AUSTIN CHALK HORIZONTAL DRILLING PACE CONTINUES TO SIZZLE

Dec. 10, 1990
Austin chalk horizontal drilling in south central and southeastern Texas continues to boost producing rates and rig counts. Baker Hughes Inc. listed 88 rigs active Dec. 3 in Texas Railroad Commission Dist. 1, center of chalk activity, compared with 90 the week before and 17 on Dec. 4, 1989. Chalk activity is also growing to the east in Dist. 3, where the latest count is 44, compared with 29 at the same time in late 1989. Dist. 3 includes Lee, Fayette, Burleson, Brazos, and Washington counties.

Austin chalk horizontal drilling in south central and southeastern Texas continues to boost producing rates and rig counts.

Baker Hughes Inc. listed 88 rigs active Dec. 3 in Texas Railroad Commission Dist. 1, center of chalk activity, compared with 90 the week before and 17 on Dec. 4, 1989.

Chalk activity is also growing to the east in Dist. 3, where the latest count is 44, compared with 29 at the same time in late 1989. Dist. 3 includes Lee, Fayette, Burleson, Brazos, and Washington counties.

In field action, Columbia Gas Development Corp., Houston, participated in three more Austin chalk trend producing wells operated by others, including one vertical and two horizontal wells.

Tipperary Corp., Denver, completed a Frio County horizontal Austin chalk well and said a similar well completed earlier this year in LaSalle County has produced about 57,000 bbl of oil in 75 days.

And Tuskar Resources plc, Dublin, is producing about 800 b/d from four horizontal wells drilled into the Austin chalk through its subsidiary, Tuskar (Texas)Inc.

Tuskar expects its Texas production to increase throughout the next 18 months as it works through its program of low risk Austin chalk locations.

Elsewhere, GLG Energy LP, Austin, staked its 1 Hillman Land & Cattle Co. horizontal wildcat. Location, in BS&F survey No. 1, A-2147, is more than 6 miles south-southwest of Frio Town and 12 miles northwest of Pearsall field.

The well will have a planned 4,000 ft horizontal leg in Austin chalk at TVD 6,400 ft.

Black Gold Operating Co. and San Antonio Gas & Oil Co., San Antonio, will drill a horizontal Austin chalk well in Thirteen field, Dimmit County, Tex. Planned horizontal displacement at 1 Bowman Ranch, in Blas Reyes survey, A-4, is 2,504 ft.

Thirteen field, opened in 1959, has produced 318,653 bbl of oil and 250.6 MMcf of gas through June 1990 from three wells, Petroleum Information Corp. reports.

DRILLING PROGRAMS

Union Pacific Resources Co. and Columbia Gas 1 HovorakLightsey, a horizontal well in Giddings field of Lee County, flowed 832 b/d of oil and 319 Mcfd of gas through a 36/64 in. choke with 150 psi flowing tubing pressure.

Columbia has a 19.6% working interest in the well.

The Hinton Production Co., Mt. Pleasant, Tex., and Columbia Gas 3-A Shiner, a horizontal well in Pearsall field of Frio County, pumped 528 b/d of oil with 200 Mcfd of gas from the chalk. Columbia's interest is 37.15%.

A vertical well, the Gemini Exploration Co., Dallas, and Columbia Gas 3 Schultz in Giddings field of Burleson County, flowed at a rate of 857 b/d of oil through a 24/64 in. choke with 500 psi flowing tubing pressure. Columbia owns a 50% working interest.

Tide West Oil Co., Holdenville, Okla., and Tipperary completed the horizontally drilled 1 Maria, in Frio County, flowing 630 b/d of oil through a 381/64 in. choke with 150 psi flowing tubing pressure from Austin chalk. Tide West holds 87.5%, Tipperary 12.5%.

Tipperary said the 4 Lane horizontal Austin chalk well in LaSalle County, which recovered 57,000 bbl of oil in about 75 days, was flowing 650 b/d of oil in early December.

Tuskar reached the 800 b/d level with completion of 1 Lester, a reentry that initially produced 350 b/d of 32 gravity oil and is currently producing 270 b/d.

The three other horizontal wells in Gonzalez County-2 Zavadil, 1 Ehrig, and 1 Tenberg, were drilled earlier this year.

Tuskar acquired the Gonzales County leases through purchase of Hagen-Greenbriar Exploration Co., which was in Chapter 11, for $2.3 million.

A fifth well, 1 Elsa in Gonzales County, is due for completion in mid-December.

A sixth well on the Iley lease is to spud shortly. Tuskar has pooled its acreage on this lease with an adjacent lease and retains a 19% working interest in about 420 acres.

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