Carrizo Oil & Gas Inc., based in Houston, said its recently drilled LaRose Prospect well in Lafourche Parish, LA has tested at a gross rate of 11,650 Mcf/d and 1,466 bbl/d of condensate on a 16/64-inch choke. Flowing tubing pressure was approximately 9,740 pounds per square inch from 18 net feet of pay from the deepest sand interval in the well. The well was drilled to a total depth of 15,300 feet and logged more than 100 net feet of apparent pay in three intervals at depths ranging from 13,500 feet to 15,300 feet. Carrizo is operator and owns a 40% working interest in the well, and expects the well to begin production in about 60 days. The initial gross production rate is expected to be about 20,000 Mcfe/d. Carrizo holds approximately 1,150 acres in the LaRose Prospect and said that additional follow-up drilling will be needed to fully develop the prospect. Carrizo also announced that it had completed the sale of its interest in Michael Petroleum Corp., with total proceeds estimated at $5.5-5.7 million.

South Texas Drilling & Exploration Inc. has changed its name to Pioneer Drilling Co. following approval by the San Antonio-based company’s shareholders. The name change was previously approved by the board of directors and took immediate effect. The common stock will continue to trade on the American Stock Exchange under the “PDC” symbol. CEO Michael E. Little said the name change reflects the company’s expansion, which is no longer exclusively in South Texas. PDC provides contract land drilling services throughout Texas.

Empire Energy Corp. reported that the Bedsole No. 1 gas well in Leon County, TX, has been put onto production. Gas production commenced from the upper Cotton Valley Sand interval on August 18 producing at a rate of approximately 850 Mcf/d. The well, which is still cleaning up, will be produced at this rate through the start-up phase. Empire Energy owns a 96% working interest in the well through the June acquisition of Commonwealth Energy Corp. Empire said the completion of this interval is the first phase of the development program planned for this acreage, which includes deeper primary targets in the Pinnacle Reefs and the Bossier Sands. The company is currently evaluating the various options that are available to fund the cost of drilling an additional 6 to 8 development wells on the lease, and believes that, at this point, the best option available is to develop the lease with an industry partner. Several prospect packages have been circulated to interested companies and the Empire said it will continue to make these packages available to qualified companies.

San Antonio-based Abraxas Petroleum Corp. reported that the first of five development wells are onstream in the Pouce Coupe area of Canada at a rate of 2.7 MMcfe/d. The company said that four other wells are in various stages of completion in Pouce Coupe and the Caroline area with one well drilling in each area. Abraxas said it expects similar results from these wells with reserves expected to average 3 to 5 Bcfe per well. None of the seven locations are currently booked as proved or probable reserves by the company’s outside engineering firms. Abraxas said it has identified over forty additional locations in the Caroline and Pouce Coupe areas based on the recent drilling and the 3-D seismic surveys completed in each area this past winter. With one rig under contract in each area, Abraxas anticipates drilling one well per month in Pouce Coupe and one well every six weeks in Caroline for the foreseeable future. Abraxas and its Canadian subsidiary, Grey Wolf Exploration Inc., combined have an average 85% working interest in the seven wells but have a 100% working interest in the majority of the subsequent drilling locations.

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