Reminder: Overview of Net Acreage of Major Producers in the North Dakota Bakken

For newbies, this is a pretty good summary of net acreage of the major producers in the North Dakota Bakken.

Reminder: the sidebar has tons of real-time data.

Chesapeake Responds to "Crazy" Article in the New York Times -- Natural Gas

Update

June 27, 2011: EOG's CEO Mark Papa responds also. The article in question was outdated and used unnamed sources. Great opportunity to buy shares in natural gas companies during the pullback. CHK's CEO will be on James Cramer's "Fast Money" on Tuesday, June 28, 2011.

Original Post

Yesterday, Sunday, June 26, 2011, I linked a New York Times/MSNBC article that was so preposterous I thought it had been printed back in 2009. I guess I was wrong; it was actually published over the weekend. Maybe it was written in 2009 and accidentally released. I am absolutely blown away the Times could have been so wrong.

A big "thank you" to "anon 1" to alerting me to Chesapeake's response to this article. The following is just the beginning of their response:

Over the weekend The New York Times published this story on how the business of drilling natural gas out of shale is some sort of ponzi scheme, even Enron-like. The article suggested that there’s really not as much gas in these plays as the industry wants us to believe, that companies are making false claims about the productivity of wells, and that the costs of extracting the gas might be so high as to not be economic.

Most of this argument is absurd on its face. The United States is currently producing more natural gas than at any time in history, on track for 27 trillion cubic feet this year. This is thanks in large part to the breakthroughs in drilling shale formations. And development of these shales has only just begun. In fact, gas is so plentiful in the U.S. right now that companies like Cheniere Energy have gotten the green light to start exporting it.

The shale play that started it all, the Barnett of northern Texas, is today producing more than ever (5.6 billion cubic feet per day) despite there being half as many rigs working the land than there was two years ago (when production was 5.3 bcfd). As analyst Dan Pickering of Tudor, Pickering & Holt wrote in a note this morning, “If wells are declining faster than expected, the Barnett would not be at record production with reduced rig count.”

This reminds me of DKRW talking about a shortage of natural gas last year. They never responded to my queries, but today I see they have changed their mission statement regarding natural gas:

The most conservative estimates of North American natural gas supply shows a serious increase in production for the foreseeable future. With US supplies increasing and relative prices decreasing, DKRW believes Mexico will be a prime beneficiary of this cheap energy source.

To meet the need, DKRW along with our partners, is developing the Sonora Pacific Energy Hub in Puerto Libertad, Sonora, Mexico. Cooperation with the Sonora State government in the development of its energy infrastructure will ensure a long-term clean supply of energy that can displace less environmentally friendly forms of energy currently utilized in Sonora, and also fuel economic growth in the region.

This is what DKRW was saying on their website just one year ago:

The most conservative estimates of North American natural gas supply demonstrate a serious shortfall in production for the foreseeable future. With short supply driving prices higher, we are now seeing some of the highest natural gas prices in the world here in the Southwestern United States and Mexico. With so much of our energy infrastructure and industry tied directly to natural gas, it is necessary to identify and deliver more competitive supply options in order for the US and Mexican economies to grow. 

That was not true then. DKRW finally changed their website to match reality.

I can't make this stuff up.

BEXP: Gobbs of Oil -- West of Williston -- Bakken, North Dakota, USA

But this time the BEXP well is in Montana: in Roosevelt County, immediately west of Williston, North Dakota, the heart of the Bakken.

Link here.

Brigham announced the successful completion of the Gobbs 17-8 #1H Montana Bakken well at an early 24-hour peak rate of approximately 1,818 barrels of oil equivalent (1,544 barrels of oil and 1.64 MMcf of natural gas) after being fracture stimulated with 36 stages. The Gobbs 17-8 #1H, which is located approximately 16 miles west of the border between North Dakota and Montana in Roosevelt County, represents Brigham's second best early peak rate in Montana, relative to Brigham's Johnson 10-19 #1H which is located just under five miles from the border. Brigham anticipates that it will complete and bring on line to production four additional Montana Bakken wells over the next several months.

