Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on July 21, 2012 at 3:11

There is a difference between an application for alternate unit well locations/spacing and the actual well permit applications for the same wells.  Interested Parties receive notice letters for alternate unit well applications, not for the associated well permits.  Operators generally apply for the alternate unit well orders with no set schedule to drill them all.  The alternate unit orders are effective indefinitely.  Well permits are effective only for a relatively short period.  Six or twelve months.  Unit applications and alternate unit well applications in LA are not well permits.

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Permalink Reply by IRielley on July 21, 2012 at 5:49

Interestingly, I see a new BHP hearing application for 6 wells each in Sections 35 and 36 of T15N, R13W. It looks like multiple alternate wells are the norm for BHP now that they've mostly finished HBP.

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Permalink Reply by Les Bamburg on July 21, 2012 at 5:53

IR, hearings are different than well drilling applications/permits.  It is a step that must occur before drilling permit applications but does not guarantee an operator will actually permit or drill such wells.

 

My initial posts were concerning actual well permits

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Permalink Reply by IRielley on July 21, 2012 at 10:33

Understood. I suppose none of it is more than a general indication of the companies' plans.

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Permalink Reply by dbob on July 21, 2012 at 3:13

While exactly how many alternate unit wells BHP might drill in the near term is interesting, I think more interesting questions (that I don't have time to research right now) are the following:

Across all operators, how many alternate unit well locations are available in the play, assuming 80 acre spacing, and only in sections with productive wells?  

Second question, which cannot be answered with any accuracy, is how many alternate unit wells could be drilled with the pads, roads, pipelines, and other infrastructure already in place?

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Permalink Reply by Les Bamburg on July 21, 2012 at 4:33

Dbob. there are ~ 11360 unpermitted well locations remaining in the productive Haynesville Shale sections in Lousiana.  There would be additional unpermitted well locations in those sections that are also productive in the Bossier Shale.

 

Pipeline gathering systems and gas treating facilities are generally already in place.  Additional well pads and roads would be required. 

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Permalink Reply by dbob on July 21, 2012 at 6:07

Les-

Thanks for the info and your comments.  

Some of the operators have placed a fair number of their pads to allow for drilling several of the alternate unit wells from the same pad - Its a bit variable based on the local obstacles, and may not hold together in the extended reach lateral development scenario, but I'd hazard a guess that most well pads are capable of supporting at least 2 additional wells, on average, unless they have already been used in an alternate well drilling program or gas factory concept.

Big picture, for someone who might find this thread in the future - although the permit numbers are down right now, and the rig counts are down, there are a huge number of drilling locations, and many of those can be brought on line quickly, provided rigs and completion crews are available.  

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Permalink Reply by Les Bamburg on July 21, 2012 at 13:16

Dbob, many of the pads were positioned to allow 6-8 wells when the operator has adjacent north-south sections (units).  As you said above a pad may support 3-4 wells if used for a single section.  

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Permalink Reply by Sheri Davis on July 19, 2012 at 4:53

We have a well with Goodrich. Anything there?

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Permalink Reply by Les Bamburg on July 19, 2012 at 4:58

Sheri, Goodrich does not currently have any undrilled permitted Haynesville Shale wells.

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Permalink Reply by Sheri Davis on July 19, 2012 at 5:01

Thanks . Do they have any new permits?

 

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Permalink Reply by Les Bamburg on July 19, 2012 at 5:03

Sheri, Goodrich has no new well permits.

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