Fracking Backlog: Six Wells Released From Confidential List; Only One Completed -- Bakken, North Dakota, USA

The six wells are reported elsewhere; only one was not put on DRL status, and that was a great well:

• 20155, 2,185, Newfield, Barracuda 150-100-2-11-1H, Sandrocks, Bakken

I have repeatedly said that up to 50 percent of wells coming off the confidential list are not completed and go into DRL status. When only one of six actually reports, that certainly proves the point.

I will also suggest that fracking will be a problem for quite some time: fracking needs manpower, and there simply is not enough places for workers to live in the North Dakota oil patch. In addition, if the Bakken does not get the housing situation sorted out, the drillers in Utica, Niobrara, Marcellus, and Eagle Ford are going to "steal" those frack teams. Come winter, some of those workers will elect to stay in Texas when activity picks up there.