I don't follow the Bakken, but there are exceptions. It looks like I will have more and more exceptions.

US Continues to Increase Natural Gas Shipments to Mexico

Link here.

Exports of U.S. natural gas into Mexico are expected to average 1.3 Bcf/d, a 450 MMcf/d increase from 2010, and the tightening of Mexican supply/demand balances should lead to further U.S. export growth in 2012, Barclays Capital reported last week.

Exports to Mexico grew sharply in the beginning of the past decade before stabilizing in the 850 MMcf/d range from 5001-2010; however, first quarter 2011 exports averaged the highest in the past 10 years.

U.S. gas exports to Mexico represent a relatively small part of U.S. gas balance, or one percent in 2010, and have not attracted much attention, but the exported BTUs are starting to add up, and more important, several factors suggest this trend could continue in the next few years. Barclays expects U.S. flows to Mexico to increase by another 200 MMcf/d in 2012, to an average of 1.5 Bcf/d.

This is not a trivial issue. 

I keep thinking of the New York Times / MSNBC 2009 story -- and how the writers blew it with regard to natural gas.

Just 2 Cents Worth

I just finished reading the comments to the Williston Herald's op-ed piece on whether Williston will "make it" this time. Not so much whether the oil boom will last, but whether enough folks will stay in Williston to provide a base, to provide the workers for the service industries, to survive or last as a "real town."

One of the comments, and one that I've voiced, had to do with the harsh winters. Folks coming to Williston to work the oil patch are not likely to stay here once they've experienced a few winters.

But then I thought about the Williston State College and the new dormitory. I would imagine the vast majority of students enrolling at WSC are from Williston and the outlying areas. In the past, there was not as much opportunity for young adults to remain in Williston after graduating from high school.  Surveys showed these folks leaving Williston, and many of them leaving North Dakota.

Now there are more than enough jobs available, and for those who choose to do so, can attend college close to home. And these folks have experienced North Dakota winters -- about eighteen of them, and have survived; some have thrived.

Something tells me the college plus all the jobs currently available will keep a lot of those high school students from Williston, Crosby, Wolf Point, Alexander, Watford City, and all the rest from leaving western North Dakota / eastern Montana.

Thirty-some years ago the US Air Force had a devil of a time getting "volunteers" to Minot and Grand Forks air force bases. Surveys revealed that families would accept less-than-desirable assignments if given the opportunity to move less often. Young families cringe every time there is another move: mothers have to go through the process of re-enrolling their children in school, and students leave their friends.

The Air Force tried something novel: "volunteers" to norther tier bases (as they were called) were guaranteed 5-year tours. It was really something. The Air Force had more than enough volunteers for this trade-off, and I met many military folks who ended up settling in the Grand Forks area (my first Air Force assignment after training).

It's very possible the jobs and the college will be part of the answer in keeping folks in Williston.

Maybe I'm just too optimistic. I will be long gone after all this plays out, but it will be interesting to follow.

New Mexican Restaurant in Town -- Williston, North Dakota, USA

Link here.

Santa Fe Fresh opened its doors in Williston on June 14 to offer patrons fresh, made to order Mexican cuisine.

"We've been very pleased with the business so far and the amount of people that have come through," co-owner and Jamestown native Brook Maier said.

Located at 1542 16th Street West, just off of the bypass, Santa Fe Fresh offers burritos, gumbo, quesadillas, nachos, tacos, salads and soups.

Incredible. I just don't know where they find the personnel. But I'm thrilled they are there.

I hope they have free wi-fi. Smile.

Open Range Petroleum -- A New Operator in the Bakken? -- Bakken, North Dakota, USA

Website here.

Link here.

Acquires acreage in the Bakken, November 23, 2010.

