WESTERN U.S.
1 In the Columbia Basin of southern Washington, Delta Petroleum Corp. is testing a remote wildcat. In the previously undrilled area, the Denver-based company’s well, #31-23 Gray, is in Section 31-6n-22e, eastern Klickitat County. Delta perforated and tested the majority of the prospective zones in the Gray well at depths ranging from 11,580 to 12,280 ft. The six lowermost zones demonstrated high pressures as expected, but flowed only fresh water to date. The zones farther uphole flowed a combination of water and gas; however, gas volumes have been minimal and substantially below pre-completion expectations, indicating these intervals are uneconomic. The company has permits for four 16,000-ft. tests within three miles of the current project. Wells in the Columbia Basin’s Rattlesnake Hills Field produced 1.3 billion cu. ft. of gas from the Columbia River Basalt group (Miocene) from 700 to 1,200 ft. during 1929-1941. Deeper wildcats in the basin have encountered gas in zones beneath the Columbia basalts.
2 In the Sweetwater Uplift in south-central Wyoming, Greenwood Village, Colo.-based Richardson Operating Co. has completed a new producer. The #1 Blackie Joe McKeena, in Section 13-28n-93w of Fremont County, initially flowed 266 bbl. of oil per day, with no water, from Dakota at 5,100-90 ft., and swabbed 15 bbl. of oil and 135 bbl. of water daily from Muddy at 4,860-70 ft. after drilling to 5,300 ft. Log tops include Muddy at 4,855 ft., Dakota at 5,100 ft. and Lakota at 5,220 ft. Both producing intervals in Crooks Gap Field have been shut in awaiting a pumping unit. Richardson has locations staked for three more tests in the Crooks Gap Field area.
3 In a previously undrilled Paradox Basin township near Moab, Utah, Denver independent Whiting Oil & Gas Corp. has completed a horizontal wildcat that initially produced 86 bbl. of oil per day. In Section 18-29s-22e of northern San Juan County, #43-18H Threemile was originally set up as a proposed 8,050-ft. vertical wildcat projected to reach total depth in the Mississippian Ouray. Whiting last year applied with the BLM to change the project to a horizontal Cane Creek venture. Estimated true vertical depth formation tops included Ismay at 4,414 ft.; Akah, 4,849 ft.; Barker Creek, 5,611 ft.; Alkali Gulch (Paradox), 6,679 ft.; Cane Creek, 6,928 ft.; and Pinkerton Trail at 7,159 ft. Whiting has not released additional completion information.
4 According to the Rocky Mountain Oil Journal, Zenergy Inc., based in Tulsa, is planning to create a 1,280-acre horizontal Bakken drilling unit near Williston, N.D. Company plans call for drilling beneath the waters of Lake Sakakawea in Mountrail County. The wildcat will drill from a surface location in sections 7-150n-90w and 8-150n-90w with a bottomhole location in nearby Section 8-150n-90w. The well will be in an unexplored township and nearby production is from Big Bend Field; this is the company’s first Bakken test in Mountrail County.
5 According to IHS Inc., Austin independent Brigham Oil & Gas’ well flowed 1,616 bbl. of oil and 1.7 million cu. ft. of gas per day after completion. The producer is a horizontal Middle Bakken discovery near Williston, N.D. The #29-32 1H Figaro is in Section 29-152n-101w of McKenzie County and was tested in a horizontal Middle Bakken lateral at 11,252-63 ft. The company fracture-stimulated 18 stages and used a 19-interval swell packer. Formation tops include Upper Bakken at 10,961 ft. and Middle Bakken at 11,018 ft. Brigham holds a 95% working interest and 74% net revenue interest in the discovery. Brigham plans to use the perf-and-plug technique with 28 fracture-stimulation stages on three upcoming completions in neighboring Williams County.
