Anadarko restarts 30 Colorado wells, evaluates test results of others

Anadarko Petroleum Corp. has restarted production at 30 of the more than 3,000 vertical wells in northeastern Colorado it took out of production for inspections in April after a 1-in. distribution line 200 ft from one of those wells exploded, destroying a nearby home and killing 2 people, a spokesman confirmed.

“The inspections we’ve conducted on the operated vertical wells are largely complete. We’re currently evaluating the results and have turned back to production about 30 vertical wells, which were shut in and now are producing about 200 b/d,” John Christiansen, Anadarko’s vice-president for corporate communications, told OGJ on July 26.

The Houston independent producer shut in the older vertical wells and began the inspections so field operators could inspect and test associated equipment, such as facilities and underground lines associated with each wellhead (OGJ Online, Apr. 27, 2017).

The Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission ordered oil and gas operators in the state to inspect their flowlines and verify that any not in use are fully abandoned by May 30. The order also directed operators to document the location and integrity of any existing flowline within 1,000 ft of a building by June 30 (OGJ Online, May 4, 2017).

“Our focus is wrapping up all of our compliance requirements under the state’s notice to operators. As we complete that work, we’ll turn our attention again to the vertical wells that were shut in,” Christiansen said.

“Through the balance of the year, we’ll continue to return the vertical wells that have passed inspection back into production. Any well that has not passed inspection—including flowlines, associated tank facilities, and wellhead—will not be brought back into production,” he said.

Anadarko said, as it reported its second-quarter and first-half financial results on July 25, that it “mobilized significant resources” in its response to the COGCC’s notice to operators, including those additional inspections of its older vertical wells and removal of all associated 1-in. return lines.

It said that its Denver-Julesburg basin crude oil sales volume averaged 76,000 b/d during the 3 months ended June 30 as the company continued to refine its completions program and achieve greater drilling efficiencies with record cycle times for short, mid, and longer-length laterals.

The company’s new completion design is yielding cumulative production improvements of more than 35% compared to the core type-curves it provided during its March investor conference call, Anadarko said.