American Oil and Gas Reporter - July 2017 - 86

SpecialReport: Rockies Activity Profile
All these unconventional plays are
giving independents access to substantial
growth potential in longer-term, lowerrisk tight oil projects in a region that historically has been a natural gas powerhouse. In each basin, independent producers are adding rigs to develop core
positions while continuing to experiment
with completion designs to boost initial
production and expand estimated ultimate
recoveries.
Adjusting Fractures, Proppant

Bill Barrett Corp. is ramping up activity
in the D-J's Northeast Wattenberg Field,
where the Denver-based company continues to extend lateral lengths, reduce
fracture-stage spacing and boost proppant
volumes to realize production gains, says
Larry Busnardo, vice president of investor
relations.
The company is focusing its $255 million-$285 million 2017 capital expenditure
budget on exploiting oil-rich reserves on
72,000 lease acres, of which 64,000 sit in
the Northeast Wattenberg. That includes
16,700 net acres acquired in 2017 at what
Busnardo terms an attractive average cost
that provides as many as 130 drilling locations. One rig was running in early
June and the company expected to add a
second shortly, he adds, saying Bill Barrett

anticipates drilling 75 total wells on multiwell pads this year.
In the first quarter, the company produced an average of 14,187 barrels of oil
equivalent a day from the D-J, up 22
percent over first quarter 2016. According
to Busnardo, that growth was achieved
despite a reduction in drilling for two
quarters in 2016 because of low oil prices.
"Although production growth this year
is up probably on the order of 5-10
percent, it really leads to pretty significant
growth next year on the order of 30-50
percent," he forecasts.
The region's primary target is the Niobrara B, although the Niobrara A and C,
as well as the Codell, are prospective in
certain areas, Busnardo describes. The
company had been averaging about 55
fracture stages a well, with stage lengths
averaging 170 feet, he says, adding Bill
Barrett is increasing the amount of proppant and reducing stage spacing.
"The company is moving down to
100 feet or 95 stages," Busnardo reveals.
"It was using 1,000 pounds of sand per
lateral foot, and then it went up to 1,200.
Now, it is up to 1,500 pounds."
The first of two wells utilizing additional stages and reduced spacing were
in the final phases of completion work in
early June, he says, and results had not

Bill Barrett Corp. continues to expand its operations in the Denver-Julesburg's Northeast
Wattenberg Field. The company was running one rig in the play in early June, with plans
to add a second one. Over the year, Bill Barrett says it expects to drill 75 total wells on
multiwell pads.

86 THE AMERICAN OIL & GAS REPORTER

been announced. "All the indications we
have early on point to very positive results," he reported midmonth. "Everything
that is on line this year is in the early
flowback stage. We are in a lower gas/oil
ratio window, so we do a controlled flowback. It may take up to six months to get
to peak oil."
On one earlier pad, additional proppant-from 1,000 pounds to 1,250 pounds-
boosted production 36 percent over the
well's initial 24 month production cycle,
Busnardo says.
"When we tightened fracture-stage
spacing earlier from 175 to 120 feet, we
saw a 10 percent increase," he reveals.
"Ultimately, the wells we are completing
now are the ones to really keep an eye
on, because you are getting both the increased proppant and the tighter fracture-stage spacing."
Northeast Wattenberg

Drill Spacing Unit 4-62-20, in the
southern portion of the Northeast Wattenberg area, was placed on early flowback
in February. Busnardo says the well includes four extended reach laterals (XRL)
that incorporate increased proppant volumes of as much as 1,200 pounds of
sand per lateral foot. In the central portion
of the field, he notes the company placed
DSU 5-62-27 with nine XRL wells incorporating 1,500 pounds of sand per
lateral foot on flowback in March.
Placed on initial flowback in the second
quarter, DSU 6-62-10/6-62-11, in the
northern area of the Northeast Wattenberg,
includes four XRL wells in which Bill
Barrett incorporated as much as 1,500
pounds of sand per lateral foot and reduced
fracture spacing from 175 feet to between
100 and 140 feet, he says.
Drilling began in the second quarter
on DSU 5-63-32 in the western area of
the Northeast Wattenberg. This pad includes five XRL wells in which the company will pump 1,500 pounds of sand
per lateral foot on fracture spacing of
100-120 feet between stages, Busnardo
says. He adds that initial production rates
on the wells have yet to be announced.
Even with increased lateral lengths
and proppant volumes alongside decreased
stage lengths, XRL wells' drilling days
to rig release have averaged 6.7 days
each during 2017, a 26 percent improvement over 2016, he says. In addition,

American Oil and Gas Reporter - July 2017

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