Spreading out far and wide—what are the limits of long laterals? In the shale revolution, the vertical sections of wellbores don’t do much for production—they’re a means to an end. So, the longer the laterals connected to each vertical hole, the more of the formation is exposed to production. Meanwhile, an ancillary benefit of […]
Ongoing Research Boosts Refrac Results in the Permian and Elsewhere
Three realities are converging in many basins to encourage more producers to refracture existing wells. One is that, other than in the Permian Basin, the best prospects have been drilled, so that newer wells are costing more to drill while producing less. Another factor is that newer frac technology is releasing much more oil than […]
Pumping Black Gold
With the spread of horizontal drilling around 2013-15, the artificial lift landscape began to change. For almost 100 years most wells had started the production phase with a beam pump (pumpjack) and finished with the same. Horizontal wells are a more complex beast, as production levels drop significantly over a well’s life. Changing production levels […]
Earthstone Energy returns curtailed production, drills in Upton County
The Woodlands-based Earthstone Energy said it is returning to full production all of its shut-in and curtailed operated wells. Earthstone said July 16 its wells “are currently producing at nearly 100 percent of capacity.” Earthstone said total net production was curtailed by about 60 percent in May, when the company concluded its 2020 drilling program […]
Diamondback, Noble, others return curtailed oil production in July
Midland-based Diamondback Energy said Tuesday it lifted its reduction in May of about 9,000 barrels of oil production per day and resumed pumping from its shut-in wells in June. Travis Stice, CEO, said, “With oil prices having recovered significantly since the decision to curtail production was made in April, Diamondback returned this production through the […]
Midland’s Summit Petroleum files 9 permits in Upton County
Midland-based Summit Petroleum led companies filing for oil and gas drilling permits in Texas during the week of July 1-7. Houston Chronicle said Summit filed 9 drilling permits with Railroad Commission of Texas for horizontal wells targeting Spraberry in Upton County to depths of 9,400 to 10,100 feet. Also in west Texas, Tulsa-based WPX Energy […]
Patterson-UTI Energy operates 65 drilling rigs in June
Houston-based Patterson-UTI Energy, a leading provider of oilfield services and products to exploration and production companies, said this week it operated an average of 65 drilling rigs in June 2020. For the three months that ended June 30, Patterson operated an average of 82 drilling rigs. The company operates wells in Culberson, Howard, Loving, Midland, […]
Diamondback leads state in filing June 24-30, Shell adds 4 permits in Loving
Midland’s Diamondback Energy led the state in filing for drilling permits for the week of June 24-30, according to Houston Chronicle. Diamondback filed 9 permits followed by 8 by Centennial Resource, 7 by Double Eagle, 6 by Ovintiv, 5 by Cimarex Energy, and 4 each by Pioneer Natural Resources, Comstock and Shell. Dutch oil major […]
Cheniere, Freeport receive cancel orders for shipments of LNG
Cheniere Energy, nation’s biggest producer of LNG, received requests to cancel as many as 30 cargoes due for loading in July from buyers with long-term supply contracts, including shipments from Texas ports Sabine Pass and Corpus Christi. Bloomberg said Cheniere may also cancel some of its own cargoes that it sells in the spot market. […]
EOG Resources takes lead in drilling permits filed in Texas
Houston-based EOG Resources resumed its status as No. 1 driller in Texas, according to a report this week in Houston Chronicle. EOG has filed 175 drilling permits with the Railroad Commission of Texas to date to overtake ExxonMobil (105). Midland’s Diamondback Energy (151) and Irving-based Pioneer Natural Resources (144) also have overtaken Exxon followed by […]