Volume 143; Number 23, Monday, May 6, 2013 — Fredonia, Kansas 66736 — 50¢

Property owners in Fredonia, and others, have been asking questions about why a company would be buying mineral rights in the community. Those questions have been answered by company officials at various meetings, but not everyone has been able to hear the answers. Donald Missey has offered the following questions and answers:

Wilson County Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Stranded Oil Resources Corporation, an oil production and exploration company based in Austin, Texas. Stranded Oil’s ultimate parent company is Alleghany Corporation. Alleghany, which was formed in 1929 and is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “Y”, has a long history of investing in U.S. natural resources.

Much of the day-to-day operations and management of WCH’s Fredonia project will be conducted by Stranded Oil through WCH’s office in Fredonia. The management team of Stranded Oil has significant experience in the oil industry.

• Who is Frontier-Kemper Constructors, Inc.?

Certain construction aspects of WCH’s Fredonia project will be carried out by Frontier-Kemper Constructors, Inc. of Evansville, Ind., a widely recognized leader in heavy civil construction since 1971.

• What is WCH building in the Fredonia Field?

WCH is building a 16’ large diameter well bore to be connected to an underground drilling platform that will permit horizontal drilling at the depth of the target formation.

• Why has WCH chosen to work in Fredonia?

Fredonia is an historic Kansas oil field, first developed in the early decades of the 20th Century, when producers frequently worked without good well management practices. These practices often resulted in damage to the field and premature declines in production while leaving “stranded oil” in place. WCH is working in Fredonia because it believes that its oil recovery techniques can help extract some of this stranded oil.

• How much oil does WCH expect to find in the Fredonia field?

No one knows with certainty how much oil is under Fredonia, or if it is economically recoverable. Like many oil companies, WCH will attempt to make good decisions based on the geological data available. The company’s risk is substantial; there may not be as much oil as they hope to find, and the oil may not be easily recoverable. There is no guarantee of success.

• Will any new jobs be created by this project?

WCH’s Fredonia project has the potential to create many new jobs with the prime contractor, FKCI, and several local subcontractors. During the construction phase and drilling operations over the next few years, the planned work force will include office, field and management personnel. Many of these jobs will be skilled positions with personnel hired locally and trained on the job in Fredonia in advanced drilling and production technology.

• What are the environmental benefits of this project for Fredonia?

The reduced environmental impacts of WCH extraction technology are a positive feature of WCH’s Fredonia project. Once the facility is complete, WCH expects to remove much of the

surface disturbance associated with existing oil production in the area including pump jacks, tanks, and surface lines scattered across the area’s farmland and back yards. Further, WCH construction methods are designed to protect groundwater resources, and have a minimal impact on the environment.

• Does WCH use “fracking” in its oil production process?

WCH does not in any way rely on hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) and will not be creating the frack by-products or using the vast amounts of water required by that process.

• Why does WCH prefer to buy, not lease, minerals?

On small city lots, in most cases, a lease arrangement

is not economically viable to landowners because payment would not be issued until a minimum royalty value (determined by the oil purchaser) has been accumulated. Some landowners could wait months or years to reach the minimum royalty due to the small size of their lots, and the WCH cost to administer many small payments to lot-sized landowners would be substantial. Mineral purchases are a good alternative, providing the mineral seller with an immediate payout.

• Will selling my mineral rights allow WCH to drill on my land?

No. WCH’s oil recovery technique involves only one surface drilling location. In addition, surface drilling for oil

Oil and gas have been produced in every township in Wilson County. Oil was first discovered in the county near Neodesha in 1890 (Haworth, 1908, p. 24). Neodesha was supplied with gas on Ju1y 4, 1894. More than 40 wells were producing gas in this area by the close of 1894. Oil and gas were produced near the towns of Fredonia, Benedict, and Buffalo in 1900. Neodesha, Altoona, Fredonia, Buffalo, and Vilas are nearly surrounded by producing areas. The oil and gas resources of Wilson County were described by Moore and Boughton (1921); and the subsurface geology of the county was described by Stryker (1925). These reports are useful both in reference to early developments and in possibilities of new discoveries or in reference to water flooding in present fields.

In 1952, 67,271 barrels of oil were produced in Wilson County. Gas production recorded for 1952 was 185,316 thousand cubic feet.

SURFACE ROCKSThe surface rocks in Wilson

County consist of alternating beds of shale, limestone and sandstone. The Oread limestone of the Shawnee group or possibly a few feet of overlying shale is the youngest consolidated rock exposed in the county. lt crops out in the extreme northwestern part.

