Bridge Resources has identified four potential commercial wells in two areas in Payette County.
"We hit a hell of a big natural gas well," Gov. Butch Otter said while on his trade mission to China last week. "It's a million cubic feet a day, and it's sweet gas. É It will go right into the line."
Sweet gas needs no processing to be transported on natural gas pipelines for immediate use.
Jeff Kirn, operations manager for the natural gas exploration company, says it's a little early to categorize this as a major discovery.
"We have had some encouragement in Idaho," Kirn said. "We've got three wells that look promising, and we plan to do more work."
Otter said natural gas wells could provide the state a new revenue source from royalties and taxes. One of the wells is on state land and could return 12.5 percent royalties directly to the state.
One potential customer is Idaho Power Co., which is planning to build a natural gas generation plant only miles from the discovery, Otter said.
Idaho has no natural gas or oil production within its borders, but companies have searched around New Plymouth and Payette since the early 1900s. Before these four, the last well in the area was drilled in 1988.
Bridge Resources Corp. of Calgary, Alberta, and its partner, Paramax Resources Ltd. of Canada, reported they had two confirmed discoveries and two potential discoveries needing more tests. The companies said Bridges Energy Inc., the subsidiary actually drilling the wells, will expand both seismic and drilling exploration in the Boise Basin where they have 100,000 acres under lease.
The geophysical seismic operation is expected to be completed by the end of July. The companies will begin a development drilling program with a total of up to 10 wells anticipated in 2010, they said in a press release.
In addition to the existing development projects in Payette County, the companies expect to continue exploring other prospective acreage, which they have been expanding. The companies plan a second seismic program and more exploration drilling in the fourth quarter of 2010.
Rocky Barker: 377-6484