Remote Wildcat Spuds in Big Horn Basin

Big Horn County, Wyoming

With Cyclone Drilling rig No. 4 under contract, Midland, Texas–based Ranch Resources (Ranch) is turning to the right at the State #36-53-95, se-se 36-53n-95w, Big Horn County, a confidential test that is expected to have a true vertical depth of 13,552’ in the Mississippian Madison. Representing Ranch’s first attempt in the Cowboy State, this remote wildcat sits some 25 miles southeast of Powell, Wyo., along the northeastern flank of the Big Horn Basin.

The location being evaluated by the Texas company has been the focus of previous exploration. In 2011, Pogo Producing (Pogo) announced plans for an unconventional Mowry test at the Buffalo Gap State #36-1H, se-se 36-53n-95w. This attempt was never drilled, however, possibly because results from another Pogo lateral wildcat spotting a mile to the west were disappointing. That well, the Buffalo Gap Federal #35-1H, se-se 35-53n-95w, was given an IPP of 22 bopd, 193 mcfgpd, and 288 bwpd from the horizontal Mowry interval at 11,604’–16,148’. Deemed noncommercial, the Buffalo Gap Federal #35-1H was abandoned in 2012.

Pogo’s Buffalo Gap State #36-1H and Buffalo Gap Federal #35-1H are part of a series of horizontal Mowry wells drilled by the firm in this portion of the Big Horn Basin, with limited success.

The nearest vertical exploration to Ranch’s State #36-53-95 is approximately 4.5 miles to the southeast at the Government #2, sw-sw 22-52n-94w. Drilled in 1953 by Trigood Oil (Trigood), this failure accessed the Lower Cretaceous Dakota at a depth of 10,561’. The operator conducted three DSTs in the wellbore, all targeting the Cretaceous. A test across the Mowry section from 9,570’ to 9,658’ reversed-out 1,572’ of gas-cut mud with a small stain of oil, while the second drillstem test, in the Dakota at 10,511’–10,524’, recovered 90’ of water and 20’ of water-cut mud.

Trigood’s final test, in the Dakota between 10,512’ and 10,561’, recorded gas-to-surface in 75 minutes; however, the sample was too small to measure. No pipe recovery was noted, and the Government #2 was abandoned.

Five miles south of Ranch’s State #36-53-95, Gulf Energy (Gulf) drilled a deep Madison attempt at the Northeast Otto-Fed #1, se-se 26-52n-95w. After bottoming in the Mississippian at a depth of 14,650’, one DST was performed in the Upper Cretaceous Frontier near 11,196’, where one gallon of oil was recovered along with 10,850’ of gas-cut water. Gulf then ran long string to 12,544’ and perforated the Frontier from 11,090’ to 11,407’. Results were negligible, however, and the attempt was abandoned in 1975.

Tops encountered in the Northeast Otto-Fed #1 include the Frontier at 10,830’, Mowry at 11,533’, Muddy at 12,092’, Tensleep at 14,222’, and the Madison came in at 14,476’ beneath a ground elevation of 3,982’.

Another company that chased horizontal Mowry reserves in this portion of the Big Horn Basin is Denver-based Cirque Resources (Cirque). Spotting in a remote, 18,541-acre federal unit named Goats Do Roam, Cirque’s unconventional attempt surveys in the same section as Gulf’s deep ­Madison failure. Although the Federal #1-26H, se-se 26-52n-95w, achieved a true vertical depth of 11,733’, because of mechanical difficulties the operator was unable to horizontally drill the wellbore to its projected true measured depth of 16,844’. Cirque temporarily abandoned their Mowry attempt in 2012. The Denver company eventually signed-over control of the Federal #1-26H to Teton Bighorn, the current operator of the test.

Some 5.5 miles northeast of Ranch’s State #36-53-95 is a vertical well drilled by Gulf. The Federal W-040260 #1, se-sw 23-53n-94w, bottomed at a total depth of 11,140’ in the Dakota and was abandoned in 1955 with only minor oil shows reported from the formation at 10,987’–11,045’.

The closest established production to Ranch’s deep Madison probe is some 7 miles to the southeast at a developmental well operated by Valkyrie Resources (Valkyrie). The Klaenhammer #1-B, sw-ne 24-52n-94w, bottomed in the vertical Phosphoria at a depth of 11,410’. Since November 1990, this prospect has produced 7.7 k bo, 10.3 mmcfg, and 44 bw from Muddy perforations at 9,331’–9,343’. The last gauge supplied to Wyoming regulators shows that during July of 2018, the Klaenhammer #1-B produced just 26 bo, with no gas or water noted.

Valkyrie’s small producer is located in Greybull West Field, a structural/stratigraphic–type trap that currently has output from both the Torchlight and the Muddy. Following its discovery in 1952, this minor reservoir has cumulated only 115 k bo and 3 bcfg.

The nearest Madison production to Ranch’s active State #36-53-95 is roughly 13 miles to the southeast at Lamb Field, a multi-pay oil pool that produces from the Muddy, Phosphoria, Tensleep, and Madison. Following its discovery in 1913, this reservoir has yielded more than 1.3 mmbo and 599 mmcfg and is still producing from six active wells.