Sunday, October 25, 2009

NDIC Hearing Dockets -- North Dakota, USA

Locator: 10001B.

For the source: NDIC Hearing Dockets

Commentary

This is the only page on my blog site where you can easily find my summaries of various ND dockets. Not all dockets may be summarized. For all dockets, see NDIC home page and click on "Dockets."

I transcribe the scheduled hearings only for my benefit, to give me a "feel" for the direction the industry is headed in North Dakota. For those interested in specific cases, this is not helpful.  For that you need to go to the NDIC web site. According to a reader, regarding the NDIC website:
The premium service allows you to view the cases and subsequent orders issued for specific cases. Be aware that the day of the hearing means little as the cases are heard. If there are no objection the cases with any support evidence is accepted by the commission. It may be one, two, three months or longer before an order is issued. To watch for a particular case write the number down and veiw the most recent orders/cases list or you can view field summary. With basic services all you can see is the docket summary. With the premium service you can also see updates to pending cases.
The NDIC's December 17, 2009, docket got me very interested in looking at dockets very, very closely.

Quick look at the trends in the dockets
NEWS


Note: over time, the dates posted have referred to either the date posted, or the date of the docket. More recent postings reflect the date of the docket. 

April, 2024: link here.

March, 2024: link here.

February, 2024: link here.

January, 2024: link here.

December, 2023: link here. Phoenix Operating, very active. Slawson with some multi-well pads.

November, 2023: link here.

October, 2023: link here.

September, 2023: link here.

August, 2023: link here.

July, 2023: link here. Phoenix Operating with a number of multi-wells pads; Oasis with a bit of action in Elk Field and Indian Hill.

June, 2023: link here. CLR with two big cases.

May, 2023: link here. Phoenix is now an operator. 

April, 2023: link here. Case 30012, KODA Resources Operating, 20 wells + 40 wells for a total of 60 wells.

March, 2023: link here. A lot of overlapping 3840-acre spacing units; 2560's terminated. 3840's allow for extended long laterals; three-mile / three sections x two sections;

March, 2023: link here for a special hearing on CCS.

February 2023: link here. Some large units. 

January, 2023: link here. Mostly continued cases. 

December, 2022: link here. A huge number of WPX pooling cases.

November, 2022: link here. Iron Oil, very active.

October, 2022: link here.

September, 2022: link here.

August, 2022: link here.

July, 2022: link here. Grayson Mill is active. A lot of pooling cases. 

June, 2022: link here. Ovintiv with a couple of interesting cases.

May, 2022: link here.

April, 2022: link here.

March, 2022: link here. Updates here.

February, 2022: link here.

January, 2022: link here. EOG is active. Look at all the SWD wells.

December, 2021: link here. Some larger drilling units being returned to smaller units; operators continuing to fill in with large number of wells in drilling units.

November, 2021: link here.

October, 2021: link hereAnd here.

September, 2021: link here.

August, 2021: link here.

July, 2021: link here. Kraken active in the Burg-Bakken; the "fad" this month: laydown 1920-acre units.

June, 2021: link here

May, 2021: link here. Mostly Kraken and CLR. Not much of interest.

April 2021: link here. CLR has two big cases but otherwise a pretty unexciting agenda.

March 2021: link here. Not much; NP Resources getting a bit active.

February, 2021, link here. Eight pages total. Except for two big CLR cases, not much there.

January, 2021, link here. Six pages total. Except for Liberty Resources and Onintive, not much there.

December, 2020, link here.  Seven pages total. White Butte Oil with requests for flaring for the three Panzer wells. Interesting.

November, 2020: link here. MRO and BR with some "huge" cases.

October, 2020: link here.

September, 2020: only five pages total; mostly continued cases, but several cases with large numbers of wells in a single spacing unit;

August, 2020: link here. Other than a couple of interesting BR cases, the first day will concentrate on the state confiscating old wells; and, the second day will concentrate on continued cases.

July, 2020: link here Other than two cases for large overlapping units, nothing of interest. BR to put 16 wells on each of two 3200-acre units; MRO to put 23 wells on a single 2560-acre unit;

June, 2020: link here. Nothing of interest and very, very few new cases.

May, 2020: link here. Almost no new cases. One interesting case: EOG looking to put upwards of 60 wells on one 2560-acre unit in Spotted Horn.

