600 -1114 granite Pennsylvanian 3608 CNW NW Do Sauvage No. 1 Smalberger 4-1-28W 2651 3893 -1242 8 ft. granite Reagan 3906 NE NE SE wash on granite Do Rains and Williamson No. 1 Waldo 23-1-30W 2672 4332 -1660 19 ft. granite Reagan 4356 C SW SW wash on granite Rawlins Murfin & Ladmer No. 1 Stolte 6-1-32W 2847 4549 -1702 15 ft. granite Reagan 4576 C NW NW wash on granite Norton Pubco No. 16-13 Drommer 16-2-22W 2324 3733 -1409 4 ft. granite Arbuckle 3739 C SW SW wash on granite Norton Reading & Bates No. 1 Lecount 1-2-25W 2477 3688 -1211 13 ft. granite Pennsylvanian 3712 C SE NW wash on granite Do Cities Service No. 1 Curran 11-2-25W 2510 3734 -1224 8 ft. granite Reagan 3762 C NE NE wash on granite Do C & G and Shields No. 1 Rubendall 35-2-25W 2500 3845 -1345 granite Reagan 3855 NE NE NW Decatur Farmer No. 1 Thomsen 1-2-28W 2580 3992 -1412 granite Arbuckle 4001 C NE NW Do Sauvage No. 1 Smick 9-2-28W 2643 4135 -1492 granite Arbuckle 4138 C NW NW Do Murfin & Donnelly No. 1 Miller 12-2-28W 2490 3930 -1440 32 ft. granite Arbuckle 4040 C NE SW wash on granite Do Rock Island No. 1 Reeves 12-2-28W 2488 3904 -1416 8 ft. granite Reagan 3940 C SW NE wash on granite Norton Terrel & Pentagon No. 1 Henderson 4-3-23W 2251 3536 -1285 10 ft. granite Reagan 3552 NW SE SE wash on granite Do Barker No. 1 Moody 22-3-23W 2408 3718 -1310 14 ft. granite Pennsylvanian 3769 NE NW NE wash on granite Do Glickman No. 2 Horning 30-3-23W 2447 3772 -1325 granite wash Lansing-Kansas City 3805 N2 N2 NE Do Harms & Riggs No. 1 Davis 19-3-24W 2331 3636 -1305 30ft. granite Reagan 3676 S2 SE NE wash on granite Do C & G and Shields No. 1 "A" Ankenman 29-3-24W 2346 3678 -1332 47ft granite Reagan 3730 NE NE SE wash on granite Do Continental No. 1 Hemphill 8-4-22W 2370 3866 -1496 14 ft. granite Reagan 3903 NE NE SW wash on granite Do Colorado No. 1 Foss 32-4-22W 2235 3712 -1477 14 ft. granite Reagan 3727 NE NW NW wash on granite Do Petroleum No. 1 Browne 2S-4-23W 2360 3748 -1388 59 ft. granite Pennsylvanian 3810 C NW NW wash on granite Do Sterling No. 1 Shewey 29-4-23W 2437 3980 -1543 9 ft granite Reagan 3997 C SE SE wash on granite Do Continental 9-4-24W 2485 3905 -1420 25 ft. granite Reagan 3952 No. 1 Wiltfong NW NW NW wash on granite Phillips Cities Service 18-5-20W 2128 3750 -1622 granite wash Reagan 3761 No. 1 Kowitz W2 NE SE Do Messman-Rinehart 34-5-20W 2100 3676 -1576 granite Reagan 3680 No. 1 Steele Estate SW SW NE Do Cities Service 36-5-20W 2064 3620 -1556 quartzite Reagan 3630 No. 1 "B" Wiltrout NE NE SW Norton Ainsworth 4-5-22W 2198 3634 -1436 26 ft. granite Reagan 3674 No. 1 Fitzsimmons C SE SE wash on granite Do D&D 24-5-22W 2300 3737 -1437 granite wash Reagan 3765 No. 1 Krehbiel C SE NW Do Antry & Warren 26-5-22W 2235 3748 -1513 granite wash Marmaton 3780 No. 1 McKinley SW SW SE Rooks Hoover 9-6-20W 2162 3624 -1462 weathered granite Pennsylvanian 3630 No. 1 Steel Estate C SW NW Do Veverka 13-8-19W 2009 3700 -1691 14ft. granite Arbuckle 3720 No. 1 Hance C SE SW wash on granite Do Cities Service 21-9-18W 2164 4099 -1935 granite wash Reagan 4108 No. 2 Rempe (OWWO) SE SW SE Do Cities Service 15-10-16W 2003 3765 -1762 3 ft. granite Reagan 3798 No. 4 "u" Smith SW NW SE wash on granite Ellis Sunray 13-11-18W 1860 3898 -2038 granite wash Reagan 3909 No. 1 Hadley N2 NE NW Do Dreiling 13-12-16W 1806 3702 -1896 granite wash Arbuckle 3705 No. 11 "A" Dreiling