If you would like to learn more about future focusIR related events and roundtables, please submit your details here

Less Ads, More Data, More Tools Register for FREE

Pin to quick picksSTA.L Regulatory News (STA)

  • There is currently no data for STA

Puntland Drilling Update

27 Jul 2012 07:50

27 July 2012The ManagerCompany Announcements

Australian Securities Exchange Limited

Level 6, 20 Bridge StreetSydney NSW 2000By e-lodgement

DEEPENING OF SHABEEL NORTH WELL

Range Resources Limited ("Range" or the "Company") provides the following update on the Shabeel North well currently being drilled in Puntland, Somalia by the Company's Joint Venture Operator, Horn Petroleum Corp. .

Further to the recent announcement on the testing of the upper Jesomma sand reservoir which yielded fresh water, the well continued drilling through the entire Jesomma reservoir section and had reached a depth of 2,200 meters. The section contained several additional sands with oil and gas shows and a full set of electrical logs was run to determine if these sands contained potential oil zones which would warrant further testing. The analysis of these logs indicate that the most prospective looking zone in the well was the upper Jesomma sand interval that had already been confirmed by testing to contain fresh water and thus no further testing could be justified.

Based on the positive evidence of oil shows and the presence of good quality reservoir in the Jesomma, the partnership has decided to deepen the well in order to evaluate the potential of the Lower Cretaceous and Jurassic sections. The current revised total depth will be approximately 3,400 meters and is expected to take an additional 15 to 20 days to reach that depth. The Jurassic section in the nearby Shabeel well had thin reservoir sands with oil and gas shows, but this section was determined to be not thick enough to warrant testing. These sands are expected to thicken basinward towards Shabeel North. There was also evidence that there may have been faulting in the Shabeel well which could have cut out a significant portion of the basal reservoir section, which is not expected in Shabeel North.

Horn Petroleum President and CEO David Grellman stated "While we are obviously disappointed that the Jesomma sands tested wet, the overall results of the two wells drilled during this campaign are quite encouraging in the long term prospects for oil potential of the basin. We have confirmed a working petroleum system, good quality reservoirs and thick impermeable sealing rocks. The two Jesomma structures drilled to date appear, subject to final petrophysical analysis, to have issues with the integrity of the trapping mechanism. We are still hopeful that the lower zones in the Shabeel North well may have favourable trapping geometries against the deeper thick carbonate and anhydrite sections seen in the original Shabeel well."

Yours faithfullyPeter LandauExecutive DirectorContactsRange Resources LimitedPeter LandauTel : +61 (8) 9488 5220

Em: plandau@rangeresources.com.au

PPR(Australia)Tavistock Communications(London)

David Tasker Ed Portman

Tel: +61 (8) 9388 0944 Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7920 3150Em: david.tasker@ppr.com.au Em: eportman@tavistock.co.uk

RFC AmbrianLimited(Nominated Advisor) Old Park Lane Capital (Joint Broker)

Stuart Laing Michael Parnes

Tel: +61 (8) 9480 2500 Tel: +44 (0) 207 493 8188

Fox-Davies Capital LimitedGMP Securities Europe LLP (Joint Broker)

Daniel Fox-Davies / Oliver Stansfield Chris Beltgens

Tel: +44 (0) 203 463 5000 Tel: +44 (0) 207 647 2800

Range Background

Range Resources Limited is a dual listed oil & gas exploration company with oil & gas interests in the frontier state of Puntland, Somalia, the Republic of Georgia, Texas, USA and Trinidad.

* In Trinidad Range recently completed the acquisition of a 100% interest in holding companies with three onshore production licenses and fully operational drilling subsidiary. Independently assessed Proved (1P) reserves in place of 15.4 MMbls with 19.6 MMbls of proved, probable and possible (3P) reserves and an additional 20 MMbls (mean) of prospective resources. * In the Republic of Georgia, Range holds a 40% farm-in interest in onshore blocks VIa and VIb, covering approx. 7,000sq.km. Range completed a 410km 2D seismic program with independent consultants RPS Energy identifying 68 potential structures containing an estimated 2 billion barrels of undiscovered oil-in-place (on a mean 100% basis) with the first (Mukhiani-1) of two exploration wells having spudded in July in 2011. The Company is focussing on a revised development strategy that will focus on low-cost, shallow appraisal drilling of the contingent resources around the Tkibuli-Shaori ("Tkibuli") coal deposit, which straddles the central sections of the Company's two blocks. * In Puntland, Range holds a 20% working interest in two licences encompassing the highly prospective Dharoor and Nugaal valleys. The operator and 60% interest holder, Horn Petroleum Corp. has completed the first exploration well (Shabeel-1) to a final depth of 3,470m having encountered a 12-20m zone of significant hydrocarbon pay in the Upper Cretaceous Jesomma Formation. The second well spud in early June 2012 with an original target depth of 2,400m with the Joint Venture now deciding to deepen the well in order to evaluate the potential of the Lower Cretaceous and Jurassic sections. Final results of the well scheduled for end of August. * Range holds a 25% interest in the initial Smith #1 well and a 20% interest in further wells on the North Chapman Ranch project, Texas. The project area encompasses approximately 1,680 acres in one of the most prolific oil and gas producing trends in the State of Texas. Independently assessed 3P reserves in place (on a 100% basis) of 228 Bcf of natural gas, 18 mmbbls of oil and 17 mmbbls of natural gas liquids. * Range holds a 21.75% interest in the East Texas Cotton Valley Prospect in Red River County, Texas, USA, where the prospect's project area encompasses approximately 1,570 acres encompassing a recent oil discovery. The prospect has independently assessed 3P reserves in place (on a 100% basis) of 3.3mmbbls of oil. * Range is earning a 65% (option to move to 75%) interest in the highly prospective PUT 6 and PUT 7 licences in Putamayo Basin in Southern Colombia. The Company will undertake a 350km2 3D seismic program across the two licences and drill one well per licence, as well as looking to re-enter a previously suspended well that had a significant historical reserve estimate.

