Matador receives six drilling permits in Antelope Ridge Asset area

US oil and natural gas exploration and production firm Matador Resources has received six drilling permits from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in its western Antelope Ridge asset area.

The company also announced the initiation of drilling operations on these ‘Rodney Robinson’ wells.

The 1,200-acre Rodney Robinson tract is one of the key tracts acquired by Matador in the BLM New Mexico Oil and Gas Lease Sale in September 2018.

Matador expects to drill these wells from two separate three-well pads. They are scheduled to be completed and begin commercial sales late in the first quarter of next year.

Matador Resources chairman and CEO Joseph Foran said: “Matador especially appreciates and acknowledges the diligence and professionalism of the team at the BLM that saw this process through to completion.

“We are very excited to be in a position to begin operations on the Rodney Robinson wells, and we look forward to developing this acreage over the next several years in cooperation with the various regulatory bodies in New Mexico.”

The company is also in preparations to begin operations in early next year at its Stateline asset area, which includes 2,800 acres purchased as part of the BLM acquisition.

Matador plans to shift two of its operated drilling rigs to the Stateline asset area to start a multi-year drilling campaign at the location.

The company currently intends to develop this acreage block drilling approximately two-mile laterals on the eastern side and around 2.5-mile laterals on the western side of the leasehold.

It expects to drill four wells on each of the eastern and western tracts from two separate four-well pads.

According to Matador, these eight wells will start sales during the third quarter of next year, concurrently with the expected completion of the cryogenic natural gas processing plant expansion in Eddy County, New Mexico, by San Mateo Midstream.