US Oil Boom - This Colorado Shale is The Next Big Thing

LONDON, October 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

One of North America's older, more mature plays, the Rocky Mountain's Piceance Basin doesn't get the same media attention as the newcomers, but there is a flurry of game-changing drilling that will render this liquids-rich haven a major rival.

What has really got everyone's attention is the potential for high-value oil liquids coming from the Niobrara and Mancos shales located in the Piceance Basin.

There is an estimated 300 trillion cubic feet of natural gas resource in Colorado's Piceance Basin, with producers thus far reporting an estimated 20% liquids recovery.

In the eastern portion of the Basin, there is one player nicely positioned for big gains and that is Dejour Energy Inc. (NYSE MKT: DEJ / TSX: DEJ). Dejour feels that it has found a winner with its Kokopelli Field.

Kokopelli is the current highlight of Dejour's portfolio, with its 25% working interest in 2,200 acres in this gas- and liquids-prone property, where production is returning 25% NGLs on a BOE basis. Kokopelli currently has 11.5 million barrels of proved and probable oil reserves along with 250 BCF natural gas worth $260mm.  And that's before we factor the game-changing potential available this December from the Mancos/Niobrara drill logs.

There is evidence for Dejour's optimism. Two major producers - Bill Barrett Corporation and WPX Energy directly border Dejour's holdings, further raising the prospects for that acreage. Barrett's assets were just purchased by the giant Vanguard Natural Resources LLC for over $1 billion. WPX Energy is the largest Williams Fork developer and most successful Mancos explorer to date. Kokopelli is sandwiched right between these two success stories.

Dejour already has four Williams Fork wells producing liquids-rich natural gas at Kokopelli with an impressive 50 barrels / mmcf gas since 2013. The current $16 million drilling program promises another eight wells by the end of this year with the rig already on site and first well spud on October 9, 2014. Updates will be forthcoming over the next several months.

The company's financials are also impressive. Dejour's revenues are up 35%, debt is minimal, cash-flow has been positive for six months and acquisitions/drilling at its legacy Woodrush Project in Canada are expected to deliver a further upswing.

On balance, Dejour appears poised for explosive growth with multiple research analyst eyes now beginning to view the Company.

SOURCE  Oilprice.com