Range Resources Corp. (RRC) : Marcellus Shale Update

By Andrea: http://oilshalegas.com



Range Resources Corp. (RRC) recently released an update on the Marcellus shale located in Washington County, PA and Lycoming County, PA:

Range's Marcellus production exit rate for the third quarter was 191 Mmcfe per day net. Approximately 71% of the production was natural gas and 29% was NGLs and condensate. At the end of the third quarter, approximately 34 Mmcfe per day of net production was shut in waiting on gathering and compression facilities currently under construction. In addition, Range has drilled 44 wells that are waiting on completion, of which 23 are scheduled to be completed prior to year-end. Given excellent drilling results through the first nine months of the year, Range is well-positioned to meet or exceed its Marcellus Shale year-end 2010 production exit rate target of 200 to 210 Mmcfe per day net.

During the third quarter, the Marcellus Division brought online a total of 18 horizontal wells in southwestern Pennsylvania, all in the liquids-rich "wet area" of the play. The wells had average lateral lengths of 3,291 feet and averaged 11 frac stages. The initial seven-day gross production rate for the 18 wells averaged 8.5 Mmcfe per day. All 18 wells are initially producing under somewhat constrained conditions due to gathering and compression capacity, as the facilities are not designed for peak production. Based on initial production results, we expect the average estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) of these 18 wells to exceed our average reserve estimate of 5.0 Bcfe per well for the southwest portion of Pennsylvania. Given low natural gas prices, we plan to drill fewer wells per pad, utilizing moderate lateral lengths and frac stages. This will allow us to build production with lower cycle times, while efficiently developing our leasehold position and generating outstanding well economics.

Providing additional upside resource potential from this region without additional acreage costs are a variety of shale formations that lie above the Marcellus formation. Range has now drilled and completed an initial horizontal test well to the Upper Devonian shales. Our first test indicates significant gas in place. The average seven-day test rate for the initial well was 5.1 Mmcfe per day. Range plans several more Upper Devonian test wells in 2011. We believe that a majority of our acreage in the southwest portion of the play is prospective for the Upper Devonian shales.

Over the past two years, Range has concentrated its leasing activities to filling in and blocking up its key acreage positions. In addition to acquiring fill-in leases in these areas, we have completed several acreage trades with third parties. The acreage trades allow each party to block up their respective leasehold positions. Recently, Range completed a trade in which it acquired approximately 42,000 net acres in our core area of southwestern Pennsylvania. The new acreage has longer term and adds more than 500 horizontal drilling locations in Washington County, an area where infrastructure is already in place and Range has had significant drilling success. To facilitate the trade, Range transferred approximately 55,000 net acres, of which 47,000 acres are located in West Virginia and 8,000 acres are located in Bradford and Sullivan counties in northeastern Pennsylvania.

The Marcellus infrastructure build out continues to progress on schedule. In the southwestern portion of the play, committed wet gas processing capacity has increased to 185 Mmcf per day, and is scheduled to expand to 390 Mmcf per day by third quarter 2011. Range also has access to an additional 40 Mmcf per day of wet gas processing on an interruptible basis. Dry gas capacity is currently 25 Mmcf per day in southwestern Pennsylvania, increasing to 65 Mmcf per day by year-end 2010. In the northeastern portion of the play, the build out of the first phase 150 Mmcf per day Lycoming County gathering system is on schedule for a year-end 2010 start up, with capacity increasing to as much as 350 Mmcf per day by year-end 2011.

For more shale updates, visit: http://blackberrystocks.blogspot.com

For more stock updates, visit: http://daytradingstockblog.blogspot.com

Range Resources RRC - Marcellus Shale Update

By Andrea: http://oilshalegas.com

Range Resources (RRC) has issued an update on the Marcellus Shale in Lycoming County, PA:

Range's Marcellus Shale Division continues to exceed expectations. Current net production is approximately 160 Mmcfe per day, ahead of its mid-year target. Drilling rigs are becoming more efficient as are completions and production operations. These increased efficiencies and cost improvements are resulting in improved economics and rates of return. These efficiencies, coupled with being ahead of schedule on production volumes, are allowing us to add an additional $210 million of capital to the Marcellus project in 2010. The additional capital, in turn, will help us to accelerate the Company's net asset value of the Marcellus Shale play.

Pipeline, compression and plant processing infrastructure capacity in the Marcellus Shale is on schedule. In the southwest portion of the play, an additional 30 Mmcfe per day of capacity is scheduled to be complete in the fourth quarter of this year and an additional 150 Mmcfe per day is scheduled for first quarter 2011. This processing capacity coupled with additional dry gas taps will position Range well in 2011 and beyond for increased production in the southwest portion of the play. With regard to the northeast portion of the play, solid progress is being made on the first phase of the Lycoming County pipeline project which is scheduled to begin flowing gas on or before year end 2010. Firm take away capacity has been contracted for both the southwest and northeast areas to allow our Marcellus Shale production to flow on time and within our forecasts.

