For Newbies: Why I Remain Inappropriately Exuberbant About The Bakken -- North Dakota, USA

This is a cut and paste of an earlier post, but I have updated it to show the cumulative totals these wells have produced.

This is why I remain excited about the Bakken.

Take a look at sections 25 and 36 in T154N-R91W in the Sanish oil field. (These two sections adjoin each other, north/south.)

This township is "owned" by Murrex and Whiting.

In section 36, one short lateral, #16839, spudded back in late 2007.

In section 25, there are two wells. #18408 is an extended short lateral (a slightly longer short lateral but not a full long lateral), extending into section 36; and, #17263, a long lateral, sections 25 and 36.

16839, 864, Jacob Daniel 25-36H-RE, was originally spudded in October, 2007. It continued to produce approximately 9,000 bbls/month when the decision was made to re-enter the well in 2009. As of June 30, 2011, this short lateral has produced 350K bbls of oil (at $50/bbl = $17.5 million at the wellhead).

17263, 3,124, Chandler James 25-36H, was spudded July 4, 2008. Production was volatile the last six months of 2010, but is now producing upwards of 15K/month. As of June 30, 2011, this long lateral has produced a total of 742K bbls (at $50/bbl = $37 million). I believe the Chandler James was a 10-stage frac.

18408, 1,945, Amber Renee 25-36H, was spudded December 21, 2009. It still is producing 30- to 35,000 bbls/months. As of June 30, 2011, Amber Renee had produced 476K bbls of oil (at $50/bbl = $24 million). I believe the Amber Renee was a 14-stage frac.

All three wells are Murex wells. These wells are less than four years old. Bakken wells are expected to produce 25 - 35 years.

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Update on several other monster wells. In black bold is the total amount of oil produced as of June 30, 2011.

• 17092, Behr 11-34H, Whiting, 3,027, Sanish, 705K bbls.
• 17222, Austin 18-21H, EOG, 1,769, Parshall, 688K bbls.
• 17227, Austin 21-28H, EOG, 3, 292, Parshall, 733K bbls. 
• 16954, Austin 6-15H, EOG, 3,633, Parshall, 603K bbls.
• 17263, Chandler James 25-36H, Murex, 3,124, Sanish, 742K bbls.
• 16059, USA 2D-3-1H, Petro-Hunt, see Charlson Field update for this, maybe the most successful well to date in the current boom, 1,160K bbls (over the one million mark). Be sure to read the comment at this post.

Permits in the 17XXX series were spudded in 2008. One has to assume the wells are only getting better, all things being equal.