1 Dallas-based Pioneer Natural Resources Co. is now producing oil from its Oooguruk Unit Field on Alaska’s North Slope. The company anticipates peak gross production of 15,000 to 20,000 bbl. per day of oil from 40 development wells within the next two years. The field’s base developments are expected to yield as much as 90 million bbl. of oil within the next 25 to 30 years—before expansion opportunities—according to the company.

2 Twin Falls, Idaho-based Trinity Exploration Inc. leased all 12 tracts offered at the June 17 sale held by the Idaho State Board of Land Commissioners in Boise. The parcels encompassed 7,360 acres in Twin Falls County. The company acquired the acreage for $1 per acre, according to IHS Inc.

3 Makoil Inc., Las Vegas, plans to drill its remote #18-44 Cabin Spring in eastern Nevada’s Long Valley about 40 miles northwest of the town of Ely in White Pine County. The well is in Section 18-21n-59e, approximately 55 miles southeast of Blackburn Field and 70 miles north-northeast of production in fields in Railroad Valley. Several dry holes have been drilled in the area since 1978. In 1985, #1 Federal-Long Shot reported oil shows in Chainman shale at about 3,790 ft.

4 A pair of remote wildcats has been slated for Utah’s Box Elder County about 42 miles southwest of the town of Snowville. Tooele, Utah-based Dobson Exploration LLC will drill #27-1 Hunsacker and #27-2 Hunsacker in Section 27-10n-13w. The wells will target Pennsylvanian zones at 3,000 ft. and 1,000 ft., respectively. The prospects are in an undrilled area approximately 14 to 15 miles west of Great Salt Lake. Nearest production comes from Rozel Point Field about 35 miles east-southeast on the lake’s southeastern shore. Now inactive, Rozel Point Field produced oil from Tertiary-Basalt zones above 500 ft. The company’s area of interest is approximately 125 miles west of fields on the northeastern Utah salient of the Overthrust Belt and 170 miles northeast of Nevada’s Blackburn Field.

5 Oklahoma City-based Cedar Mountain LLC will evaluate coalbed-methane potential in a remote area on the southern Wasatch Plateau of southwestern Utah approximately eight miles southeast of the town of Cedar City. Both wells—#1-28 Clark and #2-28 Clark—are in southeastern Iron County in Section 28-37s-10w, and both of the 1,500-ft. ventures will target the Upper Cretaceous Blackhawk formation. The #23-44 Parowan encountered oil shows in the Jurassic Twin Creek about 25 miles north of the current ventures. Other than several dry holes throughout the 1970s, there has been little drilling in this part of the state.

6 Denver-based North American Exploration LLC will drill its #17-44-0652 Federal in Section 17-6s-52e, eastern Powder River County, Mont., approximately nine miles south of Broadus. The 9,500-ft. wildcat will target Ordovician Red River. Rough Creek Field is six miles east and Wright Creek Field is about 12 miles southeast. Giant Bell Creek Field is 18 miles southeast. All three fields produce from Muddy (Lower Cretaceous). Closest Red River production comes from isolated Repeat Field about 75 miles northeast in Carter County.

7 The #1-17H Jackal is currently producing from Bakken in Section 17-156n-90w. Wichita, Kan.-based Slawson Exploration Inc. completed the discovery in a previously nonproducing township more than a mile west of Palermo, N.D., Mountrail County. The well is producing from a horizontal Bakken lateral with a total depth of 13,948 ft. Completion details have not been released. Ross Field is four to five miles west of the current prospect. There, #1423H-1 RS-Nelson-156-91 flowed 206 bbl. of oil, 78,000 cu. ft. of gas and 77 bbl. of water per day from Middle Bakken.

8 Dallas-based Hunt Oil Co. completed its second Bakken producer in North Dakota. The #1-27H Patten was tested at an initial 307 bbl. of 43.1-gravity oil, 77,000 cu. ft. of gas and 292 bbl. of water per day. The discovery is in Section 27-153n-89w, approximately six miles north-northeast of the town of Parshall in southeastern Mountrail County. Flowing tubing pressure was measured at 1,310 psi on 22/64-in. choke. The nearest producer, #1-32 Ralph, is 2.5 miles west on the southeastern flank of Parshall Field. That well flowed 1,329 bbl. of oil, 329,000 cu. ft. of gas and 1,335 bbl. of water per day from a Bakken interval extending from 9,500 to 13,933 ft. The well produced 32.6 million cu. ft. of gas and 7,083 bbl. of water in its first eight months online.

9 Denver independent Bill Barrett Corp. has staked its fourth wildcat on its Rocktober Unit in the Big Horn Basin in northwestern Wyoming. The site is in Lot 37 of Section 36-53n-99w, northeastern Park County, approximately 14 miles east of the town of Cody. The #34-36 Rocktober Unit is projected to reach Mesaverde at a depth of 15,850 ft. The project area is approximately six to seven miles southwest of a shut-in Upper Cretaceous Meeteetse discovery that flowed 49 bbl. of oil, 25,000 cu. ft. of gas and 105 bbl. of water daily from 11,206-12 ft. The company holds 77,000 net undeveloped acres in its Big Horn Basin gas projects. Potential pay zones include Lance, Meeteetse, Mesaverde and Muddy.

10 Durango, Colo.-based Peak Nebraska Acquisitions LLC completed #16-31 McConnell in Section 16-2n-33w, Hitchcock County, southwestern Nebraska. The McConnell Field opener was drilled to a depth of 4,675 ft. on the Cambridge Arch. In its first three months, the well produced 1,346 bbl. of oil from an undisclosed Lansing-Kansas City interval. Abandoned Black Canyon Field is approximately two miles southeast of the new discovery. Another Lansing-Kansas City oil pool near the site is Meeker Canal Field, which is 2.5 miles east. The company also completed a step-out from Kema Field almost six miles northeast. The #24-33 McCollam was completed in April and produced 719 bbl. of oil during its first two months online.

11 A reentry project has been slated for the Las Animas Arch approximately 14 miles south of Cheyenne Wells, Colo. Direct Petroleum Exploration Inc., Denver, will reenter its noncommercial Lansing-Kansas City discovery, #1 SS&N Farms-State, to test Permian Cedar Hills at 3,000 ft. The well is in Section 34-16s-44w in southeastern Cheyenne County. It was originally completed last summer flowing three bbl. of oil and 85 bbl. of water per day from Lansing-Kansas City at 4,478 to 4,610 ft. The workover project is almost five miles east of Loma Field and about five miles southeast of Golden Spike Field. Both pools produce oil primarily from Spergen (Mississippian). Although Loma Field also produces from Marmaton, there is no known production from Permian zones in the area.

12 Lexam Explorations (USA) Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Lexam Explorations Inc., Toronto, plans to drill a 14,000-ft. wildcat in the San Luis Basin about 30 miles north-northeast of Alamosa, Colo. The #7 Baca will target Dakota in Section 33-43n-11e, in southeastern Saguache County. The wildcat is some 1.5 miles south of two similar Dakota tests—#6 Baca and #5 Baca—scheduled by the company last year. Both projects were put on hold pending the completion of a study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in response to a federal district court filing by the San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council. Nearest previous production is at the now-abandoned, one-well Gardner Field about 28 miles east-southeast of the current ventures. The noncommercial discovery for Del Norte Field was abandoned about 38 miles west-southwest.

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