Royale Energy Inc. said Wednesday it has positive indications of oil and natural gas from drilling in the Whittier field in Southern California and the Jameson field in the Permian Basin in West Texas.

The projects, acquired two years ago in a merger with Matrix Oil Management Corp., include underdeveloped drilling locations in California and West Texas that cover more than 10,000 net acres and 14 fields.

In the Jameson field in Nolan County, the McCabe No. 61 well was drilled to a total depth of 7,108 feet. Based on the operating logs “the Strawn and possibly the Ellenburger formations have productive intervals,” said spokesperson Chanda Idano.

Royale initially plans to test the production from the Ellenburger. Depending on the results, the Strawn would either be tested or held for later production following takeaway pipeline construction, Idano said.

The producer also drilled three oil wells in Whittier with initial production rates of 200-300 b/d. Including the adjacent Sansinena field, Royale said it has a large inventory of undrilled locations, an area that the California Division of Geologic Energy Management said had only a “few active wells.”

The shallow W1-ST5 well in Whittier, in which Royale has a 29% net stake, reached a depth of 3,634 feet, with evidence of oil and gas at depths from 1,140-3,510 feet. In the first 72 hours, the well produced at a rate of 129 b/d.

Royale, whose primary assets are in California’s Sacramento and San Joaquin basins, also owns assets in Texas, Utah and in the Gulf Coast basins of Texas and Louisiana.