West Sussex Energy Partners · OGM-002 · Wyoming edition
Editorial update: October 16, 2026. General educational information.
Wyoming petroleum development spans different basins, formations and regulatory periods. Distinguish historical drilling milestones from current production, resource estimates and mineral ownership, and verify dates using Wyoming geological and official agency records.
The earliest drilling
The Wyoming State Geological Survey identifies the Mike Murphy No. 1 well, drilled in 1884 near a natural seep, as Wyoming’s first oil well and the discovery well for Dallas field. Historical accounts from the territorial era require careful treatment of the date of the first producing well versus later commercial discoveries.
Salt Creek and the early industry
Salt Creek’s discovery dates to 1889 in state survey material; later drilling and development made it a major producing field. Land claims, the anticline concept, title to minerals, lease financing and access to transportation shaped which explorers prospered.
Geophysical breakthroughs
At Quealy field, the California Company used reflection seismic data to delineate the Quealy Dome anticline and drilled a productive well in 1934. This illustrates the transition from surface evidence to geophysical prospect definition.
Markets and infrastructure
The first Wyoming refinery began operating in Casper in 1895, according to the Wyoming Geological Survey. Later pipelines, road and rail access, gas plants and interstate transmission systems became important to the commercial life of fields.
A basin-by-basin history
The Powder River, Bighorn, Wind River and Greater Green River basins contain different petroleum systems and development histories. A field profile should combine named reservoirs, discovery wells, logs, production data, operators, conservation orders and pipeline constraints.
West Sussex research archive
The Sussex area and West Sussex Oilfield should be documented in a separate tract-and-field archive. The historical roles of Henry Winter ‘Hardwinter’ Davis and Mark J. Davis are important research leads, but family relationships, lease transactions and dates should be corroborated with contemporary records before being presented as established fact.
Owner workflow
Find the location and field designation, trace early leases and operators, review historical well completion records, map subsequent unit and well developments, and compare production decline with any documented new project activity.
Sources
Wyoming State Geological Survey — Oil & Gas Facts; WyoHistory — Salt Creek; WyoHistory — Pipeline Development.
Bottom line
Do not rely on a checkstub, buyer offer or unexplained operator worksheet as proof of legal title or future reserves. Preserve the source documents and obtain appropriate professional review.
Sources and scope
This guide provides general education. Verify effective dates and the application of authorities to the particular facts. Consult the linked official sources and the original deeds, leases, orders and other records before acting. Browsing this guide or sending an inquiry does not create a professional engagement; services require a separate written agreement. Historical accounts, geological assessments and forecasts have distinct limits; none establishes mineral title or guarantees recoverable reserves, value or future royalty.
Reading the sources: Check Wyoming petroleum history dates, basin-development claims, and agency records against dated primary sources. Check the original sources before applying this information.