April, 2020: summary here; two fields to be unitized, the Sergis-Spearfish/Madison field; and, the Haystack Butte -Bakken field. a few cases with multiple wells on small drilling units; EOG with five wells to be converted to injection wells; Ballard Petroleum with two wells to be converted to injection wells;

March, 2020: mega-pad drilling; Ovintiv Production, Inc., getting active. KODA Resources getting active. 

February, 2020: a new operator in North Dakota -- Maroon Bells Partners. A few large cases; no flaring cases. Several legal cases involving Whiting and Kraken. 

January, 2020: link here. XTO looking to drill nine Bear Creek Werre Trust wells as injectivity tests. WM of North Dakota Energy Disposal Solutions to drill several SDW wells to be utilized for fracture injection into the Dakota Group; three flaring case; a few commingling cases; a few pooling cases; first day, four pages; second day, 11 pages.

December, 2019: link here. Unremarkable. Most interesting: no flaring cases.

November, 2019: link here.

October, 2019: some huge cases; an earlier post here;

October, 2019: listening tour, Minot, Williston, Dickinson, Bismarck. In addition to these "listening tour" cases, NDIC will hold the regular meeting October 23 - 24, 2019, a week before Halloween. Trick or treat. Observations on initial reading:

  • a huge number of pages on the first day, but it looks like a record number of continuation cases
  • only two flaring cases?
  • CLR with two "huge" cases
  • Newfield with a "huge" case 
  • CLR looking to recover costs from participating owners?

September, 2019: lots and lots of flaring cases; lots of pooling cases; several pilot injection EOR cases

August 21 and August 22, 2019: August, 2019, dockets. Mostly continuation cases. 

July 24, and July 25, 2019: July, 2019, dockets. Mostly pooling. 

June 26, and June 27, 2019: June, 2019, dockets. Mostly commingling and pooling cases. No flaring cases. It's hard to believe I've been doing this for ten years.

May 14, and May 22 - 23, 2019: May, 2019, dockets. Overlapping units are getting larger and larger. Slawson has one case in which it wants to drill 20 wells on each of three 1920-acre units; Whiting wants to drill 14 wells on each of four 1280-acre units; and 14 wells on each of two 1920-acre units. No flaring cases. No penalty risk legalese cases (except for one continuation case). Slawson and Whiting active but otherwise fairly quiet.

April 24 and 25, 2019: April, 2019, dockets.

March 20 and 21, 2019: March, 2019, dockets. A few flaring cases; a few commingling cases; a new non-operator enters the Bakken; but Hess has the limelight this month;

February 20, 21, and 22, 2019: February, 2019, dockets. Very unremarkable. Except: Long Creek unitized.

January 16 and 17, 2019: January, 2019, dockets.

December 19 and 20, 2018: December, 2018, dockets.

November 14 and 15, 2018: November, 2018, dockets. Fairly unremarkable. Lots of pooling (Hunt, Slawson, CLR); Kraken Oil active; EOG, with multiple wells on a 640-acre unit; lots of commingling (Whiting); mostly larger overlapping units with just one or two wells;

October 16, 17, 18, and 23: October, 2018, dockets

September 7, 19, and 20: September, 2018, dockets.

August 22 - 23, 2018: August, 2018, dockets

July 25 - 26, 2018: summary here; CLR wants to drill 23 wells in one drilling unit in Haystack Butte;

June 1, June 12, 2018: link here.

May 30 - 31, 2018: highlights and summary here; second day mostly continued cases; commingling; and lots and lots of pooling cases; Abraxas has a case for 16 wells one an already busy drilling unit;

April 25 - 26, 2018: highlights and summary here; Crescent Point Energy very active; Bruin with up to 15 wells on 1280-acre units; many, many overlapping units;

March 21 - 22, and April 4, 2018: highlights and summary

February 21 - 23, 2018: highlights and summary here;

January 17 - 19, 2018: highlights and summary here; NP Resources with several cases; Whiting has new pool in western North Dakota.

December 13 - 14, 2017: highlights and summery here; not much of interest; True Oil wants to enlarge and unitize "their" field; mostly flaring, pooling, confiscation cases.

