Empire Petroleum Corporation (NYSE American: EP) has completed the re-entry and subsurface evaluation of the Wakefield-Harrison GU B #1 well in the Fort Trinidad field in Madison County, Texas, reaching a measured depth of 21,006 feet. The achievement marks an important step in Empire’s plans to develop its Texas gas assets and evaluate deeper formations in the Western Haynesville area. The well reached a true vertical depth of 20,949 feet after Empire re-entered an existing wellbore originally drilled in 1959 and subsequently deepened twice.
Empire said it successfully drilled, underreamed and cleaned out the existing wellbore to the new depth, allowing the company to evaluate previously untested formations. A complete modern open-hole logging programme was carried out, along with the recovery of sidewall cores.
The evaluation recorded hydrocarbon shows, including gas and liquids, across the logged interval. Gas chromatography identified C1 and C4-plus components. The well also provided access to approximately 11,000 feet of geological section below the depth to which the Fort Trinidad field had historically been developed.
According to publicly disclosed operator data, the evaluation is the deepest modern subsurface assessment completed in the emerging Western Haynesville play with a full open-hole logging suite and sidewall cores. The well reached temperatures of up to 434 degrees Fahrenheit during evaluation. Empire completed the work at a cost of approximately $4.4 million by using the existing wellbore instead of drilling a new ultra-deep well. New ultra-deep wells in the broader Western Haynesville are reported to cost between $30 million and $45 million.
Phil Mulacek, Chairman of Empire Petroleum, said the project demonstrates the value of using existing infrastructure to obtain modern geological data at significant depths. He said the company now has modern log and core information covering more than 11,000 feet of section.
The Wakefield-Harrison GU B #1 is central to Empire’s development strategy for the Fort Trinidad field. The company plans to evaluate two broad groups of production targets: Intermediate Production Zones and Deep Productive Zones. The deeper targets include the Lower Travis Peak, Cotton Valley Sand, Bossier and Haynesville intervals. Empire intends to use the new well data to improve its understanding of these formations and guide future development plans.
Modern logs and core samples will also support the reprocessing of Empire’s existing 3D seismic data. Two additional wells planned for deepening are expected to provide further logs, vertical seismic profile data and core samples. Mike Morrisett, President and CEO of Empire Petroleum, said the additional wells will help establish greater geological control and support planning for potential horizontal development.
Empire also owns infrastructure serving the field, including approximately 49 miles of pipeline, 9.5 million cubic feet per day of new compression capacity and two takeaway outlets. The company said the combination of new subsurface information and existing midstream infrastructure provides a platform for future gas development and revenue generation in the Western Haynesville.
