BEFORE THE OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION COMMISSION

 

OF THE STATE OF COLORADO

 

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF BARRETT RESOURCES CORPORATION FOR AN ORDER ESTABLISHING SPACING AND WELL LOCATION RULES FOR THE WILLIAMS FORK FORMATION OF THE MESAVERDE GROUP FOR CERTAIN DESCRIBED LANDS IN THE RULISON, PARACHUTE AND GRAND VALLEY FIELD AREAS, GARFIELD COUNTY, COLORADO

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CAUSE NOS. 139, 440, 479 & 510 

DOCKET NO. 0104-AW-04

 

 

 

APPLICATION

COMES NOW Barrett Resources Corporation ("Applicant"), a Delaware corporation, by its attorneys, Gorsuch Kirgis LLP, and makes application to the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission of the State of Colorado for an order establishing spacing rules applicable to the drilling and producing of wells from the Williams Fork Formation of the Mesaverde Group covering certain described lands in the Rulison, Parachute and Grand Valley Field areas, Garfield County, Colorado and in support of its application states and alleges as follows:

1.                  That Applicant is a corporation duly authorized to conduct business in the State of Colorado.

2.                  That Applicant owns a leasehold interest in the following described lands (both the surface estate and mineral estate of which are owned by the United States of America):

Township 6 South, Range 94 West, 6th P.M.

 

Section 2:

 

S/2SW/4, NE/4SW/4, SW/4SE/4

Section 3:

 

S/2S/2, NE/4SE/4, NW/4SW/4

Section 7:

 

SE/4

Section 8:

 

S/2

Section 9:

 

ALL

Section 10:

 

N/2, SW/4, S/2SE/4

Section 11:

 

E/2, N/2NW/4, SW/4SW/4

Section 12:

 

W/2W/2, SE/4NW/4

Section 13:

 

N/2NW/4

Section 16:

 

W/2NW/2

Section 17:

 

N/2, SE/4, N/2SW/4, SE/4SW/4

Section 18:

 

W/2, NE/4, NE/4SE/4

Section 19:

 

N/2, SE/4, N/2SW/4, SE/4SW/4

Section 20:

 

E/2NW/4

Section 21:

N/2NW/4

 

 

Township 6 South, Range 95 West, 6th P.M.

 

Section 16:

 

S/2SW/4

Section 17:

 

SE/4SE/4

Section 20:

 

S/2, NE/4NE/4, S/2NE/4

Section 21:

 

ALL

Section 26:

 

NW/4, N/2SW/4

Section 27:

 

N/2, N/2S/2, SE/4SE/4

Section 28:

 

NE/4, N/2SE/4, W/2W/2

Section 29:

 

ALL

Section 30:

 

S/2, NE/4, S/2NW/4

Section 31:

 

N/2, SW/4, N/2SE/4, SW/4SE/4

Section 32:

 

NW/4, N/2NE/4, SW/4NE/4

Section 33:

NW/4NW/4, SE/4NW/4

 

 

Township 6 South, Range 96 West, 6th P.M.

 

Section 19:

 

N/2, SE/4

Section 20:

 

W/2SW/4

Section 24:

 

SE/4

Section 25:

 

ALL

Section 26:

 

 

SE/4, S/2NE/4, S/2NW/4, NE/4NW/4, SE/4SW/4

 

Section 27:

 

SE/4SE/4

Section 29:

 

NW/4NW/4, N/2SW/4, SW/4SW/4

Section 30:

 

NE/4

Section 32:

 

NW/4NW/4, S/2S/2

Section 33:

 

S/2SW/4

Section 34:

 

S/2NE/4, NE/4NE/4

Section 35:

 

N/2, N/2S/2,  SE/4SW/4, SW/4SE/4

Section 36:

N/2, E/2SE/4

 

 

Township 7 South, Range 96 West, 6th P.M.

 

Section 1:

 

NE/4NE/4

Section 3:

 

S/2, NW/4

Section 4:

 

S/2, NW/4, S/2NE/4

Section 5:

 

SE/4

Section 8:

 

E/2

Section 9:

 

N/2

Section 10:

 

N/2, SE/4

Section 11:

 

W/2, W/2E/2, SE/4NE/4

Section 14:

 

NE/4, W/2, NW/4SE/4

Section 15:

S/2, NE/4

 

 

Township 7 South, Range 95 West, 6th P.M.

