Saturday, October 16, 2010

Bailey Field Update

Locator: 10010Bailey.

Summary: The Bailey is a prototypical Bakken field. Except for one outlier, file # 12927, a Missouri River Royalty Corporation well, with a status date of 2002, all of the permits in this field were issued during the current boom, and to the best of my knowledge, all wells target the Bakken Pool. All of the wells are still active (except the aforementioned MRRC well which is permanently abandoned).  The Bailey field, a moderately sized field, is "owned" by Marathon Oil. The IPs of the Marathon wells are consistently in the 350 - 500 barrels range.

Of note: the Bailey oil field is noted for its incredible "halo effect" potential.

Updates


February 17, 2023
: it's all about TOC, the technology will follow.

December 18, 2021:


January 8, 2020: newest permits noted here; notice in the graphic at that post all the work that still needs to be done in the Bakken!

February 3, 2019: all the wells in Bailey oil field through 2015 have been updated. See this note.

June 7, 2018: MRO apparently has had an aggressive re-frack program in the Bailey oil field for several years. This gives us an idea what the future for the Bakken holds.

April 25, 2012: a nice well reported --  April 28, 2011: it looks like it takes about three years for Bailey Bakken wells to get to 100,000 bbls of production.
Permits

2023 (none, as of February 17, 2023)
 
2022 (the list is complete)
39377,
39376,
39375,
39374,
39373,
39372,
39371,
39370,
39369,
39368,
39365,
39364,
39363,
39362.
39361,
39251,
39210,
39209,
39181,
39180,
39179,
39110,
39108,
38797,
38796,
38795,
38794,
38791,
38790,
38332,
38331,
38830,
38829,
38828,
 
2021 (list is complete)
38710, drl/A, Yockim 14-8H, Bailey, t--; cum 172K 12/22;
38709,
38708,
38705,
38704,
38703,
38702,
38679,
38672,
38665,
38663,
38625,
38624,
38623,
38621,
38620,
38619,
38593, loc, MRO, Weekes 14-8TFH, NENE 18-146-93;
38592, loc, MRO, Killion 44-7H, NENE 18-146-93;
38591, loc, MRO, Stone 44-7TFH, NENE 18-146-93;
38590, loc, MRO, Cheryl 41-18H, NENE 18-146-93;
38589, loc, MRO, Amos 31-18TFH, NENE 18-146-93;
38587, drl/A, MRO, Cody 11-18H, NENE 18-146-93; Bailey, t--; cum 164K 12/22;
38574,
38573,
38572,
38571,
38539,
38538,
38537,
38536,
38503,
38502,
38501,
38449,
38448,
38315,
38314,
38313,
38312,
38311,
38308,
38307,
38306,
38305,
38304,
38233,
38232,
38231,
38087, drl/A, MRO, Weedner USA 32-4TFH, Bailey, first production, 2/22; t--; cum 219K 12/22;
38086,
38085,
38084,
38083, PNC, Baisch
 
2020 (the list is complete for 2020)
38045, loc-->EXP-->loc/drl, Magdalena USA 21-18TFH,
38044,
38043,
38042,
48041,
38040,
38022,
38021,
38020,
38019,
38018,
38017, loc/drl, MRO, Bean USA 31-18H, Bailey,
38016, nice well, MRO, Loraas 44-21H, Bailey, first production, 12/21; t--; cum 167K 6/22;
37997, loc/A, MRO, Phillip 41-4TFH, Bailey, first production, 2/22; t--; cum 132K 6/22;
37996, loc/A, MRO, Christoph 41-4H, Bailey first production, 2/22; t--; cum 156K 6/22;
37995, PNC, MRO, Fredericka 41-4TFH, Bailey, current as of 7/21;
37994, drl-->loc/A, MRO, Konstantin 11-3H, Bailey, first production, 2/22; t--; cum 202K 12/22;
37316, 3,082, MRO, Klovstad 34-33H, Bailey, t11/20; cum 131K 7/21; cum 191K 6/22;


