BEFORE THE OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION COMMISSION

OF THE STATE OF COLORADO

 

IN THE MATTER OF THE PROMULGATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF FIELD RULES TO GOVERN OPERATIONS IN THE RIVERSIDE FIELD, WELD COUNTY, COLORADO

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CAUSE NO. 164

 

ORDER NO. 164-1

 

REPORT OF THE COMMISSION

 

This cause came on for hearing before the Commission on March 20, 1962, at 10 a.m., in Room 132, State Services Building, Denver, Colorado, after publication of Notice of Hearing as required by law, on the application of the plains Exploration Company for an order establishing 320-acre drilling and spacing units for the production of gas from the "J" sand formation underlying certain described lands in Weld County, Colorado; and that no more than one well be drilled to or produced from the same common source of supply on any such drilling unit; and that any such well be located within a radius of 1050 feet from the center of the drilling unit upon which it is located, provided that no well be located less than 660 feet from the boundary of such drilling unit and not closer than 2640 feet to an existing well; and that all wells drilled, and all locations approved by the Commission prior to March 20, 1962, be the permitted wells or locations for the respective drilling units. At the hearing, subject application was amended as to location of wells.

 

FINDINGS

 

The Commission finds as follows:

 

1.      That due notice of the time, place and purpose of the hearing has been given in all respects as required by law.

 

2.      That the Commission has jurisdiction over the subject matter embraced in said Notice, and of the parties interested therein, and jurisdiction to promulgate the hereinafter prescribed order.

 

3.      That the "J" sand formation constitutes a common source of supply of gas underlying the following described lands in Weld County, Colorado, to-wit:

 

Township 5 North, Range 61 West, 6th P.M.

 

 

Sections

15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, 30

 

and is referred to as the Riverside Field.

 

4.      That in order to prevent waste of gas, as defined by law; to protect the correlative rights of all parties concerned; to insure proper and efficient development, and to promote conservation of the gas resources of the State, an order should be made establishing 320-acre drilling and spacing units for the production of gas from the "J" sand formation, common source of supply underlying said land, as defined herein; that said units should be 320-acre drilling and spacing units according to the governmental survey thereof, and that said units should be in the shape of a rectangle, and that each drilling and spacing unit should be the E½ or W½ of a governmental section, with the exception of Section 19, in which section one unit should consist of the N½ and one unit should consist of the S½; and that application was amended at the hearing so that the permitted gas well for each such unit should be located no closer than 660 feet to the unit line long side, and no closer than 1590 feet to the unit line short side, and should be no closer than 2000 feet to any location approved for completion in said "J" sand formation, excluding dry holes.

 

5.      That all available geological and engineering data concerning said "J" sand formation indicate that one well will efficiently and economically drain an area of approximately 320 acres; and that drilling units of the size and shape hereinabove described are not smaller than the maximum area that can be efficiently drained by one well producing from said "J" sand formation.

 

6.      That all wells drilled, and all locations approved by the Commission prior to March 20, 1962, should be the permitted wells or locations for the respective drilling units.

 

ORDER

 

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED, that the following rules and regulations shall apply hereafter to a well drilled, completed, or recompleted in the "J" sand formation underlying the Riverside Field herein described, in addition to other applicable rules and regulations and orders of the Commission, if any, heretofore adopted and not in conflict herewith:

 

Rule 1.    Three Hundred Twenty (320) acre drilling and spacing units shall be and the same are hereby established for the production of gas from the "J" sand formation, common source of supply underlying the following described lands in Weld County, Colorado, to-wit:

 

Township 5 North, Range 61 West, 6th P.M.

 

 

Sections

15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, 30

 

and such area shall henceforth be known as the Riverside Field.

 

Rule 2.    Such drilling and spacing units shall consist of 320 acres, and each such drilling unit shall be the E½ or W½ of a governmental section, with the exception of Section 19, in which section one unit shall consist of the N½ and one unit shall consist of the S½ and the permitted gas well for each such unit shall be located no closer than 660 feet to the unit line long side, and no closer than 1590 feet to the unit line short side, and shall not be closer than 2000 feet to any location approved for completion in said "J" sand formation, excluding dry holes.

 

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that all wells drilled, and all locations approved by the Commission prior to March 20, 1962, shall be the permitted wells or locations for the respective drilling units.

 

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that the rules and regulations contained herein shall become effective forthwith, and henceforth the commencement of the drilling of any well or wells in the "J" sand formation, as defined herein, for the purpose of producing gas therefrom, at a location other than authorized by this order, is here-by prohibited.

 

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that the Commission expressly reserves its right, after notice and hearing, to alter, amend or repeal any and/or all of the above orders, rules and regulations.

 

ORDERED this 20th day of March 1962.

 

OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO

 

 

By 

D.V. Rogers, Secretary