1. Contracts will be awarded soon for the construction of a 109-mile (175-km) pipeline to the Nova Scotia coast from the US $700-million Deep Panuke natural gas project. Calgary-based EnCana has opted to build the pipeline rather than link it to the existing Sable offshore project nearby. Deep Panuke is due to start production in 2010 with a gas potential of 300 MMcf/d.

2. Anchorage, Alaska-based Brooks Range Petroleum Corp. plans to drill two exploratory tests on its Tofkat prospect approximately five miles (8 km) east of the town of Nuiqsut on Alaska's North Slope. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alaska Venture Capital Group LLC (AVCG). Brooks Range originally had named the program Titania, but decided to change the name so as to avoid confusion with the ConocoPhillips Titania exploration project. The 1 Tofkat and a second directional test will be drilled this winter from an ice pad in Section 11-10n-5e, Umiat Meridian, east of the Colville River. The site is six miles (9.7 km) southeast of two wells drilled in the Colville River Unit—the 1 Nanuk and 2 Nanuk—and four miles (6.4 km) west of the 1 Oberon in Section 9-10n-6e. The latter exploratory well was completed in early 2003 as a 7,580-ft (2,312 m) dry hole.

3. Houston, Texas-based Escopeta Oil Co. LLC will drill the 1 North Alexander on its North Alexander prospect on Alaska’s Cook Inlet approximately 13 miles (21 km) north of the town Beluga. Stated objectives of the wildcat are Beluga and Upper Tyonek gas zones. The 8,500-ft (2,593-m) well is located on the 22,882-acre prospect within the Susitna Flats State Game Refuge (SFSGR) with existing wells—the 1-A Lewis River and the 1 Isla Grande—approximately six miles (9.7 km) to the southwest and 2.5 miles (4 km) to the southeast respectively.

4. Tulsa, Okla.-based Samson Resources Co. completed an offset to the Ambrose field-Bakken pool discovery in northern Divide County, N.D. The well initially pumped 302 bbl of oil with 2.77 Mcf of gas and 52 bbl of water per day. The 30-163-98H Hanson is in Section 30-163n-98w, three miles (4.8 km) south of the town of Ambrose.

5. A Morrow discovery was completed by BP America Production Co. in a lightly-drilled area about four miles (6.4 km) north of Mountain View, Oklahoma in the southern Anadarko basin. The 1-14 Pritchard is in Section 14-8n-15w in southeastern Washita County.  The well initially flowed 2.03 MMcf of gas and 30 bbl of water per day. Flowing tubing pressure was gauged at 628 psi on a 40/64-inch choke. In 1980, the 1-19 Winter Livestock was tested two miles (3.2 km) to southeast of the current site. Although it flowed 2.01 MMcf of gas daily, it was abandoned without ever producing.

6. Midland, Texas-based Fasken Oil & Ranch Ltd. completed the 1 Taylor “26” as a discovery in the southwestern portion of Terry County (RRC Dist. 8A) approximately .5 miles (.8 km) east of the Yoakum County line. The well flowed 218 bbl of 38.3º-gravity oil and 16 Mcf of gas per day from the Silurian at 13,184 to 13,197 ft (4,021 to 4,025 m). Flowing tubing pressure was gauged at 300 psi on an 8/64-inch choke. The well is in Section 26, Block DD, John H. Gibson Survey, A-5116. The site is surrounded by shallow San Andres oil recovery in Reeves field. The only Silurian production in the area is more than 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the north-northeast in the one-well Crown field, which was completed in 1981 and produced a total of 677 bbl of oil and 4 Mcf of casinghead gas during its five months onstream.

7. Dallas, Texas-based Merit Energy Co. will drill its 3-7A State Kalkaska in Section 6-27n-7w in search of oil and gas in the Niagaran in Michigan’s Kalkaska County. The wildcat has a projected depth of 6,600 ft (2,013 m).(3 East)

8. A wildcat has been scheduled for New York’s Madison County. The 2H Hillage will be drilled by Nornew Inc. to a projected depth of 3,790 ft (1,156 m) in search of gas in the Herkimer sand in Section A, Hamilton Quad, Eaton Township about 4.4 miles (7 km) northwest of the town of Hamilton. (11 East)