The Douglas group, which consists of thick massive or cross-bedded sandstones, shaly sandstones, and sandy shales, is about 280 feet thick in the county. Pedee rocks have a thickness of about 60 feet, Lansing rocks are about 165 feet thick, and Kansas City rocks are about 250 feet thick.

SUBSURFACE ROCKSPennsylvanian Rocks —

Rocks of the Bronson subgroup are about 100 feet thick in Wilson County. The Pleasanton rocks are mostly silty to sandy shale; their thickness in the county is probably about 100 feet. The Marmaton group of rocks consists of about 250 feet of shale, sandstone, and limestone and a minor amount of coal.

The Cherokee shale ranges in thickness from about 200 feet in the central part of Wilson County to about 425 feet in the east-central part (Bass, 1936, pl. 1). lt is composed principally of light and dark shale containing sandstone lenses and thin beds of limestone and coal. The “Bartlesville sand” is separated from the underlying Mississippian limestone by about 100 feet of shale. A sandstone occurs locally in the basal part of the Cherokee shale.

Mississippian Rocks — The total thickness of the Mississippian rocks in Wilson ranges from 150 to 300 feet (Lee, 1939, Pl. 1). The identified Mississippian rocks and their thicknesses in a well in sec. 22, T. 30 S., R. 15 E., are: “Warsaw” limestone, 97 feet; Keokuk limestone, 44 feet; Burlington limestone, 54 feet; Reeds Spring limestone, 121 feet; St. Joe limestone, 5 feet; Northview shale, 7 feet; Compton limestone, 5 feet; and Chattanooga shale (Mississippian or Devonian), 17 feet. The Chattanooga shale lies unconformably on the Ordovician rocks.

Ordovician and Cambrian Rocks — The drillers log of the No. 3 Marian Smith well in sec. 10, T. 29 S., R. 15 E. records 980 feet of rocks that are Arbuckle and other lower Paleozoic rocks. According to this log, granite was penetrated at a depth of

2,211 feet. Keroher and Kirby (1948) indicated that the Jefferson City-Cotter sequence has an average thickness of 450 feet in Wilson County; the Roubidoux about 150 feet; and the Van Buren-Gasconade about 200 feet. Their studies show that the Eminence dolomite is present only in the eastern and southeastern parts of the county and is less than 50 feet thick. The average thickness of the Bonneterre is about 100 feet. About 60 feet of Lamotte sandstone is indicated on the log of the Marian Smith well, mentioned above; depths to some stratigraphic horizons in this well are listed in Table 69.

OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENTS

Pennsylvanian rocks in Wilson County seemingly have been thoroughly tested for oil and gas, but modern methods of well completions, especially by sand-fracturing, may extend the fields. In the past, the county has been more important as a gas producer than as an oil producer. In 1935 more than 800 gas wells were reported in the county. The 1952 gas production amounted to 185,316 thousand cubic feet; oil production was 67,271 barrels. Most of the petroliferous rocks are lenticular sandstones in the Cherokee shale. Some oil has been produced from the upper part of the Mississippian limestone and from the upper part of Arbuckle rocks. Gas and perhaps some oil has been produced in interlying areas also.

The Altoona oil and gas field is in the east-central part of Wilson County. Oil production is from the “Bartlesville sand.” Gas’ has been produced from “Bartlesville” and higher

Pennsylvanian rocks.The Altoona East oil and

gas field along the central part of the eastern border of Wilson County extends into Neosho County. The Benedict oil and gas field in the central part of the county produces from sandstone in Cherokee rocks at a depth of about 975 feet. The Buffalo oil and gas field is a large area in the northeastern part of Wilson County. Oil and gas were found chiefly in the “Bartlesville sand” at a depth of about 1,025 feet. Some oil has been produced from sandstone near the base of the Cherokee section. Some gas wells were reported to have had an initial daily production of 5,000 cubic feet.

The Buxton gas field is in the southwest part of Wilson County. Logs of gas wells are not available, but production probably comes from a sand body nearly 100 feet thick at a depth of about 1,100 feet. The top of Mississippian rocks in this area is about 1,225 feet below the surface.

The Coffeyville-Cherry-vale oil and gas field, chiefly in Montgomery County, extends into the southeast corner of Wilson County. No oil production has been reported for the Wilson County part of the field for several years. Oil production has not been reported from the Coyville field since 1949 when the field produced 110 barrels. Gas and oil have been reported in the area in several Pennsylvanian formations. Production chiefly was from sandstone in the lower part of the Cherokee shale or from the upper part of Mississippian limestone.

The Fall River oil and gas field has not produced oil for several years. Former production was from sandstone in the lower middle part of the Cherokee

section. Logs of former producing wells in the Farmdale oil and gas field, sec. 2, T. 28 S., R. 14 E., are not available. No oil production has been reported from the field during the last several years.

