Chief Oil and Gas

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Dallas, Texas-based Chief Oil and Gas (aka Chief Oil & Gas Appalachia) is a privately held, independent exploration and production company. Its Marcellus shale leasehold was reported in June, 2009 as being in excess of 500,000 acres in Pennsylvania and West Virginia and has than 100 employees working on development.

It is working with Union Drilling Inc. in Pennsylvania who was the well operator for several Marcellus wells being drilled for Chief in Lycoming County in northeastern Pennsylvania.

A late 2007 report found Chief having drilled two wells in Mifflin Township and one in Watson Township. Both are in Lycoming County. Another well was planned in Penn Township.

In September, 2008, Chief was reported having paid a fine to the Susquehanna River Basin Commission of $250,000 for not complying with limits on water withdrawal for wells in the Basin.

An October, 2008 report noted that Chief has been very active leasing property in Bradford County, Pennsylvania with 627 leases having been recorded with the County Registrar of Deeds. Only Chesapeake Appalachia LLC recorded more.

In November, 2008, a report appeared about a drilling project Chief had underway near Hughsville, Pennsylvania on the Barto farm off Beaver Lake Road in rural Lycoming County. Again, Union Drilling was operating the drilling rig.

A later November report found Chief hydro-fracturing its second well on the Kensinger farm also located in Hughsville. Richard Thurston is the on-site project manager.

An early December report identified Chief as drilling in Mifflin Township, located approximately twenty miles east of Hughsville, also in Lycoming County. This vertical well was also being hydro-fractured.

A May, 2009 report noted that Chief was doing seismic testing near Portage Township, Cambria County and in Middlecreek Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. These areas have been targeted for gas exploration. The area in Portage Township to be studied was in the vicinity of Bens Creek in the northern part of the Township, but could stretch into Washington Township. The study area covers 10.3 miles cutting across the Bens Creek area. An earlier report (Jan, 2008) indicated that during 2007, Chief had signed over 300 leases in Somerset County through its agent, Keeton Group LLC. The company had planned to drill test wells there in six to twelve months.

Appalachian Geophysical Services was to conduct the seismic testing in both Cabria and Somerset Counties. Appalachian Geophysical personnel plant small explosive charges in a series of test holes each ten feet deep. Acoustic information echoes back from subsurface features and gets picked up and logged by truck once these charges have been detonated.

Similar seismic testing is underway in Blair County, PA.

A June, 2009 report found Cheif drilling in Chest Township in rural Clearfield County on the Hutton farm along Punkin Ridge Road, State Route 3003, LaJose RD. This is Chief's second Marcellus shale well in the county.

In August, 2009 Enerplus announced that it had entered into agreements with Chief and affiliates to purchase a 30% share of its interests in the latter's prospective drilling rights for Marcellus shale. The announcement stated that, prior to the acquisition, Chief owned a 72% interest in 540,000 gross acres located mostly in the Marcellus shale fairway in Pennsylvania. Enerplus paid a total of $406M (US) or ($3,500/net acre). $162M was to be paid up-front, with the balance contributed over a period of four years in the form of payment--that is, a carry--for 50% of Chief's future Marcellus shale drilling and completion costs. The deal was to close in September, 2009. Under terms of an area of mutual interest side-agreement Enerplus was to be entitled to participate in any new Marcellus land acquisitions made by Chief and/or its affiliates on exactly the same terms. Chief was to operate the drilling and production from the wells.

The August announcement from Enerplus also noted that Chief had drilled 10 vertical and 21 horizontal wells. Nine wells were producing at the rate of 8.2 MMcfe/d gross (1.8 MMcfe/d Enerplus). The company has a regional office in Wexford, greater Pittsburgh metro area, and field offices in Uniontown and Williamsport.

Chief Gathering LLC, a Chief affiliate, had been in the process of building pipelines to collect gas from Chief's various wells around the state. Enerplus had entered into a long-term agreement with this unit for gathering, dehydration and compression of Enerplus' share of the gas production.

• William Buckler is Chief's Senior Vice President of Operations.
• Kristi Gittins is Vice President of Communications.
• Daria Fish is Chief's Community Affairs Officer.
• Ben McCue is a Government Affairs Specialist.