G. Alan Petzet
Exploration Editor
Operators continue to chalk up successes--as well as some mixed results--with horizontal drilling in a variety of U.S. regions.
The South claims a large share of such activity (OGJ, Oct. 22, p. 36).
Here are samples of what's happening in Michigan, the Rockies, and Oklahoma:
MICHIGAN
PetroStar Energy, Traverse City, Mich., tried Michigan's first deep basin horizontal hole at 1-16 Riverside in Missaukee County earlier this year.
The well was intended to penetrate 2,1 00 ft of Cambro-Ordovician Prairie du Chien at about 12,000 ft true vertical depth (TVD). It was plugged after reaching a 76 inclination, apparently after drilling out of reservoir rock, Michigan's Oil & Gas News reported.
This summer, Petro-Star staked 1-26 State-Burleigh HD-1, a north offset to a Petro-Star discovery with a vertical hole in Iosco County. The company planned a 2,000 ft long horizontal leg directed west from the surface location.
The vertical discovery, 135 State-Burleigh, was completed last February flowing 950 Mcfd of gas and 240 b/d of 53 gravity condensate from Lower Prairie du Chien,
Conoco Inc. staked 1-17 HD1 Lovette, in Vevay Township, Ingham County. Target is a Silurian Niagaran reef in a 1,400 lateral.
And Marathon Oil Co., which previously tried several short radius drainholes in the Albion-Scipio/Stoney Point fields area with mixed results, plans to drill at least two medium radius horizontal wells about 2,000 ft long for oil in Ordovician Black River.
NORTH DAKOTA EXPLORATION
Many operators have followed Meridian Oil Inc.'s lead in horizontal drilling to Mississippian Bakken in the Williston basin. Producing rates in the area on the average have not been as large as those in the Cretaceous Austin chalk play of South Texas.
American Hunter Exploration Co. in May on behalf of a large industry group presented to the North Dakota Industrial Commission a study that said there are not enough reserves in Bakken on less than 640 acre well spacing to economically justify development using horizontal wells.
Still, operators have been drilling horizontal Bakken wildcats as well as development wells in areas of oil production from vertical Bakken wells.
Pacific Enterprise Oil Co. (USA) last July completed 24-29H PEOC, a horizontal Bakken discovery in Billings County, producing 38 b/d of oil.
American Hunter in September completed a horizontal discovery in Mountrail County. The 36044 H4 AHEL et al.-Sanish flowed 16 b/d of oil from Bakken at 10,886-12,229 ft measured depth.
Slawson Exploration Co. Inc., Wichita, Kan., 1-16 Silkworm, a step-out from Squaw Gap field, McKenzie County, produced 2,682 bbl of oil in 16 days in June from Bakken.
American Hunter earlier this month staked 42-23 H- 1 3 AHEL et al.-West Nesson, in a nonproducing McKenzie County township 8 miles west of Charlson field. Objective is Bakken.
In other Bakken exploration, Conoco staked 32-1 Conoco-Federal 1 mile south of Morgan Draw field in Billings County, to 10,700 ft TVD or Bakken.
Union Pacific Resources Co., Fort Worth, in August planned 1 Dutch Treat 14-8 in Dunn County, a Bakken test about 5 miles southwest of Jim Creek field.
And Leede Exploration, Denver, in July staked 44-36H Kessel, 3/4 mile west of Bullsnake field in Billings County, N.D. TVD was to be 10,730 ft in Bakken.
Amoco Production Co. in August staked 1 H and 2H Columbine to Bakken in a nonproducing Williams County township, about 4 miles southwest of Beaver Lodge field.
NORTH DAKOTA DEVELOPMENT
In development activity, Meridian completed 42-11H MOI-Rough Rider in Rough Rider field, McKenzie County. It produced an average of 379 b/d of oil and 507.5 Mcfd of gas in July, its first month of production.
Texaco Inc. in August was attempting to complete 1 Texaco-Master Enterprises, 27-143n-96w, Dunn County, as a horizontal Bakken discovery. The well is 9 miles south-southwest of nearest Bakken production at the Murphy Creek field discovery.
Meridian's 41-3H MOI North Fork in Golden Valley County produced 106 bbl of oil and 53 Mcf of gas from Bakken in 2 days during May. It is a discovery 4 miles northeast of Bicentennial field.
Another wildcat, Meridian 41-35H MOI-Buckhorn in McKenzie County produced 1,706 bbl of oil and 1.213 MMcf of gas in 6 days in May. It is 1-1/4 miles northwest of a BWAB Inc., Denver, horizontal Bakken well completed in September 1989 and incorporated into Buckhorn field.