All of the technical information, including information in relation to reserves and resources that is contained in this document has been reviewed internally by the Company's technical consultant, Mr Mark Patterson. Mr Patterson is a geophysicist who is a suitably qualified person with over 25 years' experience in assessing hydrocarbon reserves and has reviewed the release and consents to the inclusion of the technical information.

The reserves estimates for the 3 Trinidad blocks and update reserves estimates for the North Chapman Ranch Project and East Texas Cotton Valley referred above have been formulated by Forrest A. Garb & Associates, Inc. (FGA). FGA is an international petroleum engineering and geologic consulting firm staffed by experienced engineers and geologists. Collectively FGA staff has more than a century of worldâ€"wide experience. FGA have consented in writing to the reference to them in this announcement and to the estimates of oil and natural gas liquids provided. The definitions for oil and gas reserves are in accordance with SEC Regulation Sâ€"X an in accordance with the guidelines of the Society of Petroleum Engineers ("SPE"). The SPE Reserve definitions can be found on the SPE website at spe.org.

RPS Group is an International Petroleum Consulting Firm with offices worldwide, who specialise in the evaluation of resources, and have consented to the information with regards to the Company's Georgian interests in the form and context that they appear. These estimates were formulated in accordance with the guidelines of the Society of Petroleum Engineers ("SPE").

The prospective resource estimates for the two Dharoor Valley prospects are internal estimates reported by Africa Oil Corp, the operator of the joint venture, which are based on volumetric and related assessments by Gaffney, Cline & Associates.

In granting its consent to the public disclosure of this press release with respect to the Company's Trinidad operations, Petrotrin makes no representation or warranty as to the adequacy or accuracy of its contents and disclaims any liability that may arise because of reliance on it.

The Contingent Resource estimate for CBM gas at the Tkibuli project is sourced from the publically available references to a report by Advanced Resources International's ("ARI") report in 2009: CMM and CBM development in the Tkibuli-Shaori Region, Georgia. Advanced ResourcesInternational, Inc., 2009. Prepared for GIG/Saknakhshiri and U.S. Trade and Development Agency.- .globalmethane.org/documents/toolsres_coal_overview_ch13.pdf. Range's technical consultants have not yet reviewed the details of ARI's resource estimate and the reliability of this estimate and its compliance with the SPE reporting guidelines or other standard is uncertain. Range and its JV partners will be seeking to confirm this resource estimate, and seek to define reserves, through its appraisal program and review of historical data during the next 12 months.

Reserve information on the Putumayo 1 Well published by Ecopetrol 1987.

SPE Definitions for Proved, Probable, Possible Reserves and Prospective Resources

Proved Reserves are those quantities of petroleum, which by analysis of geoscience and engineering data, can be estimated with reasonable certainty to be commercially recoverable, from a given date forward, from known reservoirs and under defined economic conditions, operating methods, and government regulations.

Probable Reserves are those additional Reserves which analysis of geoscience and engineering data indicate are less likely to be recovered than Proved Reserves but more certain to be recovered than Possible Reserves.

Possible Reserves are those additional reserves which analysis of geoscience and engineering data indicate are less likely to be recoverable than Probable Reserves.

1P refers to Proved Reserves, 2P refers to Proved plus Probable Reserves and 3P refers to Proved plus Probable plus Possible Reserves.

Prospective Resources are those quantities of petroleum estimated, as of a given date, to be potentially recoverable from undiscovered accumulations by application of future development projects. Prospective Resources have both an associated chance of discovery and a chance of development. Prospective Resources are further subdivided in accordance with the level of certainty associated with recoverable estimates assuming their discovery and development and may be sub-classified based on project maturity.

