While Jonah is a whale of a gas field, the neighboring Pinedale Anticline may be an even bigger catch. Indeed, the Pinedale Anticline play in Wyoming's Green River Basin continues to grow at an astonishing pace. In the future, it will likely eclipse Jonah's estimated ultimate recovery of 3 trillion cubic feet of gas equivalent. During March 2004, some 380 million cubic feet of gas equivalent was produced each day from 250 wells in the Pinedale, Mesa Unit and Warbonnet fields on the Pinedale Anticline, reports the Wyoming Oil & Gas Conservation Commission. That compares to Jonah's 600 completed wells, producing 700 million cubic feet per day. Both areas feature tight-gas production from thick sections of overpressured Upper Cretaceous Lance and Mesaverde sandstones. But, hundreds of additional locations remain to be drilled along the crest of the 35-mile-long Pinedale structure, whereas Jonah is fully defined and efforts there are now focused on adding closely spaced infill wells. Furthermore, the prospective section at Pinedale is twice as thick as that in Jonah. Houston-based Ultra Petroleum is currently producing 104 million cubic feet of gas per day from Wyoming, mainly from its properties on the Anticline. In 2003, it participated in 63 wells at Pinedale; this year it plans to participate in 80 wells, 31 of which it will operate. The company will keep five rigs running throughout the year. Questar Corp., another leading operator on the anticline, was producing an average 106 million cubic feet of gas equivalent per day from both its regulated (Wexpro) and nonregulated properties during the first quarter. Last year, the Salt Lake City company drilled 25 gross wells on the anticline and made 24.6 billion cubic feet of gas equivalent (Bcfe), including its Wexpro production. During 2004 it plans 30 gross wells. Several developments at Pinedale are worth watching this year. Winter drilling Questar has a substantial federal acreage position in its Mesa Unit on the northern part of the anticline, which carries winter drilling restrictions. The company has submitted a proposal to the Bureau of Land Management to allow partial winter access. Starting next winter, it would like to keep two rigs working on each of three drilling pads. The company believes that it can locate the pads in areas that will not impact the deer that winter in the area. The benefits of year-round drilling are numerous. Instead of drilling 30 wells a year, Questar will be able to drill at least 40, and will slice nearly 10 years off the projected development time for its properties. Year-round jobs will provide more stability and allow for a better-trained workforce. And, the increased gas production will funnel additional royalties and tax payments to the federal and state governments. If winter access is approved, Questar says it plans to develop all of its acreage from pads, which will tremendously reduce surface disturbances. Up to 16 wells can be drilled from a pad and production facilities can be shared. It will also build pipelines to move water and condensate, eliminating the trucking of produced liquids. And, it will continue to fund a comprehensive deer-monitoring program. Deep test Questar also plans to drill a deep test to 19,000 feet in its Stewart Point area. The $10.5-million deeper-pool wildcat will target the Rock Springs formation, a package of sands that occurs below the productive Lance and Mesaverde intervals. The well will evaluate whether commercial quantities of gas are present at depth on the anticline. Ultra is also participating in this project, which is expected to spud this summer and take about 100 days to drill. Lance downspacing Both Ultra and Questar are involved in efforts to evaluate downspacing the Lance to 20 acres per well. During the first quarter, Ultra started drilling the first of 20 pilot wells in its 2004 budget. Last year, Questar drilled three infill pilots in Mesa Unit, and it will drill several additional ones this year. Mesaverde development The Lance formation has been the workhorse producer at Pinedale, but interest is sharpening in the deeper Mesaverde section. Prior to 2003, few wells on the Pinedale were drilled and completed in the Mesaverde section, says Ultra, while nearly all the wells drilled this year will penetrate the Mesaverde. Results to date indicate that, on average, the Mesaverde is contributing some 2 Bcfe in incremental reserves to a Pinedale well.