Spacing and Integration Order Quackenbush Hill Field

The Oil, Gas and Solution Mining Law requires public notice and hearing to implement field-wide spacing and integration rules when necessary to prevent waste, provide greater ultimate recovery of the hydrocarbon resource and protect the correlative rights of all owners, including landowners. Public hearings took place in Painted Post, New York, on January 3 and 4, 2002 on the matter of field-wide spacing and integration in the Quackenbush Hill Field. This field is located in the towns of Corning in Steuben County and Big Flats and Catlin in Chemung County.

Operator: Fortuna Energy Inc.
Effective date: 1/23/2002
Unit Sizes for Wells Drilled Prior to the Order: 631-638 acres
Unit Sizes for Wells Permitted Between 1/23/2002 and 8/2/2005: 560 - 640 acres unless otherwise justified by reasonable geologic and engineering evidence
Minimum Spacing Between Wells Permitted Between 1/23/2002 and 8/2/2005: 9,000 feet along strike of a common geologic feature, unless otherwise justified by reasonable geologic and engineering evidence
Extension Well Distance: 5 miles

UPDATE: The field-wide spacing rules set forth above were superceded, for wells permitted after August 2, 2005, by significant revisions to the well spacing provisions of the Oil, Gas and Solution Mining Law. Compulsory integration of the Reed, Hakes and Soderblom units had not yet been completed on the effective date of the new provisions, which also significantly changed the procedures followed for compulsory integration. A public hearing to address compulsory integration within these three spacing units has been scheduled to take place in Horseheads on June 23 and 24, 2008 (see hearing notice for details).

In a separate proceeding, a forthcoming decision from the Commissioner will address the procedures followed for establishing the spacing unit and integration of interests within the Fred Andrews 1-A spacing unit (see the Recommended Decision and Summary Report dated May 22, 2007).

Extension Wells and Units

Exhibit B9 (PDF 99.6 KB)
Map of Soderblom 1 spacing unit. Established by Interim Order dated July 29, 2005. Integration remains pending.

Exhibit B8 (PDF 66.7 KB)
Map of Hakes Spacing Unit. Established by Interim Order dated April 4, 2005. Integration remains pending.

Rhodes 1 wellhead

Exhibit B7 (PDF, 68.4 KB)
Map of Reed Spacing Unit. Established by Interim Order dated December 14, 2004. Integration remains pending.

Exhibit B6 (PDF 100.8 KB)
Map of Andrews Spacing Unit. Established and integrated by Final Order dated October 22, 2004.

Commissioner's Orders and Hearing Documents

Commissioner's Decision and Order dated December 30, 2002
Establishes the Gregory Spacing Unit and authorizes release of royalties.

Commissioner's Interim Decision dated October 28, 2002
Affirms Administrative Law Judge Dubois's ruling on issues and party status related to the Gregory Spacing Unit.

Ruling dated February 13, 2002
Administrative Law Judge Dubois's finding that no issues were raised at the January 2002 hearings which require further adjudication.

Commissioner's Decision and Order dated January 23, 2002 (PDF, 8.4KB)
Establishes the Lovell, Rhodes, Henkel and Hartman Spacing Units and authorizes release of royalties therein. Establishes procedures for future spacing and integration in Quackenbush Hill Field.

Ruling dated January 8, 2002
Administrative Law Judge Dubois's finding that staff may prepare a Decision and Order for the Lovell, Rhodes, Henkel and Hartman units. No issues regarding these four units were proposed for adjudication at the hearings held in January 2002.

Stipulation between NYSDEC and Pennsylvania General Energy Corp. dated 11/01/01 (PDF, 28.5KB)
Sets forth proposed spacing and integration rules for the field.

Exhibit A to Stipulation of 11/01/01 (PDF, 730 KB)
Map of Quackenbush Hill Field which shows existing wells and units to be established by the Final Order.
Exhibit B1 to Stipulation of 11/01/01 (PDF, 123KB)
Map of proposed unit for Lovell 1323 well.
Exhibit B2 to Stipulation of 11/01/01 (PDF, 106.1KB)
Map of proposed unit for Rhodes 1322 well.
Exhibit B3 to Stipulation of 11/01/01 (PDF, 102.2KB)
Map of proposed unit for Henkel 1359 well.
Exhibit B4 to Stipulation of 11/01/01 (PDF, 93.5)
Map of proposed unit for Hartman 624546 well.
Exhibit B5 to Stipulation of 11/01/01 (PDF, 147.3KB)
Map of proposed unit for Gregory 1446 well.
Exhibit C to Stipulation of 11/01/01 (PDF, 168.2KB)
Pennsylvania General Energy Corp.'s report on Quackenbush Hill Field.
Exhibit D to Stipulation of 11/01/01 (PDF, 732.6KB)
Map of Quackenbush Hill field which depicts an outline of the geologic feature, based on Pennsylvania General Energy's interpretation of geologic, geophysical and engineering data.
Exhibit E to Stipulation of 11/01/01 (PDF, 740.9KB)
Map of Quackenbush Hill which shows the location of seismic coverage used by Pennsylvania General Energy to define the geologic feature.