6 A Continental Resources horizontal on Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, #1-3H Rollefstad, initially flowed 1,273 bbl. of oil equivalent per day. Located in Section 3-152n-94w, McKenzie County, N.D., the 20,904-ft. well produced from a horizontal lateral in Three Forks-Sanish following 16 stages of fracture stimulation using the perf-and-plug technique. It was drilled as an east offset to Hess Corp.’s #0409H-1 AN-Norby-152-94 in Section 4-152n-94w, a horizontal Three Forks-Sanish discovery initially flowing 504 bbl. of oil, 660,000 cu. ft. of gas and 120 bbl. of water per day. Enid, Okla.-based Continental holds a 78% working interest in the well.
7 On the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation Kodiak Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. of Denver completed two Dunn County, N.D., horizontal exploratory tests as Middle Bakken oil producers. Both wells are in Section 33-149n-92w. The #14-33-28H Two Shields Butte initially flowed 1,309 bbl. of oil and 1.1 million cu. ft. of gas per day. Production is from an 8,313-ft. horizontal lateral in Middle Bakken, following 15-stage fracture stimulation after drilling to 19,240 ft. From the same drillpad, #14-33-6H Two Shields Butte Kodiak was drilled to 15,919 ft. and initially flowed 903 bbl. of oil and 453,000 cu. ft. of gas per day from a 4,163-ft. lateral, following six stages of fracture stimulation. Kodiak owns a 50% working interest and 41% net revenue interest in both of the producers.
8 Marathon Oil Co. of Houston completed a horizontal wildcat near Four Bears Village on Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in Mountrail County, N.D. The #41-4H Pennington initially flowed 400 bbl. of oil, 402,000 cu. ft. of gas and 461 bbl. of load water per day. The Marathon producer is in Lot 1 of Section 4-151n-93w. Production is coming from a fractured openhole horizontal lateral in Middle Bakken extending from 10,990 ft. southward to a measured total depth of 19,711 ft. Flow was gauged through a 12/64-in. choke with a casing pressure of 954 psi. Log tops include Upper Bakken at 10,768 ft. and Middle Bakken at 10,815 ft. Four miles south of the #41-4H Pennington discovery, Marathon is developing Middle Bakken oil reserves in its new Reunion Bay Field.
9 A Bakken horizontal producer by Tracker Resource of Denver initially flowed 292 bbl. of oil, 168,000 cu. ft. of gas and 801 bbl. of load water per day. The #3-1H Dukart, Section 3-145n-97w, produces from a fractured horizontal lateral in Middle Bakken extending from 11,512 ft. southward to 20,394 ft. with a bottomhole location in Section 10-145n-97w. Flow was measured through an 18/64-in. choke with a tubing pressure of 850 psi and a casing pressure of 2,000 psi. Formation tops include Upper Bakken shale at 11,222 ft. and Middle Bakken at 11,258 ft. This Dunn County, N.D., producer has been incorporated into Little Knife Field. Two miles to the south, Tracker has location staked for another horizontal Bakken venture, #15-1H Kukla.
10 A Continental Resources Lodgepole discovery, #1 Laurine Engel 1 in Stark County, N.D., flowed 463 bbl. of oil per day with a flowing tubing pressure of 650 psi. The new Eland Field producer is in Section 17-139n-96w south of Dickinson. The discovery was drilled to 9,754 ft. and perforated in Lodgepole zones, and the flowing tubing pressure was 650 psi. Additional well details are not available. Eland Field’s Lodgepole pool was discovered in late 1994 and produced 27.7 million bbl. of oil, 15.1 billion cu. ft. of gas and 28.9 million bbl. of water.
11 An offset completion by Edward Mike Davis LLC in the East Dill field near Kimball, Neb., initially pumped 275 bbl. of oil per day. The #24-5 Wilke is in Section 5-15n-56w of Kimball County. Production is reported from an untreated J sand interval perforated at 6,656-66 ft. Log tops include D sand at 6,525 ft.; Huntsman, 6,585 ft.; J sand, 6,656 ft. and Skull Creek at 6,758 ft. Total depth is 6,802 ft. About two miles east of the new producer, Houston-based Davis has location staked for a 6,800-ft. exploratory test targeting the D and J sands. Between August 2008 and May 2009, East Dill Field produced 197,623 bbl. of oil and 26,682 bbl. of water from J sand.