November 15 - 16, 2017: full summary. Of interest:
  • 26174, Oasis, Charlson and/or Phelps Bay-Bakken, amen, establish an overlapping 800-acre unit; 11 wells on the unit: SW/4 of section 12 and all of section 13-153-95; McKenzie County
  • 26211, North Range Resources, re-complete the Duncan Federal 30-24 well (#6959) in the Scairt Woman field into the Birdbear formation, McKenzie County
October 11 - 12, 2017: one case, in multiple ND cities; full agenda summarized; not much of interest. 

September 20 - 21, 2017: full summary;

August 23 - 24, 2017: full summary

July 26 - 27, 2017: highlights

June 28 - 29, 2017: highlights and summary 
  • lots of commingling
  • many, many requests for SWD wells
  • few pooling cases
  • no flaring cases
May 24 - 25, 2017: highlights; Enerplus and Slawson with some significant infill drilling

April 26 - 27, 2017: highlights -- summary of full agenda here --
  • 25789, Slawson, Clarks Creek-Bakken, 24 wells on an existing 640-acre unit; McKenzie
  • 25790, Slawon, North Fork-Bakken 11 wells on a 1280-acre unit; McKenzie
  • 25791, Slawson, Sand Creek-Bakken, 16 wells on a 1280-acre unit; McKenzie
  • 25792, Slawson, Elm Tree-Bakken, 18 wells on a 1280-acre unit; McKenzie
  • 25793, Enerplus, Moccasin Creek-Bakken, 11 wells on each of six 1280-acre units; Dunn
  • 25794, Enerplus, Squaw Creek-Bakken, 9 wells on a 1280-acre unit; McKenzie 
  • 25779, Triangle USA, Squires-Bakken, 12 wells on a 1280-acre unit; Williams
    25780, Zavanna, Stockyard Creek-Bakken, 10 wells on a 1280-acre unit, Williams
  • 25762, Samson Oil and Gas, injection well, #15666, an EOR pilot operation in the Foreman Butte-Madison pool, McKenzie
  • 25759, Sierra Resources, Antelope-Sanish, create two 640-acre units; 6 wells; McKenzie
    25760, WPX, Heart Butte-Bakken, i) establish a 1920-acre unit; 9 wells; ii) establish a 3840-acre unit; 18 wells; Dunn, McLean

March 23 - 24, 2017: highlights -- summary of full agenda here --
  • flaring cases for the first time in a long time
  • new mineral rights owner: DW Slate
  • Abraxas: 16 wells on a 1280-acre unit, already with 9 wells on that unit
  • Kraken Oil & Gas with three cases
  • Sedalia with multiple Madison horizontals
March 2, 2017: four cases; all relate to Luff Exploration unitizing two Red River units: Corey Butte and Haley, both in Bowman County.

February 22 - 24, 2017: highlights; summary for full agenda;
  • CLR with case for 23 wells on one 2560-acre unit
  • two new operators/lessess: Trendwell; DW Slate
January 18 - 19, 2017: mostly continued cases and lots of pooling cases. No flaring waiver cases; no risk penalty legalese cases; one or two commingling cases. Two notables:
  • Oasis with one case for 90 permits in the Dimmick Lake area, McKenzie County
  • Resource Energy Can-Am LLC, relatively new to the Bakken, with two cases, eight wells on 1280-acre units; 40 wells in one case
December 14 - 15, 2016: several large commingling cases; several legalese cases regarding the "halo effect." Highlights in bold at this link as well as the complete agenda summary

November 16 - 17, 2016: welcome to Bakken 2.0 --
  • "new" fields
  • "new" operators
  • large, unusual-sized overlapping units
  • large number of wells in new units
Also: no cases involving flaring.

October 19 - 20, 2016: link here. 55 cases -- Statoil and pooling in Williams County. I have never seen so many pooling cases by one company in one small area ever. Enduro has about a dozen cases requesting a flaring waiver.

