?1 A wildcat is planned by Anschutz Exploration Corp. targeting Jurassic zones in a nonproducing area of the Utah Hingeline about 13 miles southeast of Elk Ridge, Utah. The #11-20 Hjorth Canyon Unit will be drilled to 4,700 ft. in Section 20-11s-4e, southern Utah County. Nearby discoveries include a Ferron gas pool in Carbon County, a Jurassic Navajo oil pool on the Hingeline in Sevier County, and an Overthrust Belt reservoir in Summit County that produced from Jurassic Twin Creek and Nugget.

2 About 30 miles south of Moab, Utah,?EnCana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. has scheduled a 6,047-ft. Paradox Basin exploratory test. The #4-20-30-25 Middle Mesa-Federal, in Lot 20 of irregular Section 4-30s-25e, will evaluate Cutler, Honaker Trail, La Sal and Ismay gas zones. The new EnCana drillsite is 1.5 miles north-northwest of the northwest-southeast trending Big Indian Field, where the company has recently been developing gas reserves in Cutler and Honaker Trail. EnCana’s headquarters are in Calgary.

3 Another Piceance Basin exploratory test, about 18 miles from Rangely, Colo., was announced by Fort Worth-based Bopco LP initially flowing 2.1 million cu. ft. of gas and 792 bbl. of water per day. The #29-32-1 Yellow Creek-Federal in Section 29-1n-98w in western Rio Blanco County is producing from five fractured Mesaverde zones through perforations between 9,106 and 11,154 ft. Those zones are: Williams Fork at 9,106-9,897 ft.; Rollins, 9,910-76 ft.; Cozzette, 10,011-12 ft.; Corcoran, 10,400-10,721 ft.; and Sego at 10,809-11,154 ft. Flow was measured through a 32/64-in. choke with a tubing pressure of 875 psi. Formation tops at the 11,503-ft. well include Williams Fork at 6,384 ft.; Rollins, 9,909 ft.; Cozzette, 10,003 ft.; Corcoran 10,197 ft.; and Sego at 10,801 ft.

4 IHS Inc. reports that Denver-based New Frontier Energy Inc. reentered an 8,449-ft. wildcat in a nonproducing township in northwestern Routt County, Colo., and tested gas from both Niobrara and Frontier. The #12-1 Focus Ranch Unit-Federal in Section 12-11n-88w, northeast of Craig, flowed 1.3 million cu. ft. of gas per day from Niobrara, and 1.2 million cu. ft. of gas and 100 bbl. of condensate daily from Frontier. The company indicated that the workover will produce about 2.3 million cu. ft. of gas and 100 bbl. of condensate daily when fully completed and placed into production.?Nearly eight miles to the northwest is Slater Dome Field, where New Frontier is developing Mesaverde coalbed-methane reserves.

5 The Rocky Mountain Oil Journal reports that Bill Barrett Corp. of Denver has a new Gothic completion in the Paradox Basin in Montezuma County, Colo. The #3H-27-38-16 Koskie-Brumley Draw, in Section 27-38n-16w, tested at 5.7 million cu. ft. of gas per day from a horizontal leg in the Gothic shale. Limited details indicate that the bottomhole depth was 9,125 ft., and the well flowed 4.5 million cu. ft. during a 17-day test period and 5.7 million cu. ft. before shut-in. Barrett’s wildcat discovery is a stepout from #1 Koskie-Brumley Draw, drilled in the Yellow Jacket prospect area. Based on the encouraging activity, Barrett is planning production and gathering facilities and possibly a new pipeline.

6 A single-lateral horizontal wildcat was drilled by Hess Corp., New York City, nearly six miles southwest of Ross in western Mountrail County, N.D. According to IHS Inc., the wildcat has been completed as a Middle Bakken discovery flowing at an early rate of 740 bbl. of oil equivalent per day. The #1522H-1 EN-Cvancara-155-93 in Section 15-155n-93w is producing from 10 fractured stages in a horizontal lateral. It was drilled to an approximate total depth of 20,200 ft. on a 1,280-acre spacing unit comprising all of Sections 15 and 22. Brigham Exploration Co. owns a 30% working interest in the well.

