LONDON (ShareCast) - (Sharecast News) - Oil shale exploration and development company TomCo Energy updated the market on the field test programme at its Holliday A Block in Utah on Tuesday, announcing that the project was advancing well, with much of the preparatory work for the field test having now been completed.
The AIM-traded firm said that, following its recent site visit, the company, along with Himes Drilling Company and IGES, had now determined the location of the three new wells for the field test, as well as the layout of the drill pad and site services.

Road improvement works and pad construction had been completed at the new site, and the core sample from one of the recently-drilled monitor wells, along with the cores from the nearby HB002 well drilled in 2010, had been studied and analysed by IGES with input from Mike Vanden Berg of the Utah Geological Society, which reaffirmed the location for the field test wells.

All services and equipment providers had been engaged for the field test, and the exploration permit variation application had been submitted, with approval expected shortly.

TomCo said it had been informed that there would be a slight delay to the arrival of the bespoke ceramic parts required for the field test, which was likely to push back the start of the field test by two to three weeks.

As a result, the drilling of the three new wells for the field test had now been scheduled for mid July.

The upgraded RF transmitters and remaining equipment were expected to be on site by mid-to-late July, ahead of the field test team - including engineers from Continental - arriving on site in late July, with the start of the field test in early August.

TomCo said it anticipated that the field test would then run for up to four weeks, though that could be extended if needed.

The water levels in the three monitor wells had continued to reduce to the extent that only one of them now had water in it.

It said the shallowest well MW3 had approximately five feet of water in it.

"I am delighted with the progress achieved on our project thus far, and would like to thank John and the team for their continuing efforts," said executive chairman Andrew Jones.

"I am grateful to Michael Vanden Berg of the Utah Geological Society, who has been very generous with his time and resources.

"Michael has extensive knowledge of the Uinta basin, including our Holliday Block, and his support and input has been invaluable."

Jones said that during the firm's recent trip to the United States, it attended the Governor of Utah's Energy Summit, where it was announced that a cooperation agreement had been entered into by Drexel Hamilton and Union Pacific Railroad to develop a rail link from the Uinta basin to the main rail lines outside Salt Lake City.

"The rail link has been championed by Mike McKee of Seven County Infrastructure Coalition, who we also met during our time in Salt Lake City.

"Mike showed great interest in our project and I look forward to working more closely with him as our project moves forward."

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