Confidential List: Some Folks Still Have Questions -- Bakken, North Dakota, USA

I see on other boards some folks still have questions have about the confidential list on the NDIC board.

Someone noted that not all wells have dates associated with them for coming off the confidential list. These wells may be "tight holes" at this point, have not yet spudded, and the clock has not started ticking yet. If they are on the confidential list, and don't yet have a date of release, I assume they are "tight holes" and have not yet spudded. 

For other posts regarding the confidential list, note that "ConfidentialList" is a label at the bottom of the blog.

An update, from the FAQ section of this blog:

14. What information is available for a well on the confidential list, what is the definition of a completed well, and how long can a well remain on the confidential list?

The following was taken from the Bakken Shale Discussion Group thread. From the NDIC: "All information furnished to the director on new permits, except the operator name, well name, location, spacing or drilling unit description, spud date, rig contractor, and any production runs, shall be kept confidential for not more than six months if requested by the operator in writing. The six-month period shall commence on the date the well is completed or the date the written request is received, whichever is earlier. If the written request accompanies the application for permit to drill or is filed after permitting but prior to spudding, the six-month period shall commence on the date the well is spudded."

The obvious question is "when is a well considered to be completed?" For wells that will be fracked, the well is considered "completed," when the well has been fracked. This has been the opined explanation for many EOG wells coming off the confidential list in January and February, 2010. EOG typically doesn't put a well on the confidential list until it has been completed.

If a well has not been fracked at the time the well comes off the six-month confidential period, the status remains listed as "DRL." It will remain on "DRL" status until 30 days after it is fracked. Once the well is fracked, the producer has 30 days to test the well and file the report with NDIC.