Horizontal

Driven primarily by the continued success of its drilling program in the Marcellus Shale, Range Resources Corp. saw its production volumes surge to a record high of 910 MMcfe/d in 2Q2013, a 27% increase over 2Q2012, the Forth Worth, TX-based company said Thursday.

Kirkpatrick Oil & Gas LLC has hired E-Spectrum Advisors LLC to sell its nonoperated, horizontal Eagle Ford and Pearsall shale properties in La Salle and Frio counties, TX. Kirkpatrick’s ownership includes 41 producing wells, operated by Cheyenne Petroleum Co., making approximately 6,000 gross/135 net boe/d, and nine wells in various stages of drilling and completion. In addition, nine locations are permitted for drilling. Kirkpatrick holds an approximate 3% working interest and the typical lease delivers a 77% net revenue interest. The properties hold 11,281 gross/338 net acres of leasehold. Reserves include net proved reserves of 1.18 MMboe (88% oil/liquids). Offers are due by July 30.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said it found naturally occurring dissolved methane at several household wells used for drinking water in Sullivan County, PA, during pre-drill baseline testing at sites not near existing oil and gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale.

Denver-based exploration and production (E&P) independent QEP Resources Inc. reported encouraging results from its first four-well pad drilling on recently acquired South Antelope property in the Williston Basin in North Dakota. QEP said it also completed nine wells — four in the Bakken and five in the Three Forks formations on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation.

EQT Corp. released updated information for its investors on Friday, including higher projections for estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) at wells in its core Marcellus Shale acreage, thanks to reduced cluster spacing, longer laterals and a pending deal with Chesapeake Energy Corp.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he will make the long-delayed decision on whether to lift a moratorium on high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) before the next gubernatorial election in 2014.

The New York oil and natural gas industry is “imperiled” and “in crisis” because of the ongoing delay over whether to allow hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in horizontal drilling, according to a recent letter sent to Gov. Andrew Cuomo by the Independent Oil & Gas Association of New York (IOGA).

Portions of the Susquehanna River Valley aquifer in an area of New York that overlies the Marcellus and Utica shales are among the most favorable for potential large-scale groundwater supply, according to a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study.

Calgary-based Talisman Energy Inc. is considering a plan to exit shale development in Poland, a move that helps the company focus elsewhere but is also a blow to what was once considered Europe’s best source for shale natural gas and a hedge against pipeline gas supplies from Russia.