1 Houston-based Noble Energy Inc. has received permits for three additional wildcats in Elko County, Nev. The wells all have projected depths of 12,422 ft. The #1S M2C-M2 Humboldt is in Section 2-34n-58e; #2S M2C-M2 Humboldt is in Section 2-34n-58e; and #3S M2C-M2 Humboldt is in Section 2-34n-58e. Drilling directions and objectives were not disclosed. The ventures are in the same section as the first two wildcats staked by Noble, #11B M2C-M2 Humboldt and #12B M2C-M2 Humboldt. Noble's wildcats are in a nonproducing area about 47 miles northeast of Tomera Ranch and Willow Creek North fields in Eureka County, where oil has been produced from Indian Well and Chainman shale.

2 A horizontal Cane Creek shale (Paradox-Pennsylvanian) producer on the northern flank of the Paradox Basin was announced by Denver-based Fidelity Exploration & Production Co. The #17-1 Cane Creek Unit is in Section 17-26s-20e of Grand County, Utah. It produced 4,713 bbl. of oil and 2.18 million cu. ft. of gas from Cane Creek during nine days in June. June output averaged about 524 bbl. of oil and 241,777 cu. ft. of gas daily. The new producer was horizontally drilled south-southeastward to a proposed depth of 12,581 ft. at a bottom-hole location in Section 21-26s-20e. True vertical depth was anticipated at 8,000 ft. Additional completion information is not available.

3 Two Green River/Wasatch producers were completed in the Uinta Basin's Refuge Field area in Uintah County, Utah, by Axia Energy LLC of Denver. The #16-41-820 Three Rivers is in irregular Section 16 of irregular Township 8s-20e. The well initially pumped 111 bbl. of 34.3-degree-gravity oil with 17,000 cu. ft. of gas and 135 bbl. of water per day. It was tested in two fracture-stimulated intervals—Green River at 5,197-6,382 ft. and Wasatch at 6,429-7,460 ft. The venture was drilled to 8,477 ft. and plugged back to 7,930 ft. The #16-42-820 Three Rivers is in Section 16-8s-20e and initially pumped 157 bbl. of 27.7-degreegravity oil with 911,000 cu. ft. of gas and 1,005 bbl. of water per day. Production is from a fractured Green River interval at 2,740-4,653 ft. This well was drilled to 4,855 ft. and plugged back to 4,781 ft.

4 A SWEPI Inc. Niobrara horizontal wildcat in Moffat County, Colo., #1-23 Dry Sage Unit, had a January average flowrate of 544 bbl. of oil and 323,250 cu. ft. of gas per day. The well is in Section 23 of partial Township 12n-90w. A pilot hole was vertically drilled to 12,350 ft. and was designed to be horizontally drilled southwestward to 16,500 ft. at a bottomhole location in Section 27-12n-90w. A SWEPI report indicated the horizontal project would be drilled to 15,553 ft. with a true vertical depth of 11,196 ft. The Houston-based company did not provide additional details.

5 In Section 9-51n-76w of Campbell County, Wyo., Ballard Petroleum Holdings completed a horizontal exploratory test on the western flank of the Powder River Basin. The #44-9 MH Hayden Trust initially flowed 140 bbl. of 48-degreegravity oil, 1.11 million cu. ft. of gas and 1,001 bbl. of load water per day. The discovery is producing from a horizontal lateral in lower Cretaceous Muddy sand extending from 10,422 ft. northwestward to 15,603 ft., with a true vertical depth of 9,866 ft. Gauged on a 20/64-in. choke, the flowing casing pressure was 1,270 psi. The venture was completed after 20-stage fracture stimulation between 10,462 and 15,404 ft. (9,762-9,828 ft. true vertical). Ballard's headquarters are in Billings, Mont.

6 A horizontal Turner completion by Peak Powder River Resources LLC, #1-10TH Iberlin, initially flowed 2,607 bbl. of oil and 4.3 million cu. ft. of gas per day. The 15,667-ft. well is on the southern flank of the Powder River Basin in Section 10-42n-74w of Campbell County, Wyo. Production is from a lateral extending from 11,664 ft. northward to total depth. It was tested following a 13-stage fracturing between 11,800 ft. and 15,552 ft. A vertical pilot hole was drilled to 11,977 ft. Further details are not yet available. According to the Rocky Mountain Oil Journal, the Durango, Colo.-based company is planning two tests from a single drillpad in the same section: #1-10 H Iberlin will test horizontal Shannon and #1-10 NH Iberlin will test Niobrara.