 

Section 6:

 

NW/4NW/4

 

(hereinafter “Application Lands”)

3.                  That the following described Application Lands are subject to the Commission's Order No. 479-5 which established 320 acre drilling and spacing units and within each such unit allowed up to eight (8) wells to be drilled into and produced from the Williams Fork Formation of the Mesaverde Group:

Township 6 South, Range 94 West, 6th P.M.

 

Section 2:

 

S/2SW/4, NE/4SW/4, SW/4SE/4

Section 3:

 

S/2S/2, NE/4SE/4, NW/4SW/4

Section 9:

 

ALL

Section 10:

 

N/2, SW/4, S/2SE/4

Section 11:

 

E/2, N/2NW/4, SW/4SW/4

Section 12:

 

W/2W/2, SE/4NW/4

Section 13:

 

N/2NW/4

Section 16:

 

W/2NW/4

Section 17:

 

N/2, SE/4, N/2SW/4, SE/4SW/4

Section 18:

 

W/2, NE/4, NE/4SE/4

Section 19:

 

N/2, SE/4, N/2SW/4, SE/4SW/4

Section 20:

 

E/2NW/4

Section 21:

N/2NW/4

 

 

Township 6 South, Range 96 West, 6th P.M.

 

Section 24:

 

SE/4

Section 25:

 

ALL

Section 26:

 

 

SE/4, S/2NE/4, S/2NW/4, NE/4NW/4, SE/4SW/4

 

Section 27:

 

SE/4SE/4

Section 34:

 

S/2NE/4, NE/4NE/4

Section 35:

 

N/2, N/2S/2, SE/4SW/4, SW/4SE/4

Section 36:

E/2SE/4

 

 

Township 7 South, Range 96 West, 6th P.M.

 

Section 1:

 

NE/4NE/4

 

4.                  That the following described Application Lands are subject to the Commission's Order No. 479-5 which established 160-acre drilling and spacing units and within each such unit allowed up to four (4) wells to be drilled into and produced from the Williams Fork Formation of the Mesaverde Group:

 

Township 6 South, Range 96 West, 6th P.M.

 

Section 36:

 

N/2

 

5.                  That the following described Application Lands are subject to the Commission's Order No. 139-14 (Corrected) which established 320 acre drilling and spacing units and within each such unit allowed one well to be drilled into and produced from the Mesaverde Formation:

Township 6 South, Range 94 West, 6th P.M.

 

Section 8:

S/2

 

6.                  That the following described Application Lands are subject to the Commission's Order No. 440-16, which established 320 acre drilling and spacing units and within each unit allowed up to 8 wells to be drilled into and produced from the Williams Fork Formation of the Mesaverde Group:

Township 6 South, Range 95 West, 6th P.M.

 

Section 16:

 

S/2SW/4

Section 17:

 

SE/4SE/4

Section 20:

 

S/2, NE/4NE/4, S/2NE/4

Section 26:

 

NW/4, N/2SW/4

Section 27:

 

N/2, N/2S/2, SE/4SE/4

Section 28:

 

NE/4, N/2SE/4, W/2W/2

Section 31:

 

N/2, SW/4, N/2SE/4, SW/4SE/4

Section 32:

 

NW/4, N/2NE/4, SW/4NE/4

Section 33:

NW/4NW/4, SE/4NW/4

 

Township 7 South, Range 95 West, 6th P.M.

 

Section 6:

NW/4NW/4

 

7.                  That the following described Application Lands (unspaced) are subject to the Commission's Order No. 510-1 which amended the Commission's Rule 316 (now Rule 318) to provide that the permitted wells should be located no closer than 400 feet from the boundaries of any lease line and no closer than 800 feet from any existing well drilled into and producing from the Williams Fork Formation of the Mesaverde Group:

Township 6 South, Range 96 West, 6th P.M.

 

Section 19:

 

N/2, SE/4

Section 20:

 

W/2SW/4

Section 29:

 

NW/4NW/4, N/2SW/4, SW/4SW/4

Section 30:

NE/4

 

Section 32:

 

NW/4NW/4, S/2S/2

Section 33:

S/2SW/4

 

 

Township 7 South, Range 96 West, 6th P.M.

