Area Drilling

U.K.

A Phillips Petroleum Co. U.K. Ltd. group tested a significant discovery on central North Sea Block 30/2c.

The 30/2c-4 well encountered a hydrocarbon column more than 1,300 ft thick with no water contact. TD is 16,867 ft. Phillips said the Jade find could start producing as early as fourth quarter 1998.

Phillips tested two intervals. The lower one stabilized at 33 MMcfd of gas and 6,000 b/d of 47° gravity condensate on a 48/64 in. choke. The upper interval stabilized at 58 MMcfd of gas and 3,700 b/d of 47° gravity condensate on a 48/64 in. choke.

The well proves up the Jade accumulation 12 miles north of Phillips operated Judy field. Jade is north of and on a separate structure from all other fields in the area.

The group drilled the well to confirm its 30/2c-3 well, drilled in early 1996 but suspended without testing due to rig time constraints. Both the 3 and 4 wells are high pressure, high temperature wells and have been suspended for re-entry and completion during development.

Phillips drilled the No. 4 well through a nine slot seabed spacer frame it installed in November 1996 in anticipation of possible field development.

Interests are Phillips 32.5%, BG Exploration & Production Ltd. 35%, Texaco North Ltd. 15.4%, Statoil (U.K.) Ltd. 10%, and OMV (U.K.) Ltd. 7.1%.

Gulf of Mexico

Coastal Corp. units plan to set eight structures in the gulf this year, up from two in 1996.

Coastal hiked its overall gulf production during the year to a net 145 MMcfd of gas and 4,200 b/d of oil and condensate from 47 MMcfd and 3,760 b/d.

Production from Main Pass 223 and 225 fields averages a net 35 MMcfd of gas and 660 b/d of condensate. Coastal plans to drill four wells in 223 field.

Net production from the High Island and West Cameron areas rose to 66 MMcfd from 23 MMcfd and to 858 b/d of condensate from 13 b/d. The 3C High Island 519A well is flowing 7 MMcfd from an 850 ft lateral at 1,850 ft TVD in Trim A2 sand.

The 5 High Island 519A is a discovery in the Sar H formation, having logged about 52 ft of net pay sand at 8,050 ft in an untested fault block.

Coastal's net production from High Island 496A, 497A, 518A, and 519A is 29 MMcfd of gas and 800 b/d of condensate.

Coastal recompleted two wells, sidetracked one well, and drilled three new wells at Vermilion 274 and 289, hiking output to 24 MMcfd of gas and 420 b/d of condensate from about 10,000 ft, up from 100 Mcfd from one well at yearend 1995.

Kansas

Hugoton Energy Corp., Wichita, is running two rigs and plans more 3D seismic this year in a Southwest Kansas area where it acquired 34 sq miles of 3D data. Ten more locations are to be drilled in first quarter.

Eleven of the 16 wells completed to date are producing a combined 1,912 b/d of oil and 10.3 MMcfd of gas. The 1 and 2 Koenig wells in Eubank field, Haskell County, were placed on production at a combined 881 b/d of oil and 684 Mcfd of gas.

Five more wells were being placed on line during February.

The most recently completed well, 3A-5 MLP Young Trust, in 5-31s-34w, Seward County, flowed 30 bbl/hr of oil with 350 Mcfd of gas. It is near a company well that late last year logged a Mississippian Chester channel sand more than 150 ft thick, PI reported.

Louisiana

Aminex plc, Dublin, has bought Windrush Production Co. for more than $4 million from owners Gaylord Resources Inc. of Texas and Diamond D Operating Inc. of Louisiana.

Windrush produces 360 b/d of oil from giant Vinton field, Calcasieu Parish. Aminex said the field has 24 producing wells plus 62 shut in wells that can be restored to production. Aminex has two producing joint ventures in western Siberia (OGJ, Oct. 30, 1995, p. 13).

Montana

Molen Drilling Co., Billings, Mont., staked a wildcat to Mississippian Lodgepole in far northeastern Montana.

The 1 Gendreau, in 24-34n-47e, Daniels County, is projected to 7,500 ft, PI reported. It is about 200 miles northeast of U.S. Lodgepole mound production in Stark County, N.D.

Texas

North

Magnum Petroleum Inc., Irving, Tex., is revitalizing and expanding its 95% owned Fargo West oil field in Wilbarger County.

Magnum's Gruy Petroleum Management Co. unit has hiked field production to 150 b/d from 70 b/d in September 1996 from Pennsylvanian Strawn conglomerate at about 6,200 ft by performing frac jobs on several wells.

Magnum plans infill and extension drilling this year and is unitizing the acreage with plans for a waterflood.

Panhandle

Mortimer Exploration Co., San Antonio, will offset to the southwest its 1996 Rehm North discovery well in the Dalhart basin.

The 3 Walker Ranch, in Hartley County 12 miles southwest of Hartley, is projected to Pennsylvanian Granite Wash at 6,600 ft. The discovery well has produced 14,538 bbl of 42.5° gravity oil from 6,086-6,115 ft in its first 6 months on line. It averaged 83 b/d in November 1996, PI reported.

Gulf Coast

Vastar Resources Inc., Houston, plans to drill 10-15 wells this year, all supported by 3D seismic data, along the Central and Lower Gulf Coast.

Its 1 Christensen, in Clay West field, Live Oak County, flowed 7 MMcfd of gas without treatment. It logged 50 ft of net pay in two zones in Eocene Wilcox. More drilling is planned.

Vastar's 6 Houston Gas Unit, which extends Donna field in Hidalgo County, is flowing 5 MMcfd of gas from an undisclosed zone. The well has more potential shallower zones, and further drilling is planned.

Wyoming

Barrett Resources Corp., Denver, plans to start production tests soon at its 16 Cave Gulch, in 32-37n-86w, Niobrara County, TD 19,106 ft, in the Wind River basin.

Barrett set casing to TD based on mud log shows of gas and data obtained from wellbore surveys.

It plans to test the Cretaceous Frontier, Muddy, and Lakota, and Jurassic Morrison and Sundance formations. Barrett's working interest is 85%.

The well encountered these formations at least 1,100 ft structurally high to the four offset gas wells, three of which have produced from Frontier and the other of which has produced from the other four formations.