Wyoming's Manderson oil field growing fast

Production capacity from Manderson field in the Big Horn basin is expected to rise to as much as 10,000 b/d of oil and 16 MMcfd of gas next year after completion of a gas injection well and amine treatment plant late this year, says KCS Energy Inc., Houston. KCS since early this year has completed 11 new wells and recompleted one well. In late October it was completing four wells and drilling two more. Sour gas flaring restrictions limit production to 1,500 b/d of oil and 2 MMcfd of gas. KCS

Nov. 11, 1996

2 min read

KCS since early this year has completed 11 new wells and recompleted one well. In late October it was completing four wells and drilling two more. Sour gas flaring restrictions limit production to 1,500 b/d of oil and 2 MMcfd of gas. KCS holds about 14,000 acres in the field area.

An injection well due for completion this month will enable KCS to inject 8 MMcfd of gas for pressure maintenance into the Permian Phosphoria dolomite reservoir at 7,400-7,600 ft and allow oil production to rise to about 5,000 b/d of oil. The amine plant will allow the treated gas to be marketed with the sour inert gas injected into a disposal well.

Hefty oil flows

The most recent well, 22-12 Manderson, in Big Horn County, flowed 881 b/d of oil and 3.68 MMcfd of gas on a 19/64 in. choke with 1,680 psig FTP from Phosphoria at about 7,600 ft.

Integration of data from the 22-12 well indicates the field is much larger than the 9 mile length originally estimated, and testing indicates formation pressure is near the 3,280 psig original reservoir pressure, the company said.

The other completed wells tested at rates of 200-1,900 b/d of oil and 450 Mcfd to 4 MMcfd of gas, far exceeding the company's initial expectations.

The company is adding a third rig and plans to drill 13 more wells at Manderson by yearend and at least 35 wells next year. Nine of the 1996 wells will target Phosphoria, and four will go to existing shallower horizons.

Log data and test results suggest potential pays exist in five additional shallower zones: Cretaceous Lakota, Dakota, Muddy, Octh Louie, and Frontier sands.