Prairie Provident Resources Inc. ("Prairie Provident" or the "Company") (TSX:PPR) is pleased to provide an update on its first two Basal Quartz wells in the Michichi area of Central Alberta.
Prairie Provident spud the first Basal Quartz horizontal well, 102/03-19-030-18W4, on October 15, 2024. Following the nine-day drilling operation, the well was fracture stimulated and brought on-stream through production test facilities, with produced natural gas being conserved, on November 9, 2024. This represents an on-stream cycle time of 25 days. The well is currently being produced on cleanup with an initial 30-day average production rate (“IP30”) of approximately 275 bbl/d of medium crude oil and 850 Mcf/d of natural gas (415 boe/d). The well is equipped with conventional artificial lift and is still capable of flowing. Production has been restricted to optimize reservoir management.
Prairie Provident spud the second Basal Quartz horizontal well, 100/15-32-029-18W4, on October 25, 2024. This well was drilled in seven days, fracture stimulated, and brought on-stream on November 18, 2024, representing an on-stream cycle time of 24 days. Produced natural gas volumes have been conserved since the commencement of production. This well is being produced on cleanup and achieved an initial 21-day average production rate of approximately 240 bbl/d of medium crude oil and 800 Mcf/d of natural gas (375 boe/d) through production test facilities. The well is equipped with conventional artificial lift and is still capable of flowing. Production on this well has also been restricted to optimize reservoir management. Due to a downhole mechanical issue in the horizontal lateral, 29 of 50 stages or 815 meters of the 1,325 meters of total drilled lateral were fracture stimulated. The Company expects that future infill locations in section 32 have the potential to produce at higher rates with the full 1,400-meter horizontal lateral leg being fracture stimulated and contributing to overall production rates.
Prairie Provident has adjusted its Michichi Basal Quartz type curve to reflect the prudent reservoir management being practiced. This type curve exhibits a lower IP30 rate, along with a more gradual decline rate, resulting in an estimated payout of seven months at December 9, 2024 strip pricing. Both the 102/03-19 and 100/15-32 wells are now producing through permanent Company-operated facilities, allowing continued optimized production rates from both wells.
Prairie Provident’s current production is approximately 2,800 boe/d. The Company has identified more than 40 Basal Quartz potential drilling opportunities on its Michichi lands alone. These drilling opportunities are not booked in the most recent independent evaluation of Prairie Provident's reserves data, effective December 31, 2023. The Company's existing proved undeveloped reserves bookings at Michichi, as reflected in the 2023 year-end evaluation, consist primarily of Banff formation oil reserves.