NW NW NE Russell Home-Stake 33-13-15W 1897 3372 -1475 4 ft. granite Reagan 3382 No. 0-16 Linenberger C NE SW wash on granite Ellis Dreiling 7-13-17W 2047 3915 -1868 granite Arbuckle 3916 No. 1 "D" Staab NE NW NW Trego Murfin 1-13-21W 2171 3904 -1733 dunitc? Reagan 3906 No. 4 Cromb NE NW SE granite? Russell Dreiling 4-14-14W 1835 3319 -1484 granite wash Reagan 3339 No. 2 Krug C SE Do Kim 17-14-14W 1877 3313 -1436 granite wash Pennsylvanian 3326? No. 1 Krug SE SW NW Do Phillips 18-14-14W 1871 3309 -1438 granite wash Arbuckle 3320 No. 3 Carrie SE NW NE Do Melton 21-14-14W 1851 3267 -1416 granite wash Lansing-Kansas City 3290 No. 2 Hall E2 NW SE Do Home-Stake 3-14-15W 1884 3286 -1402 granite wash Lansing-Kansas City 3307 No. 0-15 "E" Witt C NE SW Do Home-Stake 4-14-15W 1896 3287 -1391 granite wash Marmaton 3348 No. 0-19 Dortland C SW NW Do Home-Stake 4-14-1SW 1878 3264 -1386 granite wash Marmaton 3316 No. 0-20 Dortland C SE NW Do Home-Stake 4-14-15W 1884 3280 -1396 granite wash Marmaton 3300 No. 0-14 "D" Witt C SE SE TABLE I.-Additional boreholes drilled to Precambrian rocks in Kansas (continued). Surface Depth to Elevation of Company, well number, elevation, Precambrian, Precambrian. Precambrian Rock unit Total depth, County and farm Location feet feet feet rock type on basement teet Russell Birmingham-Bartlett 19-15-11W 1858 3264 -1406 quartzite Lansing-Kansas City 3269 No. 3 "A" Driscoll W2 W2 SW Do Nixon 19-15-11W 1859 3305 -1446 granite wash Lansing-Kansas City 3311 No. 1 Herber SW NW SE Do Dreiling 24-15-12W 1866 3269 -1403 quartzite Lansing-Kansas City 3274 No. 2 Heinze E2 E2 SE Do Dreiling 24-15-12W 1852 3269 -1417 quartzite Lansing-Kansas City 3273 No. 1 [anne C SW NE Do Birmingham-Bartlett 26-15-12W 1837 3221 -1384 quartzite Lansing-Kansas City 3222 No. 2 "G" Staudinger S2 S2 NW Do Farmer 26-15-12W 1837 3182 -1345 quartzite Lansing-Kansas City 3197 No. 4 Buehler N2 N2 SW Rush Frontier 6-16-17W 1927 3633 -1706 granite wash Reagan 3637 No. 1 Kansas State NE NE SE Do Frontier 22-16-17W 2009 3730 -1721 quartzite on granite Reagan 3744 No. 1 "A" Stegman SW NE SE Barton Magnolia 9-17-11W 1841 3467 -1626 granite wash Arbuckle 3526 No. 3 "A" Grossard C SW NW Rush Petroleum 19-17-16W 2018 3500 -1482 granite wash Lansing-Kansas City 3540 No. 1 "B" Giesick SE NW NW Do Northern Natural 30-17-J6W 2034 3565 -1531 weathered granite Lansing-Kansas City 3604 No. 1 "A" Rothe SE NW SE Do Frontier 3-17-17W 2077 3600 -1523 granite wash Lansing-Kansas City 3633 No. 2 McGill C SW Do Frontier 4-17-17W 2057 3588 -1531 granite wash Lansing-Kansas City 3619 No. 1 Frye C NE Do Northern Natural 9-17-17W 2080 3592 -1512 10ft. granite Lansing-Kansas City 3620 No. 1 "A" Grumbien SW SE NE wash on granite Do Frontier 10-17-17W 2066 3565 -1499 granite wash Lansing-Kansas City 3573 No. 1 Appl NW SE NW Do Northern Natural 10-17-17W 2067 3582 -1515 24ft. granite Lansing-Kansas City 3609 No. 1 Hondrick NW SE NE wash on granite Do Frontier 10-17-17W 2059 3567 -1508 granite wash Lansing-Kansas City 3600 No. 1 Rau NW SE SE Do Petroleum 13-17-17W 2044 3537 -1493 47ft. granite Pennsylvanian 3590 No. 1 "K" Schneider NE SW SE wash on granite Do Frontier 14-17-17W 2053 3557 -1504 granite Lansing-Kansas City 3575 No. 1 "A" Ernie NW NE NE Do Frontier 22-17-17w 2070 3575 -1505 6 ft. granite Lansing-Kansas City 3608 No. 1 "A" Foos SW NE NE wash on granite