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Well Logs from the South Florida Basin

Description: 

In November 2023 USF received original well logs from the South Florida Basin. Approximately 50 wells were drilled, mostly to depths of 11,300 to 11,600 ft. Three were drilled to 17,000 ft to reach basement. The wells were drilled from the years 1943 to 1991. Thirteen of the wells succeeded to reach oil from five fields, and 137 million barrels of oil were recovered. The well logs were prepared by Mr. Raymond Ocamb of Marshland Petroleum Corporation in Lafayette, Louisiana. The logs include information on density, resistivity, lithology and other factors. Upon Mr. Ocamb’s retirement, the original logs were transferred to Griffin Petroleum in Midlands, Texas. Mr. David Griffin subsequently donated them to the School of Geosciences at the University of South Florida. As of this writing, arrangements are being made to transfer the logs to the Florida Geological Survey in Tallahassee. There they will be scanned and digitized and made available to the public. The historic geologic records prepared by Ray Ocamb are of significant value to present day hydrogeologists and seismologists because they describe subsurface conditions from the eye of a trained professional in the 1940s. Ocamb’s well logging was the first to describe the deep and complex geology of the South Florida Basin. These records will be of assistance in programs to re-enter and plug these old wells to eliminate the potential for inter-aquifer contamination, aquifer storage, underground injection of wastes and CO2 storage.

Florida is a growing state with a population of 23 million people with many more anticipated. Water is the key planning element to supply residents. Florida sources approximately 80% of the freshwater needs from the aquifer known as the Floridan Aquifer System, a complex hydrostratigraphic system that extends to depths of nearly 4,000 feet in south Florida. Water quality for drinking purposes is generally good but the complex hydrogeology of many producing zones and confining layers needs to be understood to manage groundwater resources. Ocamb’s records describe the plugging and abandonment procedures for these wells.

Session: Earthquakes, Lithospheric Structure, and Dynamics in Stable Continental Region - II

Type: Oral

Date: 4/17/2025

Presentation Time: 11:30 AM (local time)

Presenting Author: Stephen

Student Presenter: No

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