Calgary-based company, Delphi Energy has announced its operations update relating to the ongoing Bigstone Montney development.
At Bigstone East, Delphi Energy’s initial horizontal well focusing on the Montney formation with a surface location of 1-19-60-22W5M has been completed and also flow tested at a standard rate of 12.5 mmcf/d over the last 24 h of the four-day flow period.
The well was generating around 770 bbls/d of condensate at the conclusion of the test, even though 100% of the frac fluid was not obtained. Plant recoveries of natural gas liquids are anticipated to produce an extra 30-35 bbls/mmcf.
Operations that were completed included a 20 stage oil-based frac program positioned across the well’s horizontal part after drilling the well to a calculated depth of 5,618 m. The drilling program was carried out with the entire length of the horizontal section meeting the reservoir quality rock. The horizontal part is twice the length of the previous horizontal wells in the region and is designed to minimize the number of wells needed for complete development by about 50% with overall cost savings of around 35%.
The company’s Bigstone East 1-19 well reported test rates of around 295 bbls/d of condensate and 4.3 mmcf/d of natural gas. The company has drilled nine horizontal wells at the Fir region, which is situated about 5 km towards the south of Bigstone East. Till date, the test rates vary from 225 bbls/d of condensate and 3.5 mmcf/d of natural gas, from a well measuring 1,200 m in horizontal length, to a high of 750 bbls/d of condensate and 15 mmcf/d of natural gas, from a well with more than 2,500 m of horizontal length.
Drilling success in the regions confirms the company’s version of an adjacent natural gas deposit in the Montney formation located in the Fir/Bigstone region.
Drilling has been started in another Montney well at 5-14-60-23W5M situated 5 km towards the southwest of the 1-19 well and is expected to reach an overall calculated depth of 5,800 m in a month.
The company has planned to begin construction next month on its compression and field gathering infrastructure with a starting capacity of 30 mmcf/d.