Fertile Valley Oil Field Update -- Bakken, North Dakota, USA

Fertile Valley oil field is a small field, only one township in size, T160N-R102W, in the southwestern corner of Divide county, abutting the Montana state line on the west, and the Williams County line on the south. The field is at the upper northwest edge of the productive Bakken in North Dakota, and it appears the wells are at the lower end of the EUR estimates compared to the rest of the Bakken. But with better technology in completing wells (and EOR) and price of oil going up, this may matter less than it would have in the "old" days.

Until lately (July 25, 2011), it had been relatively inactive. One well was drilled a couple of years ago by Newfield. Now there are four more wells in the field, all confidential.

It appears the field is pretty much controlled by Newfield at this point; all five wells are Newfield wells. The first well was not all that great, but the good news is that Newfield has a good record of completing wells, and if they went in with four more wells, including two on one pad, it suggests they are confident the field will pay off.

Updated:

• 17946, 86, Newfield, Trigger 1-31H, Fertile Valley, Bakken; t9/09; cum 41K 4/17;
• 20356, PNC, Newfield, Erickson 160-102-18-19-1H, Fertile Valley, Bakken,
• 20247, PNC, Newfield, Christensen 160-102-17-20-1H, Fertile Valley, Bakken
• 20798, 151, Newfield, Solheim 160-102-28-33-1HA, Fertile Valley, Bakken; t9/11; cum 5K bbls 6/12; problems? see below; cum 114K 4/17;
• 20263, 345, Newfield, Pass 160-102-21-16-1H, Fertile Valley, Bakken; t9/11; cum 97K 4/17;

20798 and 20263 are on the same pad.

[These are not good wells. Perhaps this is why Newfield, in 2011, complained about the cost of drilling in the Bakken.]

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Update on #20798

Apparently a work-over rig in early 2012, resulted in a much better well:

BAKKEN	8-2012	31	3213	3169	4593	1291	0	1291
BAKKEN	7-2012	31	3893	4044	5852	1627	0	1627
BAKKEN	6-2012	29	3770	3403	8680	1611	0	1611
BAKKEN	5-2012	2	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	4-2012	10	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	3-2012	7	25	163	72	0	0	0
BAKKEN	2-2012	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	1-2012	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	12-2011	1	2	224	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	11-2011	2	331	0	397	0	0	0
BAKKEN	10-2011	1	2	195	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	9-2011	15	816	441	0	1878	0	1878