Re-Visiting EOG in the Parshall

Awhile back I posted a note about EOG's request for three horizontal wells in each of the following sections:

Sections 1 - 36 in 151N-90W (36 sections);
Sections 1 - 36 in 152N-90W (36 sections); 
Sections 1 - 6, 8 - 17, and 19 - 36 in 153N-90W (34 sections);
Sections 1 - 36 in 154N-90W (36 sections);
Sections 25 - 28, 31 - 36 in 155N-90W (10 sections);
Sections 1, 10 - 15, 23 - 26, and 36 in 151N-91W (12 sections);
Sections 1, 2, 11 - 15, 22 - 26, 35, 36 in 152N-91W (14 sections);
Sections 5 - 8, 17 - 20, 29 - 32 in 153N-89W (12 sections).

This is the entire Parshall oil field and maybe a few sections in adjoining fields. Three wells in each of these 190 sections would be a total of 570 wells, the highest density of wells in the Bakken. I haven't counted lately, but I figure that about three-quarters of all these sections (about 140) already have wells.

You can access the full 19 pages of the December 17, 2009, docket at https://www.dmr.nd.gov/oilgas/dockets/2009/docket121709.pdf.

When I first reported that, I had a different sight picture of what the configuration of these three laterals/section might look like.

Now that I've seen the recent Hess permits for six long laterals on one pad, my hunch is that the EOG horizontals will be laterals targeting three formations: Middle Bakken, the Upper TFS, and the Lower TFS. 

The only problem I have with this: most of these sections already have a lateral. Perhaps, the legalese suggests that the current well in each section counts as one, and EOG will be drilling an entirely new well with two laterals, one each in the Upper TFS and in the Lower TFS. That would only be 380 new wells, not 570.