September 28 - 30, 2016: multiple wells in spacing units, highlights. Unitizing a Madison unit oil field. Another large unit (5,120 acre spacing unit). Full summary here.
  • 25243, Enerplus, McGregory Buttes-Bakken, an overlapping 1280-acre unit; 11 wells, Dunn County
  • 25244, Enerplus, Heart Butte-Bakken an overlapping 1280-acre unit; 9 wells, Dunn County
  • 25255, CLR, Oakdale-Bakken, on an existing 1280-acre unit; 14 wells, Dunn County
  • 25256, XTO, Corral Creek-Bakken on an existing 1280-acre unit; 11 wells, Dunn County
  • 25257, Enerplus, Antelope-Sanish, on an existing 640-acre unit, 11 wells, McKenzie
  • 25258, Enerplus, Spotted Horn-Bakken, on an existing 640-acre unit; 7 wells; on an existing 1280-acre unit, 11 wells; 18 wells total, McKenzie
  • only one case requesting flaring exemption
  • something I had not seen before: "on a motion of the Commission to consider rescinding Order No. XXXXX entered in Case No. XXXXX which was an application of _____________ pursuant to NDAC § 43-023-03-88.1 for an order authorizing the drilling of a saltwater disposal well to be located in ...." There are 22 such cases before the commission (different case numbers, different companies, different locations, case numbers, inclusive, from 25264 to 25285). It appears that the plan to drill 22 saltwater disposal wells is "now on hold."
August 24 - 26, 2016: multiple wells in spacing units.
  • 25194, Hess, Ross-Bakken, three vertical wells on a 640-acre spacing unit, s24-156-92; injection of fluids in one of the vertical wells for the purpose of conducting a pilot enhanced oil recovery project, Mountrail
  • 25196, Hess, Truax-Bakken, establish a stand-up 2560-acre unit, 20 wells, Williams
  • 25202, Hess, Alkali Creek-Bakken, 12 wells on a 1280-acre unit, Mountrail
  • 25214, QEP, Heart Butte-Bakken, 12 wells on each of 4 1280-acre units; 4 wells on each of two laydown 640-acre units, total - 56 wells
  • 25215, Statoil, Bull Butte-Bakken, create 10 overlapping 2560-acre units; 1 well each; Williams
  • 25216, Statoil, Hebron and/or Squires-Bakken, create 16 overlapping 2560-acre units; 1 well each, Williams
  • 25217, Statoil, Squires, Painted Woods, Round Prairie, Todd, and/or Rosebud-Bakken, create 25 overlapping 2560-acre units; 1 well each; Williams
  • 25231, Liberty Resources, Beaver Lodge-Bakken, 12 wells on an existing 640-acre unit, s13-156-95; Williams  
  • 24687, Enerplus, Antelope-Sanish, establish a 640-acre unit; 4 wells; section 16-152-94, McKenzie 
July 27 - 28, 2016: highlights, not much of interest
June 22 - 23, 2016: not much of interest:
  • 25069, Oasis, Tyrone-Lodgepole, redefine field limits, Williams
  • 25076, QEP, Spotted Horn-Bakken, to allow a second bench Three Forks (TF2) well, for an overlapping spacing unit, McKenzie County
  • 25080, Hess, Blue Buttes-Bakken, 11 wells on an existing 1280-acre unit, McKenzie County 
  • 25082, RIM Operating, Rennie Lake-Bakken, proper spacing, Burke County;
May 19 - 20, 2016: not much of interest;
  • 25049, BR, Little Knife-Bakken, 8 wells on a 1280-acre unit; Dunn
  • 25051, Hess, Little Knife-Bakken, 9 wells on a 1280-acre unit; Dunn
  • 25052, Hess, Big Gulch-Bakken, 13 wells on a 1280-acre unit; Dunn
April 27 - 28, 2016: not many cases, but some are interesting including these two:
  • 25003, CLR, Elm Tree-Bakken, 25 wells on an existing 2560-acre unit, sections 14/23/26/35-153-94, McKenzie
    25004, CLR, Antelope-Sanish, 12 wells on an existing 1280-acre unit, sections 1/12-152-94, McKenzie
  • Also note some "new players" in the Bakken 
April 11 - 14, 2016: There is one case. The case will be heard on four successive days in each of four cities in North Dakota: Williston, Dickinson, Minot, and Bismarck. The case, number 24957, is on a motion of the Commission to consider adopting new rules and amendments to the "General Rules and Regulations for the Conservation of Crude Oil and Natural Gas" codified as Article 43-02 North Dakota Administrative Code.

March 23 - 24, 2016: highlights -- nothing of significance; no flaring waivers; a couple of penalty rick cases; a couple of permit revocation cases.

