Anschutz Explores Utah Mancos Shale Near Red-Hot Uinta Basin
Outside of the Uinta Basin’s core oil play, private E&P Anschutz Exploration is wildcatting in Utah’s deeper, liquids-rich Mancos shale bench, according to a Hart Energy analysis.
The most active Uinta producers have landed laterals in the Uteland Butte interval, the basin’s primary horizontal target, according to data analytics firm Novi Labs. The Uinta’s highest-quality rock, generally, has the best Uteland Butte inventory.
Ovintiv’s Uinta asset—which it recently agreed to sell to private E&P FourPoint Resources for $2 billion—also has significant Uteland Butte inventory. But the Ovintiv asset also boasts upside in the Uinta’s secondary benches, the Castle Peak and Douglas Creek.
A few operators, including Berry Corp. and Wasatch Energy Management, are landing laterals in the Uinta’s deeper Wasatch bench.
But Anschutz is leading delineation of the Mancos Shale bench, which underlies the Wasatch, Uteland Butte, Castle Peak and Douglas Creek formations.
“Almost no one has tried this where they’re at,” said Brandon Myers, head of research at Novi Labs.
(Left) SM Energy sees 17 potential targets for horizontals in XCL Resources' property. (Source: SM Energy) (Right) The Mancos shale underlies the Uinta’s most popular benches, the Green River and Wasatch formations. (Source: Scout Energy Partners)
Horizontal Mancos development has historically been a bigger story in New Mexico’s gassy San Juan Basin.
But Anschutz has seen interesting results from its two Uinta Mancos wildcats, according to an analysis of Utah state data.
The wells—Bierstadt Fed 1123-16-28 14 MCH and Torreys Fed 1124-32-29-4X MCH—produced nearly 176,000 bbl of oil since first coming online in October 2023 through September 2024, according to the most recent data. Gas output reached nearly 3 Bcf.
Production from the Bierstadt well averaged 934 bbl/d of oil (~2,267 boe/d) over 30 days in November 2023.
Based on Novi Labs forecasts, Anschutz’ Uinta Mancos wells could see EURs of between 250,000 bbl and 400,000 bbl of oil; Gas EURs could range between 4 Bcf to 8 Bcf.
Joe DeDominic, Anschutz Exploration president, declined to comment on the company’s Utah Mancos activity so far.
Anschutz Exploration has a sizeable portfolio in Utah, southeast of the core of the Uinta oil play. (Source: Rextag data)
Exploration of the Uinta Basin’s stacked pay is still in the earliest innings. On the asset it acquired from XCL Resources, SM Energy has identified 17 productive zones with potential upside.
The deal with Anschutz included assets that Occidental picked up through its own blockbuster acquisition of Anadarko Petroleum in 2019.
“But we saw early on that the southern part of the Powder River Basin was by far the most contiguous and the part that we felt like we could get the most value out of,” Hollub said during the company’s Nov. 13 third-quarter earnings call.
Anschutz confirmed the acquisition, noting that Oxy retained its core position in Converse County, Wyoming.
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