St Anthony Oil Field, the Bakken, The Williston Basin, North Dakota, USA

Updates

Permits

2013
26068, loc, Whiting, Oukrop 44-34PH, St Anthony,
26067, loc, Whiting, Oukrop 24-34PH, St Anthony,
25450, conf, CLR, Zelinsky 1-32H, St Anthony,

2012
24692, conf, Whiting, Faiman 34-33PH, St Anthony, 21K in first 4 months;
24344, loc, OXY USA, Michael Fitzmaurice 1-16-21H-141-97, St Anthony,
24210, conf, OXY USA, Woodrow Keeble 1-21-22H-141-96, St Anthony, low production,
24125, loc, OXY USA, Thomas Sletteland 1-3-10H-141-97, St Anthony,
24071, 341, Whiting, Oukrop 34-34PH, St Anthony, t2/13; cum 18K 6/13;
23932, loc, OXY USA, Loren Hagen 1-35-26H-141-97, St Anthony,
23928, loc, OXY USA, Henry Gurke 1-30-19H-141-96, St Anthony,
23844, loc, OXY USA, Nels Wold 1-36-25H-141-97, St Anthony,
23384, 270, OXY USA, Joseph Carter 1-13-12H-141-96, St Anthony, t2/13; cum 15K 6/13;
 
2011
22150, 503, OXY USA, Richard Jablonsky 1-13-24H-141-97, St Anthony, t8/11; cum 28K 6/13;
21913, 138, OXY USA, Bill Cody 1-20-29H-141-96, St Anthony, t8/12; cum 17K 6/13;
20749, 101, OXY USA, Marlene Steffan 1-5-8H-141-97, St Anthony, t12/11; cum 35K 6/13;
20659, 74, OXY USA, Kudrna 1-7, Red River well, t12/11; cum 24K 6/13; a very sporadic producer;
20348, PNC, Anschutz, Karsky 1-20, St Anthony, date: 3/23/11
 
2010
20218, 524, OXY USA, State Dvorak 1-9-16H-141-96, St Anthony, t6/12; cum 45K 6/13;
20104, 357, OXY USA, Elsie Dvorak 1-8-17H-141-96, St Anthony, t2/12; cum 45K 6/13;

2009

18296, EXP, Anschutz, Kubik 21-13H, St Anthony,

18272, 199, OXY USA, Jaeger 1-10-15H-141-96, St Anthony, t11/11; cum 53K 6/13;

18056, 615, OXY USA, Sadowsky 34-12H, St Anthony, t8/10; cum 57K 6/13;

Original Post

St Anthony oil field is twelve sections short of two full townships. Hemmed in by oil fields on all sides, it won't be growing. It is located in the southwest quarter of the state, I guess, not the extreme southwest, but the southwest. It is in the corner of Dunn County: its south line borders Stark County, and its west line borders Billings County.

Currently the field is seen as a Bakken play but there are indications that the Red River could be in play. 

The field is fairly inactive, but it appears to be picking up steam based on a number of new OXY USA permits. Looking at the NDIC GIS map server it reminds me of northern Williams County and/or Divide County a couple years ago. There is one rig in this particular field, and it is currently drilling a well whose horizontal will go north into sections 33-28/141-97. That well:

• 24692, drl, Whiting, Faiman 34-33PH, St Anthony, 30-stage

In addition, there is another Whiting one well east, that has reached TD and waiting to be fracked:

• 24071, drl, Whiting, Oukrop 34-34PH, St Anthony, sections 27-34/141-97

For newbies: note the "PH" designation: this is Whiting's designation for their Pronghorn Sand play, the Three Forks formation in this part of the state.

These two wells are important for a number of reasons:

• these wells are a bit north of where Whiting has most of its Pronghorn wells to date
• according to "well search," the St Anthony field is pretty much owned by OXY USA; these are the only two non-OXY USA permits in this field to date
• spectators will get another chance to see head-to-head competition between OXY USA and Whiting

As noted above, St Anthony field, on the NDIC GIS map has a lot of white space, not much activity. In those sixty sections, there are 21 permits/wells. All of them belong to OXY USA except the two Whiting wells noted above.

So, what are the results of the few OXY USA wells that have been drilled to date in this field?

• 17808, 80, OXY USA, Sadowsky 24-14H, t3/09; cum 133K 11/12; currently 1,000 bbls/month; all gas is being sold
• 18056, 615, OXY USA, Sadowsky 34-12H, t8/10; cum 51K 11/12; currently 1,000 bbls/month; all gas is being sold
• 18272, 199, OXY USA, Jaeger 1-10-15H-141-96, cum 41K 11/12; currently 2,000 bbls/month; all gas is being flared
• 20104, 357, OXY USA, Elsie Dvorak 1--8-17H-141-96, t2/12; cum 30K 11/12; currently 3,000 bbls/month; hooked up to NG pipeline 10/12
• 20218, 524, OXY USA, State Dvorak 1-9-16H-141-96, t6/12; cum 23K 11/12; currently 4K bbls/month; hooked up to natural gas line 11/12;
• 20659, 74, OXY USA, Kudrna 1-17, a Red River well; t12/11; cum 20K 11/12; erratic production, upto 3K bbls/month; most recent month 600 bbls;
• 20749, 101, OXY USA, Marlene Steffan 1-5-8H-141-97; t12/11; cum 27K 11/12; currently 2.5K/month; all gas being sold

OXY USA wells are updated at a separate post. 

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Everything is relative in life. North Dakota is considered, by many, to be rather remote. This part of North Dakota is about as remote as one can get, I suppose. US Highway 85 runs through the eastern side of the field but that's about as much as one sees in the area. My hunch is that the first settlers there felt lost. From wiki:

St Anthony is venerated all over the world as the Patron Saint for lost articles, and is credited with many miracles involving lost people, lost things and even lost spiritual goods.

St Anthony was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. He was the fastest canonized saint and proclaimed a Doctor of the Church on 16 January 1946.

Mineral rights owners might be advised to pray to St Anthony to help OXY USA find "lost" oil.

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There are people of Portuguese origin in every American state. The state with the fewest Portuguese is North Dakota - about 300. The state with the largest Portuguese community is California, where it rises up to 1% of the state's population (about 330.000). Massachusetts comes second, with 280.000, followed by Rhode Island, 91.000 (8,7% of the state's population) and New Jersey, 72.000. -- That link is unverified; if I remember, I will see if I can find a better source. Having said that, my wife and I are very familiar with the Portuguese influence in Massachusetts, particularly on the North Shore, Cape Ann.