Devon Energy Corp. will increase its risked drilling inventory in the Delaware Basin following a successful Leonard Shale stacked spacing test in southeast New Mexico.
The Thistle spacing pilot tested 400-foot vertical spacing between the Leonard Shale “B” and “C” intervals in the southwest corner of Lea County, New Mexico. Initial 30-day production rates from this two-well pilot averaged 1,800 oil-equivalent barrels per day per well, of which 75 percent was light oil. The Thistle wells were drilled with 7,000-foot laterals at a cost of about $6 million per well.
Early results from the Leonard Thistle pilot also indicate minimal interference between wells, suggesting potential for joint development of multiple intervals in this portion of the Leonard play. With the success of this stacked spacing test, Devon is now raising its risked inventory in the Leonard Shale to 950 gross locations. This increase in risked inventory represents growth of nearly 20 percent from previous estimates and conservatively assumes only six wells per surface section. The company expects its risked inventory in the Leonard to continue to expand with further delineation work.