2019
37095, 3,194, MRO, Wiest 24-33H, Bailey, t11/20; cum 137K 7/21
37094, PNC, MRO, Pomeroy 24-33TFH, Bailey, current as of 7/21;
37093, 3,209, MRO, Ruggles 14-34H, Bailey, t11/20; cum 144K 7/21;
36737, AL/A, MRO, Kloster 24-12H, Bailey, first production, 12/19; t--; cum 362K 7/21;
36736, AL/A, MRO, Emil 24-12TFH, Bailey, first production, 12/19; t--; cum 362K 7/21;
36735, AL/A, MRO, Ritter 34-12TFH, Bailey, first production, 11/19; t--; cum 290K 7/21;
36191, conf, BR, Gorhman 3A TFH, Bailey, current as of 7/21;
36190, conf, BR, Gorhman 3B MBH, Bailey, current as of 7/21;
361890, conf, BR, Gorhman 3C TFH, Bailey, current as of 7/21;
36188, conf, BR, Gorhman 3D MBH,
36187, conf, BR, Gorhman 3E TFH,
36027, 3,823, MRO, Pletan 11-13TFH, Bailey, t9/19; cum 185K 7/21; cum 218K 12/22;
****36026, 5,560, MRO, Herbert 41-14H, Bailey, t9/19; cum 221K 7/21; cum 238K 2/22; cum 248K 6/22;
 
2018: the list is complete --
35821, 4,081, MRO, Bryden 11-13H, Bailey, t9/19; cum 330K 12/22;
35268, 1,447, MRO, McCrory 44-35TFH,  Bailey, t4/19; cum 158K 12/22;
35267, 2,427, MRO, Catherine 44-35H, Bailey, t4/19; cum 242K 12/22;
34891, 27, BR, Gorhumbian 3A MBH-ULW, Bailey, 6/19; cum 397K 12/22;

2017 (the list is complete)
34429, SI/NC-->3,644, MRO, Otis 11-28TFH, Bailey, t12/18; cum 314K 7/21; cum 348K 1/23 after being offline for a few months;
*******34428, 7,993, MRO, Klaus 11-28H, Bailey, t12/18; cum 379K 7/21; cum 407K 5/22; cum 425K 1/23;
34050, 3,562, MRO, State Oster 14-36TFH, Bailey, t4/19; cum 114K 7/21;
340490, 4,527, MRO, State Kreiger 14-36H, Bailey, t4/19; cum 225K 7/21;
34048, 2,849, MRO, State Kelling 14-36TFH, Bailey, t4/19; cum 130K 12/21; off line;
34047, 2,860, MRO, Lucas 34-35TFH, Bailey, t4/19; cum 215K 2/22;
34046,
34045,
34044, 4,519, MRO, Rafter X... t4/19; cum 240K 1/23;
