A 30 -day public scoping period for a large natural gas infill project proposed by EOG Resources Inc., Houston, in eastern Utah began on Sept. 9, the US Bureau of Land Management's Vernal, Utah, field office announced. It previously postponed the scoping period and an associated public meeting temporarily on Jan. 28. BLM said the Greater Chapita Wells Natural Gas Infill Project would involve 40,027 acres in Uintah County about 30 miles southeast of Vernal and 12 miles east of Ouray. It said EOG has proposed to drill 7,028 wells from 700 new well pads and 979 existing well pads, which would be expanded to accommodate the new Uinta basin wells.

"The number of new wells represents a conceptual maximum development scenario as determined by EOG's evaluation of producible reserves from known reservoirs," BLM said in its scoping notice. The area is part of giant Natural Buttes gas-condensate field.

It said it has determined that giving permits to the proposed project would constitute a major federal action potentially affecting the environment. The US Department of the Interior agency said it plans to prepare an environmental impact statement as a result.

It is seeking public involvement during the 30-day scoping period to identify issues of concern, determine how much analysis is necessary to address issues in the EIS, identify possible mitigation measures, and identify reasonable alternatives.

BLM said it would accept comments on the proposed project through Oct. 9. It said that its Vernal field office will also host a public meeting Sept. 29 at the Utah Field House Museum of Natural History in the eastern Utah community.

India

India's Directorate General of Hydrocarbons let a contract to Spectrum ASA, Oslo, to reprocess 10,100 line-km of 2D seismic over the Andaman Islands frontier off eastern India.

Eight blocks off the islands are offered in the NELP VIII license round that closes Oct. 12, and Spectrum will make the reprocessed data available to tiiird parties.

Ivory Coast

Vaneo Energy Co. let a contract to OHM Group subsidiary Rock Solid Images for a 2,000 sq km seismic reservoir characterization project off Ivory Coast. Vaneo Energy and Rock Solid Images are Houston firms.

Vaneo Energy said the study is an extension to the successful and recently completed prestack seismic inversion projects conducted by Rock Solid Images over the Orca and Baleine prospects. It also builds on the ongoing prestack seismic inversion of the Bassam Canyon prospect.

Rock Solid Images will characterize potential reservoir facies and reservoir properties for a prospective area that warrants additional research.

Vaneo Energy is working with 1,029 sq km of 3D seismic it shot in late 2007 on blocks CI-101 and CI-401, west of and on trend with large deepwater oil discoveries off Ghana.

Nicaragua

Infinity Energy Resources Inc., Overland Park, Kan., licensed 2D seismic data from Fugro Data Services AG on Infinity's oil and gas concessions in the Caribbean off Nicaragua.

Processing of the data is to be complete in 60-90 days, after which Infinity will be able to more fully engage in talks with potential exploration and development partners on the 1.4 million acres of holdings.

Syria

Groundstar Resources Ltd., Calgary, agreed to a request from Syria's Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources to return blocks XIV and XVI awarded to Groundstar in April 2008.

Groundstar collected and interpreted 4,600 line-km of legacy 2D seismic and related well information on and adjacent to the blocks and identified several leads but was unable to secure a partner due to a large work program in a tight credit market with global financial uncertainty. Groundstar said it remains in good standing with the ministry and will participate in upcoming bid rounds for exploration blocks and enhanced oil recovery projects.

Oklahoma

Continental Resources Inc., Enid, OkIa., said it controls 117,000 net undeveloped acres in the Anadarko basin Woodford shale play, where it plans much more drilling.

A recent completion, Young 2-22H, in Blaine County, OkIa., averaged 6.8 MMcfd of gas for 7 days from a 4,952-ft lateral stimulated with 10 frac stages. The well went to TD 18,633 measured depth, 13,685 ft true vertical depth. Continental's interest is 55%.

Continental's acreage spread extends from McClain County on the southeast to Dewey County on the northwest.

Copyright PennWell Corporation Sep 21, 2009

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