Utica Shale - TLM Talisman Energy Provides Update Report 9/03/08 Quebec Canada Lorraine Shale

Talisman Energy came out yesterday with an operational update on its Utica Shale properties in Quebec Canada.

Talisman Energy Inc. ( TLM ) announced a successful test from the Utica shale in its Gentilly well in Quebec. The Gentilly well is located on the south side of the St. Lawrence River, approximately 100 kilometers south of Quebec City. Talisman holds a 75% interest in the well and is operator.

The well, which is a re-entry to a previously drilled Trenton-Black River well, flowed at 800 mcf/d from one completed interval on a sustained basis during the 18-day test period. At the time of shut in, the well was still cleaning up and pressures and flow rates were constant.
"We are encouraged by the initial results of this vertical well," said John A. Manzoni, President and Chief Executive Officer. "We have additional testing to do on the well, including zones within the Basal Lorraine and Lorraine shale formation, but this is a very promising start to our unconventional program in Quebec."

The Lorraine shale sits on top of the Utica and can be up to 6,500 feet thick. The Utica shale ranges between 300 and 1,000 feet. Early indications show that both the Lorraine and Utica rocks are thick, porous and appear brittle and over pressured, all of which are conducive to artificial fracture stimulation.

Talisman has an extensive land position with an option to earn 760,000 net acres through drilling in Quebec. The Company is in the early stage of evaluating the rock properties and reservoirs. Talisman will test three to four pilot areas over the next 18 months, with up to four additional wells planned prior to year-end.

Haynesville Shale - Natural Gas Prices - Boone Pickens 9/03/08

Natural Gas prices have plummeted over the past few months going from $14 to the mid $7's. The question is, is the Haynesville Shale still economical to drill if Natural Gas falls even further?

Yesterday, Boone Pickens came on CNBC and stated he thinks there is a huge amount of supply in natural gas which the demand is not as strong as the supply. Boone Pickens says he thinks Nat Gas could even fall back to $6 in the coming months.

With $6 natural gas, how will small companies like Goodrich Petroleum ( GDP ) and Petrohawk Energy ( HK ) be able to drill the haynesville shale? The answer is simple, these companies could stop drilling the Haynesville Shale and drill the formations above it such as the cotton valley formation. If their stock prices get to low, you could see a Devon Energy, Chesapeake Energy, or XTO Energy swoop and and buy these companies out.

With low natural gas prices, you will see a decline in drilling, but this decline will cause supplies to fall and in the long term will stable the price for natural gas out.

The Haynesville Shale is here to stay!

Continental Resources ( CLR ) Bakken Shale - Earnings

This morning Continental Resources ( CLR ) has released earnings. CLR reported net income of 124 million or .75 cents per share for the 2nd quarter of 2008. In last years 2nd quarter, Continental Resources reported 44 million in net income - .27 cents per share on a pro forma basis. Now you can see why CLR is one of the Top 2008 Stock Gainers. Total revenues were 303.4 million vs 145.3 Million a year ago.

The Company's average sales price per barrel of crude oil equivalent was $102.86 for the most recent quarter, compared with $54.44 for the second quarter last year.

Bakken Shale

In the second quarter of 2008, Continental increased its lease acreage position in the Bakken Shale play to approximately 525,000 net acres, with153,000 net acres in Montana and 372,000 net acres in North Dakota.
Here is each well list and the production rate for each well:

-- Mathistad 1-35H (40% WI) in McKenzie Co. -- 1,260 boepd;
-- Dodge 1-17H (20% WI) McKenzie Co. -- 989 boepd;
-- Whitman 11-34H (32% WI) in Dunn Co. -- 765 boepd;
-- Bice 1-29H (44% WI) in Dunn Co. -- 693 boepd;
-- Cleo 1-12H (26% WI) McKenzie Co. -- 654 boepd;
-- Carson Peak 44-2H (33% WI) in Dunn Co. -- 601 boepd;
-- Kermit 1-32H (45% WI) McKenzie Co. -- 596 boepd;
-- Bridger 44-14H (45% WI) in Dunn Co. -- 383 boepd;
-- Bonneville 31-23H (45% WI) in Dunn Co. -- 362 boepd;
-- Mountain Gap 31-10H (44% WI) in Dunn Co. -- 331 boepd.

Where is the Three Forks Region?

Eight of the 10 wells listed above were completed in the Middle Bakken formation, which has typically been the drilling target in the North Dakot Bakken play. The Bice 1-29H and Mathistad 1-35H were Continental's first to wells to be targeted for the Three Forks/Sanish (TFS) formation, which is typically found 50-to-100 feet beneath the base of the Upper Bakken. Since the Bice 1-29H completion in late May, Continental has adjusted most of its drilling program to target specifically the TFS and determine its potential toadd incremental reserves to the play.

Woodford Shale:

Continental's lease position in the Arkoma Woodford is approximately46,000 acres

Haynesville Shale

The Company has grown its land positions to approximately 17,000 net acres in the Haynesville Shale play in northern Louisiana and approximately