| |
Glossary
The following is a description of the meanings
of some of the oil and natural gas industry terms used on this website.
3-D seismic. Geophysical data
that depict the subsurface strata in three dimensions. 3-D seismic
typically provides a more detailed and accurate interpretation
of the subsurface strata than 2-D, or two-dimensional, seismic.
AMI. Area of mutual interest.
Basin-centered gas. A regional abnormally-pressured, gas-saturated
accumulation in low-permeability reservoirs lacking a down-dip
water contact.
Bbl. One stock tank barrel,
or 42 U.S. gallons liquid volume, used on this website in reference
to crude oil or other liquid hydrocarbons.
Bbl/d. One Bbl per day.
Bcf. Billion cubic feet of
natural gas.
Bcfe. Billion cubic feet equivalent, determined using the
ratio of six Mcf of natural gas to one Bbl of crude oil, condensate
or natural gas liquids.
Biogenic gas. Bacteria-generated
natural gas usually found at depths of a few hundred to a few
thousand feet because it is formed at the low temperatures that
accompany the shallow burial and rarely is generated at depths
greater that 3,000 feet.
Boe. Barrels of oil equivalent, with six thousand cubic
feet of natural gas being equivalent to one barrel of oil.
Btu or British thermal unit. The quantity of heat required to
raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.
Coalbed methane (CBM). Natural
gas formed as a byproduct of the coal formation process, which
is trapped in coal seams and produced by non-traditional means.
Completion. The process of
treating a drilled well followed by the installation of permanent
equipment for the production of natural gas or oil, or in the
case of a dry hole, the reporting of abandonment to the appropriate
agency.
Condensate. Liquid hydrocarbons
associated with the production of a primarily natural gas reserve.
Developed acreage. The number of acres that are allocated or assignable
to productive wells or wells capable of production.
Development well. A well drilled into a proved natural
gas or oil reservoir to the depth of a stratigraphic horizon known
to be productive.
Discontinuous lenticular sands.
Sandstone reservoirs that have a limited aerial extent. In general
these types of sandstones will be encountered by separate wellbores
infrequently in a given area depending on well density. By comparison,
a continuous or blanket sandstone may be encountered repeatedly
by multiple wellbores in a given area.
Down-dip. The occurrence of
a formation at a lower elevation than a nearby area.
Dry hole. A well found to be incapable of producing hydrocarbons
in sufficient quantities such that proceeds from the sale of such
production exceed production expenses and taxes.
Environmental Assessment (EA).
An environmental assessment, a study that can be required pursuant
to federal law prior to drilling a well.
Exploratory well. A well drilled
to find and produce natural gas or oil reserves not classified
as proved, to find a new reservoir in a field previously found
to be productive of natural gas or oil in another reservoir or
to extend a known reservoir.
Farm-in or farm-out. An agreement under which the owner
of a working interest in a natural gas and oil lease assigns the
working interest or a portion of the working interest to another
party who desires to drill on the leased acreage. Generally, the
assignee is required to drill one or more wells in order to earn
its interest in the acreage. The assignor usually retains a royalty
or reversionary interest in the lease. The interest received by
an assignee is a "farm-in" while the interest transferred
by the assignor is a "farm-out".
Field. An area consisting
of either a single reservoir or multiple reservoirs, all grouped
on or related to the same individual geological structural feature
and/or stratigraphic condition.
Finding and Development Costs. Capital costs incurred in
the acquisition, exploitation and exploration of proved oil and
natural gas reserves divided by proved reserve additions and revisions
to proved reserves.
Fractured shale gas. Gas that is present in fractures in a formation
consisting mostly of shale.
Gross acres or gross wells. The total acres or wells, as the case
may be, in which a working interest is owned.
Horizontal re-entry well. A new well in which a pre-existing
wellbore is used as the starting point of a new horizontal borehole.
Drilling a horizontal re-entry well typically involves milling
a hole in the casing of the pre-existing wellbore and drilling
hundreds or thousands of feet from the pre- existing wellbore.
Identified drilling locations. Total gross locations specifically
identified and scheduled by management as an estimation of the
Company's multi-year drilling activities on existing acreage.
The Company's actual drilling activities may change depending
on the availability of capital, regulatory approvals, seasonal
restrictions, natural gas and oil prices, costs, drilling results
and other factors.
