XTO Energy plans more Inlet wells

Allen Baker

XTO Energy just completed one well from its Platform C in Cook Inlet’s Middle Ground Shoal field and plans two more wells this year from the platform. It’s part of $15 million the Fort Worth, Texas, company is investing in Alaska this year. XTO’s total capital budget for 2002 is $400 million.

“Mainly what we’re doing is sidetracks,” said Doug Schultze, who supervises the Alaska exploration from Midland, Texas. But he said XTO was hoping to penetrate into the deeper Jurassic formation “if we can find the right well bore and go in and deepen it.”

XTO started a drilling program on its Platform A last year, and after completing that work, moved the crew over to Platform C.

“We want to keep that rig going because good crews are hard to come by and we want to keep it going,” he said.

So far, the drilling has boosted XTO’s Cook Inlet production to about 4,300 barrels a day from 3,500 in September 2000.

Schultze said the total might be even higher but the company is converting wells to water flood on the West Flank, which hasn’t had that stimulation before.

The new well from Platform C went a total of 13,800 feet, to a depth of about 10,000 feet. It should be producing within a few days, he said.