33872, 2,361, MRO, Lawrence 34-35H, Bailey, t5/19; cum 186K 7/21;
33871, 3,053, MRO, Rummel
33870, 4,149, MRO, Arthur 24-35H, t5/19; cum 246K 1/23;
33869, 3,132, MRO, Wickett 24-35TFH, t4/19; cum 211K 10/21;
33599, 5,000, MRO, Gravel Coulee 14-11TFH, Bailey, t6/18; cum 64K in 47 days; cum 242K 2/22; cum 252K 1/23;
33598, 3,473, MRO, Rita 41-3TFH, Bailey, t5/18; cum 85K 7/18; cum 331K 2/22;
33597, 3,514, MRO, Stanton 41-3H, Bailey, t5/18; cum 96K 7/18;
33583, 5,694, MRO, Sundby 24-11TFH, Bailey, t6/18; cum 78K 7/18; 50K+ well; cum 281K 2/22;
33582, 5,305, MRO, Morriston 24-11H, Bailey, t6/18; cum 68K 7/18;
33581, 6,573, MRO, Olea 24-11TFH, Bailey, t6/18; cum 75K 7/18; 50K+ well; cum 249K 12/22; cum 250K 1/23;
33580, 3,276, MRO, McFadden 14-11H, Bailey, t6/18; cum 50K 7/18;
33535, 6,204, MRO, Arkin 44-12TFH, Bailey, t1/18; cum 227K 7/18; cum 440K 10/21; cum 442K 2/22; was off line 11/21 - 1/22; back on line 2/22;
33534, 5,113, MRO, Bronett 14-7H, Bailey, t1/18 cum 203K 7/18; cum 424K 1/23;
33443, 4,152, MRO, Marlene 34-11TFH, Bailey, t6/18; cum 67K 7/18;
33437, 3,115, MRO, Tipton 34-11H, Bailey, t6/18; cum 47K 7/18;
33436, 4,491, MRO, Gifford 34-11TFH, t6/18; cum 65K 7/18;
33435, 4,538, MRO, Hugo 34-11H, Bailey, t6/18; cum 65K 7/18;
33403, 3,484, MRO, Stroup 34-7TFH, Bailey, t2/18; cum 175K 7/18;
33402, 3,040, MRO, Bethol 34-7H, Bailey, t2/18; cum 170K 7/18;
33401, 3,161, MRO, Kenneth 24-7TFH, Bailey, t1/18; cum 170K 7/18;
33400, 3,017, MRO, Ernst 14-7TFH, Bailey, t2/18; cum 178K 7/18;
33326, 1,814, MRO, Spring 21-15TFH, Bailey, t11/17; cum 73K 7/18;
33325, 5,072, MRO, Chapman 31-15H, Bailey, t10/17; cum 244K 7/18; 50K+ well; cum 413K 10/20; cum 422K 2/22; cumm 438K 1/23;
33324, 2,282, MRO, French 31-15TFH, Bailey, t10/17; cum 166K 7/18; cum 354K 1/23;

