1 Royal Production Co. Inc., Corpus Christi, Texas, plans a wildcat on its Pebble Beach/Grand Dunes prospect drilled from a surface location on Mobile Block 994 off the coast of Alabama in the Gulf of Mexico. The #1 OCS G27230 will reach total depth beneath Viosca Knoll Block 26 to the south. This well, in 95 ft. of water, is the only well planned for the block. Royal previously ran production tests on two wells in the area. It tested #1 OCS G27226 through perforations at an undisclosed depth in Miocene in Mobile Block 951. The #1 OCS G27227 in Block 993 reached a depth of 3,324 ft., also in Miocene. Royal reported a discovery last October from a surface location in Mobile Block 950, about 3.3 miles south of the newly permitted well, according to IHS Inc.



2 Magnolia, Ark.-based Betsy Production Co. Inc. completed a discovery flowing 163,000 cu. ft. of gas a day in eastern Chicaksaw County in northern Mississippi. The #1 Pickens-Moorehead is in Section 14-13s-4e more than five miles southwest of Okolona, Miss. Betsy tested the well through Mississippian Abernathy perforations between 2,663-72 ft. on an 18/64-in. choke with 80 psi of flowing tubing pressure. The nearest production is 3.25 miles east-northeast in Boone Church Field. There, #1 McCain 8-16 tested for 650,000 cu. ft. of gas a day from Mississippian Lewis.



3 Continuing its campaign in the shales of northern Alabama, Dominion Black Warrior Basin Inc. permitted #29 Bearden E25-11 to 10,000 ft. to the Conasauga shale. The latest test is in Section 26-1s-4e in St. Clair County. The closest production comes from one of only three producers drilled to date in the county. That well was Dominion's #6 Newan 27-7, about a mile west of the new well in Section 27. It produced 4.72 million cu. ft. of gas in its first three months online. The Houston-based company abandoned two other locations in the area.



4 West Bay Exploration Co., Traverse City, Mich., permitted #1-23 Mullett wildcat to the Trenton-Black River at 4,804 ft. about six miles southeast of Olivet in southeastern Michigan. The well is in Section 23-1s-5w in Lee Township in northeastern Calhoun County. Nearby production from Trenton-Black River is a half-mile south on the northern edge of Albion-Scipio Field. A half-mile north, #1-23 Cole & Debruyn flowed at an initial rate of 672 bbl. of oil a day from Black River perforations between 4,806-12 ft. in 1985. It produced 43,682 bbl. of oil between April 1985 and October 1988.



5 Glenfield Oil & Gas LLC, Jemison, Ala., will drill another wildcat in a remote area of the northern Illinois Basin. The #1 O'Neill Trust, in Section 8-14n-11w, about three miles north-northeast of Paris, is in eastern Edgar County, Ill. It will drill to approximately 1,900 ft. to evaluate zones through St. Louis. The location is an offset to the north from the company's first permitted well, but that well, which hasn't yet been drilled, will target Devonion at 2,200 ft. The nearest production is about 11 miles southwest at Dudley Field and Elbridge Field south-southeast. Elbridge has produced 1.3 million bbl. of oil from Pennsylvanian at 750 ft., Fredonia at 950 ft. and Devonian at 1,950 ft. Dudley Field produced 4.3 million bbl. of oil from Pennsylvanian zones shallower than 500 ft.



6 A remote wildcat will drill through Trenton to test gas potential about five miles southeast of South Bend in southeastern St. Joseph County in northern Indiana. Aurora Energy Ltd., Traverse City, Mich., will drill its #D3-23 Pogue test to 2,250 ft. in Section 23-36n-3e on the southern flank of the Michigan Basin. According to IHS Inc., the closest and deepest of 16 dry holes drilled in the county is about four miles southwest. The closest discovery is eight miles south-southwest in Marshall County. There, #1-31 Ronald Stichter opener for Bremen Field pumped one bbl. of oil and 45,000 cu. ft. of gas a day from an openhole section of Traverse Lime from 365 to 372 ft. The well was never produced.



7 Two horizontal wildcats will test New Albany shale for gas at 3,500 ft. for Rex Energy Operating Corp., Bridgeport, Ill., in Knox County, Ind. The #1 HD K Holscher is in Section 2-5n-9w about 3.7 miles northeast of Oaktown and 6.3 miles east of Oaktown Field, a McClosky pool. The other well, #1 HD H Taylor, is in Section 15 of the same township and range. It is 1.9 miles east of Oaktown and four miles east of Oaktown Field.

8 Activity is picking up in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, as two operators scheduled three wildcats. Hall & Horning Service Co., Ravenna, Ohio, will drill #1 Bethlehem Baptist Church to Clinton sand at 3,650 ft. in Lot 4, Orange Township, Chagrin Falls Quad. The well is 1.2 miles southwest of Orange, and 2.1 miles southeast of an unnamed Clinton field.

