Newfield lifts Arkoma Woodford gas program

March 23, 2006
Newfield Exploration Co., Houston, plans to drill 65 wells, of which 45 will be horizontal, in 2006 on the Oklahoma side of the Arkoma basin Devonian Woodford shale play where it has accumulated interests in 110,000 acres since 2003.

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Mar. 23 -- Newfield Exploration Co., Houston, plans to drill 65 wells, of which 45 will be horizontal, in 2006 on the Oklahoma side of the Arkoma basin Devonian Woodford shale play where it has accumulated interests in 110,000 acres since 2003.

The company has drilled 100 vertical wells in the play, which extends 60 miles north-south and 15 miles east-west in Hughes, Coal, and Pittsburg counties (OGJ Online, Mar. 7, 2006). Gross output from those wells is 41 MMcfd of gas.

That drilling has confirmed the shale's extent throughout the company's acreage. The formation is 120-240 ft thick. Horizontal drilling started in late 2005 to better exploit the shale's natural fractures, Newfield said.

The company drilled or participated in eight horizontal wells since October 2005, five of which are being completed. Newfield-operated well results include:

-- Parker 1H-36, Newfield 73% working interest, initial production above 6 MMcfd, rate after 14 days 4.8 MMcfd.

-- Reeder 1H-10, Newfield 80%, initial output 3 MMcfd, rate after 7 days 2.6 MMcfd.

-- Whitlow 1H-27, Newfield 57%, initial flow 3 MMcfd, rate after 7 days 2.4 MMcfd.

The Reeder and Whitlow wells are returning fluids following frac jobs.

Newfield has interests in three earlier horizontal wells operated by another company, said Lee K. Boothby, Newfield vice-president Mid-Continent.

"The combination of our 100 vertical wells and recent horizontal results helps support our belief that we can drill and complete horizontal wells for approximately $4 million (gross) and recover 2.5-3 bcfe/well."

Newfield is running six rigs in the play, four of them on horizontal wells.