February 24 - 25, 2016: highlights; increasing number of 5120-acre units; no flaring waivers, no penalty risk cases; full summary here; XTO with a number of commingling cases;

January 13, 2016: at this post.


December 16 - 17, 2015: summary here; one new operator, Vast Operations;

November 18 - 20, 2015: highlights here; along with the full summary (same link)

October 21 - 22, 2015: it is quite remarkable to see all the requests for flaring waivers based on recent NDIC decisions. Many cases on amending setback rules. Here are the highlights. The summary of the full agenda is posted here. Also note case #24559.

September 16 - 17, 2015: There is almost nothing of interest in this month's agenda. Many of the cases had to do with reducing setback rules. Here are the highlights. The summary of the full agenda is here.

August 26 - 27, 2015: highlights; not many cases, but Whiting and QEP are very, very active; full summary here;

July 22 - 25, 2015: highlights; many flaring cases (this post explains the reason for the flaring cases); Whiting with 91 pooling cases (a one-day record, no doubt); QEP to put 24 wells on each of two 1280-acre units; full summary;
  • Newfield with several cases requesting waivers for flaring 
  • 24183, CLR, Banks and North Tobacco Garden-Bakken, 14 wells on an existing 1280-acre unit; McKenzie
  • 24184, CLR, Camp-Bakken, 22 wells on an existing overlapping 2560-acre unit; McKenzie, Williams
  • 24199, XTO, Capa-Bakken, establish seven overlapping 2560-acre units; and two overlapping 3840-acre units; 2 wells on each, Williams
  • 24234, Peregrine Petroleum Partners, Flat Top Butte-Bakken, 4 wells on an existing 640-acre unit, McKenzie
  • This may be a record: Whiting has 92 pooling cases in one day 
  • 24258, Whiting, Sanish-Bakken, establish 6 overlapping 2560-acre units; 11 wells on each, Mountrail
  • 24260, MRO, Antelope-Bakken, 15 wells  on two 1280-acre units; McKenzie
  • 24361, Lime Rock Resources, Stanley-Bakken, 6 wells on each of three 640-acre units; 6 wells on a 1280-acre unit; 14 wells on each of seven 1280-acre units; 6 wells on each of three
  • 2560-acre units, Mountrail (18+6+98+18 = 140 wells) 
  • 24362, QEP, Grail-Bakken, 24 wells on each of two 1280-acre units, McKenzie [14/23-150-95; 15/22-150-95] -- see below
June 24 - 25, 2015: dockets; nothing particularly remarkable

May 27 - 29, 2015: dockets; highlights

April 22 - 24, 2015: dockets; highlights -- lots of XTO wells; Peregrine Petroleum has their first permit in North Dakota since the early1990's; Whiting pretty much dominates the hearing;

March 25 - 26, 2015: dockets; highlights; 13 wells on an overlapping 640-acre spacing unit; complete agenda here; new operator in the Bakken -- Bakken Shale ND, LLC?

