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 WATTENBERG GAS SPACED AREA  AND THE CODELL-NIOBRARA SPACED AREA, WELD COUNTY, COLORADO

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CAUSE NO.  232 and 407

 

ORDER NO. 232-186 and 407-246

 

REPORT OF THE COMMISSION

 

            This cause came on for hearing before the Commission at 8:30 a.m. on February 9, 1998, in Suite 801, The Chancery Building, 1120 Lincoln Street, Denver, Colorado, after giving Notice of Hearing, as required by law on the verified application of Patina Oil & Gas Corporation for an order to allow additional "J" Sand Formation wells to be completed on 320-acre drilling and spacing units.  The Applicant proposes to drill three (3) wells in the center of the 40-acre tract or quarter-quarter section with a tolerance of 200 feet in any direction as third "J" Sand Formation wells for the 320-acre units as described.  In the future, the Applicant may recomplete these wells to the Codell and Niobrara Formations and commingle production from the formations.  The Applicant also proposes to deepen one (1) well, currently producing from the Codell Formation, to the "J" Sand Formation for the 320-acre drilling and spacing unit as described, and commingle with production from the Codell Formation in the future.

 

FINDINGS

 

                        The Commission finds as follows:

 

                        1.  Patina Oil & Gas Corporation, as applicant herein, is an interested party in the subject matter of the above‑referenced hearing.

 

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

 

                        3.  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.

 

                        4. In Cause No. 232, the Commission established 320-acre drilling and spacing units with said units to consist of the N½ and S½ or the E½ and W½ of a governmental section for production from the "J" Sand Formation and with the authorized well to be located in the NE¼ and the SW¼ of each section no closer than 990 feet from the boundaries of the quarter section.  By Order No. 232-20, the Commission authorized the drilling of a second well for each 320-acre drilling and spacing unit with the additional well to be located no closer than 990 feet from the boundaries of the quarter section upon which it is located.

 

                        5.  In Order No. 407‑1, the Commission established 80‑acre drilling and spacing units for the production of oil and/or gas and associated hydrocarbons from the Codell Formation.  Wells shall be located in the center of the 40‑acre tract or quarter‑quarter section with a tolerance of 200 feet in any direction.  In Order Nos. 407‑10 and 407‑13, the Commission amended Order No. 407‑1 to include production from the Niobrara Formation in certain lands and to allow the downhole commingling of production from the Codell and Niobrara Formations.

 

                        6.  Order Nos. 407-66 and 232-47 issued April 16, 1991, among other things, allowed the recompletion, downhole commingling and approval of allocation methods for production from the "J" Sand, Codell, and Niobrara Formations.

 

                        7.  The Applicant proposes to drill the below-listed wells in the center of the 40-acre tract or quarter-quarter section with a tolerance of 200 feet in any direction as third "J" Sand Formation wells for the 320-acre units as described. 

 

            Well Name                              Proposed Location                                          320-acre Drilling/Spacing Unit

            Dechant St. V 16-2Ji              NW¼ NW¼ Sec 16-2N-67W                         W½

            Rocky Mnt Fuel V 19-2Ji        SE¼ NW¼ Sec 19-2N-67W                          W½

            Perrin V 20-2Ji                                    SW¼ NW¼ Sec 20-2N-67W                         N½

 

                        The Applicant proposes to deepen the below-listed well, currently producing from the Codell Formation, to the "J" Sand Formation for the 320-acre drilling and spacing unit as described, and commingle with production from the Codell Formation in the future.

 

            Well Name                              Location                                                          320-acre Drilling/Spacing Unit

 

            Jim No. 2                                NW¼ NW¼ Sec 32-3N-66W                         W½


                        8.  Testimony and evidence presented at the administrative hearing indicated that the existing wells have recovered between approximately 17.6% and 41.6% of the original gas in place and that the average drainage radii calculations are between  28 acres and 67 acres.

 

                        9. The applicant will deepen the existing well, the Jim No. 2 Well, located in the NW¼ NW¼ of Section 32, Township 3 North, Range 66 West, complete “J” Sand Formation and commingle the Codell Formation without a production test and without obtaining a bottom-hole reservoir pressure for the “J” Sand Formation.

                        10.  Patina will obtain a bottom-hole reservoir pressure for the  “J” Sand Formation for the Dechant St. V 19-2Ji Well to be located in the center of the NW¼ NW¼ of Section 16, Township 2 North, Range 67 West, 6th P.M.

 

                        11.  That in order to prevent waste and protect the correlative rights additional wells are necessary to recover remaining "J" Sand Formation reserves.

 

                        12. At the time of the administrative hearing, the Applicant agreed to be bound by oral order of the Commission.

 

                        13. Based on the facts stated in the application, having received no protests and having been heard by the Hearing Officer who recommends approval of the application, an order of the Commission should be entered amending Order Nos. 407-185 and 232-140, allowing the drilling and recompletion of an additional "J" Sand Formation well for each of the 320-acre drilling and spacing units described in Finding #7 to be located in the center of the 40-acre tract or quarter-quarter section with a tolerance of 200 feet in any direction.  Once drilled and completed, these will be the third "J" Sand Formation wells for the 320-acre drilling and spacing units. In the future, the Applicant may recomplete these wells to the Codell and Niobrara Formations and commingle production from the formations.

ORDER

 

                        NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED, that Order Nos. 407-185 and 232-140 are hereby amended to allow the drilling of an additional "J" Sand Formation well for each of the 320-acre drilling and spacing units in the below-listed lands to be located in the center of the 40-acre tract or quarter-quarter section with a tolerance of 200 feet in any direction.

 

            Well Name                              Proposed Location                                          320-acre Drilling/Spacing Unit

            Dechant St. V 16-2Ji              NW¼ NW¼ Sec 16-2N-67W                         W½

            Rocky Mnt Fuel V 19-2Ji        SE¼ NW¼ Sec 19-2N-67W                          W½

            Perrin V 20-2Ji                                    SW¼ NW¼ Sec 20-2N-67W                         N½

 

                        IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that Patina will obtain a bottom-hole reservoir pressure for the  “J” Sand Formation for the Dechant St. V 19-2Ji Well to be located in the center of the NW¼ NW¼ of Section 16, Township 2 North, Range 67 West, 6th P.M.

 

                        IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that Order Nos. 407-185 and 232-140 are hereby amended to allow the deepening of  the below-listed well to the "J" Sand Formation for the 320-acre unit as described.

 

            Well Name                              Well Location                          320-acre Drilling/Spacing Unit

 

            Jim No. 2                                NW¼ NW¼ Sec 32-3N-66W                         W½

 

                        IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that the Jim No. 2 Well shall be deepened and completed to the  “J” Sand Formation and commingled with the Codell Formation without a production test and without obtaining a bottom-hole reservoir pressure for the “J” Sand Formation.

 

                        IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that the provisions contained in the above order shall become effective forthwith.

 

                        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.

 

                        ENTERED this                      day of March, 1998, as of February 9, 1998.

 

                                                                        OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION COMMISSION

                                                                               OF THE STATE OF COLORADO

 

 

                                                                        By                                                                             

                                                                                       Patricia C. Beaver, Secretary

Dated at Suite 801

1120 Lincoln Street

Denver, Colorado  80203

August 1, 2018