Alliance Petroleum, Canton, Ohio, plans #1 Halmarnie Unit in Lot 326 and #1 Cleveland Hardware Unit in Lot 323, both scheduled to Clinton at 3,200 ft. in City of Cleveland Township, Cleveland South Quad. The Halmarnie well is two miles northeast of Newburgh Heights and 1.3 miles northeast of an unnamed Clinton field, while the Cleveland well is 2.3 miles northeast of the town and 1.8 miles northeast of the unnamed field.



9 The Ansbro Petroleum Co. affiliate of Anschutz Exploration Corp., Denver, scheduled a wildcat to evaluate Black River for gas about seven miles north of Lansing in northern Tompkins County, N.Y. Ansbro will drill its #1 Willet Dairy directionally to a measured depth of about 9,453 ft. (6,442 ft. true vertical depth) in Town of Lansing, West Groton Quad. The nearest producer is five miles south at an inactive Oriskany gas pool. Ansbro drilled a 7,906-ft. Black River well in the southern part of neighboring Cayuga County last year but didn't release details. The company also has scheduled #1 D Hardie in the same county in Section C, Ludlowville Quad, Lansing Township. That well is 8.3 miles north of Lansing and 5.2 miles north of the unnamed Oriskany field. It also will target Black River at 6,328 ft. total depth.



10 EOG Resources Inc., Houston, will drill a pair of wildcats to 6,000 ft. to evaluate Oriskany sands for gas in Clearfield County, Pa. Both wells are in Section H, Huntley Quad, Lawrence Township. The #1 Punxsutawney Hunting Club is 8.1 miles north of the town of Plymptonville and 3.6 miles south of Benzette Field, an Oriskany producer. The #2 Punxsutawney Hunting Club is 7.9 miles north of the town and 3.9 miles south of the same field.



11 Two operators have lined up four wildcats in Greene County, Pa. Eastern American Energy, Indiana, Pa., will drill its #3 Blaker to 4,000 ft. to evaluate Upper Devonian in Section B, Garards Fort Quad, Cumberland Township. The well is 5.4 miles south of the town of Jefferson and 1.9 miles east of gas production from sand from Waynesburg Field. American Oil & Gas LLC, Waynesburg, Pa., will drill the other three. Its #1 William W. and Rachel L. Knisley will reach for Upper Devonian in Section C, Blacksville Quad, Perry Township, about 4.6 miles northeast of Blacksville and 1.8 miles north of Mooresville Field, a Freeport pool. In the same section, the company will drill its #1 Kevin M. Butt Sr. wildcat to Freeport at 5,500 ft. That well is 4.4 miles northeast of Blacksville and 2.3 miles north of Mooresville Field. The final well is #2 Maryjo Aires aimed at Upper Devonian in Section G, Garards Fort Quad, Perry Township. That well is 7.8 miles north of Cassville, W.Va., and 2.3 miles southeast of Shannon Run Field, an Upper Devonian producer.



12 Pine Mountain Oil & Gas Inc., Abingdon, Va., will target Big Lime at three wildcats in Henry District, Swandale Quad, in Clay County, W.Va. The 102 PMOG is scheduled to 2,450 ft. about 1.7 miles southwest of the town of Hurricane and 1.7 miles southwest of Hurricane Creek Field, a Berea pool. The 103 PMOG, projected to 2,575 ft., is 2.7 miles east of the town and 1.7 miles east of Berea production in Burdette-St. Albans Field. The 2,575-ft. 104 PMOG is 2.7 miles southeast of Hurricane and 1.8 miles southeast of Burdette-St. Albans Field.



13 Two wildcats are in the works for Reserve Oil & Gas Co., Spencer, W.Va., both aimed at Devonian shale at 5,500 ft. in Elk District in Kanawha County, W.Va. The #2 Laner is in Big Chimney Quad some 2.4 miles northeast of Charleston and two miles southwest of Blue Creek Hackberry Branch Field, a Weir pool. The #3 Laner is in Charleston East Quad, 2.1 miles northeast of the town and 2.1 miles north of an unnamed Berea field.



14 Amwes Exploration LLC, Barbourville, Ky., plans four wildcats to Clinton shale at 2,500 ft. in Laurel County in eastern Kentucky. The #2 Benny Pennington, in Section 2-F-67e, Heidrick Quad, is 9.8 miles north of Barbourville and 2.8 miles north of an unnamed Big Lime field. In the same section, #1 Anthony Watkins is 8.4 miles east of North Corbin and 2.4 miles north of Campbell Church North Field, another Big Lime pool. In Section 3-F-67e in the same quad, the company will drill its #1 Jason Hubbard 8.1 miles east of North Corbin and 2.3 miles north of Campbell Church North Field. The final well in this series is #1 Lowell Stanberry in Section 24-G-67e in Blackwater Quad. That well is 7.2 miles east of the town and 1.8 miles northeast of Gray Field, a Big Lime producer.