Lower Smackover Brown Dense Play

Southwestern Energy Reports Sixth Well Into Lower Smackover Brown Dense Formation

Southwestern Energy (NYSE:SWN) has been working on the development of various plays in its New Ventures portfolio, including the Lower Smackover Brown Dense formation in Arkansas and Louisiana.

Southwestern Energy has 506,000 net acres prospective for this play and has drilled six wells to date.  The company’s first three wells were completed in early 2012 and are currently shut in.  The Johnson #21-22-1 #1 and Dean 31-22-1E #1 were drilled to vertical depths of approximately 10,500 feet in Union Parish, Louisiana.

Southwestern Energy said that these two wells found higher pressures in the Lower Smackover Brown Dense formation and the company is analyzing log data and core samples to plan a hydraulic fracture operation.  The company also plans to reenter these wells as horizontal wells in 2013.

Southwestern Energy is currently completing the Doles 30-22-1H #1 well, also located in Union Parish, Louisiana.  This well was drilled to approximately 10,673 feet with a lateral length of 4,731 feet.  The company said that this well also encountered high pressure within the Lower Smackover Brown Dense formation and is currently flowing back.

Southwestern Energy plans to put the Doles 30-22-1H #1 well and the BML #31-22 #1-1H well onto sales in late November 2012.

Southwestern Energy Reports On Lower Smackover Wells In Louisiana

Southwestern Energy (SWN) provided updated information on the company’s development of the Lower Smackover Brown Dense formation.  The company has 563,000 net acres in Louisiana and Arkansas that is prospective for this play.

Southwestern Energy has worked on six wells into the Lower Smackover Brown Dense play to date, with the first two wells shut in for testing.

The BML #31-22 #1-1H well was drilled to a total depth of 14,700 feet with a horizontal lateral of 4,300 feet.  The BML #31-22 #1-1H well was completed with a 19 stage frac job and produced at a peak 24 hour rate of 421 barrels of oil per day.  Southwestern Energy has shut in the well for a pressure test and expects to put the well onto production in the fourth quarter of 2012. The BML #31-22 #1-1H well is Southwestern Energy’s third well and is located in Union Parish, Louisiana.

Southwestern Energy reported that the Johnson #21-22-1 #1 well, also located in Union Parish, Louisiana, was drilled to a total vertical depth of 10,507 feet and is currently waiting on completion.  The company said that the company will start completion operations on the Johnson #21-22-1 #1 well in August 2012.  Southwestern Energy expects to eventually reenter the well as a horizontal well at a future date.

Southwestern Energy is currently drilling two additional wells into the Lower Smackover Brown Dense play.  The Doles 30-22-1H #1 well is expected to be completed horizontally with a 6,000 foot lateral.  The company is also drilling the Dean 31-22-1E #1 well and has designed this well to be completed vertically at a depth of 10,450 feet.  Both these wells are located in Union Parish, Louisiana.