COUGAR TROUT CORE AREA OPERATIONS
Historical Summary of Recovered Production from the Area by section
(information from public sources)
The above map demonstrates the cumulative production to date produced from these zones — the high recovery rates of 40 api oil with relatively low operating costs make this a area of interest to build from using our land, our infrastructure, our expertise, our 2D and 3D seismic
PLANS FOR GROWTH
Trout Operations Growth Plans – The Company has prepared a multifaceted development program which is designed to carry the Company forward with the overall goals of increasing production. The plan is to efficiently execute field programs which combine the optimization of existing wells and infrastructure with additional infill drilling and supplemented with land acquisitions and 3D seismic supported exploration drilling. This combination of field operations represents a balanced portfolio of risk versus reward which can be easily adjusted depending on cash flow, commodity prices and financing.
Field Optimization — Following the acquisition of the properties in the Trout area all of the existing wellbores and production practices were reviewed to identify inefficient practices. Approximately thirty field optimization projects were identified during the field review. The projects were primarily focused around field management and deliverability of existing assets.
The Company has finished implementing approximately half of the optimization projects originally identified during the field review which resulted in a production increase in excess of 250%. The projects implemented in the field have included repair and replacement of surface and downhole production equipment, implementation of chemical enhancement programs and debottlenecking of pipeline and infrastructure facilities. The Company plans to continue to execute the remaining field optimization programs over the next 12 months.
Infill Drilling — The majority of the wells on the Trout properties were drilled almost twenty years ago when oil prices were much lower and infrastructure was much less developed. Infill drilling is an important optimization technique in which new vertical, directional and horizontal wells are added to an existing pool to maximize the total oil recovery.
The Company recently acquired 12 Km2 of 3D seismic over a core area of the existing property which complements the 3D seismic acquired in the original acquisition.– see subsequent event notes. The Company has finished evaluating these two 3D seismic surveys over their Trout and Peerless properties and has identified an additional 4-5 infill drilling locations to increase the overall drainage of the oil reserves. These infill locations have an expected find and development (F&D) cost of $5-7 per barrel. The Company plans include the first 2 infill wells in Q1, 2011. The Company has evaluated the overall seismic mapping for the area and has planned an extensive 3D program to be initiated in Q1, 2011. The size of this 3D program coupled with the drill results will support additional drilling programs described below.
Additional Development — In addition to the production optimization and infill drilling projects, the Company has been aggressively planning out the future growth for the Company. These plans include the acquisition of existing assets in the area and the development of neglected production areas. The Company is continuously evaluating acquisition opportunities in the core area and will act on these opportunities if the project details and economics are synergistic. Development plans include the following:
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- The Company has identified several neglected production areas and has implemented a strategy to acquire land from the public or private landowner around these areas whenever possible. Once the land has been acquired the Company will typically perform some additional seismic acquisition and review and then proceed with the drilling operations.
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- The Trout area has excellent well control to assist the modeling of the future drilling programs. The majority of the wells drilled in the area were cored which allows for a detailed rock evaluation in additional to the conventional well log information. There is an important blend of geological and geophysical analysis to identify the target formations and the structure required to trap the oil in place.
- The Company is also evaluating other production areas in western Canada as potential acquisition targets and secondary core areas.
Continued Development of the Trout Area through Systematic Operational Controls
As we develop our maintenance program through the Trout Area lands in north central Alberta, we will continue to utilize our economic model to drive efficiency and minimize costs. We will focus our maintenance program on industry best practices and continued technological enhancements to maximize our return on assets and capital deployed.
Consolidate the Trout Area
To further enhance our economies of scale, we intend to be aware of other acquisition opportunities in the area. Consistent with our strategy to improve our financial flexibility, we intend to make acquisitions utilizing either equity and/ or debt instruments.