1. In Wyoming’s Pinedale Field, Ultra Resources Inc. of Houston completed two new Lance producers in the Pinedale Anticline. The initial flow rate of #2c2-33D Mesa was 16.9 million cu. ft. of gas, 44 bbl. of condensate and 791 bbl. of load water per day. Located in Section 33-32n-109w, Sublette County, the completion produced after a 22-stage fracture stimulation. The flowing casing pressure was 3,358 psi after drilling to 13,960 ft., 13,657 true vertical. From the same drillpad, Ultra drilled #2b2-33D Mesa to 14,075 ft.; it flowed 14.31 million cu. ft. of gas, 25 bbl. of condensate and 984 bbl. of load water per day with a flowing casing pressure of 2,867 psi.

2. In Laramie County, Wyo., Bear Oil & Gas Inc. of San Antonio has staked four stepouts to a Denver-Julesburg Basin discovery. All tests will be drilled to 8,000 ft. to test J sand with perforations planned between 7,500-50 ft. The wells are about 1 mile east of a recent Bear Oil completion, #42-33 Oliverius in Section 33-18n-60w, which produced 350 bbl. of oil and 234 bbl. of water per day from fractured J2 sand intervals. The new ventures, #41-34 Anderson, #32-34 Malm, #42-34 Malm and #31-34 Anderson, are in Section 34-18n-60w.

3. In southwestern Williams County, N.D., Continental Resources Inc. has spudded a horizontal wildcat targeting Bakken. The #1-24H is in Section 24 of partial township 155n-104w on a 1,280-acre drilling and spacing unit comprising all of sections 24 and 25. The wildcat is a southwest offset to the company’s #1-13H Obert wildcat in Section 13 of partial township 155n-104w, a proposed Upper Three Forks (Bakken pool) horizontal project. Continental reportedly has completed #1-13H Obert as an oil discovery. Although completion details were not reported by the Enid, Okla.-based company, it has applied with the North Dakota Industrial Commission for temporary spacing and field limits and rules for the development of an oil pool discovered by #1-13H Obert. Continental has staked a location for a third horizontal Bakken exploratory test at #1-29H Anseth in Section 29-155n-103w. No activity has been reported at that site.

4. According to the Rocky Mountain Oil Journal, EOG Resources Inc. of Houston has completed its first horizontal wildcat in Williams County, N.D. The #1-17H Round Prairie is in Section 17-154n-103w and is producing at a stabilized rate of 450 bbl. of oil per day from the sideways section in Bakken. Located on acreage that EOG refers to as “Bakken Lite,” the new producer is about 90 miles west of Parshall. The company has staked two stepouts to this well: #04-08H Round Prairie in Section 8-154n-103w and #2-20H Round Prairie in Section 20-154n-103. Also in Williams County, EOG has staked #9-36H Round Prairie in Section 36-154n-103w, which will be drilled 2.5 miles west-southwest of a horizontal Ratcliffe (Madison) producer in Rosebud Field.

5. Two high-volume producers were completed in Williams County, N.D., by Austin-based Brigham Exploration Co. The horizontal Middle Bakken producers are part of the company’s Rough Rider prospect. The #1-H Jackson 35-34 is in Section 35-154n-102w and initially produced 3,064 bbl. of oil and 2.86 million cu. ft. of gas daily during an early 24-hour flow-back period. This producer was stimulated in 30 stages in a two-section horizontal lateral in Middle Bakken. The #1-H Owan Nehring 27-34 initially produced 2,215 bbl. of oil and 1.79 million cu. ft. of gas daily during an early 24-hour flow-back period. Brigham holds a 62% working interest in the Jackson discovery and 49% working interest in the Owan Nehring discovery.

6. In western North Dakota, Zavanna LLC has completed an exploratory test that initially flowed 2,303 bbl. of oil equivalent per day. According to IHS Inc., the Denver-based company’s #1-25H Bobcat in Section 24-155n-100w in Williams County produces from a horizontal lateral in Middle Bakken at 11,568-16,641 ft. Zavanna performed multiple-stage fracture stimulations before completion. Brigham Exploration is a 12.5% working interest owner in the well and additional details have not been disclosed. Zavanna has locations staked for 10 more horizontal Bakken wildcats in its “Big Cat” series in Township 155n-100w.

