Higher-than-expected condensate and natural gas liquids (NGL) volumes from 11 Stone Energy Corp. wells in Wetzel County, WV, will require additional equipment on pipeline facilities, according to the Lafayette, LA, company.

The wells, which are located in Stone’s Mary field, have all flow tested into the Caiman pipeline at 3-5 MMcf/d, the company said. Initial condensate production rates of 70-100 bbl per MMcf of gas were also produced, and initial NGL volumes from the wet gas stream were estimated to be over 40 bbl per MMcf of gas produced. Production from the Mary field has been intermittent over the past several weeks as pipeline solutions are reviewed, Stone said.

Another 13 wells that have been drilled but not completed in the Mary field will be fractured and produced next year, Stone said. The company’s Marcellus production from other Appalachian fields remains at about 15 MMcf/d.

Last week Stone Energy and Magnum Hunter Resources Corp. said they plan to jointly develop Marcellus Shale acreage in Wetzel County (see Shale Daily, Dec. 13). Separately, Stone agreed to commit its share of output from the contract area to a Magnum Hunter pipeline subsidiary.

Stone added about 10,000 net acres to its West Virginia leasehold position during the second half of 2011, bringing its total Appalachian leasehold position to approximately 90,000 net acres, with more than 26,000 net acres in the condensate-rich Mary field.