Meridian Oil Inc.'s 31-29H MOI, Billings County, produced 6,988 bbl of oil and 3.312 MMcf of gas in 20 days during May.
The well is 1/2 mile southwest of Meridian's 14-21H MOI, a mid-1990 horizontal Bakken discovery that produced 7,200 bbl of oil and 4.91 MMcf of gas in 31 days in May. The area is 2 miles west-northwest of Roosevelt field.
Meridian also completed a step-out from Elkhorn Ranch field, one of the heaviest horizontally drilled fields in the Bakken play.
Its 41-9H MOI, 9-143n-102w, flowed 448 bbl of oil and 364 Mcf of gas in 10 days in May.
Just to the south, Maxus Energy Co. completed 23-5H Amy-Fee, producing 2,108 bbl of oil in 12 days in May.
Leede Oil & Gas Co., Denver, completed its second horizontal Bakken producer in nearby Ash Coulee field. Its 14-8H USA Perow flowed 1,882 bbl of oil and 750 Mcf of gas in 3 days in May.
Leede's well offsets to the east Slawson 1-7 Sidewinder, which flowed oil at a rate of 1,362 b/d from 14 ft of horizontal well bore in Bakken (OGJ, Feb. 26, Newsletter).
Leede also started production in August at 31-9H Kuntz in Stark County, a Bakken wildcat about 1/2 mile west of the New Hradec field discovery, an Ordovician Red River oil well converted to a salt water disposal well.
In Rough Rider field, Leede's 44-16H RKE produced from Bakken at average rates of 474 b/d of oil and 448 Mcfd of gas in 15 days in July and 368 b/d of oil and 515 Mcfd of gas in 31 days in August.
Columbia Gas Development Corp. and Slawson individually have been completing series of horizontal Bakken wells in Ash Coulee field, Billings, County, N.D.
Initial flow rates have ranged to as much as 1,362 b/d of oil. Most of the wells have initial potential tests of several hundred barrels a day. By mid-August, Columbia had participated in 19 horizontal wells, 16 of which have been completed and are producing 5,223 b/d of oil. The company also is active in the Austin chalk play.
Edisto Resources Corp., Dallas, in July planned a 14-1H Sickler, a Bakken wildcat with 3,300 ft displacement 4-1/2 miles east of Murphy Creek field, a vertical Bakken discovery well, in Dunn County.
Edisto also planned 18-1H Kovaloff, a horizontal Bakken test 1/2 mile southeast of the same field. Interest owners include Amoco, Union Pacific, and Murphy Creek Partners.
Conoco in July proposed two 2,500 ft long horizontal Bakken tests in Lost Bridge field, Dunn County. It also staked 19-1 Conoco-Federal to 10,700 ft TVD in Bakken, located just north of Pierre Creek field of McKenzie County.
And Pennzoil Exploration & Production Co. staked horizontal Bakken tests in MonDak, Snowcover, and Flattop Butte fields of McKenzie County.
MONTANA
Formations in several basins are targets of horizontal drilling in Montana.
Texaco has drilled two 1,500 ft long horizontal Jurassic Sawtooth oil tests in Bowes Sawtooth Unit, Blaine County, Montana. Planned TVDs at the Bearpaw arch wells were to be about 3,500 ft.
In the Williston basin, Oryx Energy Co. sought state approval in August to drill two parallel north-south horizontal wellbores in Bakken shale in a wildcat area 4-5 miles west-northwest of Anvil field, Roosevelt County. Measured depths were to be 12,775-910 ft.
About 1-1/2 miles northwest of Anvil field, Oryx has drilled 1 HD Big Sky to Bakken at 10,070 ft TVD.
Hondo Oil & Gas Co., Roswell, N.M., reached total depth in July at 4 Willie Bee, a horizontal well in Dwyer field, Sheridan County, projected to Silurian Interlake at 11,300 ft.
In central Montana's Bull Mountains basin, Delphi International Inc., Tulsa, staked 1 Goffena in Musselshell County as a planned horizontal well to Pennsylvanian Amsden dolomite at 6,200 ft TVD in Delphia field.
COLORADO
Cretaceous Niobrara, a formation of interbedded chalks and calcareous shales, is the top horizontal target in Colorado and Wyoming.
Niobrara horizontal drilling is planned or being attempted in the Denver, Sand Wash, and Hanna basins in the two states.
