WESTERN U.S.

1 Calgary-based Bridge Resources Corp. submitted applications to drill exploratory wells in southwestern Idaho’s Boise Basin. Plans calls for drilling five wells in 2009 ranging in depth from 4,500 to 7,000 ft. Objectives include both shallow gas and deeper oil reservoirs. According to Bridge, several older area wells flowed gas to surface at rates of up to 400,000 cu. ft. per day and two of the four deeper wells in the basin had oil shows. According to the Idaho Geological Society, the nonproducing Boise Basin falls within Ada, Boise and Elmore counties. The deepest well drilled in the area is a 14,006-ft. dry hole drilled in 1976 that recovered muddy fresh water at a rate of 60 bbl. per hour. Bridge will operate the project and will hold a 50% working interest with Calgary independent Paramax Resources Ltd.

2 Brigham Oil & Gas LP of Austin reported completion of a stepout from northeastern Montana’s Antelope Field, about nine miles southeast of Plentywood, in Sheridan County, Mont. The #1-31 Friedrich-Trust is in Section 31-34n-56e and initially pumped 200 bbl. of 41-gravity oil, 74,000 cu. ft. of gas and 82 bbl. of water daily. Production comes from treated perforations in the Red River C zone at 10,833-36 ft. After drilling to 11,225 ft., Red River log tops include A zone, 10,725 ft.; B zone 10,773 ft.; C zone, 10,824 ft.; and D zone at 10,876 ft. The well was directionally drilled to 10,807 ft. and then was drilled without directional tools from 10,807 to 11,225 ft., where the wellbore was near vertical. Brigham owns a 77% working interest and an approximate 59% revenue interest in the well; Northern Oil & Gas Inc. holds the remaining 23% working interest.

3 A Carbon County, Wyo., well in Espy Field initially flowed 800 bbl. of oil and 80 bbl. of water daily for Nadel & Gussman Rockies LLC. The southernmost producer in the field, #12 Espy, produces from an untreated Tensleep interval at 7,802-08 ft. It was directionally drilled to 8,050 ft. and the company is flaring gas at the site. The well, in Section 26-19n-89w, is about a mile south of the company’s #13 Espy, a recent 203-bbl.-of-oil-per-day producer. Nadel & Gussman Rockies LLC is a Denver-based unit of Tulsa independent Nadel & Gussman LLC.

4 According to The Rocky Mountain Oil Journal, XTO Energy Inc. completed a northern flank wildcat in the Piceance Basin. The Rio Blanco County, Colo., well, #1S-95-20-23 CP, is flowing 1.23 million cu. ft. of gas and gas and 384 bbl. of load water per day. Production comes from two Mesaverde intervals—Williams Fork between 13,659 and 15,137 ft., and Cozzette/Corcoran at 15,450 ft. The new producer, in Section 20-1s-95w, was drilled to 16,297 ft. Piceance Creek Field activity by XTO is on a farmout from ExxonMobil of about 69,500 acres.

5 In northern Colorado, EOG Resources Inc. completed a horizontal Niobrara discovery that initially flowed 236 bbl. of oil, 238,000 cu. ft. of gas and 240 bbl. of load water per day. The #7-17H Mutual is in Section 17-7n-80w, Jackson County, and produces from a fractured horizontal Niobrara interval at 8,062-11,920 ft. The North Park Basin well was drilled to 12,181 ft. and the bottomhole location is in Section 8-7n-80w. Flow was measured through a 24/64-in. choke, but other completion details were not made available. EOG’s headquarters are in Houston.

6 Brigham Oil & Gas LP completed a high-volume horizontal Middle Bakken discovery initially flowing about 1,805 bbl. of oil and 1.84 million cu. ft. of gas per day. The #9-16 1-H Brad Olson is in Section 9-154n-102w, Williams County, N.D., and produces from a horizontal lateral after 28 stages of fracture stimulation. Brigham holds a 33% working interest and 26% net revenue interest in the new producer and U.S. Energy Corp. owns a 61% working interest and a 48% net revenue interest. This well appears to be the first 28-stage fracture stimulation completed in the Williston Basin.

7 Whiting Oil & Gas Corp. has two new horizontal producers in Mountrail County, N.D., just north of Four Bears Village. The #21-3TFH Hansen is in Section 3-152n-93w and was tested on a 20/64-in. choke flowing 40-gravity oil at an initial rate of 489 bbl. per day, with 370,000 cu. ft. of gas and 703 bbl. of water. Production comes from a fracture-stimulated openhole interval of Three Forks at 10,808-19,333 ft. Denver-based Whiting’s other producer is the #11-16H Knife River-State in Section 16-153n-92, a Sanish Field producer to the northeast. It had an initial daily flowing potential of 619 bbl. of 41-gravity oil, 515,000 cu. ft. of gas and 1,262 bbl of water, gauged on a 30/64-in. choke. Production is from a fractured open-hole Middle Bakken lateral at 10,750-19,938 ft. drilled south-southeastward to a true vertical depth of 10,418 ft. with a bottomhole in Section 21-153n-92w.

8 On the southern Nesson Anticline, Continental Resources Inc. of Enid, Okla., completed a horizontal wildcat east of Watford City, N.D. The initial flow rate was 668 bbl. of oil, 125,000 cu. ft. of gas and 1,841 bbl. of load water per day. According to IHS Inc., #1-25H Wiley is in Section 25-150n-97w, McKenzie County. The well produces from a fractured horizontal lateral in Three Forks extending from 11,163 ft. southward to 20,475 ft. Flow was measured through a 16/64-in. choke with a tubing pressure of 1,500 psi. The reported log tops include Middle Bakken at 10,825 ft. and Three Forks at 10,897 ft.

9 The Rocky Mountain Oil Journal reported that Cirque Resources has an oil producer in a nonproducing township in Burke County, N.D. The Denver-based company’s horizontal Bakken well produced 6,533 bbl. of oil over an unknown number of days in August, according to state production records. The wildcat, #32-16H Trippell, is in Section 32-160n-90w. The well was drilled on statewide 640-acre spacing and the bottomhole location is presumed to be in the north part of Section 32-160n-90w. The Cirque producer is in an area where previous exploration was directed to Madison potential with no Bakken penetrations in the immediate vicinity. Cirque has three other wildcats planned for McLean County, and one in Mountrail County.

10 In western Dunn County, N.D., Tracker Resource Development II LLC completed a horizontal well initially flowing 877 bbl. of oil, 585,000 cu. ft. of gas and 1,758 bbl. of load water per day. The #36-1H Thomas is in Section 36-145n-97w and produces from a fractured horizontal lateral in Middle Bakken extending from 11,307 ft. northward to 20,462 ft. Using a 20/64-in. choke, the casing pressure was 2,190 psi. Formation tops reported were the Upper Bakken at 11,050 ft. and Middle Bakken at 11,176 ft. According to IHS Inc., the new producer is a northeast offset to Denver-based Tracker’s second producer in the North Dakota Bakken play and the first producer in the Little Knife-Bakken pool area.

11 In Lost Bridge Field near Mandaree, N.D., XTO Energy Inc. completed a horizontal Three Forks-Sanish well in the Nesson Anticline that flowed 2,700 bbl. of oil equivalent per day. Production comes from a horizontal lateral in Three Forks-Sanish drilled to 20,787 ft. Flowing casing pressure was 1,700 psi. XTO’s #43X-4 Jorgenson is in Section 4-148n-96w in Dunn County. The new producer offsets two Newfield Exploration co-operated horizontal Middle Bakken producers, #1-10H Jorgerson and #1-4H Jorgenson. XTO’s headquarters are in Fort Worth, Texas.