BEFORE
THE OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION COMMISSION
OF THE STATE OF COLORADO
|
IN THE MATTER OF THE PROMULGATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF FIELD RULES TO GOVERN OPERATIONS FOR THE NIOBRARA FORMATION WATTENBERG FIELD, WELD COUNTY, COLORADO |
) ) ) ) ) ) ) |
CAUSE NO. 407
DOCKET NO. 170700507
TYPE: POOLING
ORDER NO. 407-2160 |
REPORT OF THE COMMISSION
The Commission heard this matter on July 24, 2017, at the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, 1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 801, Denver, Colorado, upon application for an order to pool all interests in three approximate 720-acre designated horizontal wellbore spacing units established for portions of Sections 12, 13, and 24, Township 5 North, Range 65 West, 6th P.M., and to subject all nonconsenting interests to the cost recovery provisions of §34-60-116(7), C.R.S., for the drilling of the Sandin 24N-241 Well, Sandin 24N-301 Well, and the Sandin 24N-221 Well, for the development and operation of the Niobrara Formation.
FINDINGS
The Commission finds as follows:
1. PDC Energy, Inc. (Operator No. 69175) (“PDC” or “Applicant”), as applicant herein, is an interested party in the subject matter of the above-referenced hearing.
2. Due notice of the time, place and purpose of the hearing has been given in all respects as required by law.
3. The Commission has jurisdiction over the subject matter embraced in said Notice, and of the parties interested therein, and jurisdiction to promulgate the hereinafter prescribed order pursuant to the Oil and Gas Conservation Act.
4. On April 27, 1998, the Commission adopted Rule 318A, the Greater Wattenberg Area Special Well Location, Spacing and Unit Designation Rule. Sections 12, 13, and 24, Township 5 North, Range 65 West, 6th P.M., are subject to this Rule for the Niobrara Formation.
5. On February 19, 1992, the Commission entered Order No. 407-87 (amended August 20, 1993) which, among other things, established 80-acre drilling and spacing units for the production of oil, gas, and associated hydrocarbons from the Codell-Niobrara Formations, the Codell Formation, and the Niobrara Formation underlying certain lands, including Sections 12, 13, and 24, Township 5 North, Range 65 West, 6th P.M., with the permitted well locations in accordance with the provisions of Order 407-1.
6. On May 25, 2017, amended June 15, 2017, PDC, by its attorneys, filed a verified Application (“Application”) pursuant to §34-60-116, C.R.S., for an order to pool all interests in three approximate 720-acre designated horizontal wellbore spacing unit established for the below-described lands (“Application Lands”), for the development and operation of the Niobrara Formation, and to subject any nonconsenting interests to the cost recovery provisions of §34-60-116(7), C.R.S., for the drilling of the Sandin 24N-241 Well (API No. 05-123-44667), Sandin 24N-301 Well (API No. 05-123-44671), and the Sandin 24N-221 Well (API No. 05-123-44663) (“Wells”):
Township 5 North, Range 65 West, 6th P.M.
Section 12: W½E½, E½W½
Section 13: W½E½, E½W½
Section 24: NW¼NE¼, NE¼NW¼
Wellbore Spacing Unit (“WSU”) No. 1
Sandin 24N-241 Well – Niobrara
WSU No. 2
Sandin 24N-301 Well – Niobrara
WSU No. 3
Sandin 24N-221 Well – Niobrara
7. On June 28, 2017, amended July 19, 2017, Applicant, by its attorneys, filed with the Commission a written request to approve the Application based on the merits of the verified Application and the supporting exhibits. Sworn written testimony and exhibits were submitted in support of the Application.
8. Land testimony and exhibits submitted in support of the Application by Daniel R. McCoy, Regional Landman for Applicant, showed that PDC has been unable to effect the voluntary pooling of interests within three approximate 720-acre designated horizontal wellbore spacing units established for the Application Lands. Further, based upon examination of relevant contracts and records, all owners of an oil and gas interest in the tracts to be pooled (who could be located by PDC) received timely notice of the Application.
9. Applicant confirmed that Commission Rule 530 does not apply as there are no nonparticipating working interest owners or unleased mineral interest owners subject to the Application, and Applicant is not seeking cost recovery pursuant to §34-60-116(7), C.R.S, for the Well.
10. The above-referenced testimony and exhibits show that granting the Application will allow more efficient reservoir drainage, will prevent waste, will assure a greater ultimate recovery of hydrocarbons, and will not violate correlative rights.
11. PDC agreed to be bound by oral order of the Commission.
12. Based on the facts stated in the verified Application, having received no protests, and based on the Hearing Officer review of the Application under Rule 511, the Commission should enter an order to pool all interests in three approximate 720-acre designated horizontal wellbore spacing units established for portions of Sections 12, 13, and 24, Township 5 North, Range 65 West, 6th P.M., for the drilling of the Sandin 24N-241 Well, Sandin 24N-301 Well, and the Sandin 24N-221 Well, for the development and operation of the Niobrara Formation.
ORDER
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED:
1. Pursuant to the provisions of §34-60-116, C.R.S., as amended, of the Oil and Gas Conservation Act, all interests in three approximate 720-acre designated horizontal wellbore spacing units established for the below-described lands are hereby pooled, for the development and operation of the Niobrara Formation, effective as of the earlier of the date of the Application, or the date that any of the costs specified in §34-60-116(7)(b)(II), C.R.S., are first incurred for the drilling of the Sandin 24N-241 Well (API No. 05-123-44667), Sandin 24N-301 Well (API No. 05-123-44671), and the Sandin 24N-221 Well (API No. 05-123-44663) (“Wells”):
Township 5 North, Range 65 West, 6th P.M.
Section 12: W½E½, E½W½
Section 13: W½E½, E½W½
Section 24: NW¼NE¼, NE¼NW¼
Wellbore Spacing Unit (“WSU”) No. 1
Sandin 24N-241 Well – Niobrara
WSU No. 2
Sandin 24N-301 Well – Niobrara
WSU No. 3
Sandin 24N-221 Well – Niobrara
2. The production obtained from the designated horizontal wellbore spacing unit shall be allocated to each owner in the unit on the basis of the proportion that the number of acres in such tract bears to the total number of mineral acres within the designated horizontal wellbore spacing unit; each owner of an interest in the designated horizontal wellbore spacing unit shall be entitled to receive its share of the production of the Well located on the designated horizontal wellbore spacing unit applicable to its interest in the designated horizontal wellbore spacing unit.
3. Nothing in this order is intended to conflict with §34-60-116, C.R.S., as amended. Any conflict that may arise shall be resolved in favor of the statute.
4. The designated horizontal wellbore spacing unit described above shall be considered a drilling and spacing unit established by the Commission for purposes of Rule 530.a.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED:
1. The provisions contained in the above order shall become effective immediately.
2. The Commission expressly reserves its right, after notice and hearing, to alter, amend or repeal any and/or all of the above orders.
3. Under the State Administrative Procedure Act the Commission considers this Order to be final agency action for purposes of judicial review within 35 days after the date this Order is mailed by the Commission.
4. An application for reconsideration by the Commission of this Order is not required prior to the filing for judicial review.
ENTERED this 10th day of August, 2017, as of July 24, 2017.
OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION COMMISSION
OF THE STATE OF COLORADO
By____________________________________
James P. Rouse, Acting Secretary