2016
32792, conf, BR, Patton 5A TFH,
32791, conf, BR, Patton 1A TFH,
32717, conf, BR, Patton 3C TFH,
32716, conf, BR, Patton 3B MBH
32715, conf, BR, Patton 3A TFH,


2015 (the list is complete)
30550, 4,516, MRO, Brush 24-8H, Bailey, t9/17; cum 294K 10/20; 50K+ well; cum 330K 2/22; cum 342K 1/23;
30549, 1,686, MRO, Torrison 24-8TFH, Bailey, t10/17; cum 289K 10/20;
30548, PNC, MRO, Juliet 14-8TFH,

2014 (the list is complete)
30274, AB/1,813, MRO, Klee 11-3TFH, t4/15; cum 244K 10/20;
30266, 3,729, MRO, Hillesland 31-3TFH, Bailey, t5/18; cum 187K 11/18;
29634, TASC --> 4,048, MRO, Double H 34-8TFH, Bailey, t9/17; cum 306K 11/18; cum 445K 5/22; cum 460K 12/22; cum 463K 1/23;
29633, 2,400, MRO, Hammel 44-8TFH, t4/15; cum 212K 11/18;
29632, 2,794, MRO, Wilbert 44-8H, t41/5; cum 262K 11/18;
29631, 3,070, MRO, Delia USA 13-9TFH, Bailey, t8/17; cum 303K 11/18; cum 406K 5/22;
29630, 5,644, MRO, Clarice USA 14-9H, Bailey, t9/17; cum 345K 11/18; 73K in first month -- only 28 days; cum 550K 5/22;
29587, 1,758, MRO, Faiman 24-9TFH, Bailey, t3/15; cum 210K 11/18;
29442, 2,305, MRO, Force 44-20TFH, Bailey, t3/15; cum 163K 11/18;
29384, 1,931, MRO, Ulmer 24-21H, t1/16; cum 180K 11/18;
29383, 1,975, MRO, Wilhelm 24-21TFH, t1/16; cum 161K 11/18;
29382, 1,100, MRO, Ringer 14-21TFH, t2/16; cum 142K 11/18;
29381, 2,449, MRO, Trinity 14-21H, t2/16; cum 255K 11/18;
29380, PNC, MRO, Tucker 44-20TFH,
28849, 2,124, MRO, Donally 11-16H, t3/15; cum 218K 11/18;
28848, 1,554, MRO, Sydney 14-9TFH, t3/15; cum 200K 11/18;
28705, 2,396, MRO, Castner 34-20H, t2/15; cum 242K 11/18;
28704, 1,072, MRO, Greider 34-20TFH, t3/15; cum 111K 11/18;
28703, 2,219, MRO, Hamilton 34-20H, t3/15; cum 218K 11/18;
28702, 1,722, MRO, Krebs 34-20TFh, t3/15; cum 157K 11/18;
28459, 2,350, MRO, Otto 14-23H, t11/14; cum 261K 11/18;
28458, 2,361, MRO, Sommer 11-26H, t11/14; cum 277K 11/18;
28360, 1,118, MRO, May 34-22TFH, t12/14; cum 177K 11/18;
28359, 1,738, MRO, Frank 24-22TFH, t12/14; cum 228K 11/18;
28358, 1,816, MRO, Reidun 21-27TFH, t12/14; cum 193K 11/18;
28357, 2,439, MRO, Davis 24-22H, t11/14; cum 264K 11/18; cum 314K 7/21;
28356, 2,092, MRO, Boldt 14-22TFH, t11/14; cum 165K 11/18;
28111, 1,675, MRO, Susana 14-23TFH,  t11/14; cum 178K 11/18; cum 222K 2/22;
28110, 1,987, MRO, Gottlieb 11-26TFH, t10/14; cum 176K 11/18; cum 226K 5/22;

2013 (the list is complete)
25484, 2,071, MRO, Bluegrass 21-25TFH, t10/13; cum 134K 10/20; cum 151K 5/22;
25483, IA/1,266, MRO, Kruger 24-24TFH, t10/13; cum 173K 11/18; off line 12/21; cum 203K 5/22;
25482, IA/2,154, MRO, Webber 21-25H, t10/13; cum 251K 11/18; off line 2/22; cum 312K 5/22;
***25481, 2,404, MRO, Hubbel 24-24H, t10/13; cum 302K 11/18; off line 2/22; cum 373K 2/22; off line; back on line; cum 380K 1/23;
******25275, 2,328, MRO, Betty Fettig 21-27, t11/13; cum 259K 11/18; cum 303K 5/22; off line 6/21; cum 303K 5/21; back online 11/22; cum 305K 12/22;
******25115, 2,090, MRO, Evelyn 34-32TFH, t8/13; cum 176K 11/18; cum 206K 5/22; off line 6/21; cum 207K 6/22; cum 211K 12/22;
25114, 2,417, MRO, Patrick 34-32H, t8/13; cum 232K 11/18; cum 278K 5/22;
24974, 1,658, MRO, Julius Hanson 21-25H, t8/13; cum 154K 11/18; cum 188K 5/22;
24973, 2,437, MRO, Brigner 24-24H, t7/13; cum 234K 11/18; cum 311K 5/22;
24972, 1,867, MRO, Nelson 11-25H, t8/13; cum 164K 11/18; cum 198K 2/22; cum 200K 5/22;

