Fracturing Question

The effects of fracturing probably extend out at least 500 feet, maybe farther. The fracturing would extend in all directions, all 360 degrees.

If the Middle Bakken and the Three Forks formation are vertically separated by less than 100 feet in many (most cases) one would assume that fracturing in the Bakken formation would affect the Three Forks formation.

There is evidence that the Bakken and the Three Forks formations do not communicate, but one wonders how fracking would affect that "non-communication."

CLR tested the hypothesis whether the formations communicate and what happens to the second formation when the first formation is fracked.

This is the "cut and paste" from the CLR Mathistad study:

Purpose

The purpose of the testing was to determine the degree of communication between the
middle member of the Bakken (MB) and the Three Forks Sanish (TFS) across the lower
Bakken Shale. Understanding the degree of communication is key in determining the
number of wells and where they should be drilled to optimize recovery from each zone.
This work tested whether wells should be drilled directly over or beneath an existing
producer in the Bakken or TFS zones or whether one well would be able to adequately
drain both zones.

Results

The results showed that the #2 fraced into the #1 wellbore in all frac stages but, even
with the well-to-well communication, the #2 is estimated to recover an additional 400
MBO over the base case of only drilling and producing the #1. Pressures measured in the
#1 showed communication from at least 13 of the 14 stages and fluid tracers recovered in
the #1 production showed frac fluid from all 14 of the #2 frac stages.