The Bertha Rogers Borehole is a former natural gas well in Burns Flat, Dill City, Oklahoma, US. Today plugged and abandoned, it was originally drilled by the Lone Star Producing Company as its oil-exploratory hole number 1–27 between October 25, 1972 and April 13, 1974, reaching a then world record terminal depth of 31,441 feet (5.9547 mi; 9,583 m).[2]
 Bertha Rogers Borehole superstructure, March 2024 | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Location | Burns Flat, Dill City, Oklahoma, US |
| State | Oklahoma |
| Country | US |
| Coordinates | 35°18′56″N 99°11′33″W / 35.31547°N 99.19251°W[1] |
| Production | |
| Products | Natural Gas |
| Type | Gas Well |
| Greatest depth | 31,441 feet (9,583 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1974 |
| Closed | 1997 |
| Owner | |
| Company | Lone Star Producing Company |
During drilling, the well encountered enormous pressure – almost 25,000 psi (172,369 kPa). No commercial hydrocarbons were found before drilling hit a molten sulfur deposit, which solidified around the drill string, causing the drill pipe to twist-off and a loss of the bottom-hole assembly. The well was plugged back and completed in the Granite Wash from 11,000 to 13,200 feet (3,400 to 4,000 m)[clarify] as a natural gas producer.[3]
According to publicly available well records from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, the Bertha Rogers hole ceased production of natural gas in July 1997.[4]
The Bertha Rogers hole was surpassed in 1979 by the Kola Superdeep Borehole dug by the USSR, which reached 12,262 metres (40,230 ft; 7.619 mi) in 1989 and remains the deepest human-made hole on Earth as of 2024[update].
References
edit- ^ Dyman, T.S.; Nielson, D.T.; Obuch, R.C.; Baird, J.K.; Wise, R.A. (1990). "Summary of Deep Oil and Gas Wells and Reservoirs in the U.S." (PDF). United States Geological Survey. p. 12. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
- ^ "Anadarko Basin in Depth". 10 April 2021.
- ^ "Oklahoma Corporation Commission completion report (form 1002A) dated September 3, 1974" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
- ^ "Bertha Rogers #1-24".
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