The Fredonia oil and gas field covers a large area in the south-central part of Wilson County. Oil and gas were found chiefly in a thick sandstone in the lower part of the Cherokee group. Some gas has been produced from higher rocks, especially in the Fort Scott formation. Many wells in the area were drilled a few feet into Mississippian rocks. The area was developed largely in the late 1920’s.

The Humboldt-Chanute oil and gas field, chiefly in Allen and Neosho Counties, extends into Wilson County. The Lafontaine oil and gas field is in T. 30 S., R. 14 E. Few logs are available. Oil and gas have been reported from sandstone in the upper part of the Cherokee section and gas from Mississippian limestone.

The Neodesha oil and gas field is a large area covering most of the southeastern part of Wilson County. 011 production has been chiefly from sandstone in the Cherokee group at depths ranging from about 825 to 850 feet. In 1952 oil was produced in isolated parts of the field. The Neodesha East oil and gas field produced gas from sandstones in the lower and middle parts of the Cherokee shale. In 1926, a deep test, the Wilson No. 1 Bank well, sec. 21, was drilled to a total depth of 2,310 feet. This well stopped probably a few feet above Pre-Cambrian rocks. The New Albany Townsite field, T. 28 S., R. 13 E., is no longer active. Logs of the wells are not available. No oil has been reported from the field for several years.

The Vilas oil and gas field, in northeastern Wilson County, yields oil in small areas. The “Wiggins” oil field in the central part of T. 28 S., R. 17 E. has produced oil for the past several years.

production is prohibited in the city of Fredonia by the zoning code.

• What are the resources for finding out more about this project?

WCH is located at 1135 N. 15th Street in Fredonia, where they are available from 8 a.m., to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday to answer questions. The office may also be reached by phone at (620) 682-4241, and via email at info@stranded-oil.com.

Wilson County Holdings seeks to recover ‘stranded oil’

Wilson County Holdings, 1125 N. 15th, is extracting strand-ed oil from the ground in Fredonia using a 16’ well bore connected to an underground drilling platform that will al-low horizontal drilling. Dale Fritz/Citizen

A brief history of oil and gas exploration in Wilson County:

PARSONS — Wheat and corn production will take center stage at the Kansas State University Southeast Agricultural Research Center’s Spring Crops Field Day, Wednesday, May 22 near Parsons.

The event, which focuses on crop opportunities and challenges in southeast Kansas, will be at K-State’s Parsons field, immediately south of U.S. Highway 400 on Ness Road (North 32nd St.). 

“Our wheat performance test, which includes 10 soft and 20 hard varieties, will be a highlight of this field day,” said Lyle Lomas, head of the research center, “but topics about other crops will also be addressed.”  

Registration and a sponsored breakfast start at 7:30 a.m., and the program begins at 8:30 a.m. In case of rain, the field day will be held indoors.

Topics and speakers include:•    Tour of Wheat Variety Plots (30 varieties) – Kelly Kusel,

research assistant, K-State SE Agriculture Research Center and seed company representatives

•    Drought-Tolerant Corn Hybrids – Doug Shoup, K-State Southeast Area extension agronomist

•     Managing Wheat Aphids – Wendy Johnson, graduate research assistant, K-State Department of Entomology; and

•    Grain Market Outlook – Dan O’Brien, K-State Northwest Area extension agricultural economist.

More information about the field day is available by calling 620-421-4826. Information about K-State’s Southeast Agricultural Research Center is available at www.ksre.ksu.edu/searc/. 

Spring crops field day set May 22 near Parsons

TOPEKA — Kansas law enforcement and prosecutors are making progress in removing methamphetamine manufacturers and traffickers from the streets, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said.

In 2012, the Kansas Attorney General’s office prosecuted 35 people for meth crimes that resulted in prison sentences of five or more years in prison. Most drug prosecutions are handled locally, but the attorney general’s office assists local authorities in major cases or when otherwise requested.

“The key to addressing the

meth problem is getting those who manufacture and distribute the drug off the streets,” Schmidt said. “The attorney general’s office will continue to assist local prosecutors in this critically important effort.”

Schmidt said the 2012 methamphetamine convictions included 29 state cases and six federal court convictions. The 35 people convicted were sentenced to a total of 268 years in prison.

The Kansas Attorney General’s Office can assist local and federal prosecutors with certain serious drug crime prosecutions.

Kansas prosecuted 35 meth traffickers in 2012

Due to the telephone system conversion, the Wilson County

Courthouse offices will be unavailable

via phone from8 a.m. to noon

Tuesday, May 7. All offices will be open, but phones

will not work.