Eastern U.S.

1 Oklahoma City independent Quantum Energy Inc. has received a drilling permit for a 5,000-ft. wildcat in a nonproducing western Michigan township. According to IHS Inc., Quantum’s #1-9 USA & QEI is planned for northeastern Lake County, Dover Township, Section 9-20n-11w. The well is projected to the Devonian Reed City dolomite, northwest of Burdell Field, a Devonian Dundee oil pool above 4,000 ft. about five miles to the northwest in neighboring Osceola County. Nearby production was reported in Wexford County from an abandoned well, #1-23 State-Henderson. That 4,970-ft. test was completed in 1975 and initially pumped 20 bbl. of oil per day from Devonian Richfield at 4,892-4,902 ft. The Quantum venture is a west offset to a 1,210-ft. dry hole in Section 9-20n-11w, which was drilled and plugged in 1964.

2 In southern Michigan, Traverse City independent West Bay Exploration Co. has scheduled two exploratory tests near the company’s Hilden-Rovsek discovery; the delineation wells are in Jackson County. The #1-22 Swank, Section 22-4s-2e, is projected to 4,800 ft. in Glenwood. The #1-22 Golowic is in Section 22-4s-2e, and plans call for a 5,143-ft. test to Prairie du Chien. Primary objective of both Norvell Township wells is Trenton. West Bay’s #1-16 Hilden-Rovsek initially produced 200 bbl. of 45.5-gravity oil and 100,000 cu. ft. of gas per day, with no water, from an untreated vertical openhole Trenton interval at 3,937-4,200 ft. The top of Trenton was logged at 3,874 ft. The company’s #2-16 Hilden-Rovsek was directionally drilled southeastward to 5,070 ft. in Section 16. The completion produced 170 bbl. of oil and 100,000 cu. ft. of gas daily with no water, from perforations at 4,630-40 ft. in Trenton. Log tops include Trenton at 4,306 ft., Black River at 4,650 ft. and Van Wert at 4,910 ft.

3 Schmude Oil Inc. has scheduled a 3,500-ft. wildcat targeting Trenton oil zones near Tecumseh, Mich. The Traverse City independent’s #2-14 Allen is in Section 14-5s-4e, northeastern Lenawee County, Clinton Township. The well will be drilled 15 miles east-southeast of two producers in the Trenton oil play, which was opened early this year in southeastern Jackson County by West Bay Exploration Co. The West Bay producers, #1-16 and #2-16 Hilden-Rovsek, are the first in their township and were drilled from a common drillpad in Section 16-4s-2e. The Schmude drillsite offsets several dry holes, including a 1994 completion, #1-14 Sherman Trust, in Section 14-5s-4e. The 3,975-ft. well was not cored or drillstem-tested.

4 Completion work is continuing at an Illinois exploratory test well by Brookston Resources Inc. The #77-33 Gates is in Section 33-4s-8e in White County. After drilling to 3,501 ft., drillstem test of the Aux Vases sand at 3,320-36 ft. yielded gas to the surface in 71?2 minutes, and 315 ft. of free oil with 126 ft. of oil-cut mud. The Newburgh, Ind.-based company recovered 15 bbl. of oil on a two-hour flow test after perforating the Aux Vases. Log tops include Barlow at 3,016 ft.; Lower Renault, 3,316 ft.; Aux Vases, 3,332 ft.; Ste. Genevieve, 3,397 ft.; and Rosiclare at 3,446 ft. A follow-up west offset, #67-33 Gates, is in Section 33-4s-8e. At this 3,551-ft. prospect, good oil shows were reported in Aux Vases at 3,334-72 ft. Additional testing was not completed. The two wells are in the center of a one-mile gap between the east and west producing areas of Springerton South Field, and just northwest of Enfield North Field, where Brookston is developing and delineating an Aux Vases reservoir.

5 An exploratory test is planned by Dallas-based Midroc Operating Co. in Choctaw County, Ala. In Section 28-11n-4w, #28-11 Boney targets Smackover. The planned depth is 12,500 ft. To the east, the #1 Trice Unit 34-1 was completed in Smackover in 1971 through perforations at 11,978-90 ft. and flowed 216 bbl. of 41-degree oil daily. Part of Choctaw Ridge Field, recovery totaled 754,856 bbl. of crude, 281 million cu. ft. of gas and 2 million bbl. of water through 1992. Online since 1967, Choctaw Ridge Field has produced a cumulative 4.18 million bbl. of oil, 1.88 billion cu. ft. of gas and 12.54 million bbl. of water from Smackover.