Contingent Resources are those quantities of hydrocarbons which are estimated, on a given date, to be potentially recoverable from known accumulations, but which are not currently considered to be commercially recoverable.

Undiscovered Oil-In-Place is that quantity of oil which is estimated, on a given date, to be contained in accumulations yet to be discovered. The estimated potentially recoverable portion of such accumulations is classified as Prospective Resources, as defined above.

ABN 88 002 522 009www.rangeresources.com.auLondon

Suite 1A, Prince's House, 38 Jermyn Street, London SW1 6DN

t: +44 (0)207 025 7040, f: +44 207 287 8028

Australia

Ground Floor, 1 Havelock Street, West Perth WA 6005, Australia

t: +61 8 9488 5220, f: +61 8 9324 2400

e: admin@rangeresources.com.au

PINX
Date   Source Headline
25th Feb 20117:47 amPRNUpdate on Texas Activities
16th Feb 20118:10 amPRNRig Secured for Georgian Drilling
15th Feb 20119:16 amPRNCommencement of Texas Frac/Stimulation Program
11th Feb 20117:00 amPRNASX Price Query
8th Feb 20117:00 amPRNResults of Georgian Helium Survey
4th Feb 20117:00 amPRNFrac Operations Begin on Russell Bevly and EC
3rd Feb 20117:00 amPRNRed Emperor Offer to Range Shareholders
31st Jan 20117:06 amPRNDec 10 Quarterly Activities & Cashflow Report
27th Jan 20119:04 amPRNAdmission of Shares on AIM
27th Jan 20117:26 amPRNPart Carried on 2nd P'land Well, Finance Facility and 3B
18th Jan 20117:00 amRNSHalf Yearly Report
17th Jan 20112:35 pmPRNExtension of Puntland PSA's
14th Jan 20117:00 amPRNAppendix 3B
11th Jan 20117:00 amPRNIncreased Stake in East Cotton Valley
10th Jan 20118:00 amPRNFarm out of 10% of Georgian Interests
7th Jan 20117:00 amPRNAppendix 3B
6th Jan 20117:00 amPRNRange Inclusion in FTSE AIM All Share Index
5th Jan 20117:00 amPRNASX Price and Volume Query
29th Dec 20107:00 amRNSChange of Adviser
23rd Dec 20107:00 amPRNCompany's Securities Trading Policy
13th Dec 20107:34 amPRNAppendix 3B
29th Nov 20108:05 amPRNResult of AGM
29th Nov 20107:00 amPRNCommencement of Activities in Georgia
24th Nov 20108:13 amPRNAppendix 3B
18th Nov 20107:02 amPRNGeorgian Seismic Review Results
1st Nov 20104:35 pmRNSPrice Monitoring Extension
29th Oct 20109:57 amPRNNotice of Annual General Meeting and Annual Report
29th Oct 20109:08 amPRNQuarterly Activities and Cashflow Report
26th Oct 20109:58 amPRNAppendix 3B
8th Oct 20108:08 amPRNRange Proven (P1) Texas Reserves Up 67%
1st Oct 20107:00 amPRNAnnual Financial Report
21st Sep 20108:44 amPRNAppendix 3B
15th Sep 20104:22 pmRNSResult of AGM
2nd Sep 20107:00 amPRNTexas Update - Russell Bevly First Production
26th Aug 20105:05 pmRNSPosting of Annual Report & Div Timetable - Replace
25th Aug 201010:45 amPRNCompany Presentation and Appendix 3B
25th Aug 20107:00 amRNSPosting of Annual Report and Dividend Timetable
18th Aug 201010:46 amPRNChange of Registered Office
11th Aug 201011:35 amRNSLong Term Incentive Plan
11th Aug 20107:00 amRNSFinal Results
4th Aug 201010:03 amPRNAppendix 3B
4th Aug 201010:03 amPRNAppendix 3B
2nd Aug 20107:56 amPRNQuarterly Activities and Cashflow Report
2nd Aug 20107:56 amPRNQuarterly Activities and Cashflow Report
21st Jul 20109:33 amPRNIssue of Equity
12th Jul 20108:07 amPRNOnshore Trinidad Acquisition
2nd Jul 20109:24 amPRNAllotment of Placing Shares
30th Jun 20107:00 amPRNRB 1 Well Confirms North Chapman Ranch Discovery
29th Jun 20107:00 amPRNReserves and Valuation at East Cotton Valley
28th Jun 20107:21 amPRNTexas Update

Due to London Stock Exchange licensing terms, we stipulate that you must be a private investor. We apologise for the inconvenience.

To access our Live RNS you must confirm you are a private investor by using the button below.