1 Benchmark Properties Ltd., Olney, Ill., pumped 202 bbl. of oil per day at the #1 McCollister-Brockelsby Comm., an east offset to the abandoned discovery of the one-well Sharpsburg Northwest Field in Christian County, Ill. IHS Energy Group reports the confirmation, in Section 31-14n-2w, also yielded 6,000 cu. ft. of gas per day, the production coming from an openhole interval at 1,944-56 ft. in Silurian. The field opener was completed in 1997 pumping 30 bbl. of oil and four bbl. of water per day from Silurian at 1,962-65 ft. 2 Miller Exploration Co. , with offices in Traverse City, Mich., and Houston, reports it has secured approximately 36,000 acres in southern Illinois for the purpose of exploring for gas reserves from Pennsylvania-age coals at a depth of approximately 1,500 ft. The company says the play could offer low-risk drilling opportunities and large reserve potential. Miller has permitted two tests in the project area, and depending on the outcome of the first two ventures, plans to drill up to seven tests during the first half of this year. Miller has secured partners and will retain a 65% working interest in the project. 3 Evansville independent Pulse Energy Systems LLC has expanded its coalbed exploration program in Indiana, having obtained permits to drill six coalbed-methane wildcats in Sullivan County. IHS Energy Group reports the tests are staked in a northwest-southeast trend on Pulse's Templeton lease in Township 8n-9w and projected to 400 ft. to test Seelyville coals. The new locations are 1.5 to 4 miles northwest of Dugger North Field, where wells have had initial flowing potentials of 75,000 to 103,000 cu. ft. of gas per day from Seelyville coal. 4 An Ordovician wildcat staked by Hilden Oil Co. Inc. , Brooklyn, Mich., in Jackson County, Mich., is scheduled to be drilled to 5,150 ft. to Prairie du Chien to evaluate Trenton-Black River. The new venture is the #2-26 Mead & Farnham in Section 26-1s-3w, Springport Township. It offsets to the southwest the #1-26 Mead, a Trenton-Black River prospect where Hilden last year drilled to a total measured depth of 5,242 ft. and ran casing to 5,176 ft. Completion details are not disclosed. 5 Silurian Brown Niagaran at 6,700 ft. is the objective of the #1-9 Rosen Mineral Trust, a deeper-pool wildcat to be drilled by Savoy Energy LP in an area of Devonian Antrim gas production in Michigan's Otsego County-Antrim Field. The Traverse City, Mich.-based company's project is in Section 9-29n-4w, Hayes Township, Otsego County, according to IHS Energy Group. 6 Brown Niagaran is the target formation at another exploratory venture scheduled to be drilled in Michigan-this one the Viking Energy of Traverse City Ltd. #1-14 Dunbar in Section 14-24n-12w, Wexford Township, Wexford County. Viking intends to drill to a depth of 6,800 ft. at the test, two miles south-southwest of Brown Niagaran gas-condensate production in Wexford 1-24n-12w Pool A Field and the same distance southeast of similar production in Wexford 10-24n-12w Field. 7 Ramah Oil Co. LLC , Mt. Gilead, Ohio, is drilling toward a projected depth of 3,100 ft. at the #1 Hansel in Section 34 of Jackson Township, Marseilles Quad, Wyandot County, Ohio. IHS Energy Group says the company plans to test Cambrian Mt. Simon at the wildcat, four miles southeast of Dunkirk Field, a Trenton pool dating back to the late 1800s. 8 Western Ohio's Darke County is to get a remote wildcat, the #1 Knowlton, staked by Knowlton Realty Inc. , Ansonia, Ohio. The #1 Knowlton, in Section 23 of Brown Township, Ansonia Quad, has a projected depth of 999 ft. in Ordovician Queenston. New Weston Field, a Trenton pool discovered in the late 1800s, is about l7 miles north. 9 A program in New York's Chemung and Steuben counties targeting deep Trenton-Black River has been expanded by Warren, Pa.