Mission statement:

Open Range Petroleum is an oil company focused on oil production in the Bakken and Three Forks Formations of the Williston Basin. Our senior management team has over thirty years experience in every discipline applicable to an oil company’s development and operation. Our business model is based on the oil resources of the Williston Basin and a long term bullish view on the price of oil. We create value by acquiring mineral rights and utilizing industry leading techniques for drilling, completions and production. We currently hold a net acreage of 8,000 acres and operate our joint ventures holding 11,000 acres. Our 2011 objectives are to substantially increase our net acreage position in strategic areas, increase oil production and enhance our financial profile.

CEO:

Chris McArthur is currently serving as the Chairman of the Board of Directors, President and Chief Executive Officer of Open Range Petroleum. Formerly President & CFO of public, independent oil & gas companies, Mr. McArthur has 15 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. Mr. McArthur has be instrumental in developing oil production companies which have accomplished investor returns 10X initial investment in four years and 50X in six years through acquisitions, drilling and completions. Mr. McArthur is completely familiar with all aspects of oil production company operations and is experienced in friendly and unsolicited acquisitions. Seed Investor in Canadian independents that have returned 30X in four year period. Advised Australian Majors (Santos) in Coal Seam Gas activities. Chartered Accountant (Alberta) with Bachelor of Commerce, University of Calgary Current in US Oil & Gas Taxation - University of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Thirteen (13) New Permits -- Bakken, North Dakota, USA

Daily activity report, June 27, 2011 --

Operators: Whiting (3), Petro-Hunt (2), BTA (2), Open Range Inc (2), Slawson, EOG, KOG, and Zenergy

Fields: Twin Buttes, Portal, Kittleson Slough, Painted Woods, Big Stick, East Fork, and Eagle Nest

The three Whiting wells will all be in Big Stick but none on the same pad (with regard to today's permits).

Petro-Hunt's two new permits will be wells on the same pad in Eagle Nest.

Zenergy's permit is in Painted Woods, northwest of Williston.

Open Range, Inc., is new to me; both their permits are in the Portal oil field, Burke County. According to the NDIC website, these are the first and only two permits for Open Range. It must be a new company operating in the Bakken. I assume this is their website: OpenRangePetroleum.com.

Nothing else of interest in the report.

Raising The Federal Debt Limit -- Lest We Forget -- Nothing To Do With The Bakken (At Least Directly)

Update

Original Post

Lest we forget: in "another life," Barack Obama voted against raising the debt limit. He was right then; why has he changed his mind? One can argue this flip-flop is bigger than any of Senator Kerry's, and certainly more significant. Kerry was just one of 100 Senators; President Obama is, well, he is the president.

The House of Representatives voted recently to not support the President's "war" over Libya, but refused to vote to de-fund the "war." President Obama should take that lesson to heart: agree that he does not support raising the debt limit, but then ask the House to raise the debt limit after passing a resolution they do not favor doing so. Politics as usual. 

Forbes: Human Interest Story on Harold Hamm, the Bakken, and Staggering Numbers

Link here, from Forbes.com:

The last time we profiled Harold Hamm, the billionaire founder of Continental Resources, it was early 2009 and oil prices had slumped to $40 a barrel. This was bad news for Hammʼs big push into the Bakken oil play of North Dakota and Montana, where tight rocks and tricky drilling necessitate $50 crude to break even. With oil back at $100, Hamm is sitting pretty with the biggest holding in the Bakken and set to invest $1 billion there this year in his quest to prove that it is not just one of the biggest oil fields in the United States, but in the whole world. “Out of all the oil plays in the U.S., thereʼs just one Bakken,” Hamm says. “It towers above everything else.”

Continental has already prospered from Hammʼs Bakken bet—shares are up 250% since early 2009. Hammʼs 72% stake is worth $8 billion. Hamm currently has 25 of the 175 rigs working the Bakken. In the past year Continental’s Bakken output has exploded 70% to 28,000 barrels per day.

