Chainman Shale and Railroad Valley oilfields
Hot Creek Valley is only 35 miles from Railroad Valley, site of the most prolific oilfields in Nevada.
Recent geochemical analysis of oil samples from the Eblana-1 and Eblana-3 wells showed that the source of the hydrocarbons in both valleys is the Mississippian Chainman Shale. This shale can contain as much as 8% organic content, while many other source-rocks are much less productive at 1-2%.
For a time Railroad Valley’s Grant Canyon #3 was the most productive onshore well in the United States, flowing at 4,300 barrels of oil per day.
Railroad Valley production to 2015
| Field | Barrels of oil produced |
|---|---|
| Grant Canyon | 21.5 |
| Trap Spring | 15.1 |
| Eagle Springs | 5.7 |
| Kate Spring | 2.6 |
| Bacon Flat | 1.0 |