Monday, April 19, 2010

Fort Berthold Indian Reservation: 19

There are nineteen (19) rigs-on-site inside the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation this date. A few of the rigs are in the Parshall oil field, but most are in the Van Hook and the Big Bend oil fields.

EOG Parshall Wells That Defy The Odds

18305, 66, Austin 101-15H (reported today by NDIC)
18301, 68, Wayzetta 102-2H (reported April 9, 2010)

Sand Plugs and Side Tracking

For those interested in more of the nitty-gritty of drilling in the Bakken, this is an interesting press release, providing a bit more information than we often see. This particular press release talks to "sand plugs."

This has to do with Samson's Gene 1-22H.

In addition, there's an interesting thread over on the Bakken Shale Discussion Group discussing "side-tracking" when drilling horizontal wells.

Comments from Readers

"wdelorenzi" has left a couple of comments at "New Wells Reporting." I "published" them but for some reason these comments have not posted yet. That has happened before; they will eventually post.

However, the information is interesting enough I want to post it in a stand-alone post, so the comments are not lost or buried:

First comment: "Jayhawk Energy has completed two vertical wells the Knudson #1 and Jenks #1 at its Crosby property in the Ratcliffe pay zone.The wells are flowing 30 to 40 bopd which isnt alot but combined with the 65 bopd they were producing from there existing wells this doubles the production for this tiny company.They commented about a 40-well vertical program on their property in the near future.This area may still have the potential for a horizontal well if a thicker pay zone is found.I looked at the Ratcliffe formation and it is very shallow depth wise."  Comment: shallow wells, and with the price of oil going up, can make these vertical wells pay off even if very low flow rates. 


Second comment: "Zavanna has permitted the next well in Stockyard Creek, the Gary 1-24H.This well is very close to the Gene 1-22H. I think this area has the potential to be better than Stony Creek. This next well may confirm this."


An earlier comment from "wdelorenzi" has posted, but for those who may have missed it: "The Gene 1-22 H in Stockyard Creek. a Zavanna well, is flowing 2936 boepd.This area looks good for Zavanna and its little partner Samson oil and gas."  


I have highlighted Stony Creek oil field but it appears I need to highlight Stockyard Creek at the earliest opportunity.  Stockyard Creek has always been a favorite of mine. Like a couple other fields, I have driven through this field hundreds of times on the way out to the lake/river, US Highway 1804. It's one of the most beautiful drives in this part of the state, and returning home (going west) into the setting sun on a clear night with perhaps a few pink clouds on the western horizon ... well, I can't think of many other sights as beautiful. Big sky country really is very, very beautiful. It's too bad so many Americans will never experience this part of the country. 


For all you roughnecks, oil truckers, FedEx/UPS drivers, don't ever take this beauty for granted. I know the days are long and the winters can be tough (impossible?) but would you rather be in a cubicle in some 9-to-5 job? 


It goes without saying, but I will say it anyway: you have no idea how much I appreciate input or feedback from readers. I have no vested interest in the Bakken (no mineral rights) and very little exposure in common stock. I don't want anyone to think I am pushing any agenda on this blog except to share information. (If anyone wants to know what I hold in common stock I will share that information on e-mail but won't publicize it (as a general rule, which I occasionally violate) because I don't want folks to think I'm endorsing or pumping any company. 

We Welcome Another Producer in the Bakken: Nadel and Gussman Rockies

Today NDIC granted a permit to a newcomer to the Bakken: Nadel and Gussman Rockies, in the Buffalo Wallow oil field, anderson 2-18, S2NW 18-148N-100W.

Operators have their own way of naming wells, so I don't know if the lack of an "H" in the name of this well means that it is a vertical well.

Buffalo Wallow oil field is a very small field, only six (6) sections located 13 miles southeast of Alexander and 13 miles southwest of Watford City. There are some old vertical wells there but no other recent activity.

Perhaps more on this later.

CLR with another Eco-Pad: Raymo/Glasoe in Divide

This is getting to be fairly commonplace, but it is still rare enough to deserve its own post.

CLR granted four permits today, putting four wells on one pad at 6-161N-92W in Divide County, in the Dolphin oil field.

The four wells:

18934, Raymo 2-30H, SESE 19-161N-95W
18935, Glasoe 3-19H, SESE 19-161N-95W
18936, Raymo 1-30H, SESE 19-161N-95W
18397, Glasoe 2-19H, SESE 19-161N-95W

These wells are about 20 miles north of Tioga.

More on this later.

109

109 active rigs today, reported by the NDIC.