February 26, 2015: dockets; highlights;
  • SHD (Spotted Horn Development) with several very large units
January 21 - 22, 2015: dockets; highlights;
  • 25380, Petrogulf, 16 wells on a 1280-acre unit
  • 23595, EOG multiple wells on 16 1280-acre units;  multiple wells on 15 1920-acre units (number of units could be off by one or two); Parshall-Bakken oil field
  • 23599, Statoil, extend Briar Creek-Bakken to create an overlapping 1920-acre unit, and six overlapping 2560-acre units, for single wells
  • 23601, XTO, create 7 overlapping 2560-acre units, 2 wells each
  • 23608, WPX, 5 wells on an existing 640-acre unit
  • A handful of flaring cases
  • Several penalty risk cases, Emerald Oil
December 17 - 18, 2014: dockets; highlights;
  • CLR with a 5120-acre overlapping spacing unit in Brooklyn oil field
  • Whiting with 22 overlapping 2560-acre units in the Sanish
  • KOG with several cases for 10 - 12 wells on 1280-acre units
  • SM Energy with 11 wells on each of 3 1280-acre units
  • Triangle Petroleum with 12 wells on each of 7 1280-acre units
  • XTO with a lot of cases
November 19 - 20, 2014, dockets; highlights;
  • several cases requesting 5120-acre spacing units
  • CLR starting to increase the number of "very large" drilling units (5 cases involving 5120-acre drilling units)
  • Newfield with 8 wells on one 640-acre unit
October 29 - 30, 2014, dockets; highlights;
  • most boring dockets in all the years that I've been tracking the dockets
  • as many as 50% of the cases might be "cont'd" cases
  • administrative headaches: single wells in overlapping 1280- and 2560-acre units
  • only one flaring case
  • CLR with a lot of pooling case
  • starting to see an increase in horizontal wells in the Madison
September, 17 - 18, 2014, dockets; highlights
  • QEP, Grail-Bakken, 24 wells on all of the 640-acre
  • the oil conditioning standards
August 27 - 28, 2014, dockets; highlights;
  • much of the same; of concern, NDIC is going to re-visit two previous orders
  • CLR continues with more 28 wells/2560-acre spacing units
  • a lot of cases involving recovering risk penalties
  • almost no flaring cases; quite stunning
  • Wapiti Operating, LLC, has been in North Dakota, but this is the first time I've seen them in the current boom; last file # for Wapiti was: #13329, Weinmann 1-5, Lucy oil field
July 23 - 25, 2014, dockets:
June 25 - 26, 2014, docket:
May 28 - 29, 2014, docket:
April 22 - 24, 2014, docket
  • first docket with operator requesting order to determine value of flared natural gas (royalties)
  • first docket with multiple cases with 26+ wells in one spacing unit 
  • a 1,000 more Slawson wells
  • Crescent Point getting active with 208 permits for wells
  • Hunt getting active with 399 wells
  • CLR with request for dozens of wells to determine value of flared natural gas for royalties
  • a lot of flaring requests
March 26 - 27, 2014, docket;
  • Oasis with two cases to put 18 wells on a single 1280-acre unit
  • BR with a case to put 28 wells on a single 2560-acre unit
  • Whiting with a number of cases to put 9 wells on 1280-acre units
  • WPX to put 42 wells on a 3840-acre unit (#22013)
February 26 - 27, 2014, docket; 21 wells on one 640-acre unit; this was a very strange agenda (at least from my experience); not particularly active:
  • lots of overlapping 2560-acre wells with one well each
  • a continuation of 7 wells/1280-acre spacing units
  • Oasis with 21 wells in one 640-acre spacing unit
  • Hess had a very large number of pooling cases
  • very few flaring cases; only three or four, it seemed
  • lots of commingling cases
January 15 - 16, 2014, docket; interesting cases; trends. (Note: there are three separate links there; that is not all one link.)
  • the new norm seems to be fourteen, fifteen, seventeen wells in a 1280-acre unit
  • the new norm: a lot of overlapping 2560-acre units
  • they're still finding new sites to drill wells in Stockyard Creek
December 18 - 19, 2013, docket; trends
  • in all my years posting, this seems to have a record number of requests for flaring waivers
November 20 - 21, 2013, docket
  • Hess and CLR are very, very active.
October 23 - 24, 2013, docket. The highlights. EOG is requesting as many as 34 wells on some drilling units, including a 1280-acre unit.  Other highlights:
  • 10+ wells per 1280-acre units is now the norm
  • overlapping 2560-acre spacing units will capture "all" Bakken "orphaned" oil
  • only two flaring cases
September 25 - 26, 2013, dockets. EOG is requesting permits for as many as 600 wells. 

August 28 - 29, 2013, dockets. Highlights.
  • Corinthian with 12 wells on a 320-acre unit
  • Corinthian with 12 wells on each of 19 320-acre units 
  • Slawson wants to open the vertical portions of some Bakken wells to the Lodgepole
July 30 - 31, 2013, dockets.
June 26 - 27, 2013, dockets; highlights;

May 29 - 30, 2013, dockets

April 24 - 25, 2013 dockets; highlights;

March 27 - 28, 2013 dockets

February 27 - 28, 2013 dockets; highlights;
 
January 16 - 17, 2013 dockets; highlights;

December 19 -20, 2012, dockets; both OXY USA and Newfield were absent, though OXY did have a few cases but not new permits; XTO with XOM's deep pockets moving to 8 wells on 1280-acre units; Liberty Resources also moving to 8 wells on 1280-acre units; a couple of cases of multiple wells on 320-acre and 640-acre units; more than usual (?) number of requests to maximize production for a month or so (I assume to give them time to put the natural gas pipelines in); for as many cases as there were, not so many pooling cases, interestingly;

November 28 - 29, 2012, dockets; OXY USA and Newfield were noticeably absent;

October 24 - 25, 2012, dockets, highlights;

September 26 - September 27, 2012, dockets;


November 16 - 17, 2011, dockets; highlights here.

