Magnum Hunter Resources Corp. has finally brought online four new wells at its seven-well WVDNR pad in Wetzel County, WV, more than a year after work started at the site.

The pad, which Magnum said is currently producing 35 MMcfe/d, comes as part of a broader plan to jump-start production in the Appalachian Basin this year, where a blowout, permitting snags, cold weather and shut-ins related to ongoing work curtailed volumes last year (see Shale Daily, Jan. 23; Dec. 15, 2014; Oct. 8, 2014; Dec. 20, 2013).

The company first completed three Marcellus Shale wells on the WVDNR pad last year and tested them at a combined peak rate of 29.1 MMcfe/d (see Shale Daily, March 14, 2014). Those wells were then shut-in to drill four other Marcellus wells that were delayed due to winter weather.

“Due to inclement weather experienced in the Northeast, our complete testing of these new wells was somewhat delayed,” said CEO Gary Evans. “This production pad is very meaningful to our company and further exemplifies the high quality production characteristics of the southern Marcellus formation in West Virginia.”

Magnum has estimated that it produced 12,000-15,000 boe/d last year, flat from 2013 when it reported 15,386 boe/d from discontinued operations related to asset sales (see Shale Daily, Oct. 2, 2014). The company has said it would grow production 100% this year to 29,000-33,000 boe/d by bringing online a backlog of wells in Appalachia.

The new WVDNR wells were drilled to a vertical depth of 7,500 feet with laterals ranging from roughly 4,000 feet to more than 5,000 feet. Three of the wells tested at a peak rate of about 13 MMcfe/d and a fourth was tested at about 11 MMcfe/d.