Thunder Basin Plans Vertical Turner Wildcat

Niobrara County, Wyoming

Thunder Basin Resources (Thunder Basin) is awaiting state approval to drill a vertical wildcat some 28 miles southwest of Newcastle, Wyo., in the northwestern corner of Niobrara County, Wyoming. The Denver-based company has submitted an APD for the Pain Federal #2-10-40-65, nw-ne 10-40n-65w, a conventional Upper Cretaceous Turner test. It is possible, but not confirmed, that this well may be intended as a pilot hole assessing zones above and including the Turner for horizontal exploration. Thunder Basin currently has an active horizontal program in this general vicinity.

The pending probe by the Denver independent is in an area that has not seen much drilling activity in recent years. The nearest attempt to Thunder Basin’s Pain Federal #2-10-40-65 staking is almost a half-mile to the southeast at a failure drilled by Gulf Oil. The Government Harnish #1, nw-sw 11-40n-65w, is a straight-hole effort that bottomed in the Jurassic Morrison at a depth of 7,291’. The well was abandoned in 1960 with no cores cut or tests conducted. Tops picked in this wellbore include the Niobrara at 5,355’, Turner at 5,810’, Mowry at 6,682’, Muddy at 6,840’, Dakota at 7,015’, and the Morrison came in at 7,274’ beneath a KB elevation of 4,292’.

Two conventional wells have been drilled in the same section as the proposed Pain Federal #2-10-40-65—one by Farnsworth & Kaiser Oil (F&B) and the other by Davis Oil (Davis). Roughly a mile south of Thunder Basin’s anticipated prospect, F&B punched in a Lower Cretaceous bid at the Lucille #44-10, se-se 10-40n-65w. Achieving a total depth in the Skull Creek of 7,133’, this wildcat was subsequently plugged in 1982 with no significant shows encountered.

A similar distance southwest of the pending Pain Federal #2-10-40-65, Davis drilled the Federal Dixon #1, sw-sw 10-40n-65w. This 7,267’ vertical Morrison effort was plugged in 1959 after exhibiting no hydrocarbon returns in the samples.

Almost a mile west/southwest of Thunder Basin’s staking is a dry hole drilled 63 years ago by Brazell and Wrather. The Gaskill #1, sw-nw 9-40n-65w, bottomed in the Lower Cretaceous Dakota at a depth of 7,610’. Absent any shows, the cement order was given by the operator in 1954.

As mentioned, Thunder Basin’s proposed Pain Federal #2-10-40-65 may be an attempt to evaluate horizontal potential in certain Upper Cretaceous zones, primarily the Turner or Niobrara. Some 7 miles southeast of their anticipated attempt, Thunder Basin has moved in Cyclone Drilling rig No. 26 and is making progress at a horizontal well in Seedy Draw Field. With a bottom hole expected to land in the ne-se 11-40n-64w, the Boggy Creek Fee #1-14-40-64H, se-se 14-40n-64w, is expected to achieve a depth of 12,717’ in the Turner. This lateral prospect was originally permitted by Sunshine Valley Petroleum (Sunshine) and was turned over to Thunder Basin in August of 2017.

Sunshine also has an active horizontal program within Seedy Draw Field. Discovered in 1982, this pool has produced more than 1.6 mmbo and 88.8 mmcfg from vertical zones in the Frontier, Turner, Muddy, and Dakota.

The nearest horizontal production to Thunder Basin’s pending Pain Federal #2-10-40-65 is roughly 4 miles to the west at a horizontal producer located along the southwestern flank of Snyder Creek Field. Operated by Cheyenne River LLC, the Alcibiades #1-2H, sw-se 1-40n-66w, was completed as a Muddy well with an IPP of 263 bopd, 174 mcfgpd, and 257 bwpd from the lateral Muddy interval at 8,064’–11,977’. First going on-production in February 2014, to date this test has cumulated more than 66.6 k bo, 89.8 mmcfg, and 39.6 k bw. The latest gauge supplied to Wyoming officials show the Alcibiades #1-2H is averaging 16 bopd, 56 mcfgpd, and 11 bwpd.

Snyder Creek Field is a stratigraphic trap with output exceeding 343 k bo and 656 mmcfg from the Muddy/Newcastle section at depths approaching 7,900’. This reservoir was discovered in 1954.

The closest conventional production to Thunder Basin’s proposed Pain Federal #2-10-40-65 is some 4 miles to the southeast at a developmental well within Boggy Creek Field. Operated by Sunshine, the Federal #1-19-B, ne-ne 19-40n-64w, has amassed more than 17.6 k bo, 17.2 mmcfg, and 1.3 k bw since 1981. This vertical well is only producing 41 bo per month from Turner/Muddy perforations at 5,520’–5,543’.

Boggy Creek Field is a stratigraphic-type trap that following its discovery in 1971 has cumulated at least 1.6 mmbo and 4.8 bcfg.