Union Pacific plugged 1 Lazy D 21-3, in Weld County, Colo., the operator's first horizontal test in the Niobrara chalk trend.
The well was delayed by many mechanical problems involving drilling and testing. It apparently found very few open, natural fractures in Niobrara and recovered oil at noncommercial rates from a 2,000 ft open hole interval, Petroleum Information Corp., Denver, reported.
In the Sand Wash basin, Oryx in late June spudded 12-2HD Dry Creek Unit in Routt County, the first of four planned horizontal Niobrara tests.
Oryx planned a 2,040 ft horizontal section at about 7,200 ft TVD about 1/2 mile west of Fish Creek field, a shutin Niobrara oil and gas discovery.
The company has staked a south offset and another well in Grassy Creek field and plans a horizontal Niobrara test near Pelt field, all in Routt County.
Pacific Enterprises Oil Co. (USA) in late September staked 41-23H PEOC, about 1/2 mile east of Wolf Mountain field in Routt County. It is to be a horizontal Niobrara well at about 2,800 ft TVD.
Hondo Oil & Gas Co., Roswell, N.M., plans to drill 1 Zabel, a 2,000 ft horizontal well in Routt County about 3 miles north-northeast of Curtis field. Hondo plans to drill vertically to 2,900 ft, plug back, and kick off to horizontally drill Niobrara at 2,800 ft TVD.
Also in Routt County, Credo Petroleum Corp., Denver, acquired Harvey Operating & Production Co.'s 85% interest in a 600 acre horizontal Niobrara prospect in Bear River field. The zone is about 4,000 ft deep.
Four vertical Niobrara wells produce in the area. The field has produced nearly 1.1 million bbl of oil and more than 787 MMcf of gas through March 1990, PI reported.
In Moffat County, Meridian received a permit to drill a horizontal Niobrara test in Buck Peak field. TVD is to be about 7,500 ft.
More horizontal drilling will result in northern Colorado and southern Wyoming from Snyder Oil Co.'s Pawnee project, in which Pennzoil has 37.5% and Coda Energy Inc., Dallas, formerly Chapman Energy Inc., holds 37.5% (OGJ, Sept. 10, Newsletter).
WYOMING
Cowan Oil Co., Greeley, Colo., and Union Pacific are continuing multiwell horizontal programs in Silo field, Laramie County, the Denver basin area that ignited the Niobrara horizontal drilling play in June.
Cowan helped launch the Niobrara play in June when its 1 Warren, a horizontal well in Silo field, flowed 2,000 b/d of oil and 500 Mcfd of gas from Niobrara.
Union Pacific this month completed its first Silo horizontal well at 1 H Antelope 9-11. It flowed a rated 1,671 b/d of oil based on a 21 hr test through a 44/64 in. choke with 225 psi flowing tubing pressure. Horizontal displacement was 2,529 ft, of which 2,037 ft were in Niobrara.
Union Pacific stepped up its Denver basin leasehold by paying an undisclosed sum to Wolverine Exploration Co., also of Fort Worth, for a 50% interest in 117,000 gross and 91,000 net acres, including 9,000 acres adjacent to Silo field. Union Pacific formerly held an 88,000 acre spread in the Silo area.
Meanwhile, activity is branching out.
In the Powder River basin, GLG Energy LP, Austin, proposed creation of Si Tanka federal exploratory unit for horizontal drilling in Niobrara.
The envisioned 85 sq mile unit is in Natrona County, east of Salt Creek and Teapot Dome fields. The unit would cover all formations except Lakota, Wall Creek, and Tensleep.
GLG said Niobrara averages 420 ft thick across the proposed unit and 2,000-7,000 ft deep.
The Niobrara shale and underlying Carlile shale are expected to be heavily fractured in the unit area. GLG said those two formations produced more than 4 million bbl of oil in Salt Creek field during 1911-57.
The first four obligation wells were to be drilled in 6-38n-77w to bottomhole locations in 31-39n-77w with 2,500 ft horizontal legs at 5,520 ft TVD. GLG staked the first location last month.
In East Salt Creek field, Natrona County, Hondo Oil & Gas completed the 1-16H well pumping 185 b/d of oil, 269 b/d of water, and 40 Mcfd of gas from the second Wall Creek sandstone member of Lower Cretaceous Frontier.
Harvey E. Yates Co., Roswell, N.M., proposed creation of Stuart Ranch (Deep) Unit to horizontally evaluate Niobrara shale in Campbell County between Hilight and House Creek fields. Yates planned to drill a horizontal wildcat to Niobrara at 9,300 ft TVD.
