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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20122798.tiff RECEIVED BEFORE THE OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION COMMISSION OCT 0 2 2012 OF THE STATE OF COLORADO WELD COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. IN THE MATTER OF THE PROMULGATION ) CAUSE NO. 421 AND ESTABLISHMENT OF FIELD RULES TO ) GOVERN OPERATIONS IN THE HEREFORD ) DOCKET NO. To be assigned FIELD, WELD COUNTY, COLORADO ) APPLICATION EOG Resources, Inc. ("EOG" or "Applicant"), by and through its attorneys, Burleson LLP, respectfully submits this Application to the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission of the State of Colorado (the "Commission") for an order: (1) vacating the approximate 640-acre drilling and spacing units established for Section 35, Township 11 North, Range 63 West, 6`h P.M., and Section 2, Township 10 North, Range 63 West, 6`h P.M., for the production of oil, gas and associated hydrocarbons from the Niobrara Formation; and (2) establishing an approximate 1,280-acre stand-up exploratory drilling unit consisting of said Sections 35 and 2, for horizontal and vertical well development, for the production of oil, gas and associated hydrocarbons from the Niobrara Formation. In support of its Application, Applicant states and alleges as follows: 1. Applicant is a corporation duly authorized to conduct business in the State of Colorado, and has registered as an operator with the Commission. 2. Applicant owns substantial leasehold interests in the below-listed lands: Township 11 North, Range 63 West, 6th P.M. Section 35: All Township 10 North, Range 63 West, 6th P.M. Section 2: All These lands are hereinafter referred to as the "Application Lands." A map depicting the acreage comprising the Application Lands is attached hereto and marked as Exhibit A. Vacating the Established 640-Acre Drilling and Spacing Units 3. On or about October 21, 2010, the Commission entered Order No. 421-3, which, among other things, established 640-acre drilling and spacing units for certain lands, including Section 35, Township 11 North, Range 63 West, 6th P.M., and Section 2, Township 10 North, Range 63 West, 6`h P.M., and approved one horizontal well for each unit, for the production of oil, gas and associated hydrocarbons from the Niobrara Formation, with the surface location for each horizontal well to be located anywhere upon the drilling and spacing unit, provided that the horizontal leg into the Niobrara Formation shall not be closer than 600 feet to the outside boundary of the drilling unit and the terminus of the horizontal leg shall not be any closer than 600 feet to the outside boundary of the drilling and spacing unit, without exception being granted by the Director. 4. Applicant herein requests the establishment of an approximate 1,280-acre stand-up exploratory drilling unit for the Application Lands for horizontal and .,Prtir,?l well (002,0326 i) - ' - 2012-2798 /O d� a?D%7 cc' C/� development, for the production of oil, gas and associated hydrocarbons from the Niobrara Formation, and by so doing, it is necessary to vacate the 640-acre drilling and spacing units previously established for the Application Lands. At present, one horizontal well is authorized for each existing 640-acre drilling and spacing unit; however, by establishing an approximate 1,280-acre stand-up exploratory drilling unit, additional wells (either horizontal or vertical) may be drilled which will allow the Niobrara Formation underlying the Application Lands to be more efficiently and economically drained without promoting waste of the resource. 5. EOG has obtained an Application for Permit-to-Drill ("APD"), Form 2, for the Critter Creek #28-35H Well, API #05-123-32658, a planned horizontal well for Section 2, Township 10 North, Range 63 West, 6th P.M., under Order No. 421-3. Under this Application, EOG is not requesting a change to the unit acreage assigned to the Critter Creek #28-35H Well, and the distribution of the proceeds from the well will be allocated on a 640-acre basis. Establishment of the 1,280-acre Stand-up Exploratory Drilling Unit 6. The geologic strata subject to this request for unitization as an stand-up exploratory drilling unit is the Niobrara Formation, found at a depth of 6,667 feet below ground surface in the Jake #2-01H Well, API #05-123-30574, whose surface location is in the SE'/ NWY of Section 1, Township 11 North, Range 63 West, 6th P.M., and known to be a common source of supply. 