Washington

Delta Petroleum Corp., Denver, began a completion attempt at the Gray 31-23 well sidetrack in the nonproducing Columbia River basin in Klickitat County, Wash., where it logged numerous highly porous and permeable overpressured gas-charged sands.

Aug. 17, 2009

2 min read

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Aug. 17 – Delta Petroleum Corp., Denver, began a completion attempt at the Gray 31-23 well sidetrack in the nonproducing Columbia River basin in Klickitat County, Wash., where it logged numerous highly porous and permeable overpressured gas-charged sands.

The liner in the original wellbore failed during cementing. If flow rates and pressure tests are favorable and indicate commerciality, Delta will drill a 5-month confirmation well to target these sands.

If the results don’t support a stand-alone well in the targeted sands, Delta will consider drilling a well to the Eocene Roslyn formation that would be designed to commingle or ultimately produce from both intervals (see chart, OGJ, Jan. 14, 2008, p. 37). Drilling a Roslyn formation well is likely to take 6 months. Roslyn is considered more prospective than it was before Gray 31-23 was drilled because of the presence of the overpressuring and higher than expected gas column, Delta said.

The next well is to be the Gray 25-33, and the company is permitting more wells on the same 31-sq-mile Bronco prospect. Delta has a 50-50 stake with Husky Energy Inc., Calgary, in 844,000 acres.

Delta, which has 23 drilled but uncompleted wells in the Piceance basin in Colorado, temporarily suspended completion work there and expects gas output to fall. It is diverting much of the capital dedicated to Piceance basin completions to the Columbia River basin for completion, permitting, and right-of-way procurement.