Infill drilling. The drilling of wells between established
producing wells on a lease to increase reserves or productive
capacity from the reservoir.
MBbls. Thousand barrels of
crude oil or other liquid hydrocarbons.
Mcf. Thousand cubic feet of
natural gas.
Mcf/d. One Mcf per day.
Mcfe. Thousand cubic feet
equivalent, determined using the ratio of six Mcf of natural gas
to one Bbl of crude oil, condensate or natural gas liquids.
MMBbls. Million barrels of
crude oil or other liquid hydrocarbons.
MMboe. One million barrels
of oil equivalent.
MMBtu. Million British Thermal
Units.
MMcf. Million cubic feet of natural gas.
MMcf/d. One MMcf per day.
MMcfe. Million cubic feet equivalent, determined using
the ratio of six Mcf of natural gas to one Bbl of crude oil, condensate
or natural gas liquids.
MMcfe/d. One MMcfe per day.
Net acres or net wells. The sum of the fractional working
interest owned in gross acres or gross wells, as the case may
be.
Overpressured. A subsurface formation that exerts an abnormally
high formation pressure on a wellbore drilled into it.
PDNP. Proved developed nonproducing.
PDP. Proved developed producing.
Plugging and abandonment. Refers to the sealing off of
fluids in the strata penetrated by a well so that the fluids from
one stratum will not escape into another or to the surface. Regulations
of all states require plugging of abandoned wells.
PUD. Proved undeveloped.
Present value of future net revenues
(PV-10). The present value of estimated future revenues
to be generated from the production of proved reserves, before
income taxes, of proved reserves calculated in accordance with
Financial Accounting Standards Board guidelines, net of estimated
production and future development costs, using prices and costs
as of the date of estimation without future escalation, without
giving effect to hedging activities, non-property related expenses
such as general and administrative expenses, debt service and
depreciation, depletion and amortization, and discounted using
an annual discount rate of 10%.
Productive well. A well that
is found to be capable of producing hydrocarbons in sufficient
quantities such that proceeds from the sale of the production
exceed production expenses and taxes.
Prospect. A specific geographic area which, based on supporting
geological, geophysical or other data and also preliminary economic
analysis using reasonably anticipated prices and costs, is deemed
to have potential for the discovery of commercial hydrocarbons.
Proved developed reserves (PDP). Reserves that can be expected
to be recovered through existing wells with existing equipment
and operating methods.
Proved reserves. The estimated
quantities of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids which geological
and engineering data demonstrate with reasonable certainty to
be commercially recoverable in future years from known reservoirs
under existing economic and operating conditions.
Proved undeveloped reserves (PUD). Proved reserves that
are expected to be recovered from new wells on undrilled acreage
or from existing wells where a relatively major expenditure is
required for recompletion.
PV-10. Present value of future net revenues.
Recompletion. The process of re-entering an existing wellbore
that is either producing or not producing and completing new reservoirs
in an attempt to establish or increase existing production.
Reservoir. A porous and permeable
underground formation containing a natural accumulation of producible
natural gas and/or oil that is confined by impermeable rock or
water barriers and is separate from other reservoirs.
Standardized Measure. The present value of estimated future
cash inflows from proved natural gas and oil reserves, less future
development and production costs and future income tax expenses,
discounted at 10% per annum to reflect timing of future cash flows
and using the same pricing assumptions as were used to calculate
PV-10. Standardized Measure differs from PV-10 because Standardized
Measure includes the effect of future income taxes.
Stratigraphic play. An oil or natural gas formation contained
within an area created by permeability and porosity changes characteristic
of the alternating rock layer that result from the sedimentation
process.
Structural play. An oil or natural gas formation contained within
an area created by earth movements that deform or rupture (such
as folding or faulting) rock strata.
Tight gas sands. A formation with low permeability that
produces natural gas with very low flow rates for long periods
of time.
Undeveloped acreage. Lease
acreage on which wells have not been drilled or completed to a
point that would permit the production of commercial quantities
of natural gas and oil regardless of whether such acreage contains
proved reserves.
Working interest. The operating interest that gives the
owner the right to drill, produce and conduct operating activities
on the property and receive a share of production and requires
the owner to pay a share of the costs of drilling and production
operations.
top of page
|