2012
24305, 1,577, MRO, Helgeson 41-30H, t7/13; cum 182K 10/20; cum 197K 5/22;
24304, 1,253, MRO, Gustafson 31-30H, t6/13; cum 129K 11/18; ccum 166K 5/22;
24219, 1,327, MRO, Ahern 34-19H, t6/13; cum 215K 11/18; cum 255K 10/21; cum 262K 5/22;
24091, 1,832, MRO, VMR Trust 11-16TFH/Milton Guenther 11-16TFH, t3/15; cum 229K 11/18; cum 294K 10/21; cum 299K 2/22; cum 302K 5/22;
24075, 1,371, MRO, Hansen Ranch 34-10TFH, t4/13; cum 165K 11/18; cum 194K 10/21; cum 199K 5/22;
23980, 576, MRO, Klay Carlson 41-29TFH t6/13; cum 128K 11/18; cum 197K 10/21; cum 206K 5/22;
23699, 1,374, MRO, C. O. 34-20H, t11/2; cum 284K 11/18; cum 333K 10/21; cum 341K 5/22;
23461, 825, MRO, Hansen Ranch USA 44-10TFH, t6/13; cum 162K 11/18; cum 196K 10/21; cum 204K 5/22;
23460, 1,450, MRO, Hansen Ranch USA 44-10H, t5/13; cum 237K 11/18; cum 298K 10/21; cum 305K 5/22;
  • 22846, 1,081, MRO, Diamond A 34-21TFH, t2/13; cum 170K 11/18; cum 180K 9/21; off line 9/21; cum 189K 5/22; cum 204K 1/23;
  • 22845, AB/1,039, MRO, Diamond A 31-28TFH, t5/13; cum 155K 11/18; cum 180K 9/21; off line 9/21; remains off line 5/22;
  • 22844, 1,600, MRO, Diamond A 44-21TFH, t2/13; cum 239K 11/18; cum 271K 10/21; cum 313K 5/22;  cum 313K 5/22; jump 1/22; cum 363K 1/23;
  • 22668, AB/1,436, MRO, Diamond A 41-28H, t5/13; cum 229K 11/18; cum 262K 10/21; cum 262K 9/21; off line 9/21; remains off line 5/22;
  • 22658, 1,423, MRO, Lee Christensen 34-33H, t9/12; cum 270K 11/18; off-line as of 9/18; back on line; cum 321K 10/21; cum 326K 2/22; off line 5/22; off line again 12/22; cum 334K 11/22;
  • 22657, 1,204, MRO, Judy Christensen 31-4H, t8/12; cum 236K 10/20; cum 247K 10/21; cum 252K 5/22; cum 257K 1/23;
  • 22451, 1,504, MRO, Curtis Kerr 24-8H, t3/13; cum 231K 11/18; off-line as of 8/18; back on line; cum 262K 10/21; cum 269K 5/22; cum 275K 1/23;

  • 22450, 1,357, MRO, Nicky Kerr 14-8H, t3/13; cum 283K 11/18; cum 327K 10/21; cum 333K 2/22; cum 338K 5/22; cumm 347K 1/23;
  • 22342, 1,142, MRO, Lorene Stohler 11-3TFH, 30 stages; 2 million lbs; 39 feet; relatively high gas; ; t9/12; cum 70K 11/18; not sure why this is such a lousy well; MRO did something to "recover" this well; production much improved; cum 95K 8/21; off line 8/21; cum 154K 5/22; cum 195K 1/23;
  • 22341, IA/1,520, MRO, Lorene Stohler 11-3H, t10/12; cum 370K 10/20; cum 385K 10/21; cum 385K 10/21;
  • 22333, IA/1,086, MRO, RH 34-31TFH, t9/12; cum 171K 5/18; off-line 5/18; see this post; cum 210K 10/21; cum 215K 5/22; cum 215K 3/22;

  • 22332, 1,318, MRO, RH 34-31H, t9/13; cum 268K 11/18; cum 313K 10/21; cum 338K 1/23;

The Bailey Oil Field

I sure wish I had taken a snapshot of some of the oil fields in the Williston Basin on the NDIC GIS map server at regular intervals over the past couple of years. The succession of photos would have been amazing.

While panning the GIS map server tonight I was struck by how "busy" the Bailey oil field was, and it was one of the fields I had not focused on until now (see sidebar at the right for descriptions of the various fields).

The Bailey field is on the south side of the river, across the river from the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, and southwest of the very interesting Moccasin Creek field. (That's another field I need to update and put on the sidebar on the right.)

