Crown Point Energy Inc advises that the second well of the Tierra del Fuego ("TDF") drilling program, LF-1027, has been drilled and cased as a potential natural gas well. The well encountered approximately 16 metres of gross sand in the Springhill formation. The initial completion operations of this well are expected to commence within a week.
The drilling rig is currently moving to the third location, LF-1024. Commencing in mid-July, a fracture stimulation program is expected to be performed on four producing wells in the Los Flamencos natural gas pool, and on the wells drilled during the current program that require fracture stimulations. A similar program undertaken in 2010 significantly improved deliverability from five wells in the Los Flamencos pool.
Management expects that production additions from the drilling and fracture stimulation program will commence in July and as a result, we expect to see rising production volumes and field sales receipts from the TDF area through to the end of the year. Financially, this is expected to have a positive impact on Crown Point's operating results as natural gas prices continue to rise in Argentina and new production may allow the Company to access the benefits of the $7.50/MCF New Gas Subsidy Program on incremental production levels. Crown Point has not yet received approval for its participation in the New Gas Subsidy Program, but does anticipate receiving such approval in the near term.
The balance of the ten well program on the Las Violetas Exploitation Concession in TDF will consist of six more development wells in the Los Flamencos gas pool and two exploration wells, one on the Puesto Quince prospect and another near the southern San Luis natural gas pool. All of the drilling locations have been fully imaged with 3-D seismic. The Puesto Quince prospect lies to the northeast of the Los Flamencos and Los Patos producing pools and is adjacent to the Rio Chico gas pool. The San Luis exploration prospect has been defined with 3-D seismic and is located on a separate fault block near the San Luis gas pool.
Crown Point's interests in the TDF area of Argentina consist of a 25.78% working interest in approximately 489,000 acres (126,000 net acres) pursuant to three producing exploitation concessions, which include the Rio Cullen Exploitation Concession, the La Angostura Exploitation Concession and the Las Violetas Exploitation Concession.