7 Two horizontal Three Forks/Sanish producers have been completed on the Nesson Anticline in North Dakota, including one drilled about 14 miles east of Watford City that initially flowed 1,216 bbl. of oil equivalent per day. Enid Okla.-based Continental Resources reported that #1-15H Maryann in Section 15-150n-96w, northeastern McKenzie County, is producing from a horizontal lateral in Three Forks/Sanish. Continental owns a 38% working interest in the well. Further details are not yet available. Four miles to the southwest, Continental has completed another horizontal Three Forks/Sanish producer, #1-33H Kirkland in Section 33-150n-96w, which initially flowed 733 bbl. of oil equivalent per day. Production is from a horizontal lateral in Three Forks/Sanish, and Continental holds a 46% working interest in this well.

8 A record 4,570 bbl. of oil equivalent per day—the largest initial production rate discovery in North Dakota history—has been reported by Denver-based Whiting Oil & Gas Corp. The #11-9H Richardson-Federal is in Section 9-153n-91w, nine miles northeast of New Town, Mountrail County. The well is producing from a fractured horizontal lateral in Middle Bakken extending from 10,436 ft. to a measured total depth of 19,936 ft. Whiting owns 85% working interest in the new producer. Nearly six miles north-northeast of the record producer, Whiting has completed another Sanish Field well initially flowing 3,646 bbl. of oil equivalent per day. The #11-14H Kinnoin, in Section 14-154n-91w, is producing from a fractured horizontal Middle Bakken lateral at 10,099-19,743 ft. Whiting holds 52% in the Kinnion well.

9 A 3,744-bbl., 1.58-million-cu.-ft.-per-day producer by Houston-based EOG Resources Inc. is the largest producer to date on the prolific Austin lease in Parshall Field. The #5-14H Austin, in Section 14-154n-90w, is about 12 miles south of Palermo in Mountrail County, N.D. The well is producing from a fractured horizontal Middle Bakken interval at 9,836-14,370 ft. The lateral extends from 9,770 ft. northwestward to a measured total depth of 14,693 ft. at a bottom-hole location in Section 14. True vertical total depth is 9,338 ft. and flow was measured through a 24/64-in. choke with a tubing pressure of 1,250 psi. The Austin producers have been incorporated into Parshall Field about eight miles to the south.

10 Another Parshall Field discovery was reported by EOG Resources flowing at an early peak rate of 1,797 bbl. of oil equivalent per day. The Houston-based company’s #1-13H Wayzetta, in Section 13-153n-90w, was tested in a horizontal Middle Bakken lateral at 9,606-14,492 ft. following stimulation. It was drilled to a bottomhole location in Section 13. Log tops include Upper Bakken at 9,516 ft. and Middle Bakken at 9,668 ft., and a total true vertical depth of 9,296 ft.

11 Slawson Exploration Co. Inc., Denver, has completed a 622-bbl.-of-oil-per-day stepout from the company’s Middle Bakken discovery nine miles west of Parshall, N.D. The Parshall Field discovery is #1-21H Payara in Section 21-152n-91w, southern Mountrail County, and is producing from a fractured horizontal Middle Bakken lateral extending from 10,046 ft. south­eastward to a measured total depth of 13,892 ft. The bottom-hole location is in the same section. Austin-based Brigham Exploration holds an 18% working interest in the new producer.

12 Anadarko Petroleum Corp. of Houston is continuing its testing program at Gubik and Chandler prospects this winter in the Brooks Range foothills 60-70 miles south of the North Slope village of Nuiqsut, Alaska. Drilling at these prospects will be conducted from pads located 50-70 miles southwest of the Kuparuk River Unit near Umiat. Operations also include the Wolf Creek prospect, which is approximately 40 miles west of Umiat in the National Petroluem Reserve-Alaska. Much of the activities will be located either on federal or native lands. State land activity will include building three ice pads near the Kuparuk River Unit drillsite 2P and near the Anaktuvuk River; two ice airstrips at the Shirukak Lake and Anaktuvuk River staging pads; and construction and operation of approximately 52 miles of ice/snow roads for transportation between the sites.

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