The Bailey field is an irregularly shaped field and moderate in size compared to other fields in the Bakken. It is about 164 sections in size, just under the equivalent of 5 townships. At the center of the field are  two townships T146N-94W and T146N-93W. The rest of the field is located north of these two townships (38 sections); west (16 sections); and south (40 sections).

The field is pretty much "owned" by Marathon Oil. Of the 120 file numbers (permits and wells) in this field, all but 15 are Marathon's. Burlington Resources has eleven, and XTO, Tracker, Hunt, and PDC each have one.

If I remember correctly, Marathon and BR played a major role in developing horizontal drilling which opened the Bakken formation, and thus it's interesting to see BR juxtaposed with MRO in this area.

The Bailey field is a prototypical Bakken field. Except for one outlier, file # 12927, a Missouri River Royalty Corporation well, with a status date of 2002, all of the permits in this field were issued during the current boom. All of the wells are still active (except the aforementioned MRRC well which is permanently abandoned).

The next earliest well is a Marathon well, #15854, Fedora 34-22H, pretty much smack dab in the middle of the field. All the rest of the wells are 2007 or later, with only 14 permits issued in the Bailey so far in 2010.

With 114 wells in this field, it's impossible for me to look at each well. Instead I will look at a string of wells running west to east along the southeast border of the field, picked randomly, but probably a representative sample. With one exception, they are all MRO wells, and they are all long laterals (the entire field is spaced at 1280 acres). Except for one file number with a rig on site, they are all producing wells:
  • 16868, IA/294, 3/08, tested 3/08; cum 193K 10/20; needs to be re-fracked; cum 204K 10/22;
  • 16764, 473, tested 12/10, cum 283K 10/20; needs to be re-fracked; cum 310K 1/23;
  • 17171, 391, Sep 08; tested 10/08; cum 435K 10/20; huge jump in 6/17; cum 492K 1/23;
  • 16925, 409, May 08; tested 5/08; cum 489K 10/20; huge jump in 7/17; cum 422K 1/23;
  • 17164, 340, Oct 08; tested 11/08; cum 338K 10/20; huge jump in 7/17; cum 375K 1/22;
  • 18222, IA/756, Oct 09, Hunt - not MRO; tested 11/09; cum 265K 10/20; cum 278K 9/22;
  • 17216, 327, Dec 08; tested 2/09; cum 221K 10/20; just came off-line, 1/18; ready for re-frack: cum 244K 1/23; small jump in 8/22;
  • 17528, 454, Jan 09; tested 2/09; cum 266K 10/20; huge jump 6/17; cum 313K 1/23;
I no longer care about high IPs, but the fact that these wells are all still active and that there is an incredible amount of activity in this field, I get the feeling that these wells are paying for themselves (at the wellhead) within three years, level off after the first six-to-nine months of decline, and then continue to produce for up to 20 years. Many of these wells would have been drilled before multi-stage fracturing was the norm. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if all these wells were single-stage fractures.

Other than the village of Dunn Center, population 122 (2000 census), there are no other towns in this field and no major roads. At the far northwest of the field is the Little Missouri State Park. Some years ago I went horseback riding in this park, renting horses at Badlands Trail Rides. Somewhere I have a photo of my dad, my older daughter, and myself in a "Bonanza" pose before we headed out for the day-long ride. If I can find it, I will post it. It was absolutely incredible, riding horseback in the badlands of North Dakota. The scenery was incredible. I hope to introduce my two grandchildren to horseback riding at this site. And I hope we see a lot of wells. And no windmills (other than for well water).

10 comments:

  1. Transforming data into graphic chronologies is good fun. I've applied the idea to things like oil well development and town founding. It's not terribly difficult to do, and produces a transcendent learning experience. A recent example, which I may have seen from a link you provided, displayed economic change, by US county, played out over the past several years. It revealed a collapse, converging from the coasts, but not encompassing North Dakota. It would be a worthy addition to the current NDIC GIS. I know the system needs protection from overload, but it's all possible. The depth and breadth of this public data is ready for mining.