7. A horizontal wildcat by Slawson Exploration Co. initially flowed 2,735 bbl. of oil equivalent per day. During three days of flow testing, #1-1-12H Stallion averaged 2,697 bbl. of oil equivalent per day from a 9,330-ft. Middle Bakken horizontal lateral. Flow was measured through a 32/64-in. choke after 36 isolated stages of fracture stimulation. The new producer is in Section 1-151n-93w, Mountrail County, N.D., and was drilled to 19,938 ft. on a 1,280-acre spacing unit comprising all of sections 1 and 12. Northern Oil & Gas Inc. is a 23% working interest owner. Slawson is based in Wichita, Kan.

8. In a nonproducing township in McLean County, N.D., Questar Exploration & Production Co. completed a Bakken discovery that initially flowed 780 bbl. of oil, 366,000 cu. ft. of gas and 1,665 bbl. of load water per day. The Salt Lake City-based company’s #1-08H-149-90 MHA produces from a fractured horizontal Middle Bakken lateral at 9,954-14,946 ft. Flow was measured with a 24/64-in. choke and the casing pressure was 820 psi. The true vertical depth log tops include Upper Bakken shale at 9,600 ft., Middle Bakken at 9,616 ft. and Lower Bakken shale at 9,654 ft. The only previous drilling in the township was an 8,650-ft. dry hole Madison test one mile to the northeast.

9. Two horizontal exploratory tests by Peak North Dakota LLC, Durango, Colo., were completed from the same drillpad on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in Dunn County, N.D., as Middle Bakken oil producers. The two new producers have been incorporated into McGregory Buttes Field. The #32-24H Zane in Section 32-148n-93w flowed 858 bbl. of 40-gravity oil, 1.03 million cu. ft. of gas and 899 bbl. of load water. Flow was gauged through a 15/64-in. choke and the tubing pressure was 3,100 psi. Formation tops include Upper Bakken at 10,700 ft., 10,465 ft. true vertical, and Middle Bakken at 10,758 ft., 10,478 ft. true vertical. From the same drillpad, #32-34H Voigt initially flowed 992 bbl. of 39-gravity oil, 598,000 cu. ft. of gas and 1,518 bbl. of load water per day. After a seven-stage frac, flow was measured through a 20/64-in. choke with a tubing pressure of 2,940 psi.

10. A 3,200-ft. wildcat has been scheduled by Ritchie Exploration Inc. near the U.S./Canada border in northern Bottineau County, N.D. The company’s #1-27 Sylvia is in Lot 2 of partial Section 27 of partial Township 164n-77w. Wichita, Kan.-based Ritchie has been reentering older Madison producers in Souris North Field and recompleting them uphole in Spearfish. At the #1 Moen in Section 33-164n-77w, Ritchie reentered the well, closed off the Mission Canyon perforations at 2,994 ft., and recompleted it pumping 46 bbl. of oil and 41 bbl. of water daily from Spearfish at 2,938-58 ft. Between November 2007 and November 2009, the Spearfish pay at the #1 Moen produced 9,587 bbl. of oil and 8,587 bbl. of water.

11. The first development well, #15-PTU, in Alaska’s North Slope/Point Thomson project has been successfully drilled and cased to 5,000 ft. by ExxonMobil Production Co. of Irving, Texas. The well is in Section 4-10n-23e, Umiat Meridian. A 60-mile ice road has been completed from Endicott to Point Thomson for material and equipment transport. The well was drilled to 16,000 ft. under the Beaufort Sea to the targeted gas reservoir. The proposed bottomhole location is to the north-northwest in Section 27-19n-23e. The rig has been moved to the second development well, #16-PTU, which will be directionally drilled from the same surface drillpad as #15-PTU. Point Thomson production is expected to commence in 2014 and estimated reserves are 8 trillion cu. ft. of gas and 200 million bbl. of condensate.