Midland driller preparing to get busy again
Top 10 Texas drillers
(July 15 through 21) Pioneer Natural Resources 15 Endeavor Energy Resources 11 Parsley Energy 8 Diamondback Energy 5 Cimarex Energy 4 Murphy Oil 4 SM Energy 4 WPX Energy 4 Blackbeard Operating 3 Marathon Oil 3 Source: Railroad Commission of Texas
An oil company owned by wildcatter billionaire Autry Stephens is breaking nearly a month of drilling permit silence.
Midland exploration and production company Endeavor Energy Resources is seeking permission from the Railroad Commission of Texas to drill 11 new wells split between a pair of leases in Midland County.
The horizontal wells target the prolific and oil-rich Spraberry field at depths ranging from 10,290 to 11,000 feet.
Endeavor was ranked as the fifth most active driller in Texas last year when it filed an average of five to six drilling permits per week.
Like other oil companies dealing with low commodity prices and demand cuts caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Endeavor scaled back drilling permit activity.
Oil prices have since stabilized at just above $40 per barrel. The 11 new permits filed over the past week mark the first batch that the company has sought since June 29.
Permian Basin
Irving oil company Pioneer Natural Resources is seeking permission to drill 15 new wells split between Martin and Midland counties. The horizontal wells target the Spraberry field at depths from 9,125 to 10,633 feet.
Eagle Ford Shale
Houston exploration and production company Marathon Oil plans to drill three new wells in Live Oak County. The horizontal wells target the Sugarkane field of the Eagle Ford geological layer to a total depth of 22,000 feet.
Haynesville Shale
Tyler oil company Tanos Exploration plans to a drill a new natural gas well in Harrison County. The horizontal well targets the Carthage field of the Haynesville geological layer to a total depth of 11,312 feet.
Barnett Shale
There have been no horizontal permits filed in the Barnett Shale for the past four weeks, but Abilene oil company Bluff Creek Petroleum plans to drill two new wells in Shackelford County. Located about 18 miles northwest of Albany, the vertical wells target the Wolf Camp field of the Swastika Sand formation to a depth of 1,999 feet.
Conventionals
Houston-based Capital Star Oil & Gas plans to drill a new oil well along the Coastal Bend in Lavaca County. Located about 3 miles south of Hallettsville, the vertical well targets the Wilcox formation to a vertical depth of 11,300 feet.