Niobrara and Codell Drilling Interest Spikes in Co
Post# of 39368
Posted on August 26, 2014 by RockPick
Colorado Oil and Gas Commission
Colorado Oil and Gas Commission
According to the September 2014 docket of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) there are petitions to approve spacing units to drill up to 24 Niobrara and/or Codell wells in 640 and 1280 acre spacing units. The companies petitioning for new spacing orders are Ward Petroleum Corporation and ConocoPhillips Company.
Slide showing Niobrara Land position from Conoco Phillips Feb 2013 Analyst Presentation – Click to Enlarge
Slide showing Niobrara Land position from Conoco Phillips Feb 2013 Analyst Presentation – Click to Enlarge
ConocoPhillips’s purchase of leases on the Lowry Bombing Range from the Colorado State Land Board is among some of highest prices ever paid for leases in the Niobrara Play. Since the purchase of leases, ConocoPhillps has been conducting a meticulous exploratory drill program operating one to two drilling rigs to determine the best way to drill the sweet spot they have identified. The true potential of Conoco’s drill results have remained elusive to date, even with their required production reporting to the COGCC.
Ward_Petroluem_Corporation_LogoThe other activity in Adams county comes from Ward Petroleum Corporation (listed as one of the top 100 fastest growing American companies by Inc. magazine) which has recently entered this section of the Niobrara Play with requests for spacing orders to drill up to 12 wells in the Niobrara and Codell formations.
While most of the Niobrara drilling activity to date has been centered in the Wattenberg Field to the north, the petition for new orders to drill outside the Wattenberg in Adams County, is proof that the Niobrara Play has great potential outside of the Wattenberg Field.