DENVER & PERTH, Australia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Samson Oil & Gas Limited (ASX: SSN; NYSE MKT: SSN):
NORTH STOCKYARD PROJECT, WILLIAMS COUNTY, NORTH DAKOTA
As part of Samson’s broader financing plan to ensure its participation in the full development of the North Stockyard project, Samson Oil & Gas Limited (ASX: SSN; NYSE MKT: SSN) has today agreed to divest half of its equity position in the undeveloped acreage in the North Stockyard project to Slawson Exploration Company, Inc. (SECI) and a third party for $5.562 million in cash and other consideration.
Samson has retained its full interest in currently producing wells in the field. As a consequence of the transaction Samson and Frontier have terminated the Rig 24 contract (with no penalty payment) and Slawson has contracted the rig for the ongoing development of the North Stockyard project.
The sale agreement calls for Samson to receive cash consideration of up to $5.562 million. Along with the undeveloped acreage, Samson will transfer a 25% interest in the drilled but not yet completed Billabong and Sail and Anchor wells. The cash portion of the purchase price is subject to the delivery of a useable wellbore in Billabong, valued by the agreement at $891,000, and other customary post-closing adjustments.
As a result of this transaction, Slawson will become the operator of the project going forward. Accordingly, Slawson is mobilizing the Frontier 24 rig to the Tofte 2 pad, for the drilling of two middle Bakken wells.
Slawson has indicated that it intends to pursue the 160 acre infill development of both the middle Bakken and first bench of the Three Forks. Slawson is an experienced Bakken operator that is already employing the Frontier 16 drilling rig, a sister rig to the Frontier 24, on a project south of the Missouri River.
The sale, together with Samson’s other planned financing initiatives, should allow Samson to participate fully in the development of the balance of the Bakken and Three Forks wells that are planned for its North Stockyard acreage. This development is currently expected to include a total of 6 middle Bakken wells and 7 wells in the first bench of the Three Forks.
Slawson Exploration Company, Inc. (SECI) is a privately held oil and gas exploration company founded by Donald C. Slawson in 1957. Since its inception, SECI has drilled over 3500 wells in 10 states employing advanced techniques like 2D Seis/Strat in the early 80's, Horizontal drilling in the late 80's, large scale 3D AVO in California gas basins in the 90's and record-holding staged fracs for hydrocarbon harvesting in the oil resource plays throughout the Rockies. SECI has now drilled hundreds of laterals in 14 different formations in 7 basins. Regional exploration offices are located in Denver (Northern Rockies / California), Oklahoma City (Anadarko), Houston (Gulf Coast / South Texas) and Wichita (W Kansas). As an aggressive exploration firm, SECI focuses on risk-reduction technological advantages in time-tested, prolific geologic provinces.
Coopers 2-15-14HBK and Tooheys 2-15-14HBK wells (SSN WI 27.76%)
Frontier 24 is being moved to the Tofte 2 pad and is being rigged up over the Coopers well; the forward plan is to batch drill the Coopers and Tooheys middle Bakken wells. The spud of Coopers is expected to occur on Tuesday, August 20. The well will be drilled to a depth of around 2,200 feet where surface casing will be set and then the process will be repeated for Tooheys.
Both wells will be drilled as a 6,300 ft. laterals in the middle Bakken Formation.
Sail and Anchor 1-13-14HBK well (SSN WI 25.03%)
Facilities construction for the Tofte 1 pad is expected to commence early next week following the departure of the Rig 24. The fracture stimulation of the Sail and Anchor well is then planned to commence August 30, with first sales expected around September 7.
Billabong 2-13-14HBK well (SSN WI 24.86%)
Fishing operations to retrieve the drill pipe have been temporarily halted as the Frontier 24 rig is being moved to the Tofte 2 pad. The work over of Billabong to attempt to recover the remaining drill pipe will be undertaken by a more cost effective work over rig. While it is possible that the drill pipe will not be recovered and the wellbore therefore incapable of production, Samson believes based on expert advice, that it can remove the entire stuck drill pipe to make the well suitable for fracture stimulation and production. The work over operation on Billabong will commence following the fracture stimulation and flow back of the Sail and Anchor well.
ROOSEVELT SALE
As previously advised, the intended buyer of Samson’s Roosevelt acreage failed to close on the transaction by July 31, 2013, and Samson terminated the arrangement. The buyer has today advised Samson that the necessary funds have been allocated to the transaction and has proposed closing the transaction on the same terms as were originally proposed on or before August 31, 2013. The buyer has provided a letter from a third party’s bank confirming the availability of the funds and their allocation to the buyer. Based on the foregoing, Samson has informed the buyer that, if the funds are tendered by August 31, it will proceed with the sale transaction as originally contemplated and will raise $13.533 million.
RAINBOW PROJECT, WILLIAMS COUNTY, NORTH DAKOTA
Preparations have commenced to permit the first two wells in the project. These preparations include reaching a preliminary agreement with a surface owner for two pads which would host the first 8 wells. Physical staking of these surface locations is expected this week. Permits for two of these wells will be sought under the default spacing order and Samson’s application for an increased drilling density has been placed on the North Dakota Industrial Commission’s agenda for August. Because this spacing application appears to be in line with current industry standards, Samson expects that it will receive spacing approval for 14 for the two units, 8 middle Bakken and 6 in the first bench of the Three Forks.
Samson would expect to begin this project development with a well in each of the middle Bakken and Three Forks. The timing of this drilling will depend on negotiating a two well slot for an available drilling rig.
CORPORATE BRIEFING
Samson is undertaking several corporate briefings and the presentation being used for that purpose has been posted on the Samson website: www.samsonoilandgas.com
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