Trio Petroleum restarts production from California's McCool Ranch oil field

(WO) – Trio Petroleum Corp, a California-based oil and gas company, provided an update on the restart of the McCool Ranch oil field.

On Oct. 18, 2023, the company announced its acquisition of an approximate 22% working interest in McCool Ranch, which is located in Monterey County, seven miles north of the company’s flagship South Salinas Project. The company is acquiring McCool Ranch primarily through work commitment expenditures.

The restarting of McCool Ranch is currently in-progress and is proceeding favorably. The water disposal well at the field, the San Ardo WD-1 well, has been refurbished and tested and is in excellent condition, with water disposal by injection at this well able to commence as soon as needed.

The testing and repairs of equipment and facilities, idle since about 2018, are well-advanced and proceeding favorably. While there was concern that the boiler at the field — an important piece of equipment that helps maintain the heat of produced oil at an appropriate temperature (e.g., for moving through lines and loading to trucks for delivery to market) — might require expensive repairs, the company was able to return it to service at minimal cost and it is now up and running properly and efficiently.

Oil production from the six wells collectively peaked at about 400 bpd before the wells were idled in 2015 due to oil prices dropping below $30 per bbl. Returning the field to production will occur in steps, with the 58X-23 and the HH-1-ST2 wells being the first two of the six previously producing oil wells to be returned to production. The company anticipates that each well will initially be produced cold (i.e., without heating with steam) and subsequently put on production using the cyclic steam method.

There are three developed areas at McCool Ranch, and the company’s ownership is in the so-called Hangman Hollow Area that is relatively new and developed with four horizontal oil wells, two vertical oil wells, one water-disposal well, one freshwater well, and the capacity to drill approximately an additional 25 wells.

In addition, a steam generator, boiler, three 5,000 bb tanks, a 250 bbl test tank, water softener facilities, two fresh water tanks, two soft water tanks, in-field steam pipelines, oil pipelines and other facilities are installed at the site. The property is fully and properly permitted for oil and gas production, cyclic-steam injection and water disposal and is being restarted after having been idle since about 2015.

Trio’s cash investment in McCool Ranch is primarily allocated to restart production and is expected to establish important cash flow for the company. The property has significant upside potential, with many undrilled infill and development well locations identified.

Trio Petroleum Corp is an oil and gas exploration and development company headquartered in Bakersfield, California, with operations in Monterey County, California. Trio has a large, approximately 9,267-acre asset called the “South Salinas Project” in Monterey County, where it owns an 85.75% working interest, in addition to the approximate 22% working interest in the McCool Ranch oil field.