NEEDHAM 13 (037-13108)

Morton and Dolley spudded Needham 13 on 5/31/1953. It was completed on 6/6/1953 at a total depth of 1910 feet. No oil or gas in commercial quantities was located. The initial production was 3 bpd of 15 deg. gravity oil. The well was idled by July. It was plugged and abandoned in 1961. (Photo date 8/25/2017)

Looking down on Needham 13 with Needham 14 in red circle below. (8/25/2017)

(8/27/2017)

Doing some brush removal near the well. (9/9/2017)

More brush removal. (9/9/2017)

Shredder turning the brush to wood chips. (9/12/2017)

Piles of wood chips. (9/17/2017)

(9/17/2017)

Working on Needham 14 below. (9/17/2017)

The workover rig and BOP has arrived on site. (10/7/2017)

The new casing head with cellar is ready for the BOP (blowout preventer) in the background. Note the pipes on the truck on the left. They were not pulled from the well. (10/7/2017)

Rigged up. (10/11/2017)

The pipes on the right are used for the cementing. They were already there even before the rig was set up. When wells are abandoned they are not normally cemented from bottom to top, but in sections at certain depths. The cement would have to be carried down to the proper depth. It can't just be poured into the top of the well. (10/11/2017)

(10/11/2017)

There is a plastic sheet around the wellhead and BOP. I'm not sure why. Maybe to protect it from the wind. That's the yellowish block in front. A traveling block is a block and tackle that contains a set of pulleys that do the lifting of the casing in and out of the well. (10/15/2017)

View from the other side. (10/15/2017)

Upright sections of pipes ready to be used or have been used. (10/15/2017)

Rig is gone. Abandonment work is just about done. (10/22/2017)

Still some residual liquid in the cellar of the well. (10/22/2017)

Liquid gone, casing cut off below ground level. (10/25/2017)

Cement broken off casing. (10/25/2017)

(10/31/2017)

(10/31/2017)

(11/5/2017)

(11/12/2017)

(11/12/2017)

Nothing new yet except for the removal of brush from the distant hills, which will also be removed in the future. Also, Needham 14 is below with a welded on casing extension. (11/26/2017)

(12/2/2017)

Still nothing happening to Needham 13. (1/14/2018)

Now there is another casing extension showing on the right distance. That is Needham 5. (1/28/2018)

Grading around Needham 13 exposing more of the casing. (2/11/2018)

More exposing of the casing. (2/25/2018)

Some of the casing at the top has been removed. (3/25/2018)

Same day as previous photo, different direction. (3/25/2018)

More of the casing exposed. (5/27/2018)

Same day as previous photo, different direction. (5/27/2018)

About a month later. (6/17/2018)

Casing has been cut off, the well capped off, and the PVC pipe attached to allow for venting of any gases that might escape from the well. Needham 12 is in the distance. (7/8/2018)

After construction a metal vent was set in place over the top of the PVC pipe. (3/5/2021)