Memorial Production Partners Buys Eagle Ford Assets in $173 Million Deal

Alta Mesa Eagle Ford Acreage Map
Alta Mesa Eagle Ford Acreage Map

Memorial Production Partners announced in March 2014 that it purchased Eagle Ford assets from Alta Mesa Holdings for $173 million. The deal includes 15,200 (800 net) acres in Karnes County, with 99-percent of the assets already held by production.

According to company officials, Memorial will gain an interest in 117 non-operated wells, with average net production of 1,650 boe/d. Approximately 80-percent of current production is oil.

Additionally, Memorial is acquiring a 30-percent interest in Alta Mesa's Eagle Ford leasehold, which includes an interest in over 180 gross and 9 net proved developed non-producing and proven undeveloped locations. Murphy Oil Corporation is the primary operator of the acquired properties.

Read more: Murphy Oil's Eagle Ford Production Grows to 39,000 boe/d in 2013

“This acquisition is consistent with our strategy of acquiring reserves in proven basins with long lives and high margins. Further, this acquisition provides an entrance into one of the country’s premier resource plays in a structure appropriate for an MLP and an opportunity to partner alongside a top operator like Murphy Oil.”
— Murphy Oil CEO, John Weinzierl

Murphy Oil Company continues to grow steadily in the Eagle Ford. At the end of 2013, the company grew production in the play to 39,000 boe/d in the play.

Memorial and Alta Mesa are both based in Houston, TX. Alta Mesa began acquiring assets in Karnes County in 2010, and will retain a 50-percent net profits interest in the proved developed producing wells included in the sale as of January 1, 2014. At year-end 2014, 2015 and 2016, the net profits interest will automatically reduce to 30-percent, 15-percent and 0-percent, respectively.

Read more at memorialpp.com

BP Creates New Business to Maximize Efficiencies in the Eagle Ford

BP Eagle Ford Shale Map
BP Eagle Ford Shale Map

BP plans to split its U.S. onshore oil and gas segment into a separate business, company officials said in a March 2014 statement. In recent years, BP has divested non-core assets to focus on the development of unconventional plays like the Eagle Ford Shale.

The new business, which will operate separately from BP, will have control of ~5.5 million acres in assets and over 21 wells. Approximately ~450,000 gross acres are in the Eagle Ford Shale alone. BP hopes to maximize competitiveness in the company's US Lower 48 onshore dealings with this new endeavor.

Read more: BP's Eagle Ford Shale Position Reaches 450,000 Net Acres

“Over the last few years, we have fundamentally reshaped our North America Gas portfolio,” said BP Upstream Chief Executive Lamar McKay. BP has done so by divesting non-core assets and focusing development in leading US unconventional plays like the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas. “Now it’s time to reshape the way we run the business – and we are very excited about this bold step forward,” he said.”

BP will own the new business, but it will be led by a separate management team. The new company will also be structured differently, and operate in way that is more conducive to the competitive U.S. onshore environment. The company's primary goals with the creation of this new group are to speed innovation, foster faster decision making and generate shorter cycle times. The new business will be housed at a new Houston, Texas location, separate from BP's Westlake campus.

BP's New Company Highlights

  •  BP announces in March 2014 the creation of new company to focus on U.S. Lower 48 unconventional oil and gas resources
  • The new company will have control of ~5.5 million acres in assets and over 21 wells. Approximately ~450,000 gross acres are in the Eagle Ford
  • The creation of the new company is intended to spur decision making time, generate shorter cycle times and speed innovation
  • BP has been divesting non-core assets to focus attention on the development of unconventional plays like the Eagle Ford Shale in recent years

Read more at bp.com

Swift Energy Reveals Initial Production Rates for Six Eagle Ford Test Wells

Swift Eagle Ford Acreage Map
Swift Eagle Ford Acreage Map

Swift Energy tested three Eagle Ford wells in the Fasken area of Webb County, with average initial production (IP) rates of 22.1 mmcf/d. The Company has identified an additional 50-60 undeveloped lower Eagle Ford locations in the Fasken area and expects future well costs to be approximately $7.5 million. The company is currently in the negotiations process for a joint venture in this area to accelerate development.

Read more: Swift Energy is Pumping More Fluid and Proppant in Eagle Ford Well Completions

Swift Energy also tested three wells in McMullen County, with average IP rates of 1,212 boe/d. In the fourth-quarter of 2013, Swift tightened frac stage intervals and used higher volumes of fluid and proppant in Eagle Ford well completions. The IP rate for a McMullen County well completed using this technique in the fourth-quarter of 2013 was 1,608 boe/d. Similar IP rates from the most recent test wells indicate the company is continuing to utilize this strategy as it refines its process for well completions.

