Niobrara Shale

Whiting Petroleum Updates Operations At Niobrara Redtail Project

Whiting Petroleum (NYSE:WLL) updated its Niobrara operations at the Redtail project for the third quarter of 2012.  The company’s leasehold here totaled 77,608 net acres at the end of the quarter.

Whiting Petroleum acquired an additional 10,830 net acres after the end of the quarter at the Redtail project, which is located in Weld County, Colorado, in the Denver Julesberg Basin. The company believes that this additional acreage is prospective for both the Niobrara A and B benches and is currently completing its first two wells into the Niobrara A zone.

 Whiting Petroleum reported the completion of the Wildhorse 04-0414H well into the Niobrara B zone at the Redtail project.  The Wildhorse 04-0414H well produced 975 barrels of oil and 1.17 million cubic feet per day of natural gas.

Chesapeake Energy Reports Three Niobrara Completions

Chesapeake Energy (CHK) is working to develop the Niobrara on a 350,000 net acre position in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming.  The company has drilled 44 horizontal wells to date in the play, with 18 in the core area of the Niobrara.

Chesapeake Energy is operating eight rigs here and plans to add two more rigs by the end of 2012.  The company disclosed production on three wells recently drilled into the Niobrara in the Powder River Basin.  The wells are all located in Converse County, Wyoming.

Combs Ranch 1-H - 2,460 BOE per day, composed of 1,120 barrels of oil, 575 barrels of natural gas liquids and 4.6 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.

York Ranch 1H – 1,950 BOE per day, composed of 1,020 barrels of oil, 370 barrels of natural gas liquids and 3.4 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.

Northwest Fetter 1H - 1,460 BOE per day, composed of 1,150 barrels of oil, 125 barrels of natural gas liquids and 1.1 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.

Chesapeake Energy said that the company’s acreage in the Powder River Basin has exposure to other formations including the Frontier, Parkman, Sussex, Shannon and Teapot formations.

Continental Resources Working On Niobrara Test Wells

Continental Resources (CLR) reported on the company’s latest activity in the Niobrara Shale in Weld County, Colorado.

Continental Resources is currently completing the Marconi 1-1H, Perrin 1-10H and the Hahn 1-4H wells, the company’s second, third and fourth test wells into the Niobrara in the Denver Julesburg Basin.  The company is pumping and recovering load water after hydraulic fracturing operations have been completed.

Continental Resources did not have production information available but said that two of the wells were producing oil and natural gas during recovery of the load water and the oil cuts were “encouraging.”