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Permalink Reply by KAR on March 17, 2015 at 7:17pm

This is not a common type of permit to apply for in PA... I haven't seen too many. I tried to outline the most common case why an operator might apply and be granted a drill deeper permit below. 

An operator was previously issued a permit to drill a vertical or horizontal well and began drilling using that permit and stopped at some point. Maybe they set the conductor and walked away or they set conductor and top hole section and set the surface and intermediate casings then walked away or put it on the back burner. Meanwhile, the clock is still ticking on permit expiration (a permit in PA is good for one year from expiration) so once the permit expires and drilling with due diligence isn't preformed they need to place the well into inactive status or plug and abandoned. For some reason if they decide to come back and finish the well they would apply for a drill deeper permit to continue drilling from the previously drilled point whether that be conductor, top hole or even deeper. 

If you can provide permit numbers I might be able to do some further digging on it. 

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Permalink Reply by Gas Boy on March 19, 2015 at 2:22pm

A "whipstock", or temporary plug, is set in the vertical portion of an existing Marcellus lateral, and drilled deeper to the Utica formation in which a lateral is drilled there??????  not sure.

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Permalink Reply by farmgas on March 19, 2015 at 3:11pm

Does the PA DEP offer a glossary for the various permit descriptions?

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Permalink Reply by Tim Tarr on March 20, 2015 at 12:24am

The Drill Deeper permits I've looked at were for longer laterals. Usually done when new leases are signed after permit was issued. Perhaps new drilling program by O&G company to contain costs (fewer pads).

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Permalink Reply by bo boboski on March 20, 2015 at 6:21am

Antero has permitted 2 wells near Kennonsburg, Wayne Twp. Noble Co.Ohio. Above Seneca lake.That are 23,500 total depth. I figure the verticle would be 7000 ft. of that,so the laterals will be well over 3 miles long! Gotta be a record? It will take a while to drill them, And take many ,many Frack Stages.They're going under and past the lake. That may be the reason for the length, but could also be an experiment?

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Permalink Reply by Billy Park Whyde on March 20, 2015 at 8:17am

hey bo a bad wire line operator on that job would allow a frac crew to retire on that pad.

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