County of marker: Rogers County
Location of marker: CR E 300 Road & US-169, 6 miles South of Nowata, 5 miles North of Talala
Mark erected by: Oklahoma Historical Society with Oklahoma Petroleum Council
Date mark erected: 1973
"Nearly 44 years ago, on Dec. 3, 1973, representatives of the Oklahoma Petroleum Council, the Oklahoma Historical Society, and the cities of Chelsea and Nowata gathered in a Rogers County field to dedicate a historical marker to what is now considered to be a contributor to the increased occurrence of earthquakes in Oklahoma.
"The Oklahoman on Dec. 4, 1973 reported on the dedication:
"The Nowata-Rogers County oil fields — site of Oklahoma's first waterflooding (hydraulic fracturing or fracking) project — may have as much of 300 million barrels of oil in place to be recovered, it was estimated Monday.
"Kenneth J. Hughes, superintendent of the U.S. Bureau of Mines Energy Research Center, Bartlesville, said the reserve of high grade oil "is certainly an attractive lure, particularly in these times of limited oil supply."
"Hughes spoke at ceremonies commemorating the site of the first waterflooding project in 1931 near the intersection of U.S. Highway 169 and Winganon Road in Rogers County.
"The December 1973 volume of Oklahoma Geology Notes described the marker:
"The 7-foot marker, made of red Oklahoma granite, is engraved with the story of the first waterflood operation. Basically, the process involves injecting water under high pressure through oil-bearing formations to 'sweep' the oil to nearby producing wells. Waterflooding was introduced in this state in 1931, on a shallow producing property in the Chelsea oil field in northern Rogers County ... on a Carter Oil Company lease. This company arranged for Bert Collins, who had operated waterflood ventures in Pennsylvania, to attempt the secondary-recovery method in the Bartlesville Sandstone of Pennsylvanian age, the main producing formation of the area. His success in adapting the technique to Oklahoma conditions prompted application of the procedure in adjoining states and throughout the world.
"At a luncheon meeting that preceded the dedication, Kenneth J. Hughes, superintendent of the U.S. Bureau of Mines Energy Research Center at Bartlesville, said that engineers use the Nowata-Rogers County oil fields as a classic example of the value of waterflooding. He estimated that in 1931 the 30 acres selected for flooding produced about 6 barrels per day. By 1934, production had increased to 80 barrels a day.
"The monument was erected 5.8 miles west of the waterflood site, now at the edge of Lake Oologah.
"On a lighter note, Winganon Road is probably more famous as the location of Winganon Space capsule. The discarded cement mixer from a long ago accident lies in the bar ditch and is painted to resemble a space capsule. This local landmark is located east of the waterflooding marker across U.S. 169 on Winganon Road (also known as E 300 Road). It has its own Facebook page at www.facebook.com/winganonspacecapsule, and numerous mentions on the internet." ~ The Oklahoman, NewsOK, BY MARY PHILLIPS, August 28, 2017