    Hess342

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, at the very top of the sidebar on the right: The Geography of a Recession (it was called something different earlier; this title leaves the politics out of it).

    It is absolutely amazing to see the encroachment of the recession as it swallows the nation, but stops just short of enveloping the Great Plains, North Dakota south to Kansas.

    I was surprised to see that the Baily field is a prototypical Bakken field; there is nothing there before 2006, except for two permits/wells.

    Focusing on these fields helps me visualize the landscape. Before I looked at the Bailey, I had no idea that that was where I enjoyed some great horseback riding many years ago.

    ReplyDelete
  3. You probably know this, but the NAIP 2009 layer (satellite imagery) can be activated on the GIS to produce a stronger association with surface features.

    I agree with your characterization of the Baily as prototypic Bakken. To me that describes wells that begin around 10,000 barrels a month and are at 2000 barrels 2.5 years later. Beyond the exceptional Parshall and Sanish which are doing 1 million or more a month, the Baily is among the next tier at around 200,000 a month. The Parshall may have peaked around 1.5 million just a couple months ago and has dropped about 300,000/mo in just 2 months with no significant well additions.

    You remind me of a badlands ride while in college with a horse trainer friend. We brought a pair of horses from Minot into the Teddy Roosevelt North Unit. The badlands are a challenging and awe inspiring ride and the ability of horses to deal with it is amazing. After a few days of camping we stopped at a ranch near the Lost Bridge and were welcomed for supper and fabulous hospitality. The rancher was the kind of character who leaves you feeling like you've touched history -treating us to his story, with the depression years clearly his most memorable. Unforgettable.

    Hess342

    ReplyDelete
  4. I know it's hard to believe, but I don't recall having ever explored the imagery capabilities of the GIS map server. I have used other sources, mostly Google Earth, but I have to admit, the NDIC GIS map NAIP 2009 imagery is breath-taking. Thank you.

    I have also enjoyed the ND State Water Commission site for aerial views (http://mapservice.swc.state.nd.us/).

    With regard to horses and badlands, I remember how the horses would "run" up short, steep inclines, but walk very, very slowly down those same inclines. I understood their reason for going slow going downhill, but I never understood why they would "run" to get up these short, steep inclines.

    It was also interesting to watch them approach water. Most of the horses would balk crossing the river, but a few horses took the water in stride. Based on horse-riding elsewhere, it appears that horses have no problem crossing rivers where they have crossed it numerous times, but if it's a new crossing, they balk.

    Off-topic, but I understand if you paint stripes on a highway, cows will balk at crossing them if they've been exposed to cattle guards.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I saw a horse completely refuse to cross a 4 inch wide trickle of water.

    In the week before leaving for my first year of college I went on a midnight horse ride and later discovered my wallet was missing. At college, maybe 7 months later, it arrived in the mail - money, drivers license, everything, weathered but intact.

    When I got my iPad and wanted to see how it worked as a bookreader, a sister-in-law suggested a book she'd just finished - Peace Like a River. Its catharsis is set in the North Dakota badlands.

    Just one Norwegian to another.

    Hess342

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  6. Thank you for the tip on the book. I just checked Amazon reviews and it must be superb. I will get it, thank you.

    I started an aggressive reading program in 2002, starting with all the 18th and 19th century classics and moved on from there. I am always looking for new authors, unique books.

    I have a literature blog but I don't do it justice; too busy with Bakken. I had a very nice literature blog a year or so ago, but erased it all and started over; a mistake.

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  7. How interesting - I tend to do my reading in themes. About 2002 a brother-law-law gave me Undaunted Courage as a Christmas present. It set off a search for history of the period including 3 Jefferson biographies (I'm into multiple authors on a topic, if they exist, to cope with bias) a couple Franklins, a Thomas Paine, some general histories, and then decided to read through all of the presidents chronologically. I found only 2 presidential autobiographies - Grant and Obama. Grant's was written at the end of his career and Obama's just out of college - both completely fascinating.

