Michigan to get horizontal and directional well projects

G. Alan Petzet
Exploration Editor

Operators have planned several noteworthy horizontal and directional projects in Michigan.

Recent drilling has identified a substantial gas/condensate accumulation in Ordovician Prairie du Chien at the head of Saginaw Bay. Michigan's longest offset directional well is being drilled with a 7,200 ft displacement to tap a portion of the field beneath the bay.

Other projects involve shallower pool wildcats to Prairie du Chien at the state's most productive deep gas field, the state's first horizontal penetrations in Mississippian Berea sandstone, and a dual lateral well for Devonian Antrim shale gas in Manistee County.

Bay County projects

A large gas/condensate field is being developed near Pinconning, Mich.

Two wells drilled by JAF Properties Inc., Haslett, Mich., are producing 6.2 MMcfd of gas and 325 b/d of condensate and 4 MMcfd and 425 b/d from Middle Prairie du Chien. The field, named Fraser 9, is among the state's deepest hydrocarbon production.

JAF was spudding at end July the 2-18 State Fraser, a planned 14,616 ft Middle PdC test. It is to tap a part of the field thought to extend beneath Saginaw Bay. The drill site is in 12-16n-4e, outside the drilling unit in 18-16n-5e.

Newstar Energy USA, Monroe, Mich., has purchased most of the interests in the field and is likely to assume operations of the 2-18 State Fraser, JAF said.

Newstar, a subsidiary of a Canadian company, was preparing to frac the 1-11 State Fraser & Garbulinski, in 11-16n-4e.

Newstar recently acquired 2D swath seismic in southwestern Saginaw Bay, but the state will not permit drilling of bottomland leases that contain no upland acreage or offshore drilling.

Newstar hopes to drill at least three more land wells to the west, one of which has been staked, the 1-16 Powers, in 16-16n-4e. It is projected to 12,400 ft.

In another project, Summit Petroleum Corp., Mount Pleasant, Mich., was starting the state's first horizontal penetrations in Mississippian Berea sandstone, Michigan Oil & Gas News reported.

Summit will drill drain holes from existing Williams field wells in 6-14n-3e, Bay County, in an area of low Berea permeability, and 36-15n-2e, Midland County, in a higher permeability area.

Other projects

Middle Prairie du Chien at 10,700 ft is the target at two wells Unocal plans in Garfield Section 8 field, Kalkaska County, site of the state's most productive deep gas well.

The field during 1990-96 has produced more than 40 bcf from Lower Prairie du Chien, including 28 bcf from the State Garfield 1-8 well.

The drilling permit indicates Unocal expects at least 300 ft separation between the lowermost Middle zone producing interval in the 2-8 well and the top perforations in the 1-8 well.

Shell Western E&P Inc. and Ward Lake Drilling Inc., Gaylord, Mich., plan to drill a Manistee County gas well this fall that would have two laterals each a state record of a mile or more in length, the News reported.

The well, proposed for 33-24n-14w, would have one lateral each in the Lachine and Norwood members of fractured Devonian Antrim shale. Shell has drilled several dual lateral wells in Antrim.