In Southwest Wyoming, Texaco in August indicated plans for a 500-1,000 ft long horizontal hole in Bruff field on the Moxa arch if log data do not justify a vertical completion, PI reported.
Texaco's 2H Government-Donley NCT-1 in Sweetwater County would be drilled vertically to 12,200 ft in Cretaceous Dakota, then plugged back 400 ft and kicked off horizontally in the same zone in a direction determined by downhole evaluation.
Union Pacific delayed until first quarter 1991 drilling of two horizontal tests in the Hanna basin. The company plans to drill the Overland Dome and Hugus Nose structures in Carbon County.
NEW MEXICO
Merrion Oil & Gas Corp., Farmington, N.M., plans to drill several more horizontal holes after what it calls a "highly commercial success" at a horizontal well in Lower Jurassic Entrada sandstone in Papers Wash field, McKinley County, in the San Juan basin.
Its 15-2H Federal well cut 434 ft of horizontal hole in Entrada and averaged 309 b/d of oil and 5,046 b/d of water during a 40 day test on a submersible pump with essentially no decline rate, the company said. Pumping fluid level was 3,000 ft.
Before the test, the well was beam pumped at low volumes, averaging 60 b/d of oil and 800 b/d of water for 5 months.
Merrion, which operates six Entrada fields, believes the horizontal well has greatly increased reserves in Papers Wash field, which it considered to be 95% depleted by vertical wells.
Elsewhere in the San Juan basin, BASF Corp. spudded 14 Ute Mountain 28 in San Juan County, a horizontal Cretaceous Gallup siltstone test in Verde field on the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation 9 miles northwest of Farmington. The well is to turn southeast and penetrate about 1,000 ft of Gallup at 5,000 ft TVD.
Samuel Gary Jr. & Associates has sought 320 and 640 acre spacing for four horizontal wells in the Cretaceous Mancos oil pool of Rio Puerco field near Cuba in Sandoval County.
OKLAHOMA
Several Anadarko basin horizontal drilling wells are pending in western Oklahoma.
Samson Gas Producing Co., Tulsa, staked 2-4 Dietz in Oakdale field, Woods County. It will be the state's longest horizontal well if drilled as planned. Proposed length is 2,500 ft directed S. 14 E. in Mississippi limestone at about 6,800 ft TVD.
Bogert Oil Co., Oklahoma City, in June staked 2-8 Arlo in Blaine County on the Anadarko basin shelf. It is to be a 3,358 ft horizontal hole in Mississippian limestone at about 8,923 ft TVD.
Butler Petroleum Co., Oklahoma City, started work in late May at 1-8 Phillips, a planned 2,074 ft horizontal well in New Liberty field, Beckham County. Objective is Virgilian Shawnee B sandstone.
In northern Oklahoma, Bobwhite Production Co., Tulsa, sought spacing for horizontal wells to Ordovocian Second Wilcox in Northwest Iconium field, Logan County, and Coon Creek field, Oklahoma County.
Withrow Oil Corp., Oklahoma City, sought 160 acre spacing in Mississippian limestone for horizontal drilling in the Sooner Trend of Garfield County. The well would be in an undrilled quarter section surrounded by four vertical Mississippian oil and gas producing wells.
One of the few horizontal gas well completion attempts occurred in December 1988 at Ladd Petroleum Corp. 227 Leon in Lorena field, Beaver County.
Ladd drilled a 1,000 ft horizontal hole in Mississippian Chester at 6,900 ft. The well produced 106 MMcf of gas from January 1989 through February 1990.
Brown & Borelli Inc., drilled a 500 ft lateral in Siluro-Devonian Hunton at 1 Big Four in the Sooner Trend, Kingfisher County, early this year. It pumped 46 b/d of oil with 150 Mcfd of gas on initial completion.
In southern Oklahoma, Conoco last July sought approvals to combine two 20 acre units for a 280-400 ft drain hole, 8 Greer, in Ordovician Third Bromide at about 3,860 ft in 34-1n-2e, Davis field, Murray County.
Texaco in September staked 2-B Miller, a planned 1,166 ft lateral in Mississippian Sycamore limestone at 7,900 ft TVD in Sho-Vel-Tum, Carter County.
Meanwhile, Jolen Operating Co., Oklahoma City, planned to reenter a vertical well, 1 Ticer, in Southeast Joiner City field, Carter County. Jolen will drill a 1,500 ft horizontal leg at 9,039 ft TVD in Sycamore.
Copyright 1990 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.