CALGARY--(CCNMatthews - March 8) - NAL Oil
& Gas Trust ("NAL" or the "Trust") today announced that it has
commenced production from its Horseshoe Canyon coalbed methane ("CBM")
project in the Lacombe area of Central Alberta. These CBM interests were
acquired as part of the purchase of Addison Energy in February 2005 and
build on earlier CBM successes by NAL in the Clive (2006) and Nevis
(2005) areas.
In 2006, NAL drilled 37 wells at Lacombe and Clive and installed gas
processing and pipeline infrastructure. These wells are being completed
and tied-in during the first quarter of 2007. NAL has an average
working interest of 67 percent in these lands and is the operator.
Capital costs for drilling and facilities construction totaled $20.5
million gross ($13 million net), primarily spent in 2006. Initial
production rates for the first wells in the Horseshoe Canyon / Edmonton
Sands averaged 110 to 120 Mcfd/well, consistent with industry experience
in the area.
The majority of the wells in Lacombe have the opportunity to
commingle production from the Horseshoe Canyon CBM and Edmonton Sands.
Several wells are currently completed in the Edmonton Sands only and
will be additionally completed in the Horseshoe Canyon at a later date
when the Edmonton Sands is further depleted. Collectively with several
existing conventional wells in the area, production rates in the
Lacombe/Clive area are expected to be 5.7 MMcfd gross (3.8 MMcfd net) by
the second quarter of 2007.
The second phase of CBM development at Lacombe in 2007 includes
planned spending of $14.2 million gross ($10 million net) to drill 25
infill locations, lay gathering lines, and twin the existing compressor.
When completed, this phase of development is projected to add another
2.7 MMcfd gross (1.8 MMcfd net) production by year-end for a total of
8.4 MMcfd gross (5.6 MMcfd net) or nearly 1400 boed gross (940 boed
net). In 2008 and beyond, NAL plans to develop the remaining undrilled
sections of its current land position and evaluate the performance of
the existing wells to determine whether or not further downspacing is
appropriate.
Horseshoe Canyon coals are shallow at approximately 700 metres, can
be produced from vertical wells, and do not require dewatering before
gas production commences. Generally, these coals are characterized by a
long reserve life with low decline rates. Wells are typically drilled on
closer spacing than conventional gas wells and they have a very small
footprint. In the Lacombe area, NAL initially drilled 3-4 wells per
section, generally along existing road allowances to minimize disruption
to land owners. To make most efficient use of oilfield services, these
wells were drilled, completed and placed on production in batches.
NAL's Horseshoe Canyon CBM project began with the acquisition of
Addison Energy in February 2005. The bulk of Addison's assets were in
the Garrington and Westward Ho areas of Central Alberta, immediately
adjacent to NAL's existing Sylvan Lake and Medicine River properties.
Also included in the acquisition were 28 sections of land near the towns
of Lacombe, Clive and Nevis, which were prospective for coalbed methane
in the Horseshoe Canyon formation.
NAL's initial phase of Horseshoe Canyon CBM development took place
at Nevis in 2005 at a cost of $17.2 million gross ($10 million net). It
consisted of 18 wells at Nevis, several of which also produce from the
slightly deeper Belly River formation. The production from these Nevis
wells came on-stream at approximately 170 Mcfd/well gross versus the 130
Mcfd/well gross that was expected based on Horseshoe Canyon/Belly River
production history in the area. In the first quarter of 2007, combined
production from the Nevis area now totals 5.3 MMcfd gross (3.0 MMcfd net
to the Trust).
NAL forecasts that by year end 2007, total production from the
Lacombe/Clive/Nevis area will be 13.7 MMcfd gross (8.6 MMcfd net).
NAL Oil & Gas Trust is an open-end investment trust that
generates distributions through the acquisition, development, production
and marketing of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. The Trust
owns high quality assets in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario. Trust
units trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "NAE.UN".
Forward Looking Statements:
Certain information regarding NAL Oil & Gas Trust (NAL) set out
in this document, including management's assessment of NAL's future
plans and operations, contains forward-looking statements that involve
substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. These
forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and
uncertainties, some of which are beyond NAL's control. This includes the
impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, volatility
of commodity prices, imprecision of reserves estimates, changes in
government regulations, environmental risks, competition from other
producers, as well as other external factors affecting the resource
industry. NAL's actual results, performance, or achievement could differ
materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these
forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be given
that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements
will occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits NAL will derive
therefrom.
Contact Information:
Gordon Currie
Manager, Investor Relations
(403) 294-3620 or Toll Free: (888) 223-8792
Fax: (403) 515-3407
Email: investor.relations@nal.ca
Website: www.nal.ca