7. Applicant requests the Commission establish the Application Lands as an approximate 1,280-acre stand-up exploratory drilling unit for the Niobrara Formation pursuant to Rule 503.b.(1) and §34-60-116(2), C.R.S. For the Application Lands, the proposed stand-up exploratory drilling unit is not smaller than the maximum area that can be economically and efficiently drained by the wells proposed to be drilled under this Application and completed in the Niobrara Formation. 8. Applicant requests it be authorized to drill and complete one or more horizontal wells in the approximate 1,280-acre stand-up exploratory drilling unit for the Application Lands, for the production of oil, gas and associated hydrocarbons from the Niobrara Formation, as necessary to economically and efficiently recover resources, while minimizing surface impacts, creating efficiencies for drilling and production, increasing the ultimate recovery of the reserves, preventing waste, and protecting correlative rights. 9. In addition to the proposed horizontal wells, Applicant requests it be authorized to drill and complete one or more new vertical or directional wells in the approximate 1,280-acre stand-up exploratory drilling unit for the Application Lands, for the production of oil, gas and associated hydrocarbons from the Niobrara Formation, as necessary and for those same reasons set forth in Paragraph 8. 10. Applicant states that wells to be drilled under this Application, whether horizontal, vertical or directional, should be drilled from a new, common or existing well pad, with no more than one well pad per quarter quarter section, without exception being granted by the Director. (00210326.I} 2 11. Applicant states that for any permitted wells to be drilled under this Application, the bottomhole location or, in the case of horizontal wells, the treated intervals of the wellbore, should be not less than 600 feet from the outer boundary of the proposed stand-up exploratory drilling unit and not less than 460 feet from any other well or treated interval of a well producing from the Niobrara Formation, without exception being granted by the Director. * * * 12. The granting of this Application is in accord with the Oil and Gas Conservation Act, found at §34-60-101, et seq., C.R.S., and the Commission rules. 13. That the names and addresses of the interested parties (owners within the proposed stand-up exploratory drilling unit) according to the information and belief of the Applicant are set forth in Exhibit B attached hereto. The Applicant shall submit a certificate of service for the Application within the seven days as required by Rule 503.e. WHEREFORE, Applicant respectfully requests that this matter be set for hearing, that notice be given as required by law and that upon such hearing this Commission enter its order: A. Vacating the approximate 640-acre drilling and spacing units established for the Application Lands, for the production of oil, gas and associated hydrocarbons from the Niobrara Formation. B. Establishing an approximate 1,280-acre stand-up exploratory drilling unit for the Application Lands, for horizontal and vertical well development, for the production of oil, gas and associated hydrocarbons from the Niobrara Formation. C. Requiring that any permitted wells to be drilled under this Application, whether horizontal, vertical or directional, should be drilled from a new, common or existing well pad, with no more than one well pad per quarter quarter section, without exception being granted by the Director. D. Requiring that any permitted wells to be drilled under this Application, the bottomhole location or, in the case of horizontal wells, the treated intervals of the wellbore, should be not less than 600 feet from the outer boundary of the proposed stand-up exploratory drilling unit and not less than 460 feet from any