“We are very pleased with our continuing operational improvements in these two key areas of our Eagle Ford acreage. The repeatable results in these areas provide a more predictable production growth profile, which is essential to our near term objectives of reducing financial leverage and increasing our liquidity profile.”
— Terry Swift, CEO of Swift Energy

Swift Energy Eagle Ford IP Rates Per Well in Webb County

  • Fasken BD 14H - 20.6 mmcf/d
  • Fasken BCD 10H - 22.5 mmcf/d
  • Fasken AB 9H - 23.3 mmcf/d

Swift Energy Eagle Ford IP Rates Per Well in McMullen County

  • PCQ EF 14H - 1,302 boe/d
  • PCQ EF 15H - 1,292 boe/d
  • PCQ EF 16H - 1,042 boe/d

New Standard Energy Completes Drilling Operations on its First Eagle Ford Wells

Magnum Hunter Resources Eagle Ford Acreage Map
Magnum Hunter Resources Eagle Ford Acreage Map

Australia-based New Standard Energy completed drilling operations on its second Eagle Ford well (Peeler Ranch 6-H) in late March 2014. The first well (Peeler Ranch-5H) was completed at the end of February 2014. New Standard entered the Eagle Ford in December 2013 when the company acquired Magnum Hunter Resources' Eagle Ford assets in Atascosa County, TX.

The wells are operated on the company's behalf by Magnum Hunter. New Standard has a 98.4375 % working interest and a 72.4125 % net royalty interest in the two wells.

Read more: Magnum Hunter Signs Option to Sell Pearsall and Eagle Ford Assets

Magnum Hunter is a New Standard shareholder, and the companies have formed a strategic business partnership in the play. As drilling continues, New Standard will work with Magnum Hunter to identify drilling locations.

“We have had an excellent start to our Eagle Ford drilling campaign and look forward to continuing to work alongside the team at Magnum Hunter to deliver more wells within budget and on time to facilitate increased production and revenue.”
— New Standard Energy Managing Director Phil Thick

Both New Standard Eagle Ford wells were drilled in parallel lateral lengths, targeting the same hydrocarbon bearing zone in the formation. The wells will be fracked in April 2014, using the "zipper frac" method, which alternates frac stages between the two wells. According to company officials, production will begin in late April or early May. The two wells will add to the five existing wells already in production within the acreage.

 

Eagle Ford Rig Count - 261 - EOG Resources - ZaZa Energy Move to Final Phase of JV Agreement in Eaglebine

ZaZa Energy Eaglebine Map
ZaZa Energy Eaglebine Map

The Eagle Ford Shale rig count decreased by six to 261 rigs running over the past week.

In recent news, EOG Resources joint venture with ZaZa Energy moves into its third and final phase in the Eaglebine. ZaZa will receive $15 million and an additional two-well drilling commitment from EOG. As part of the agreement, EOG must begin drilling the first of two wells by July 1, 2014. In exchange, EOG will gain a 75% working interest in all of Zaza's remaining acreage.

Read more: EOG Resources - ZaZa Energy Move into Third and Final Phase of Joint Venture Agreement

The U.S. rig count decreased by six to 1803 rigs running over the past week. A total of 326 rigs are targeting natural gas (18 less than last week) and 1,473 are targeting oil in the U.S. (12 more than last week). The remainder are drilling service wells (e.g. disposal wells, injection wells, etc.). 858or ~48% of rigs active in the U.S. are running in Texas.

Baker Hughes rig count is quoted here. Baker Hughes also releases its own Eagle Ford Rig Count that covers the 14 core counties (219 rigs). The rig count published on EagleFordShale.com includes a 30 county area impacted by Eagle Ford development. A full list of the counties included can be found in the table near the bottom of this article.

Eagle Ford Oil & Gas Rigs

The natural gas rig count decreased by 14 to 24 rigs running this past week. Average rig counts for natural gas production in 2012 were around 82 and then dropped to around 41 in 2013. Over the past week, natural gas decreased slightly to $4.31/mmbtu on Friday afternoon.

The oil rig count increased by eight to 237 rigs running. WTI oil prices decreased, trading at $99.56/bbl by the end of the week. Eagle Ford light crude traded at $96.00/bbl on March 21st.

A total of 226 rigs are drilling horizontal wells, 19 rigs are drilling directional wells, and 16 rigs are drilling vertical wells. Karnes, La Salle, Dimmit, McMullen and Webb counties each have at minimum 22 rigs running. Karnes County has the highest rig count this week at 34. See the full list below in the Eagle Ford Shale Drilling by County:

South Texas Oil & Gas News:

Be sure to visit our South Texas Oilfield Job Listings to search openings and come back weekly for updates.

Eagle Ford Shale Drilling by County

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Eagle Ford Operated Rig Count By Company

SmithBits no longer reports its operated rig count, but we'll have updated number for you from a new source soon. Until then, you can reference our numbers from mid-April. There has not been a significant change in the overall rig count since this date:

What is the Rig Count?

The Eagle Ford Shale Rig Count is an index of the total number of oil & gas drilling rigs running across a 30 county area in South Texas. The South Texas rigs referred to in this article are for ALL drilling reported by Baker Hughes and not solely wells targeting the Eagle Ford formation. All land rigs and onshore rig data shown here are based upon industry estimates provided by the Baker Hughes Rig Count and/or Smith Service Co's (Schlumberger) Smith Rig Count.