Underground Energy provides operational update
07 December 2011 - 11:00PM
PR Newswire (Canada)
SANTA BARBARA, CA, Dec. 7, 2011 /CNW/ - Underground Energy Corp.
("Underground", "UGE" or the "Company") today provided an
operational update as it continues the process of integrating the
six properties covering 39,778 gross acres (29,854 net) that were
acquired on November 23, 2011. "Following the completion of our
recent acquisition, we are working to rapidly integrate the
acquired assets into our portfolio and promptly advance the
nearest-term development opportunities, particularly at the Zaca
field," said Michael Kobler, President and CEO of Underground. "Our
focus for the balance of the year will be on completing the
necessary logistics required to ensure that we can begin drilling
at both Zaca and Asphaltea as early in 2012 as possible." Zaca
Field Extension At the recently acquired Zaca Field Extension in
the Santa Maria Basin where Underground is now the operator and has
an 80% working interest in 7,750 acres (6,200 net), the Company has
completed reprocessing existing 2D seismic and has planned the well
path for its initial "step out" development well. The Company
intends to commence drilling this well early in 2012 and, on that
basis, is in the process of scheduling an appropriately sized rig.
The Company has also commenced acquisition of a 2D seismic swath
survey over an area of more than 30 miles to obtain infill coverage
between existing older seismic lines. The new seismic survey is
expected to conclude in two weeks with processing and
interpretation expected to be completed by the end of January 2012.
The Company will also stimulate the existing well at Zaca which
currently produces 15-20 bopd; this process is expected to increase
current production from this well. The Zaca field has produced more
than 32 million barrels of oil from the Monterey formation to the
West of UGE's lease. The existing 2D seismic indicates that the
field extends up dip to the Northeast of the developed portion of
the field and that multiple adjacent untested Monterey prospects
exist on Underground's lease. UGE has identified an
additional 20 to 30 drilling locations on the Zaca Field Extension
and several more in the adjacent exploratory prospects. Asphaltea
The seismic swath survey shot at the Company's Asphaltea property
in the Santa Maria Basin in July 2011 has now been largely
processed. Based on the information received to date, the Company
has identified an initial drilling location and has elected to
conduct a small, follow-on seismic shoot which it believes will
provide it with additional precision in positioning the bottom-hole
location of the initial well. Processing and interpretation of all
seismic data from Asphaltea is expected to be complete by the end
of January 2012 with drilling expected to commence thereafter.
Other Operational Activities As part of its recent acquisition, the
Company acquired significant 2D and 3D seismic over a number of the
properties and the Company is in the process of loading this data
into its geophysical models for interpretation and evaluation of
potential drilling targets across its portfolio. Over the next
several months, the Company will also receive 3D seismic relating
to its Buttonwillow Deep Prospect in the San Joaquin Basin from the
large 3D shoot being jointly undertaken by Occidental and Venoco;
it will also monitor a planned Venoco well which offsets its
Buttonwillow property. At the Burrell Redevelopment Prospect in the
San Joaquin Basin, work was recently undertaken to shut off sand
production by packing the well with resin-coated sand. This
recompletion work appears to have stabilized the current production
of the well at approximately 35 bopd. In addition, Underground is
planning to re-complete the producing well at its Challenger Gas
Trend property by perforating a shallower sand formation that
showed good gas saturation when the well was initially drilled.
Underground believes that it can significantly and efficiently
increase production from this well from its current 60 mcf/d. GLJ
Petroleum Consultants, the Company's independent qualified reserves
evaluator, has initiated work on the Company's year-end 2011 NI
51-101 compliant reserves assessment of the properties acquired by
the Company and it is anticipated that this report will be
completed by the end of January 2012. About Underground Energy
Corporation Underground Energy is focused on identifying, acquiring
rights to, exploring for, developing and producing oil reserves
from shale formations in North America using the latest exploration
and recovery techniques and technologies. Underground focuses on
identifying and acquiring sizable land positions and prospects in
historically prolific but under-explored shale formations as well
as in emerging shale plays that, in both instances, hold large
volumes of prospective resources. Underground currently holds
hydrocarbon rights on approximately 80,303 net acres of highly
prospective lands in California and Nevada with an initial focus on
the Monterey shale in California. Underground is listed on the TSX
Venture Exchange under the ticker symbol "UGE". For more
information on Underground, including a copy of the Company's
latest corporate presentation, please visit www.ugenergy.com.
Underground's regulatory filings are available under the Company's
profile at www.sedar.com. Cautionary Statements Historical
production data for Zaca is based upon the records of the
California Division of Oil and Gas and Geothermal Resources
obtained by the Company on August 24, 2011. Statements in this
press release contain forward-looking information and
forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable
securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking information").
Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words
such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe",
"anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements
that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. In
particular, forward-looking information in this press release
includes, without limitation, statements with respect to: (i) the
Company's planned seismic operations to be conducted on such oil
and gas leases; and (ii) the prospectivity of such oil and gas
leases for oil and gas and the anticipated drilling, completion and
production results therefrom. Readers are cautioned that
assumptions used in the preparation of forward-looking information
may prove to be incorrect. Although we believe that the
expectations and assumptions reflected in the forward-looking
information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such
expectations or assumptions will prove to be correct. In
particular, assumptions have been made that: (i) Underground will
be able to obtain equipment and regulatory approvals in a timely
manner to carry out exploration and development activities; (ii)
Underground will have sufficient financial resources with which to
conduct its planned capital expenditures; and (iii) the current tax
and regulatory regime will remain substantially unchanged. Certain
or all of the forgoing assumptions may prove to be untrue.
Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates
of management at the date the statements are made, and is subject
to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors (many of
which are beyond the control of Underground) that could cause
actual events or results to differ materially from those
anticipated in the forward-looking information. Some of the
risks and other factors could cause results to differ materially
from those expressed in the forward-looking information include,
but are not limited to: operational risks in exploration,
development and production; delays or changes in plans; competition
for and/or inability to retain drilling rigs and other services;
competition for, among other things, capital, acquisitions of
reserves, undeveloped lands, skilled personnel and supplies; risks
associated to the uncertainty of reserve and resource estimates;
governmental regulation of the oil and gas industry, including
environmental regulation; geological, technical, drilling and
processing problems and other difficulties in producing
reserves; the uncertainty of estimates and projections of
production, costs and expenses; unanticipated operating events or
performance which can reduce production or cause production to be
shut in or delayed; incorrect assessments of the value of
acquisitions; the need to obtain required approvals from regulatory
authorities; stock market volatility; volatility in market prices
for oil and natural gas; liabilities inherent in oil and
natural gas operations; access to capital; and other factors.
Readers are cautioned that this list of risk factors should not be
construed as exhaustive. The forward-looking information
contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this
cautionary statement. Underground does not undertake any
obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to
conform such information to actual results or to changes in our
expectations except as otherwise required by applicable securities
legislation. Readers are cautioned not to place undue
reliance on forward-looking information. BOEs may be misleading,
particularly if used in isolation. A BOE conversion ratio of 6 Mcf:
1 bbl has been used and is based on an energy equivalency
conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does
not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. Neither the TSX
Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term
is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts
responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Underground Energy Corporation CONTACT: Peter Ballachey Simon
ClarkeChief Financial Officer Vice President,
CorporateDevelopmentUnderground Energy Underground
EnergyCorporation CorporationTel: 805-845-4700 x 17 Tel:
604-551-9665
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