Nine (9) New Permits -- North Dakota, USA

Producers: Oasis, Sequel, Zenergy, Anschutz (2), Whiting (2), Crescent Point, BEXP.

Fields: Flat Top Butte, Banks, Manning, Murphy Creek, Sanish, Todd, and two wildcats.

The Oasis wildcat is about five miles (almost) directly south of Williston, and according to the GIS map server, on the west side of the river (or south side from Williston). I am not sure how accurate the GIS map server is with regards to the changing shoreline of the Missouri River and the Lake. It looks like it will be a long lateral.

The other wildcat is "out in the middle of nowhere" -- about nine miles northwest of Wildrose, which is well north of Williston. This is a Crescent Point permit.

Another permit caught my eye, 20282, BEXP, Williston Airport 2-11 1-H, Todd oil field; section 2-T154N-R101W. This is actually inside Williston city limits. It seems I read recently that FAA had to sign off on this to make sure the drilling rig would not interfere with radar or aircraft. This, too, will be the talk of the town. Can you imagine all the folks in Williston who might have "old" mineral rights under their homes? It is my understanding the city recently asked all such folks to "donate" their mineral rights to the city. Yeah, right. It's hard to believe that with all the drilling that needs to be done, BEXP would decide to drill inside Williston city limits.

I had not heard of Flat Top Butte oil field before. It is located about 35 miles north of Medora, putting it i the southwest sector of North Dakota. There is some old activity there, including some short laterals drilled in the last boom. Sequel has the new permit in Flat Top.