| IN THE MATTER OF THE PROMULGATION OF AND ESTABLISHMENT OF FIELD RULES TO GOVERN OPERATIONS IN THE PARK MOUNTAIN FIELD, RIO BLANCO COUNTY, | Cause No. 465 Order No. 465-2 |
REPORT OF THE COMMISSION
This cause came on for hearing before the Commission on December 20, 1993 at 8:30 a.m., in the Boettcher Auditorium, Colorado History Museum, 1300 Broadway, Denver, Colorado, and on February 22, 1994 at 8:30 a.m., in Room 318, State Centennial Building, 1313 Sherman Street, Denver, Colorado, after giving Notice of Hearing as required by law, on the verified application and the amended verified application of Mitchell Energy Corporation for an order to ex tend the field rules for the Park Mountain Field to include additional lands for the production of gas and associated hydrocarbons from the Dakota Formation underlying certain lands in Rio Blanco County, Colorado.
FINDINGS
The Commission finds as follows:
1. Mitchell Energy Corporation, 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 in said Notice, and of the parties interested therein, and jurisdiction to promulgate the hereinafter prescribed order.
4. In order to prevent the waste of oil and gas, as defined by law, to protect correlative rights of all parties concerned; to prevent the drilling of unnecessary wells, and to insure proper and efficient development and promote conservation of the oil and gas resources of the State, an order should be entered extending 320-acre drilling and spacing units for the production of gas and associated hydrocarbons from the Dakota formation to include the belo w-described lands. Each unit should consist of 320 acres, more or less, with the units to be designated by the operator of the first well to be drilled in any governmental section. Such units should consist of the E1/2 and W1/2 or N1/2 and S1/2 of any section, with the permitted well to be located no closer than 990 feet from the outer boundary of said unit. Wells presently producing and producible, or permitted within the proposed area should be desig nated as the permitted well for the drilling and spacing unit upon which such well is located, and all operator of such wells should notify the Commission of the unit designation within thirty (30) days of the entry of this order. The Director should be able to grant topographic variances without notice or hearing.
Township 2 South, Range 103 West, 6th P.M. Section 31: Lots 1, 2, 3, 4, E1/2, E1/2 W1/2 Section 32: All Section 33: All
Township 3 South, Range 103 West, 6th P.M. Section 4: Lots 5, 6, 7, 8, S1/2 N1/2, S1/2 Section 5: Lots 5, 6, 7, 8, S1/2 N1/2, S1/2 Section 6: Lots 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, SE1/4 NW1/4 E/2 SW1/4 (being the approximate W1/2) Lots 8, 9, S/2 NE1/4, SE1/4 (being the approximate E1/2) Section 7: E1/2 Section 8: All Section 9: N1/2 Section 18: Lots 5, 6, 7, 8, E1/2 W1/2 (being the approximate W1/2), E1/2
5. All available and engineering data concerning said Dakota Formation indicate that one well will efficiently and economically drain an area of approximately 320-acres, and that the drilling unit of the size and shape hereinabove described is not smaller than the maximum area that can be efficiently and economically drained by one well producing from said Dakota Formation.
6. That on January 18, 1994, the Commission issued Order No. 465-2 which extended the field rules for the Park Mountain Field to include the below-listed lands. This order was issued in error, as the lands described in the original application as Township 3 South, Range 104 West lie within the state of Utah and are therefore beyond the jurisdiction of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
Township 2 South, Range 103 West, 6th P.M. Section 31: Lots 1, 2, 3, 4, E1/2, E1/2 W1/2 Section 32: All Section 33: All
Township 3 South, Range 104 West, 6th P.M. Section 4: Lots 5, 6, 7, 8, S1/2 N1/2, S1/2 Section 5: Lots 5, 6, 7, 8, S1/2 N1/2, S1/2 Section 6: Lots 8, 9, S1/2 NE1/4, SE1/4 Section 7: E1/2 Section 8: All Section 9: N1/2 Section 18: E1/2
6. Based upon the facts stated in the verified application and the amended verified application, receiving no objections to the original application and the amended application which corrected the lands affected, and having been heard by the Hearing Officers who were presented testimony and exhibits on the correct lands and who recommend approval, the Commission should enter an order amending Order No. 465-2 to correct the lands affected and extending 3 20-acre drilling and spacing units for the production of gas and associated hydrocarbons from the Dakota Formation underlying the additional lands described in Finding 4 in Rio Blanco County, Colorado.
O R D E R
NOW THEREFORE IT IS ORDERED, that the following rules and regulations shall apply hereafter to wells drilled, completed, or recompleted in the Dakota Formation in the Park Mountain Field, herein described, in addition to other applicable rules and regulations and orders of the Commission, if any, heretofore adopted and not in conflict herewith.
Rule 1. Three hundred twenty (320) acre drilling and spacing units shall be and the same are hereby established for the production of gas and associated hydrocarbons from the Dakota Formation underlying the following described lands in Rio Blanco County, Colorado, to-wit:
Township 2 South, Range 103 West, 6th P.M. Section 31: Lots 1, 2, 3, 4, E1/2, E1/2 W1/2 Section 32: All Section 33: All
Township 3 South, Range 103 West, 6th P.M. Section 4: Lots 5, 6, 7, 8, S1/2 N1/2, S1/2 Section 5: Lots 5, 6, 7, 8, S1/2 N1/2, S1/2 Section 6: Lots 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, SE1/4 NW1/4 E/2 SW1/4 (being the approximate W1/2) Lots 8, 9, S/2 NE1/4, SE1/4 (being the approximate E1/2) Section 7: E1/2 Section 8: All Section 9: N1/2 Section 18: Lots 5, 6, 7, 8, E1/2 W1/2 (being the approximate W1/2), E1/2
Township 3 South, Range 104 West, 6th P.M. Section 1: Lots 1, 2, 3, 4, S1/2 N1/2, S1/2 (All) Section 2: Lots 1, 2, 3, 4, S1/2 N1/2, S1/2 (All) Section 3: Lots 1, 2, 3, 4 (All) Section 10: Lots 1, 2, 3, 4 (All) Section 11: All Section 12: All Section 13: All Section 14: E1/2
Section 3 and 10 of Township 3 South, Range 104 West, 6th P.M. are immediately adjacent to and abut the state line between Colorado and Utah.
Rule 2. Each unit shall consist of 320-acres, more or less, with the units to be designated by the operator of the first well to be drilled in any governmental section except the following two units:
Designated Unit #1 - Section 3, Township 3 South, Range 104 West Lots 1, 2, 3 and 4 Designated Unit #2 - Section 10, Township 3 South, Range 104 West Lots 1, 2, 3 and 4
Such other units shall consist of the E1/2 and W1/2 or N1/2 and S1/2 of any section with the permitted well located no closer than 990 feet from the outer boundary of said unit. Wells presently producing or producible, or permitted within the proposed area shall be designated the permitted well for the unit upon which they are located, and operators of such wells shall notify the Commission of the unit designation within thirty days of the entry of this order. The Director shall be able to grant topographic variances without notice or hearing.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that the provisions contained in the above order shall become effective forthwith.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that the Commission expressly reserves its rights, after notice and hearing, to alter, amend, or repeal any and/or all of the above orders.
ENTERED this day of , 1994, as of December 20, 1993.
CORRECTED this day of , 1994, as of February 22, 1994.
OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO
By Patricia C. Beaver, Secretary
Dated at Suite 380 1580 Logan Street Denver, Colorado 80203 March 23, 1994 ??
(465#2)