Mining and Longer Laterals in the Bakken, North Dakota, USA

Elsewhere they are talking about EOG infill wells in the Parshall oil field and the Van Hook oil field.

This may become a nice thread for newbies to get a feeling for what's happening in the Bakken.

The new buzz word in the Bakken is "mining." Just weeks earlier, the buzz word was "manufacturing." I don't know who first associated these concepts with the Bakken, but it might have been Harold Hamm.

Regardless, the point is that in several areas of the Bakken, it's no longer about "exploration." Rather, the Bakken is looking more and more like a "mining" operation. I've referred to it as "groundhog day." The trucks start fueling about 6:00 a.m. and the long line of trucks start heading out for the fields about 6:30. If you are on the road later than 6:30, be prepared for long waits at intersections requiring a left-hand turn.

The roads remain busy throughout the day, but activity seems to be a bit quieter near the city. And then starting about 6:00 p.m. the traffic starts increasing again, as trucks head back to the industrial parks.

Another observation at the link above, is the amount of acreage under water. This is not a big deal. I looked at this last year, and it appears all acreage can be reached from dry land, with the longest horizontal having to go maybe 2.5 miles. There could be exceptions. As noted, I do recall having posted a story about some extended long laterals. Here are a couple of those links:

EOG hits total depth with longest horizontal in the Bakken

Based on data at NDIC, EOG should have reached TD for the longest horizontal to date in the Bakken by now: #20037, Liberty LR 17-11H, 25,000 feet with extended long lateral under the river. 25,000 / 5,280 =  4.74 miles.  Vertical is about 10,000 feet, so the horizontal is about 15,000 feet, just under 3 miles. [Update: 790, s1/11; t6/11; cum 92K 11/11; 16K/month]

GMXR plans a 21,151 total depth well in the Bakken

The Company has completed the drilling of its first Three Forks horizontal well. The Wock 21-1-1H in Stark County, North Dakota reached total depth of 21,151’ with a horizontal lateral length of 10,281’, which included drilling a vertical pilot hole and performing additional testing. Oil shows were predominant in the vertical and horizontal lateral while drilling in the Three Forks formation.

The Halliburton Rapid Frac™ sliding sleeve system has been installed with stimulation expected the week of September 26th. The Wock 21-1-1H well is scheduled for a 41-stage completion with oil production expected by October 1, 2011.

Unless there's a typo in the press release, or on the NDIC GIS map server, I am missing something (which wouldn't be the first time). The press released called it the Wock 21-1-1H, and the GIS map server shows only one well with a name that close: the Wock 21-1-1H, file #21002. I know wells are re-named, and I may have missed that. Interestingly enough, the GIS map server does not show the horizontal for this well yet.