As we ramp up development in the Marcellus Shale, our technical team continues to make significant progress. Our production curves as updated and presented with zero time plots on our website illustrate continued improvements in well performance and demonstrate the progress that our technical team is making. Range previously announced an encouraging test of its first Upper Devonian Shale horizontal well. Given the Upper Devonian's prevalence across our acreage position, we are very encouraged regarding the increased unproved resource potential this well implies on our existing acreage in southwestern Pennsylvania. The Marcellus Shale team plans two additional Upper Devonian test wells in 2010. Range plans to spud another Utica Shale well early in the first quarter of 2011.

http://www.b2i.us/profiles/investor/ResLibraryView.asp?ResLibraryID=39554&GoTopage=1&Category=1640&BzID=790

For more Shale updates, visit http://blackberrystocks.blogspot.com/

For more stock market news, visit http://daytradingstockblog.blogspot.com

Marcellus Shale - Bradford, Tioga, Lycoming, Potter, Clinton PA

The Marcellus Shale is growing fast as we enter 2010. Natural Gas driller Ultra Petroleum Corp. (UPL) announced earlier this week that the company will be expanding in Northern Pennsylvania soon.

Ultra Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: UPL) today announced that it has signed a purchase and sale agreement to acquire approximately 80,000 (net) acres in the Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale, from a private company. Following the acquisition, Ultra Petroleum will hold approximately 250,000 net acres in this region, with the potential for 1,800 net drilling locations. Ultra Petroleum expects to pay roughly $400.0 million for the assets which will be financed using debt.

The company started 2009 with 288,000 gross (152,000 net) acres in the Marcellus. Through a combination of land acquisitions and swaps, including today’s announcement, Ultra Petroleum has added over 192,000 gross acres, nearly doubling its position to approximately 480,000 gross (250,000 net) acres. The company’s expanding core position is concentrated around Tioga, Bradford, Lycoming, Potter, Clinton and Centre counties in north central Pennsylvania.

Link - http://www.ultrapetroleum.com/pressreleases/12212009.pdf


For my latest updates, visit http://blackberrystocks.blogspot.com/ or Subscribe for Free

Lycoming County PA - Marcellus Shale: Range Resources

October 14, 2009 - Range Resources Corp. (RRC) has come out with an operational update on the Marcellus Shale today and it appears the company is starting to drill in Lycoming County, PA.

Range Resources Corp. (RRC) Operational Update - 10/14/09

During the third quarter, the Marcellus Shale division continued to make excellent progress. Recently, we added two key members to our Marcellus team. Joe Frantz has been added as Vice President of Engineering and Scott Roy has been added as Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs. Both are leaders in their fields and bring substantial experience. The Marcellus Division is continuing to delineate and de-risk its large land position. We now have a rig in northeast Pennsylvania in Lycoming County drilling the first of two horizontal wells, which offset our high-rate vertical wells. We expect initial results from these two wells by early next year. We also plan to drill a Utica Shale horizontal and a shallow upper Devonian horizontal before year-end. Results of these two wells should be available by early first quarter.

Marcellus Shale production is well on plan and now exceeds 80 Mmcfe per day net and is expected to approach the higher end of the previously revised target of 90 - 100 Mmcfe per day net by year-end 2009. From inception, Range has drilled 77 horizontal Marcellus Shale wells, of which 60 have been completed and 54 are on production. The Company expects to drill and case approximately 20 additional horizontal wells in the Marcellus Shale play during the fourth quarter 2009 and carryover approximately 20 of these for completion in 2010. The Marcellus division is currently running a total of four horizontal rigs. We anticipate entering 2010 with six custom-built horizontal rigs. Full Press Release

For my latest updates, visit http://blackberrystocks.blogspot.com/ or Subscribe for Free

Marcellus Shale: Lycoming, PA 2009 SWN

Today, 2/27/09, Southwestern Energy ( SWN ) has announced that they have acquired acreage through mineral rights leasing in Pennsylvania regarding the Marcellus Shale.

In the first quarter of 2009, the company purchased approximately 21,715 net acres in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, for approximately $8.2 million. As a result, Southwestern currently has approximately 137,000 net undeveloped acres in Pennsylvania under which it believes the Marcellus Shale is prospective.

http://www.swn.com/operations/new.ventures.asp

For my latest updates, visit http://blackberrystocks.blogspot.com/ or Subscribe for Free