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Permalink Reply by Randy on December 18, 2012 at 2:24pm

My understanding is that XTO is drilling and fracking horizontal wells in both the Utica and Marcellus on the Kaldor pad right now in Belmont County. They have been drilling there since summer. These are separate wells...not the same bore hole.

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Permalink Reply by Jim Litwinowicz on December 18, 2012 at 3:40pm

To my knowledge all laterals are drilled from separate vertical boreholes.  They never drill multiple laterals off of one vertical well.  At least around here in Pa and Oh. Don't know for sure about the Bakken or other fields but I believe they do the same as here.

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Permalink Reply by Finnbear on December 18, 2012 at 5:41pm

True, but it is common to drill multiple verticals (and the corresponding horizontals) from the same well pad.

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Permalink Reply by Dan on December 18, 2012 at 4:55pm

Interesting if eastern Belmont county could have the wet marcellus as the northern panhandle of WV.  Does anyone know if there are tank batteries at the Kalder pad?   

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Permalink Reply by James E. Waldeck on December 18, 2012 at 4:20pm

If it is a vertical well nothing would stop one from fracking various formations from one hole. If it is a horizontal well I don't think so. Where there are a number of shales to check out like in Northern PA (Utica, Marcellus, Geneseo, Rhinestreet etc.) I could see running a number of fracks from bottom to top to see how various parts of the formation respond to fracking. In the shallow fields everthing get a pop.  I have heard in the Coal areas they will frack a coal seam if its a foot thick.

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Permalink Reply by Jim Litwinowicz on December 19, 2012 at 2:46am

I talked to a friend that has been in the shallow business for years.  Told me they would eight fracs at various depths in a single vertical well. Bet they have a lot of valuable data for these companies to get hold of.

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Permalink Reply by WLW on December 19, 2012 at 3:22am

I should have been a little more clear on my post. The permits are both for horizontal wells. I feel certain they would be from different bore holes, but had not heard of any company drilling both formations from the same pad.

Thanks for all of the imput.

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Permalink Reply by Jim Litwinowicz on December 19, 2012 at 4:17am

The Patterson pad a SWEPI/Shell site, has five wells in three different strata.  The Utica, the Marcellus and an Upper D.  Rex also has a couple of pads that are more than one strata. Range too.

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Permalink Reply by Oliver Perry on December 19, 2012 at 5:09am

Jim,

Same for the SWEPI Williams, Drake, and Puryear wells in Butler County. I think they are exploring the potential for the strata with this strategy.

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