-based Pennsylvania General Energy with the staking of a new wildcat in Chemung County. The company's new test is the #1401 Parker in Section B of Big Flats Quad, Catlin Township, reports IHS Energy Group. The wildcat, projected to a depth of 10,160 ft., is nearly five miles east of Lower Devonian Oriskany gas production in North Corning Field. 10 The #1 Haudenshield is a new wildcat to be drilled by Turm Oil Inc. , Butler, Pa., in Section E of Wind Ridge Quad, Richhill Township, Greene County, Pa. Oriskany is to be tested to a depth of 8,000 ft. at the venture, about 1.5 miles north of Devonian gas production in Wright Run Field. 11 Pruet Production Co. , Jackson, Miss., gauged a flow of 470 bbl. of oil and 2.289 million cu. ft. of gas per day on a 20/64-in. choke while testing Jurassic Smackover at the #1 A.T.I.C. 15-14, a discovery in Section 15-3n-7e, Escambia County, Ala. The Southeastern Oil Review reports the wildcat was tested through perforations at 14,158-74 ft. Pipe is set on bottom at 14,686 ft. at the well, a little more than a mile south-southeast of the opener of West Canaan Church Field. Pruet, the operator, and Wichita, Texas-based Cobra Oil & Gas Corp. are equal partners in the discovery. 12 Smackover is the producing formation at a Conecuh County, Ala., discovery completed by Midroc Operating Co. flowing 250 bbl. of oil, 207,000 cu. ft. of gas and three bbl. of water per day. Midroc, with offices in Dallas and Shreveport, tested on a 22/64-in. choke after perforating at 11,857-76 ft. at the #1 Cedar Creek Land & Timber 19-15, Section 19-4n-12e. The company set pipe at 12,093 ft., seven ft. off bottom. The well is 2,000 ft. southeast of a Smackover well that discovered, and was the lone producer, in Little Cedar Creek Field. The Southeastern Oil Review says Midroc's well is expected to be classified as an extension of the field. 13 New exploration set for Conecuh County includes wildcats staked by Century Exploration Co. Inc. , Metairie, La., and Ensign Operating Co. , Denver. Century's project is a 14,000-ft. Smackover wildcat, the #1 D.W. McMillan 31-15 in Section 31-4n-10e. The closest production, from Smackover, is two miles southwest in Escambia County's Appleton Field. Several miles north, Ensign plans to drill to 10,750 ft. at its #1 B.C. Maxwell Jr. in Section 32-6n-10e. The drillsite is a little more than five miles east and slightly south of a well that's producing from Jurassic Haynesville at 10,855-66 ft. 14 Drilling is under way at one Paleozoic wildcat and location has been staked for another in Fayette County, Ala., reports the Southeastern Oil Review. S. Lavon Evans Jr. Operating Co. Inc. , Laurel, Miss., is drilling below 900 ft. at the 4,950-ft. #1 McCool 20-15, in Section 20-17s-13w, three miles northeast of County Line Field and nearly as far east of South Kennedy Field. Meanwhile, the new location is the #1 Tensas-Hubbert 14-12, staked by Armadillo Services Inc. of Alabama in Section 14-14s-12w. The operator, of Raymond, Miss., intends to drill to 2,500 ft. at the venture, which is a mile west of a Carter Sand gas well in Hubbertsville Field. The Carter well is producing from 2,045-53 ft. 15 A modest Carter Sand producer has been completed by Jackson, Miss., independent Roundtree & Associates Inc. in Buncomb Creek Field in Alabama's Pickens County. The development test, which had an initial flow gauge of 138,000 cu. ft. of gas per day through an open choke from 5,606-14 ft., is the #1 McShan 32-3 in Section 32-18s-15w. It's a southeast offset to Roundtree's recently completed #1 McShan 32-7, which confirmed the opener of Buncomb Creek Field. The confirmation flowed 800,000 cu. ft. of gas per day on a 20/64-in. choke through perforations at 5,736-51 ft. in Carter.