Underground Energy announces second joint venture at its Zaca Field
Extension Project - in the Southern portion of its acreage
SANTA BARBARA,
CA, Nov. 8, 2012 /CNW/ -
Underground Energy Corporation ("Underground", "UGE" or the
"Company") (TSX VENTURE: UGE; OTCQX: UGGYF) is pleased to announce
today that it has executed a letter of intent ("Letter Agreement")
with AmRich, LLC ("AmRich" or "AmRich Energy") whereby it is
proposed that AmRich will farm-in on and have the right to earn up
to a 75% working interest in Underground's and its joint operating
partners' interest in 1,062 gross acres of the Central Southern
section of the Zaca Field Extension Project ("Zaca") in
Santa Barbara County, California
(the "Farm-out Lands"). UGE currently owns 80% of the
leasehold interest in the Farm-out Lands, and a total 10,482 net
acres across its Zaca assets. It is anticipated the final
documentation for the Farm-out (the "Farm-out Agreement") will be
executed on or before November 21,
2012.
Under the terms of the Letter Agreement, it is
proposed that AmRich will enter into a continuous drilling program
of up to 3 wells to earn its full working interest and acreage
position in the Farm-out Lands. It will also be required to put
these 3 wells into production and to install appropriate facilities
and infrastructure to support these wells. Included in the
Farm-out Lands are 2 wells originally drilled by Texaco in the
mid-1980's ("the Hathaway wells"). Under the terms of the Farm-out
Agreement, Amrich will be required to re-complete the Hathaway
wells to a depth of at least 5,990 feet each as part of its 3 well
commitment. AmRich will also be required to carry UGE on the
drilling and completion costs of these initial 3 wells and also the
costs of installing facilities and infrastructure to support the
wells.
Under the Farm-out Agreement, AmRich will be
required to commence drilling operations on the initial Hathaway
re-completion by March 1, 2013 and to
follow this initial well with the second Hathaway re-completion and
finally a new well. In addition, under the Farm-out
Agreement, AmRich will only earn interests down to the Upper
Monterey Block at Zaca. Should AmRich decide that it would like to
earn interests in the deeper sub-thrust play recently discovered by
Underground, then it will be required to drill and carry UGE on a
4th well which will be required to be drilled to a
sufficient depth to test the sub-thrust play. Under the Farm-out
Agreement, this 4th well will be required to be drilled
by December 31, 2014. Once the
initial program is complete and AmRich has earned its full acreage
position, the parties will look to drill additional wells as
operating partners with each responsible for its respective share
of costs.
"AmRich is pleased to farm-in with Underground
Energy on its Zaca Field Extension
Project," said Dr. Amiel David,
President and co-founder of AmRich. "AmRich believes that, as with
a number of fields in the Santa
Maria Basin, Zaca has been significantly under-explored and
its potential largely over-looked. We look forward to working with
Underground in realizing the asset's upside potential through the
latest re-development and drilling techniques. Our exploitation and
exploration operations at Midway Sunset in Kern County, along with Casmalia and Santa Maria Valley oil fields in
Santa Barbara County have been
successfully implemented and we believe we bring with us this
in-depth knowledge of unlocking oil production in the Santa Maria Basin."
"We are pleased to welcome AmRich as a farm-in
partner at our Zaca Field Extension
Project with their prominent knowledge and long history of success
in California's oil business,"
said Mike Kobler, President and CEO
of Underground. "We believe that this Farm-out Agreement will
provide a strong development and production opportunity on our Zaca
acreage and we are excited to work in partnership with such a
prominent operator and producer of the Monterey Shale in the
Santa Maria Basin."
"Through this Farm-out Agreement, and our joint
venture with Sovereign announced last week, UGE will be carried on
a total of 5 wells over the next 12-18 months which will see new
drilling operations commencing across the Zaca Field Extension
Project which will complement our core operations and our initial
wells drilled on the South East side of the acreage," finished
Kobler.
About AmRich Energy
AmRich Energy is a private oil production company located in
Santa Maria, California that
focuses on the production, acquisition, redevelopment, exploitation
and exploration of hydrocarbons in various California basins. The Company's current areas
of operations are in the Santa
Maria Basin and in Kern
County, and they are the operator of more than 200 wells in
California. AmRich's company
strategy is to develop reserves/resources in existing oil fields
dismissed by previous operators. President and co-founder of
AmRich, Dr. Amiel David has over 40
years of expertise in the energy sector and holds a Ph. D as a
Petroleum Engineer from Stanford
University.
About Underground Energy Corporation
Underground is focused on developing its Zaca Field Extension
Project in Santa Barbara County,
California. In total, Underground currently holds
mineral rights on approximately 63,000 net acres of prospective
lands in California and
Nevada with an initial focus on
the Monterey Shale in California. For more information on
Underground, please visit www.ugenergy.com. Underground's
regulatory filings are available under the Company's profile at
www.sedar.com.
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 the execution of agreements arising from
the Letter Agreement and the transactions and operations
contemplated by the proposed Farm-out Agreement.
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 and AmRich will obtain all
required regulatory approvals for the farm-in; and (ii) that the
parties will utilize the existing well permits in the farm-in; and
(iii) AmRich will have the necessary capital to complete its
obligations under the proposed Farm-out Agreement.
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, 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 Farm-out Agreement is subject to the
entry by Underground and AmRich into a definitive agreement prior
to November 21, 2012. While the
parties expect that a definitive agreement will be successfully
concluded upon the terms set forth in the Letter Agreement, there
can be no assurance that a definitive agreement will be concluded
on such terms or at all.
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.
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.
SOURCE Underground Energy Corporation