Do Frontier 25-17-17W 2007 3500 -1493 granite wash Lansing-Kansas City 3531 No. 1 Foos NE SW SE Do Frontier 26-17-17W 2041 3559 -1518 granite wash Lansing-Kansas City 3578 No. 1 Erbes NE SW SE Do Frontier 27-17-17W 2031 3545 -1514 granite wash Lansing-Kansas City 3560 No. 1 Neuhauser W2 W2 NE Do Morrison 33-17-17W 2015 3580 -1565 10ft. granite Pennsylvanian 3592 No. 1 Wagner W2 NW NE wash on granite Do Frontier 36-17-17W 1999 3495 -1496 granite wash Lansing-Kansas City 3540 No. 1 Beahm W2 E2 NE Do Frontier 36-17-17W 1997 3501 -1504 granite wash Lansing-Kansas City 3613 No. 1 Scheuerman SW NE SE Do Petroleum 20-17-18W 2118 3801 -1683 granite wash Pennsylvanian 3822 No. 1 Kahler C NE NW Barton Alpine 20-18-13W 1905 3710 -1805 granite wash Arbuckle 3730 No. 4 Blankenship SW SW SW Do Shirer 12-18-14W 1866 3520 -1654 granite wash Arbuckle 3551 No.5 McCauley SW SE NE Rush Morrison 7-18-16W 1950 3515 -1565 26 ft. granite wash Reagan 355'1 No. 1 Dirks NW SE SE on weathered granite Do Morrison 17-18-16W 1950 3530 -1580 granite wash Reagan 3535 No. 1 Schneider SE NW NW Do Morrison 18-18-16W 1949 3546 -1597 granite wash Reagan 3585 No. 2 Huenergardt SE NE SE Do Morrison 18-18-16W 1951 3566 -1615 granite Reagan 3606 No. 1 Pechanec SE SW NE Do Woodman & Iannitti 17-18-17W 1997 4007 -2010 granite Reagan 4009 No. 1 Green C NE SW Barton Glickman-Houston & Seeber 10-19-15W 1933 3488 -1555 granite wash Reagan 3504 No. 1 Pasco SE SE SE Do Nixon 26-J9-15W 1922 3480 -1558 quartzite Lansing-Kansas City 3482 No. 2 Schartz SW SW SW Do Bove 35-19-15W 1920 3565 -1645 quartzite Pennsylvanian 3574 No.5 Button E2 NE NW Do Nixon 36-19-15W 1942 3503 -1561 quartzite Reagan 3506 No. 1 "B" Ewing NW SW SW Do Petroleum 32-20-13W 1897 3560 -1663 quartzite Arbuckle 3617 No. 1 "B" Hiss SE SE SE Edwards White & Wilkenson 1-24-16W 2053 3976 -1923 54 ft. weathered Lansing-Kansas City 4038 No. 1 Reaves S2 SW NW granite on granite TABLE I.-Additional boreholes drilled to Precambrian rocks in Kansas (concluded). Surface Depth to Elevation of Company, well number, elevation, Precambrian. Precambrian. Precambrian Rock unit Total depth, County and farm Location feet feet feet rock type on basement feet Pratt Continental 23-28-13W 1956 5072 -3116 granite wash Reagan 5150 No.6 Brehm NE SW SW Riley Valentin 33-6-5E 1141 2462 -1321 granite Simpson 2547 No. 1 Kunze C NE SE Do Phillips 8-6-6E 1413 2584 -1171 amphibolite? Simpson 2735 No. 1 Winkler C SE NE Do Pawnee 26-10-6E 1213 2400? -1187? granite Simpson? 2445 No. 1 Marks SW NE NW? Do Johnston 32-10-9E 1105 1078 + 27 granite Pennsylvanian 1094 No. 1 Deep Creek Ranch SW NW SW Do Johnston 34-10-9E 1120? 1070 + 50? granite Marmaton 1089 No. 1 Hayden SW NW SW Do Johnson 6-11-9E 1055 1124 - 69 granite Marrnaron 1130 No. 1 Moore SE SE SW Do Johnson 6-11-9E 1070 1147 - 77 granite Marmaton 1183 No. 1 Newell Estate SW SE SW Do Johnson 15-11-9E 1390 1438 - 48 granite Marmaton 1452 No. 1 "B" Durein NW SW SE Morris Rex & Morris and Mobil 4-14-8E 1525 2424 - 899 granite Arbuckle 2428 No. 1 Buchman C NE NE Do Forrester 6-17-7E 1538 2300? - 762? granite Arbuckle? 2560 No. 1 Mangle NW NW SE Butler Empire 31-25-5E 1387 3285? -1898? dark basic igneous Arbuckle 3375 No. 30 Murphy SW SE NE rocks Cowley Texaco 21-31-4E 1211 4187 -2976 granite Arbuckle 4188 No. 4 Goodrich NW SW SE
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