7 Results from a Codell oil producer were announced by Cirque Resources LP at a horizontal exploratory test drilled on the northern flank of the Denver-Julesburg Basin. The #7-9-1CH Dewey is in Section 7-15n-65w of Laramie County, Wyo. It produced 505 bbl. of oil during four days in June, and averaged about 127 bbl. of oil per day. It was horizontally drilled to 12,830 ft. and the true vertical depth was 8,779 ft. Cirque has not has released completion details. The venture is only the second horizontal Codell producer in Laramie County.

8 Devon Energy Corp. announced two Denver-Julesburg Basin horizontal Niobrara discoveries in Goshen County, Wyo. The #16-2335H H&T Ranch is in Section 23-23n-65w and initially pumped 138 bbl. of 33.6-degreegravity oil with 50,000 cu. ft. of gas and 170 bbl. of water per day. Production is from a horizontal Niobrara lateral extending from 7,594 ft. north-northwestward to 11,765 ft. The true vertical depth is 7,078 ft. It was tested following 20-stage fracture stimulation between 7,747 and 11,661 ft. The #16-1834H H&T Ranch initially pumped 223 bbl. of oil, 169,000 cu. ft. of gas and 225 bbl. of water per day. The 12,324-ft. well produces from a horizontal Niobrara lateral. It was tested after 15-stage fracture stimulation between 8,050 and 12,188 ft. The true vertical depth is 7,415 ft. Devon's headquarters are in Oklahoma City.

9 According to IHS Inc., Continental Resources Inc. completed a horizontal test as the Bakken play's first producer in the fourth bench of Three Forks. The #2-29H4 Farver is on the Nesson Anticline in Section 29-160n-96w of Divide County, ND The well initially flowed 480 bbl. of oil equivalent per day (344 bbl. of oil, 465,000 cu. ft. of gas and 1,731 bbl. of load water daily) from a horizontal lateral in Three Forks fourth bench. The lateral extends from 9,890 ft. southward to 19,500 ft. and bottomed in Section 32-160n-96w. The true vertical depth is 9,623 ft. Tested on a 38/64-in. choke following a 30-stage fracturing between 9,515-30 ft. (true vertical depth), the flowing tubing pressure was 340 psi. Continental is based in Oklahoma City.

10 Anadarko Petroleum Corp. has applied for a permit to drill a horizontal Mississippian exploratory test on the Las Animas Arch that targets Spergen, according to IHS Inc. The #1748-11-11-H Lincoln will be in Section 11-17s-48w of Kiowa County, Colo., with a projected depth of 8,717 ft., 5,155 ft. true vertical. Anadarko drilled nine scattered tests on the Las Animas Arch—eight in Colorado and one in Kansas—between 1979 and 1996. However, none were drilled in Kiowa County. In nearby Lincoln County, Nighthawk Production has had several completions including #4-11 Big Sky and #1-10 Taos, which both initially produced 400-500 bbl. of oil per day, and Chama Oil & Minerals LLC's #1H Pronghorn-State, which initially pumped 485 bbl. of 38-degreegravity oil per day. Anadarko's headquarters are in Houston.

11 A Renville County, ND, wildcat by Strike Oil Inc. initially pumped 180 bbl. of 27.4-degree-gravity oil and 9 bbl. of water per day. The #7-21 Savelkoul is in Section 7-159n-84w. Strike initially recovered 165 bbl. of oil and 8 bbl. of water on a 22-hour test of the Bluell member of Mission Canyon perforated at 5,026-38 ft. It was tested following acidizing. The new discovery was drilled to 5,150 ft. Strike Oil's headquarters are in Evansville, Ind.

All data in the Exploration Highlights section is based on sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The prudent investor intending to act upon any particular data is urged to verify it with all other available sources. In no way should the publication of these items be construed as an express or implied endorsement of a company or its activities.

Most land in the U.S. is divided into townships—rectangular tracts six miles square. The township, in turn, is divided into 36 numbered sections, each a one-mile square. The lines running north-south and dividing east from west are called range lines. The lines running east-west and dividing north from south are township lines.

A well in Section 15-Township 4 north-Range 3 east is abbreviated: 15-4n-3e.