This is actually a pretty good article shedding more light on the Springer and CLR. Quite a story.
OilandGas360 is reporting:
At the Analyst Day, Will Parker, Senior Exploration Geologist, said
CLR published a list of six stealth plays in 2012. “Using our expertise,
we have turned a stealth play into a reality,” he said.
Continental’s find is the Springer Shale, in the heart of the SCOOP play.
The company’s first discovery well, named the Wilkerson 1-20H, was
completed in January 2013. The well returned an initial production (IP)
rate of 2,038 boepd.
Continental responded by drilling two more wells in
the Springer’s oil window. The Ball 1-19H, a stepout well drilled 25
miles to the southeast, served as a delineation test and returned an IP
rate of 1,037 boepd. The Birt 1-13H was drilled near the Wilkerson and
produced an IP rate of 793.
CLR opted to go stealth, keeping quiet on its find and making land
acquisition its priority. Since 2012, the company has boosted its SCOOP
acreage by 540% and now holds 195,000 net acres. A total of 11 wells
have been completed to date, with the highest IP registering at 2,133 boepd. The 11 Springer wells, on average, are returning IPs of 700 boepd
and a type curve of 940 MBOE – sufficient for a 100% rate of return at
costs of $9.7 million per well. The Wilkerson has produced a cumulative
total of 300 MBOE in its first 20 months of production.
Additional well results are coming: three are on flowback and two will be completed before the end of the month.
Since the Springer Shale is above the Woodford, all previously drilled
Woodford wells provide a “free look” into the Springer, according to CLR
management. Additionally, the company can list two formations as
held-by-production with a single wellbore. “We got a two-for-one,” said
Parker. “We bought one shale and got another one for free.”
Bakken or Springer?
The company is adopting a wait-and-see approach on SCOOP
expenditures, but do expect 25% of 2014 capital to be directed to the
play. That number will increase to 30% by 2015.
The Bakken will command
the majority of CLR’s budget in the near term.
However, competitor Newfield Exploration believes Oklahoma does have
one benefit over the Bakken, and that is: “Location, Location,
Location.” In an interview with the American Association of Petroleum Geologists,
Steve Campbell, Newfield’s Vice President of Investor Relations,
mentioned the state’s established procedures, favorable laws and
extensive infrastructure, which offer “a distinct advantage.”
More at the linked article. The Springer is linked at the sidebar at the right.
CLR's best Bakken is largely HBP. IMHO a major cut in capital spending would cut Bakken infill drilling, but that is the most profitable phase so maybe not. $50 oil would cause adjustments.
ReplyDeleteCLR wants to grow fast. See their view of value at p. 101. No interest in cuts.
anon 1
Because their best Bakken is largely HBP, it gives CLR a lot of wiggle room. They want to grow fast, but if $50 oil proves challenging (and it would) they don't have to worry about losing their leases (they can wait) and while waiting, do further work on Springer (which due to location, might make it more attractive vis a vis transportation costs).
DeleteAnd if we see Bakken oil falling significantly in price, there will be a shake-out / buying opportunity, and in a recent CLR presentation they have a huge untapped lending facility that they could use to buy some acreage during the shake-out.
CLR wants to grow fast, but you know, Harold Hamm had to wait many, many years before he saw the fruits of his labors in the Bakken, and even in the Springer, it said he held things close to his chest for two years buying up more acreage.
Some years, the oil and gas industry is a sprint; other years, a marathon. I still say Saudi has a big problem, and Canadian oil sands has an even bigger problem than the Bakken when one is talking price.