Heʼs just getting started. “We’re going to triple the size of the company within five years,” says Hamm, 65. Within five years Continental will likely be pumping 100,000 bpd from the basin, and to grow its proved reserves from 400 million barrels to more than 1 billion.

Harold Hamm's CLR has 855,936 net acres in the Bakken.  I assume the article is accurate: note that the writer says CLR has 25 rigs in the Bakken. Recent corporate presentations said 22 and I recently counted 24, so 25 is a new high.

I'm not sure about the "$50 crude to break even." Corporate presentations certainly don't suggest $50.

Update: Whiting's Kinnoin 11-14H Well

For full story, click here.

The Kinnoin 11-14H (#17081) had an IP of 3,311, and has produced 426,662 bbls of oil as of 4/11. It was spudded 8/08.  (At $50/bbl, 400K bbls = $21 million.) 400,000 bbls in less than three years and it continues to produce at 10,000 bbls/month (at $75/bbl, 3/4 of a million dollars every month).

Look at the monthly production numbers (rounded) for selected months (not all months shown), but pay particular attention to the March, 2011, figures. After a particularly brutal February, things appear back to "normal":

• 11/08: 36K
• 12/08: 28K
• 12/09: 10K
• 1/10: 11K
• 2/10: 11K (pump placed on well)
• 3/10: 11K
• 4/10: 13K
• 5/10: 13K
• 6/10: 12K
• 7/10: 12K
• 8/10:12K
• 9/10:11K
• 10/10:11K
• 11/10: 11K
• 12/10: 11K
• 1/11: 10K (exact number: 9,819; first month below 10K)
• 2/11: 3,306; only 18 days on line
• 3/11: 10,450 (back up to normal)
• 4/11: 10,515

Update: Whiting's Obrigewitch 21-17TFH -- 18,000 Bbls The First Month

 Updates

October 14, 2023: stripper well; now 50 bbls / month; t4/11; cum 287K 8/23;

December 18, 2016: production profile updated. There was some work done on the pad/storage tanks/pipe back in October, 2016, but nothing in file report to explain why well off-line in December, 2015 - February, 2016 (winter issues?).

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
BAKKEN	10-2016	31	1358	1350	297	1952	1890	0
BAKKEN	9-2016	29	1390	1369	382	1903	1847	0
BAKKEN	8-2016	31	1673	1681	442	2176	2116	0
BAKKEN	7-2016	31	2104	2130	542	2596	2534	0
BAKKEN	6-2016	30	2696	2680	1058	3681	3621	0
BAKKEN	5-2016	31	2807	2771	1240	3352	3290	0
BAKKEN	4-2016	29	1783	1833	732	2102	2046	0
BAKKEN	3-2016	31	1909	1878	1401	2092	2030	0
BAKKEN	2-2016	11	157	114	306	169	155	0
BAKKEN	1-2016	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

October 25, 2014:

This is the production profile for the first 14 months of this well:

BAKKEN	3-2012	31	7206	7251	889	7475	7349	64
BAKKEN	2-2012	23	4801	4932	360	6132	6072	15
BAKKEN	1-2012	31	7717	7749	525	10521	10402	57
BAKKEN	12-2011	24	5300	5775	0	46	0	0
BAKKEN	11-2011	26	11877	12304	619	13107	11887	1169
BAKKEN	10-2011	31	16140	16114	471	21518	21058	398
BAKKEN	9-2011	30	16212	15820	363	20285	19904	322
BAKKEN	8-2011	31	17426	17837	401	19257	6014	13181
BAKKEN	7-2011	31	18491	17950	489	19755	0	19693
BAKKEN	6-2011	30	19056	19382	447	21098	0	21038
BAKKEN	5-2011	27	17113	17600	314	17392	0	17347
BAKKEN	4-2011	30	18290	17885	9147	18136	0	18078
BAKKEN	3-2011	6	2812	1595	2488	2879	0	2867
BAKKEN	2-2011	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

 Look at the production drop in December, 2011, compared to the previous month, November, 2011. I have trouble believing this is simply due to "the Bakken decline rate."

