Bertha Rogers Borehole
Oil-exploratory borehole in Washita County, Oklahoma, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Bertha Rogers Borehole is a former natural gas well in Burns Flat, Dill City, Oklahoma, US. Today plugged and abandoned, it was originally drilled by the Lone Star Producing Company as its oil-exploratory hole number 1–27 between October 25, 1972, and April 13, 1974, reaching a then world record terminal depth of 31,441 feet (5.9547 mi; 9,583 m).[2]
- Burns Flat, Dill City, Oklahoma, US, Oklahoma, US
- 35.31547°N 99.19251°W[1]
Bertha Rogers Borehole superstructure, March 2024 | |
 Interactive map of Bertha Rogers Borehole | |
| Location |
|
|---|---|
| Products | Natural Gas |
| Type | Gas Well |
| Greatest depth | 31,441 feet (9,583 m) |
| Opened | 1974 |
| Closed | 1997 |
| Company | Lone Star Producing Company |
During drilling, the well encountered enormous pressure – almost 25,000 psi (172,369 kPa). No commercial hydrocarbons were found before drilling hit a molten sulfur deposit, which solidified around the drill string, causing the drill pipe to twist-off and a loss of the bottom-hole assembly. The well was plugged back and completed in the Granite Wash from 11,000 to 13,200 feet (3,400 to 4,000 m)[clarification needed] as a natural gas producer.[3]
According to publicly available well records from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, the Bertha Rogers hole ceased production of natural gas in July 1997.[4]
The Bertha Rogers hole was surpassed in 1979 by the Kola Superdeep Borehole dug by the USSR, which reached 12,262 metres (40,230 ft; 7.619 mi) in 1989 and remains the deepest human-made hole on Earth as of 2026[update].
