Pioneer investing $1.6 billion for 2011 drilling program (69% for Spraberry); Aims for 18% compounded annual growth for 2011-2013

Pioneer's capital program for 2011 totals $1.8 billion, consisting of $1.6 billion for drilling operations and $0.2 billion for vertical integration and facilities. The 2011 drilling capital of $1.6 billion is focused on oil and liquids-rich drilling, with 75% of the capital allocated to the Spraberry and Eagle Ford Shale plays. The company is projecting 18% compounded annual growth for 2011-2013.

Spraberry

Pioneer estimates that the company will drill approximately 700 wells into the Spraberry formation during 2011. This will increase its net production to between 38,000 boepd and 44,000 boepd by the final quarter of 2011. The company plans to substantially increase the number of rigs drilling the Spraberry formation in West Texas over the course of 2011.

“Our most recent drilling program called for 30 rigs to be operating in the Spraberry during 2011, but we now plan to increase the rig count to 35 rigs by mid-year,” revealed Pioneer Chairman and CEO Scott D. Sheffield.

Other companies working the Spraberry include Cheapeake Energy, which has 680,000 net acres in the Spraberry and three other plays in the Permian Basin.

Source: Derrick Petroleum E&P Transactions Database

Eagle Ford Shale

In 2011, Pioneer Natural Resources will ramp up its development of the Eagle Ford Shale as well. The company will drill 70 gross wells within its joint venture area with Reliance Industries. In 2010, the company drilled 26 wells into the Eagle Ford Shale. The company estimates that this development will increase production from the Eagle Ford Shale to between 10,000 and 13,000 BOEpd in 2011, triple the level of production in 2010.

Pioneer holds 310,000 gross acres in the Eagle Ford Shale, which is growing in popularity among producers because it holds natural gas and oil.

Pioneer Natural Resources plans continued exploitation of its large acreage position in the Spraberry trend in 2011, along with increased development of the Eagle Ford Shale as the company seeks to boost its oil and liquids production. This accelerated drilling program, which is planned to ramp up further in 2012 and 2013, is expected to increase the company’s current compound annual production growth target of more than 15 percent for the 2011 through 2013 period.

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RWE to sell 20% interest in Clipper South gas field in UK North Sea

RWE Dea is planning to sell down 20% interest in the Clipper South gas field, UK North Sea. The gas field is located on Blocks 48/19c, 48/19a and 48/20a and straddles Production Licenses P008 and P465.

Highlights
 -- The blocks has reserves of about 180 Bcf.
-- The gas at Clipper South is located in a tight Permian Rotliegend reservoir which contains approximately 500 Bcf of gas in place.
-- The development plan for Clipper South field was approved by the Department of Energy and Climate Change in March 2011.
-- The field will be developed by five horizontal wells, each containing up to six hydraulic fractures, connecting to a wellhead platform and then piped to the Lincolnshire Offshore Gas Gathering system (LOGGS) PR platform.
-- The first gas is expected in the Q1-2012, and the production is anticipated to reach a maximum rate of 100 MMcf/d.
-- Current ownership of the field: RWE (50%, Operator), Bayerngas (25%) and Fairfield Energy (25%).

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Nexen joins Marathon to explore Poland shale gas resources.. Exxon seeks partners for its shale gas licenses in Poland.

Marathon Oil Corporation has signed an agreement with Nexen under which Nexen will acquire a 40% working interest in 10 of Marathon's concessions in Poland's Paleozoic shale play. This partnership provides not only financial risk mitigation but combines the extensive unconventional drilling and completion experience of Marathon and Nexen to fully evaluate the potential of these concessions.

Source: Marathon Oil Website

Marathon currently holds an interest in 11 concessions in Poland, encompassing 2.3 million acres. The shales are Lower Paleozoic and located at depths of between 8,000 and 13,000 feet. Marathon plans to acquire 2D seismic during the first half of 2011, potentially followed by the drilling of one to two wells in the fourth quarter of 2011 and seven to eight wells during 2012. Marathon will remain operator of the 11 concessions.

Poland shale gas- A Game Changer??

Poland's Lower Paleozoic shale play may be the largest and most significant opportunity for unconventional gas in central Europe and is evolving rapidly in the wake of successful shale plays in North America. Natural gas demand in the large and growing European market is approximately 50 to 55 billion cubic feet per day, with imports from outside the European Union accounting for approximately 50% of total gas requirements.

Source: Marathon - Howard Weil 2011 Energy Conference

In the last three years, Poland had issued more than 70 licenses for shale gas exploration which could make Europe less dependent on supplies from Africa and Russia. However, extraction of resources in Europe is more complex than in the US because of population density. Poland has 5.3 trillion cubic meters of shale natural gas, equal to more than 300 years of the country’s annual gas consumption, the Energy Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy said in a report. The companies are now drilling in Poland, but it will take at least a year to determine if shale gas production will be commercially feasible.

Lots more available on Poland table??

Poland’s shale resources are being targeted by Majors like ExxonMobil, Chevron, ENI, ConocoPhillips, Marathon, and Talisman as well as small independents like San Leon Energy, Realm Energy and BNK Petroleum. The following tables show the list of Poland shale gas deals.

Source: Derrick Petroleum E&P Transactions Database

As the companies' interest towards shale gas exploitation in Poland is heating up, few companies are calling for partners to give them a helping hand. Below is the list of Poland assets available for sale!!

Source: Derrick Petroleum Deals In Play Database

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