Range Resources (ASX:RRS, LON:RRL) said the fracture stimulation programme of the Russell Bevly Well started on February 13 and the horizontal Ross 3H well will spud later this month.
Range has a 20 percent interest in the Russell Bevly well at the North Chapman Ranch Project in Texas.
The start of the initial stage of the multi-stage stimulation program is imminent. The fracture stimulation operation is expected to take around a week to complete and should increase hydrocarbon flow rates and recoveries.
It will be performed in four stages consecutively, during which the fracturing fluid and proppant (support medium) will be placed in each of the four sand reservoir pay zones that have been previously logged in the well.
All four sand pay zones will be brought into production simultaneously, assuming the successful completion of the fracture stimulation.
This should result in a significant increase in production, given that the well is currently only producing under natural pressure from 11 feet out of a total pay across the four sand pay zones about 130 feet.
Following the fracture stimulation, a similar operation is planned for the nearby Smith #1 Well in April, once the joint venture has had a chance to observe the performance of the Russell Bevly Well.
Drilling of the first well has resulted in a commercial discovery with independently assessed gross recoverable reserves in place of 240 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas, 18 million barrels (mmbbls) of oil and 17 mmbbls of natural gas liquids (mean 100% basis).
The Ross 3H well on the company's East Texas Cotton Valley play, where Range recently increased its participating interest to 21.75 percent, will spud later this month.
Ross 3H represents another milestone in Range Resources' history as it is the company's first horizontal well.
The prospect has independently assessed gross recoverable reserves in place of 5.4 million barrels (Mmbbls) of oil (mean 100 percent basis).