Brigham Exploration Co., Austin, has formed a new Wyoming joint venture and signed a letter of intent for a work program to explore and develop more than 240,000 gross acres of deep rights with multipay potential, including the Cretaceous Mowry shale, in the southeastern Powder River basin.
Plans are to conduct a comprehensive technical evaluation by yearend and begin drilling on the acreage in 2008.
Brigham will initially retain a 100% working interest in the program.
Meanwhile, the company has fracture-stimulated various intervals in its three most recent horizontal Mowry completions. The Werner 1-14H and State 1-16H have both flowed back 60-70% of their frac load, while the most recently stimulated Mill Trust 1-12H has flowed back about 40% of its frac load.
Brigham plans to install production tubing and pumping equipment on all three wells over the next several weeks.
Brigham owns a 50% interest in the Mowry joint venture. American Oil & Gas Inc. holds 45%, and private firm North Finn LLC holds 5%. Brigham’s acreage holdings in the play are about 65,000 net acres.
The company is scheduled to spud its third well for the year, the Krecji 1-32H, in early October. The results of the current completions will determine how quickly Brigham will commence the next well. The company said, however, it expects a very active program in the Mowry through 2008.
