American Oil and Gas Reporter - May 2015 - 121

cause it helps you stay away from big
faults and stay in zone."
Eagle Rock had two rigs running in
SCOOP until early this year, but Mills
says it laid them down when prices
dropped. He says the company plans to begin operating one or two rigs again this fall.
It also plans to drill its first Springer Shale
well later this year.
"We have been involved in several
Springer wells," he says. "Those wells
have been as good as the Woodford economically. The Springer is thinner than the
Woodford, but it is oilier and early results
have been quite compelling."
The biggest question, according to
Mills, is what affords the most effective
drainage. He says companies are testing
up to 10 wells per section, which is 60-acre
drainage.
"We like this area a lot, and there is a
lot more to be done," he exhorts. "All our
acreage is held by production, so we can
be patient until commodity prices rebound."
Mills says he expects a revival of the
Cana Main Field, too, because there are
condensate pay zones in what Newfield is
calling STACK. "We don't have as big a
position in STACK," he acknowledges,
"although we have drilled a couple wells
with Newfield and Devon in the Woodford
and Meramec."
Core Of The Core
While the SCOOP and STACK have
been described as "big boy plays," there
are smaller companies involved, such as
Vitruvian Exploration II LLC, a private equity-backed company based in The Woodlands, Tx.

Vitruvian Exploration II LLC is a small, private equity-backed company participating
with the "big boys" in the SCOOP, which the company entered through a 2012 acquisition from Chesapeake Energy. Vitruvian now has 65,000 acres in SCOOP, on which it
has drilled 24 horizontal wells.

COO John Thaeler says Vitruvian got
involved in SCOOP through a 2012 acquisition from Chesapeake. The company has
more than 65,000 net acres in the play,
which includes 25,000 acres prospective
to the Springer Shale.
"Our acreage is in the core of the core
of SCOOP," he claims. "It is highly contiguous and more than 90 percent is held
by production in the condensate-rich window. Our wells are making roughly 50 percent gas and 50 percent liquids. This play
is tied up by the big boys, but we are a

Vitruvian Exploration II LLC has drilled up to 9,500-foot laterals in the SCOOP's Woodford Shale, but has zeroed in on 7,500 feet and eight wells per section. "Length depends
on geologic structure and the nature of our leasehold," explains Chief Operating Officer John Thaeler. Here, the company performs a 30-stage fracture stimulation on its
Tye Max location.

smaller company with lots of running
room."
Thaeler says Vitruvian has drilled 24
horizontal wells, and another 184 nonoperated horizontal wells have been drilled
in its area, which stretches across 10
townships in Grady, Stephens and Garvin
counties.
"We are encouraged by the well economics," he states. "We are producing
12,000 boe/d and by the end of the year
we will be north of 25,000 boe/d."
Thaeler lists the prolific nature of the
play and the wells' productivity, as well
as declining costs for his bullish outlook
on Vitruvian's position. He claims service costs have come down 15 percent already this year.
"The longer the lateral, the better," he
says of Vitruvian's drilling strategy.
"Length depends on geologic structure and
the signature of our leasehold. We have
drilled up to 9,500-foot laterals, but we are
drilling mostly 7,500 feet. Our acreage has
stacked pays, with Springer overlying most
of it."
Vitruvian is drilling eight Woodford
wells per section. Thaeler says the company was moving in to drill its first
Springer Shale well in April.
"Hats off to Continental" for developing the SCOOP and Springer, he praises.
"We are drilling mostly in the condensaterich window of the Woodford and expect
the same for the Springer."
He adds that the play is geologically
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American Oil and Gas Reporter - May 2015

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