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Anadarko strengthens Canadian natural gas base
Gary Park, PNA Canadian correspondent
Anadarko Petroleum Corp. is laying claim to a major role in Canada’s northern regions, bolstered by its C$1.7 billion takeover of Berkley Petroleum Corp. a year ago.
In a 10K filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, the company boosted its year-end 2001 proved natural gas reserves in Canada to 1.03 trillion cubic feet from 720 billion cubic feet a year earlier. The company’s total proved reserves were 1.24 trillion cubic feet, up from 847 billion cubic feet.
Last year’s total included 407 billion cubic feet from purchases in place and 171 billion cubic feet from extensions, discoveries and other additions, with Canadian output tallying 121 billion cubic feet. Seismic completed Anadarko said two winter seismic programs have been completed in the Northwest Territories and in the Mackenzie Delta/Beaufort Sea region, where Anadarko holds 400,000 net acres, the purchase of a 130-square-mile three-dimension seismic program started in January.
The survey was over a block where Anadarko and its partners, Alberta Energy Co. Ltd. (now EnCana Corp.) and Conoco Canada Ltd. conducted a two-dimensional survey of about 620 miles in 2001.
Action is also picking up in the lower Northwest Territories, with Anadarko acquiring 3-D and 2-D seismic over the winter season as part of an agreement to explore several exploration licenses in the highly rated Fort Liard sub-basin. A test well is scheduled for next winter.
As well, two wildcat wells, in which Anadarko has a 50 percent working interest, were spudded late last year and reached total depth early this year. A third well, with a 100 percent working interest, was spudded early this year and industry records show it was rig released at about 6,675 feet.
The company also has a full drilling schedule under way in northern British Columbia, the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, at several locations in Alberta (especially the heavy oil area of northeastern Alberta where it drilled 123 wells and now produces an average 20,000 barrels per day) and in Saskatchewan’s shallow gas play in Hatton, where it expected to complete about 100 wells this year.
As well as its gas gains, Anadarko reported its oil and natural gas liquids reserves climbed to 108 million barrels at the end of 2001 from 79 million barrels a year earlier and included 17 million barrels of discoveries and extensions.
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