 

Section 3:

 

S/2, NW/4

Section 4:

 

S/2, NW/4, S/2NE/4

Section 5:

 

SE/4

Section 8:

 

E/2

Section 9:

 

N/2

Section 10:

 

N/2, SE/4

Section 11:

 

W/2, W/2E/2, SE/4NE/4

Section 14:

 

NE/4, W/2, NW/4SE/4

Section 15:

S/2, NE/4

 

 

8.                  That Applicant has drilled, tested and completed multiple wells in the Williams Fork Formation of the Mesaverde Group upon the Application Lands and other nearby lands.

9.                  That to promote efficient drainage within the Williams Fork Formation of the Mesaverde Group of the Application Lands, the Commission should increase the number of wells which can be drilled into and produced from the Williams Fork Formation of the Application Lands which constitute existing drilling units (or portions thereof) to the equivalent of one Williams Fork well per 20 acres.

10.              That the permitted well location for each Williams Fork well upon the Application Lands which constitute existing drilling units should be located no closer than 200 feet from the boundaries of a drilling unit and no closer than 400 feet from any existing Williams Fork well or wells without exception being granted by the Director of the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.  In cases where the Application Lands which constitute existing drilling units constitute only a portion of an existing drilling and spacing unit, each Williams Fork well upon such Application Lands should be located no closer than 200 feet from the boundaries of the drilling unit, no closer than 200 feet from the boundary of such Application Lands and no closer than 400 feet from any existing Williams Fork well without exception being granted by the Director of the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.

11.              That the permitted well location for each Williams Fork well upon the Application Lands which are not part of any existing drilling and spacing unit should be located no closer than 200 feet from the boundaries of any lease line and no closer than 400 feet from an existing well drilled into and producing from the Williams Fork without exception being granted by the Director of the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.  Applicant would clarify that as to lands subject to these well location requirements, it is not intended by this application to locate downhole more than two Williams Fork wells per governmental quarter quarter section.

12.              That the above-proposed spacing and well location rules will allow more efficient drainage of the Williams Fork Formation of the Mesaverde Group; will not promote waste; will not violate correlative rights and will assure the greatest ultimate recovery of gas and associated hydrocarbon substances from the reservoir.

13.              That the names and addresses of the interested parties according to the information and belief of the Applicant are set forth in Exhibit A attached hereto and made a part hereof.

WHEREFORE, Applicant respectfully requests that this matter be set for hearing in April, 2001, that notice be given as required by law and that upon such hearing this Commission enter its order consistent with Applicant's proposals as set forth above.

Dated this 5th day of March, 2001.

GORSUCH KIRGIS LLP

 

 

By: William A. Keefe

Tower 1, Suite 1000

1515 Arapahoe Street

Denver, Colorado  80202

 

STATE OF COLORADO                        

                                                ss.

CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER                        

 

Mark Rothenberg, of lawful age, being first duly sworn upon oath, deposes and says that he is the Petroleum Engineer for Barrett Resources Corporation and that he has read the foregoing Application and that the matters therein contained are true to the best of his knowledge, information and belief.

Mark Rothenberg

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 2nd day of March, 2001.

Witness my hand and official seal.

My commission expires:           

           

Notary Public

( S E A L )

EXHIBIT A

Mark Bean, County Planner

109  8th Street

Glenwood Springs, Colorado  81601

 

Bonneville Fuels Corporation

1700 Broadway

Suite 1150

Denver, CO  80290

 

Celeste C. Grynberg

c/o Grynberg Petroleum Company

5000 South Quebec Street

Suite 500

Denver, CO  80237-2707

 

Puckett Land Company

5460 South Quebec Street, #250

Greenwood Village, CO  80111

 

Tom Brown, Inc.

555 17th Street

Suite 1850

Denver, CO  80202-3918

 

Yates Petroleum Corporation

Yates Drilling Company

ABO Petroleum Corporation

Myco Industries, Inc.

105 South Fourth Street

Artesia, NM  88210

 

Bureau of Land Management

Attention:  Duane Spencer

2850 Youngfield Street

Lakewood, Colorado  80215