Horn River Shale Gas Play In NE British Columbia Going Strong

The economics of gas wells in the Horn River Shale of northeastern British Columbia, Canada must be excellent. Why? Imagine the cost of bringing in rigs and equipment to this remote area, with its harsh climate and lack of supporting infrastructure. Gas produced from shale, via horizontal drilling and constantly improving hydraulic fracturing technology are key elements to this success.
Peter

Horn River drilling, gas plant take shape
By OGJ editors HOUSTON, Apr. 22 -- (source)

EnCana Corp., Calgary, and its partner Apache Corp., Houston, have adopted a more efficient way to develop gas in the Horn River basin shales of Northeast British Columbia, EnCana said.

The companies hope to be able to drill fewer wells by increasing the number of fracs per horizontal leg to as many as 14 from the eight initially planned.

The companies will drill 12 wells in 2009, down from 20 originally planned.

EnCana is to build the Cabin gas processing plant 60 km northeast of Fort Nelson, BC, on behalf of industry co-owners that are major landholders in the basin. Its first phase is due in service in the third quarter of 2011. Initial capacity is 400 MMcfd, and the plant will be expanded in stages as the basin's gas production grows.

The Haynesville Shale Gas Play Continues Hot...

It seems the Haynesville Shale Gas Play is showing no signs of slowing down, in spite of lower gas prices. As they say, "follow the money" and EnCana is investing some big dollars. This is the kind of economic stimulus America needs!
Peter


EnCana boosts Haynesville shale activity
By OGJ editors HOUSTON, Apr. 22 -- (source)

EnCana Corp., Calgary, has a $580 million program to drill 50 Haynesville shale gas wells in East Texas and North Louisiana in 2009.

The company has seen encouraging results from its own drilling and those of other producers, and the 2009 program will enable it to improve its understanding of the play, further evaluate its lands, and retain prospective acreage.

To facilitate unrestrained market access for its gas, the company has committed to supply 150 MMcfd on the proposed Gulf South pipeline expansion and 500 MMcfd on the proposed ETC Tiger pipeline.

Meanwhile, EnCana chalked up a 50% production increase in the Deep Bossier play in East Texas, where it averaged 409 MMcfd of production in the first quarter of 2009 compared with an average of 334 MMcfd for all of 2008.

EnCana drilled 15 wells in the first quarter and 78 in all of East Texas in 2008.
Initial 30-day production rates in Amoruso field averaged more than 19 MMcfd, and the Charlene-1 well completed in January flowed at more than 50 MMcfd on initial tests.

Reach Out And Touch Some Marcellus Shale....Quickly

This sounds clever, very quickly drill multiple horizontal wells, in different directions, from the same relatively small drill pad. Minimize surface disturbance, minimize cost, maximize productivity.
Peter

Custom Drilling Rigs Used In Marcellus Shale Gas Play

Pennsylvania
By OGJ editors HOUSTON, Apr. 16 --
Range Resources Corp., Fort Worth, placed in service two custom-designed drilling rigs in the Marcellus shale gas play in Pennsylvania.

The rigs are equipped with crawlers and can traverse a drill pad in a few hours versus days for conventional rigs. The rigs are expected to save time and money as Range drills multiple laterals from the same pad.

The company's 2009 program calls for drilling more than 60 Marcellus wells.

Barnett Shale: Best Well Yet?

The Barnett Shale still has a lot of life in it, to say the least. It looks like these shale gas plays are unlike conventional oil and gas fields which exhibit steady and predictable decline. It seems technology and production rates just keep improving.
Peter

Best Barnett Shale well ever?

Texas-North
By OGJ editors HOUSTON, Apr. 21 -- (source)

Range Resources Corp., Fort Worth, completed a well at what it believes to be the highest 30-day average reported to date from any Barnett shale well.

The well, in southern Tarrant County in the Fort Worth basin play, averaged 9.6 MMcfd of dry gas in its first 30 days on line.

The well went to 7,350 ft true vertical depth and has a 2,100-ft lateral. Range Resources was still leasing around the well in mid-April.