Houston-based Magnum Hunter Resources Corp. (NYSE: MHR) announced that its first dry gas Utica shale well, the Stalder #3UH located on the Stalder Pad (18 potential wells) in Monroe County, Ohio, was placed on production earlier this week and has recently tested at a peak rate of 32.5 MMCF of natural gas per day on an adjustable rate choke with 4,300 psi FCP. The well is still producing significant amounts of frac water at a current rate of 1,400 Bbls/d. The well is continuing to clean up, and the company believes that the actual gas sales rate will likely increase further over the next several days as this water production declines. The Stalder #3UH well was drilled and cased to a true vertical depth of 10,653 feet with a 5,050 foot horizontal lateral, and successfully fraced with 20 stages. Triad Hunter LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the xompany, is the operator with a 47% working interest. Other non-operated partners include Eclipse Resources, Statoil and Northwood Energy Corp.

Gary C. Evans, chairman of the board and CEO of Magnum Hunter, commented, "Our first well on the Stalder Pad is the most eastern well and one of the most southern wells drilled to-date in the entire Utica play of Ohio. The well's production is almost pure methane (97%) and therefore there is no need for processing, making it pipeline quality product. The benefit of owning the majority interest of our midstream division is that this well went directly through our gathering system to sales earlier this week. Therefore, we did not require any third-party to build a pipeline to this location. We are looking forward to drilling our first Utica well just across the Ohio River in West Virginia. We have a four well pad called the Stewart Winland, located in Tyler County, W. Va., where we own 100% (87% NRI) of the working interest. We have already drilled one Marcellus well, are currently drilling the lateral of the second Marcellus well and after drilling the third Marcellus well on this pad later this month, our drilling rig will literally "walk" to the Utica location on this pad and commence drilling sometime in March, depending upon weather conditions. This new Utica well should geologically be deeper and higher pressure than the Stalder well. Our Eureka Hunter Gathering Pipeline is already present at that location so all four of these new wells will go directly to pipeline sales upon completion."