The directors of Nighthawk Energy plc provides the details of the implementation of a pilot waterflood production project at the Devon Oilfield, Kansas and the acquisition of a 50 per cent interest in two new projects, the Buchanan and Worden, located in Vernon County, Missouri.

The Devon Oilfield, which covers an area of 1,764 acres, is located in Bourbon County, Kansas, within the Cherokee Basin, a prolific shallow oil and gas producing area. Nighthawk holds an 80 per cent. interest in the project and the operator, Running Foxes Petroleum Inc. (“Running Foxes”), a 20 per cent. interest. Nighthawk and Running Foxes are undertaking a major appraisal drilling programme of over 60 wells, targeting Bartlesville channel sandstones between depths of 350 to 500 feet. With the drilling programme well advanced, the implementation of a pilot waterflood oil production project has commenced.

Running Foxes has identified the location for the first four water injector wells to be used to flood the Bartlesville sandstone where the production intervals are between 20 to 30 feet thick. Drilling of the injector wells is expected to commence within the next 14 days. Subsequent permitting for the injection of water is expected to take approximately 90 days to be granted by the Kansas State.

The appraisal wells to be used for trial production during the pilot are currently being perforated and flow lines and oil storage tanks are being put into place. Acquisition interests in the Buchanan and Worden projects, Vernon County, Missouri Nighthawk has acquired a 50 per cent. interest in the Buchanan and Worden projects, located in Vernon County, Missouri within the Cherokee Basin, encompassing a combined acreage of 774 acres and targeting the same Bartlesville sandstone reservoirs as at the Devon Oilfield project. Running Foxes is the operator and holds the remaining 50 per cent of the projects.

Missouri is surrounded on three sides by large oil producing basins, the Illinois, Arkoma and Anadarko. Missouri’s oil occurs in sandstones of the Pennsylvanian age Cherokee Group at shallow production depths. There are a number of operating companies in the area currently acquiring land to either water or steam flood at shallow depths. Nighthawk and Running Foxes intend to permit four test wells on each project and will continue to seek additional acreage where significant oil reserves have previously been identified as at the Buchanan and Worden projects.

David Bramhill, Managing Director, said: “We are delighted that the Devon Oilfield project is moving into the pilot production phase. Our success at Devon led us to seek further similar opportunities which has resulted in the acquisition of the Buchanan and Worden projects.”