    The iPad is an interesting and usable book reader, but I prefer the new Kindle.

    Hess342

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  8. I assume you are talking about the "Memoirs of US Grant." I had read somewhere that is the best autobiography ever written. I was intrigued; took awhile to find it (I buy 99% of my books at Half-Price Discount). I loved it; one of my favorites. I ended up putting together a student study program (target audience: 8th graders) of the southern campaign in the Civil War. The memoirs provided a fascinating study of geography of the south at the time, particularly the river and railroad system, and how knowledge of that system was one of the keys to success in the southern campaign.

    I was impressed by the clarity of Grant's writing, and no "sour grapes" despite his situation after he was out of office.

    I love to "connect the dots" and one of my favorite discoveries was the handing off the baton from one writer to the next writer in various genres. Cervantes --> Defoe --> Joseph Conrad --> Hemingway --> Graham Greene --> Hunter S. Thompson --> Tim O'Brien. (It seems I am forgetting someone between Defoe and Joseph Conrad, but you get the idea.)

    The one percent of books I don't buy at Half-Price Discount Bookstores are the ones I buy at "Books on Broadway" in Williston, ND, during my annual visits. That's where I get all the ND books, including ones by Kathleen Norris, and Christy Leskovar's biography of her grandmother, "One Night in a Bad Inn."

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  9. You’re a prodigious fellow. Thanks for indulging me.

    From Grant’s autobiography we learn that…

    Grant wasn’t really US Grant. The congressman who endorsed him for West Point filled out the form incorrectly (with regard to the middle initial) and Grant decided to keep it. Although written late in life, it focuses on his early years and military career and little on his presidency. He failed at many attempted careers and the book was his only serious monetary success Samuel Clements tried to move in with him and do the writing but Grant wouldn’t have it. Immediately out of the presidency he traveled the entire world for nearly four years and was greeted with huge and adoring crowds everywhere. For reasons I don’t entirely understand, common people the world over knew of him and adored him. He actually planned to return from the trip just in time to run again – but it didn’t pan out.

    Just out of West Point he was sent to the US-Mexican border for what, it his words, was a deliberate campaign of provocation to induce an attack, so as to defeat the government and grab a large chunk of the Southwest “because we could”. It seems that his opinions were formed in part from his political persuasions – Whig rather than Democrat - at a time when the Democrats were driving the military campaigns.

    He was the first real Republican president inasmuch as Lincoln was a Whig who was drafted by the Republicans but never felt a kinship with them and viewed them as a part of the problem. Grant liked Lincoln and was a believer in the cause but was loath to discuss privileged information with him because he couldn’t be trusted to hold his tongue Grant didn’t like hunting and had no real interest in guns, but loved horses and was a master with them. He was a brilliant strategist who could conceive of and hold it all in his mind but was a distinct loner. His greatest passion at West Point seemed to be art. Certain members of his family tried to save his soul in his last few days, but he wasn’t having it.

    I'm mostly a library guy but ability to acquire books with a single click is dangerously seductive.

    I met Hunter Thompson in Minot many years ago and it was interesting to say the least - at once brilliant and pathetic.

    Hess342

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  10. The reasons I continue the dialogue are several:

    1) I tend to forget what I have read unless I talk about it, think about it, or re-read it;

    2) I like to think I am multi-faceted. Some people think my whole life revolves around oil. Hardly. The blog could have been on several subjects, but this was one niche that had few bloggers;

    3) Interesting about Grant's interest in art. I did not know that. Explains a lot. I feel very strongly that artists see things much differently than people like me, and thus might explain some of Grant's success as a strategist. Only after seeing Monet's home in France, and read many, many books on Impressionism, did I finally notice the dozen or more hues of green in the trees when I go on walks or run.

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