What is Chesapeake Up To South and Southeast of Dickinson -- The Bakken, North Dakota, USA

Update

"Anonymous" in the Dickinson area tells me that the reason for the CHK rigs staying so long on site is because there is a shortage of workover rigs. Normally, the work that "anon 1" is describing (see comments) would be done with a workover rig. Due to the shortage of such rigs, CHK is doing the same work with the "big" rigs. Again, my readers have proved me wrong in my irrational exuberance.


Original Post
I don't recall seeing this on the GIS map server before.

Look at the GIS map south/southeast of Dickinson and check out files 21143 and 21139.  Chesapeake has two rigs-on-site south and southeast of Dickinson. The rigs are still on site despite the fact that the long horizontals are completed. The rigs have been there since August 27th according to others. Thirty days is max for most rigs, and certainly once you get the horizontals completed, the rigs are moved. But here on the GIS map server, the horizontals are obviously complete, and the rigs are still there. Something is up.

My hunch: CHK is going to drill another horizontal from the same pad. Of course, folks will tell me not possible if permit process not completed. We will see.

Others have told me that CHK is getting ready to move the southernmost rig about ten miles to the east. It may be nothing more than targeting the Three Forks, but on site for almost two months? Something is going on.

Well files:
21139: TD'ed at 10,180, in the Duperow. The well file shows the horizontal lateral in the Three Forks formation.

21143: the horizontal is in the Three Forks.

So, why are the rigs still there?