October 26 - 27, 2011, dockets:  the Bakken is clearly moving into the manufacturing phase, and the center of activity is moving to McKenzie County

September 28 - 29, 2011, dockets, with significant news here

August 30 - 31, 2011, dockets, with significant news here, here, and here

August, 2011, dockets (cases to be heard on August 4, 2011, have to do with unitization)

July, 2011, dockets; and,  Highlights of the July, 2011, dockets (note: two different links)

June, 2011, dockets

May, 2011, dockets

April, 2011, dockets and what the dockets mean this time around

March, 2011, dockets and what the dockets mean this time around

February, 2011, dockets

January, 2011, dockets

December dockets: NDIC dockets for December, 2010.

November dockets: NDIC dockets for November, 2010.

October dockets: NDIC dockets for October, 2010.

September docket: NDIC dockets for September, 2010.

August docket: NDIC dockets for August, 2010.

July docket: NDIC dockets for July, 2010. 

June docket: NDIC dockets for June, 2010.

May docket: NDIC dockets for May, 2010.  

April docket: NDIC dockets for April, 2010.

March 15, 2010: Activity Moving Back into the Montana Bakken.

March 14, 2010: Water from the Missouri for Fracking.

March 14, 2010: Rig Zone's review and profile of the ND Rig Fleet.

February 21, 2010: Very nice op-ed piece in the Grand Forks Herald.

February 19, 2010, March docket: NDIC dockets for March, 2010.

February 2, 2010: North Dakota oil and gas lease sale brings in $47 million. 40,187 acres; average, $1,176/acre. Compare that to the record set in November, 2009.

February 2, 2010, February docket: NDIC docket for February 24 - 25 - 26, 2010.

January 25, 2010: 400,000 bopd for 10 - 15 years, Bloomberg.

January 24, 2010: Why I am irrationally exuberant. Bakken is sustainable.

January 15, 2010: More track being laid, Ross loading facilty.

January 15, 2010, January docket: NDIC docket for January 13 - 14, 2010

January 9, 2010: Halliburton bringing in 150 workers for Dickinson. City can handle 4 families/month.

January 4, 2010: EOG starts sending oil to Oklahoma by rail; ahead of schedule.

December 24, 2009: North Dakota production hits record: 80 million barrels in 2009; beats record of 60 million barrels in 2008. In 2006, ND was #9 in the US for oil production; in 2009, it jumped to #4.

December 18, 2009: North Dakota state budget surplus is growing much faster than predicted. The most recent budget was drawn up with expectation of 200,000 bopd at $40 - $50 / bbl. The current budget has $600 million in surplus. In October, 2009, state production was 240,000 bopd at a price of around $67.  At 240,000 bopd and $67/bbl, that equals more than $16 million worth of oil being produced EACH DAY.  I don't know what the state's take of that is but $16 million/day sounds like a lot of money.

December 10, 2009: Water could be an issue.

December 10, 2009: Williston with highest ND wages.

November 27, 2009, December docket: my summary of the NDIC's December 17, 2009, docket. If I count correctly, there are requests from EOG for more than 570 wells as well as requests for more than 240 wells from other producers, including Zenergy (78), Encore (48), CLR (30),  and Slawson (27). Remember, Encore has been bought by Denbury.

November 23, 2009: The rich get richer. Washington sends the most solvent state in the nation another $500K to study whether North Dakota refineries could be profitable.

November 13, 2009: More on the recent record North Dakota land lease auction. Some acres in Mountrail County were leased for $8,000/acre. Land exploration companies / producers aren't paying $8,000/acre to watch the barley grow. 2010 is going to be an outstanding year.

November 5, 2009: North Dakota state land oil lease auction brings in record amount, $72 million. Previous record: $30 million in 1980; adjusted for inflation: $80 million. 59,000 acres; average, $1,214/acre.