6 Mayne & Mertz Inc. of Houston has spudded a remote deep wildcat in the southeastern portion of Alabama’s Clarke County, almost 15 miles southeast of the town of Jackson. The #1 Stimpson 32-7 is drilling vertically to a total depth of 16,300 ft. in Section 32-5n-3e. There is no comparable production in the vicinity. Recovery is in adjacent Baldwin County, where #1 Wall et al 2-6, Section 2-3n-2e, was completed in 1980. That discovery, in Carlton South Field, pumped 12 bbl. of crude and 380 bbl. of water daily through perforations at 5,335-44 ft. in Lower Tuscaloosa, and had pumped 83,619 bbl. of oil and 1.61 million bbl. of water through 2001.

7 Pruet Production has scheduled a wildcat in the southeastern portion of Alabama’s Monroe County. The Jackson, Miss.-based company’s wildcat is planned for Excel Field North (Frisco City) between the towns of Excel and Frisco City. The #1 Simpson 4-9 has a proposed total depth of 13,500 ft., and Norphlet is the apparent target. The site is in Section 4-5n-7e. Comparable production is a mile to the north, where the #1 Ruple 33-9 was completed in 1995 through Norphlet perforations at 12,386-92 ft. Excel North Field began producing from the Frisco City and Norphlet in 1994. Cumulative recovery is 1.35 million bbl. of crude, 7.13 billion cu. ft. of condensate and 165,071 bbl. of water. The #1 Ruple 33-9 is currently the only active well in the field.

8 In Conecuh County, Ala., Midroc Operating Co. completed an eastern Conecuh County wildcat. The #23-6 Cedar Creek Land & Timber was tested for an initial daily potential of 468 bbl. of 43-degree oil, 418,000 cu. ft. of gas and 2 bbl. of water through perforations in Smackover at 10,242-70 ft. Flowing tubing pressure was 1,400 psi on a 12/64-in. choke. The discovery was drilled to a total depth of 10,600 ft. in Section 23-5n-13e. Comparable production is about three miles southwest of the proposed #14-14 Cedar Creek Land & Timber in Section 33. The #1 Craft-Ralls 4-2 originally was directionally drilled to 11,236 ft. in Smackover and abandoned in April 2008. After plug-back to 11,155 ft., the well pumped 42 bbl. of crude per day through acidized perforations at 10,923-32 ft. in Smackover.

9 According to The Southeastern Oil Review, Midroc Operating has sidetracked a Smackover test on the southeast flank of Little Cedar Creek Field. The Midroc well, #16-13 Hamiter, was drilled to 11,650 ft. in Section 16-4n-13e in Conecuh County, Ala. At last report, logs and plugging operations were completed and drilling was proceeding to 8,045 ft. in the sidetrack. A Smackover completion by Midroc, #17-16 Hamiter, lies 1,500 ft. to the west and flowed 219 bbl. of 43-degree gravity oil and 100,000 cu. ft of gas per day. Flow was measured using a 12/64 in.-choke, and the flowing tubing pressure was 490 psi.

10 In western Covington County, Ala., Shreveport-based Palmer Petroleum Inc. has staked a vertical wildcat, the #1 Longleaf LTD 24-3. Proposed total depth for the test is 11,500 ft. in Fall Creek Field (Frisco City). According to IHS Inc., the projected formation is Smackover. The planned Palmer well is in Section 24-4n-14e, southwest of River Falls, Ala. Typical Smackover recovery in the area comes from Little Cedar Creek Field, which lies to the west in Conecuh and Escambia counties.

11 At Hart Energy Publishing’s DUG—East conference in Pittsburgh, Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. reported that it has drilled 32 producing Marcellus shale wells and is making more than 52 million cu. ft. of gas per day. The company has four horizontal rigs currently at work in its Susquehanna County, Pa., area, and soon will ramp up to six horizontal rigs. Average initial potential on its horizontal wells is 7 million cu. ft. per day. The company uses a mix of horizontal and vertical wells for development; its 2009 program called for 36 horizontal and 22 vertical wells. In 2010 it expects to drill around 40 horizontal and 20 vertical wells on its acreage. Houston-based Cabot holds more than 165,000 acres in the play and has estimated that its recoverable reserves are between 5 and 10 trillion cu. ft. of gas.