other well or treated interval of a well producing from the Niobrara Formation, without exception being granted by the Director. E. For such other findings and orders as the Commission may deem proper or advisable in the premises. (00210326.1) 3 DATED this /7 day of September, 2012. Respectfully submitted, EOG RESOURCES, INC. By: b�� Robert A. Willis (Co orado Bar No. 26308) Burleson LLP Wells Fargo Center 1700 Lincoln Street, Suite 1300 Denver, CO 80203 (303) 801-3200 Applicant's Address: 600 17th Street, Suite 1100 Denver, CO 80202 VERIFICATION STATE OF COLORADO ) ) ss. CITY & COUNTY OF DENVER ) Jason McLaren, Landman for EOG Resources, Inc., upon oath deposes and says that he has read the foregoing Application and that the statements contained therein are true to the best of his knowledge, information and belief. EOG RESO ES, INC. Jaso aren Subscribed and sworn to before me this It-{Fh day of September, 2012, by Jason McLaren, Landman for EOG Resources, Inc. ELIZABETH VAN ORSDALE • Witness my hand and official seal. NOTARY PE IBLIC STATE OF COLORADO My commission expires: Le(p(i/ Ot5- My Commission Expires 06/24/2013 Notary Pu is 100210326.1) 4 Q co r 0 m ry N N m L N N Q 4a a a o lo m X W a Q ,4 ti m m `n n � in V in uD rl N N m 'i N rii a >, a ++ u x N cr•N N l'+ N I� N rl ri e m - II • 06 O •I I M o L CC Z N N cr M m N `1 m en en ~ K t.0 to CC CC In Z "' o a a cu �. rl 0 v ei (n 10 e co m ri N �+ Ni F- N m me m is" LO U Q.) N rii NN al el ea m M N ti aco 01 O M LID N co in C CD —J C O CO M V Ln to N in O N Cl N N M rl rl 12 0- et EXHIBIT B INTERESTED PARTIES The names and addresses of the interested parties (owners within Section 35, Township 11 North, Range 63 West, 6th P.M., and Section 2, Township 10 North, Range 63 West, 6"' P.M.) according to the information and belief of the Applicant are set forth in this Exhibit B. EOG Resources, Inc. Robert A. Willis 600 17th Street, Suite 1100 Burleson LLP Denver, CO 80202 1700 Lincoln St., Suite 1300 Denver, CO 80203 Exterra Resources, LLC David Bauer 256 Seaboard Lane STE H-102 Weld County LGD Franklin, TN 37680 1111 H Street Greeley, CO 80632 Kim Kaal Kent Kuster Energy Liaison Colorado Department of Public Health and Colorado Division of Wildlife Environment 711 Independent Avenue 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South Grand Junction, CO 81505 Denver, CO 80246 Weld County, a political subdivision of the State of Colorado 1150 O Street Greeley, CO 80631 l0321032i5.I) BEFORE THE OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO IN THE MATTER OF THE PROMULGATION ) CAUSE NO. 421 AND ESTABLISHMENT OF FIELD RULES TO ) GOVERN OPERATIONS IN THE HEREFORD ) DOCKET NO. To be assigned FIELD, WELD COUNTY, COLORADO ) AFFIDAVIT OF MAILING STATE OF COLORADO ) )ss. CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER ) Jessica Rauh, of lawful age, and being first duly sworn upon her oath, states and declares that she caused a copy of the Application (for the spacing of Section 35, Township 11 North, Range 63 West, 6`h P.M. and Section 2, Township 10 North, Range 63 West, 6th P.M.) in the above-captioned matter to be deposited in the United 8). teis Mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the interested parties on the attached Exhibit A on this Zhiniay of September 2012. n Je ica Rauh Subscribed and sworn to before me on the/n�tltday of September, 2012. Witness my hand and official seal. , ( Dile) Notaay Publi NANCY R. WEBER Notary Colorado My commission expires: 1/15/2013 ublic State of Colorado My COmmtwon sopif®9,,__„�_ {00216778.1) EXHIBIT A EOG Resources, Inc. Robert A. Willis 600 17th Street, Suite 1100 Burleson LLP Denver, CO 80202 1700 Lincoln St., Suite 1300 Denver, CO 80203 Exterra Resources, LLC David Bauer 256 Seaboard Lane STE H-102 Weld County LGD Franklin, TN 37680 1111 H Street Greeley, CO 80632 Kim Kaal Kent Kuster Energy Liaison Colorado Department of Public Health and Colorado Division of Wildlife Environment 711 Independent Avenue 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South Grand Junction, CO 81505 Denver, CO 80246 Weld County, a political subdivision of the State of Colorado 1150 O Street Greeley, CO 80631 100216778J} Hello