Just released on AIM. No new flow rates in Trinidad but seems progress is moving ahead quite steadily. Georgia still a few weeks away.
Cheers, Wayno.
OPERATIONS UPDATE
International oil and gas exploration, development and production company, Range Resources Limited ("Range" or "the Company") is pleased to announce the following updates with respect to the Company's Texan and Trinidadian operations.
Trinidad
Following on from the successful completion of QUN 115 and MD 247, the Company recently spudded a step out well - QUN 116 with Rig 1 and has successfully set surface casing to 100 ft. Drilling continues at approximately 725 ft with a target depth of 1,000 ft, targeting the Lower Forest oil sands.
Rig 2 recently passed final Ministry inspection on location and has spudded QUN 117, the fourth well in the Company's planned initial 21 well program. Another step out well, QUN 117 has a projected total depth of 2,000 ft and is targeting the Lower Forest oil sands as well as the prolific underlying Upper Cruse reservoirs.
Rig 8 is currently being serviced and is set to join the drilling programme shortly following recertification. Once placed back into service, Rig 8 will be used to target deeper reservoirs, including the Middle and Lower Cruse oil sands with target depths averaging 6,500 ft. The Middle and Lower Cruse reservoirs have historically been the most prolific within the existing fields, but are under developed in certain areas. The Range drilling program is expected to add reserves and production from these sands within the existing fields, while extending the producing trend into new areas. Rig 8 is the third and last drilling rig to be introduced into the 2011 drilling program. The Company will introduce other drilling and completion rigs into the fleet to accelerate drilling and production increases early 2012. The ability to develop reserves from deeper objectives will become an increasing focus as the Company tests other known producing horizons such as the Herrera formation.
The Company is buoyed by this early success and remains confident of increasing production to between 1,400 - 1,800 bopd from this initial programme in Trinidad.
North Chapman Ranch
The drilling rig has recently moved to the Smith #2 site, being an offset well to the Smith #1 discovery well. The Smith #2 well is regarded as a relatively low risk development well. Once completed, the rig is expected to move to the Albrecht #1 well site, a step-out well that is intended to extend the North Chapman Ranch field to the south east with the objective of adding significant reserves, production, and cash flow. Should the Smith #2 and Albrecht #1 prove successful, the partners will jointly consider a multi-well program for 2012 that could see as many as four additional wells drilled in the field.
The Company will look to provide regular updates as to the progress of the Smith #2 drilling operations.
East Texas Cotton Valley
The operator has resumed testing of the Ross 3H horizontal wells with additional perforations being added between 7,245 and 7,675 feet in the horizontal section. Swabbing operations have commenced looking to confirm oil saturation before the commencement of fraccing operations to the reservoir.
Georgia
The Company is also pleased to report that their partner and project operator in Georgia, Strait Oil and Gas Ltd, have drilled to the intermediate depth of 1544 meters with a proposed total depth of 3500 meters. Drilling operations are continuing after a short interruption to undertake a comprehensive data collection program for close analysis. The analysis is deemed prudent to determine if the well has reached the Paleozoic granite basement or is drilling through a subvolcanic intrusive which is masking the targeted primary reservoir objective at the depth of about 2,300m as interpreted from the helium survey and exists with other similar discoveries found under subvolcanic intrusives. An additional factor for undertaking the analysis is the slow drilling rates that are being achieved through the highly variable intrusive complex.
A full suite of wireline logs has been successfully recorded. Additional valuable information has been obtained through the successful collection of 10 sidewall cores from critical intervals. Preparations are underway for cutting a full diameter conventional core within the nearest future. Once the coring program is completed, a Vertical Seismic Profile (VSP) survey will be run.
The new data will then be integrated into the full data set and the subsurface situation reinterpreted as appropriate. This reinterpretation will then be used to determine the next steps for the well depending on the progress of the well at that point in time. The VSP survey will be undertaken in approximately 10 to 14 days.
For and on behalf of the Board
Regards
Peter Landau - Executive Director
RRS Price at posting:
18.0¢ Sentiment: LT Buy Disclosure: Held