Texas: Forest joins Wolfcamp shale oil play

Forest Oil Corp., Denver, has accumulated 58,000 gross (51,000 net) contiguous acres, mainly comprised of two leases, in Crockett County, Tex., in the Permian basin prospective for the Wolfcamp shale oil play.

The company said the play is still in the early stages and that it believes the area is prospective for conventional targets and for oil in the Wolfcamp shale.

Forest intends to perform the necessary science work, including extensive coring of vertical pilot wells and employing microseismic technology to identify the most effective way to complete the horizontal wells.

The company drilled its first vertical and horizontal well pair in the quarter ended Sept. 30 and is completing the horizontal well while utilizing microseismic through the vertical well. It has spudded the second vertical and horizontal well pair in a different area and will continue testing this acreage during the rest of 2011 and into 2012 by drilling and completing a total of six wells.