Cambrian-Ordovician Knox Dolomite in Hancock County, Tennessee

Kevin Hartleroad, Paul Schneider, Kent Schamp, Nancy Reddin, George Tubb

Amoco Production Company established production from the Cambrian-Ordovician Knox Dolomite in Hancock County, Tennessee, along the Brushy Ridge anticline of the Wallen Valley thrust sheet in 1981 with the drilling of the Amoco 1 Reed. This discovery was apparently confirmed by the Amoco Sutton Unit in 1982.

Eastern American Energy Corporation undertook development of the Brushy Ridge structure in 1986 and subsequently drilled three additional (exploratory) wells. Seismic data, photogeologic and geomorphic evaluation, geochemical data, and well log data were used in the selection of the three drill sites. This process resulted in an oil discovery from the Ordovician Trenton Limestone and a reevaluation of the Knox Dolomite as a potential reservoir. Various difficulties during drilling were also a reflection of the complex geology.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #91031©1988 AAPG Eastern Section, Charleston, West Virginia, 13-16 September 1988.