Original Post

Back on April 9, 2011, I reported (link here):

April 28, 2011: Due to mechanical difficulties at the Obrigewitch 21-17TFH, Whiting believes that only one or two frac stages of the well’s total 16 frac stages are contributing to current production. Despite these difficulties, the Obrigewitch well was completed flowing 1,189 BOE per day. Whiting holds a 96% working interest and a 77% net revenue interest in the well

• 19623, 1,075, Whiting, Obrigewitch 21-17TFH, Bell, t4/11; cum 270K 10/16;

I just checked the NDIC website for an update. The Obrigewitch has still not reported an IP, but for the first time it has reported sales of oil its first full month of production. At almost 18,000 bbls the first month, it looks like a good well (at $75/bbl --> $1.35 million the first month; nice cash flow):

NDIC File No: 19623     API No: 33-089-00598-00-00
Well Type: ON CONFIDENTIAL STATUS
Location: NENW 17-140-99     Footages: 350 FNL 2100 FWL     Latitude: 46.947699     Longitude: -103.201784
Current Operator: WHITING OIL AND GAS CORPORATION
Current Well Name: OBRIGEWITCH 21-17TFH
    Field: BELL

Monthly Sales Data:

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2011	17885	0

Flashback: File 15412 -- Federal 32-4HBKCE

I've talked about this well more than once. It really fascinates me. I can only assume we will be seeing more and more of these examples. Here's a snapshot:

• 15412, two pay zones (the third pay zone, the Red River, dry, though it had an IP of 129):
• 15412, ---, Whiting, Federal 32-4HBKCE, tested ---; 53K (Birdbear)
• 15412, 192, Whiting, Federal 32-4HBKCE, tested 2/05; Dry (Red River)
• 15412, 1,835, Whiting Federal 32-4HBKCE, tested 11/09; 112K (Bakken)

This is a "cut and paste" from the NDIC website as of June 27, 2011:

NDIC File No: 15412     API No: 33-033-00239-00-00     County: GOLDEN VALLEY     CTB No: 115412
Well Type: OG     Well Status: A     Status Date: 11/23/2009     Wellbore type: HORIZONTAL
Location: SWNE 4-143-103     Footages: 1857 FNL 2230 FEL     Latitude: 47.234698     Longitude: -103.738985
Lateral 1 Start Coordinates 130 N 70 E From Wellhead, End Coordinates 2608 S 2192 W From Wellhead
Lateral 2 Start Coordinates 126 N 41 E From Wellhead, End Coordinates 7928 S 19 E From Wellhead
Side Track 1 Start Coordinates 436 S 396 W From Wellhead, End Coordinates 2657 S 1562 E From Wellhead
Current Operator: WHITING OIL AND GAS CORPORATION
Original Operator: EQUITY OIL COMPANY
Current Well Name: FEDERAL 32-4HBKCE
Original Well Name: FEDERAL 32-4
Elevation(s): 2472 KB   2445 GL     Total Depth: 18368     Field: BICENTENNIAL
Spud Date(s):  9/26/2004  9/1/2009
Formation Tops
   K-GH 4466    K-M 4920    K-N 5066    K-IK 5360    J-S 5853    J-R 6285
   T-S 6775    PM-MK 7286    PM-OP 7334    PM-EBA 7598    PN-T 7937    M-KL 8425
   M-MD 8570    M-MDR 9064    M-MDLS 9109    M-MDFA 9286    M-MDFY 9435    M-MDLP 9760
   MD-B 10534    D-TF 10537    D-BB 10690    D-DP 10765    D-SR 11085    D-DB 11255
   D-PE 11313    D-W 11415    S-I 11563    S-CL 11700    O-G 12260    O-ST 12336
   O-RR 12406
Casing String(s): 9.625" 2140'   7" 11017'  
Completion Data
   Pool: BAKKEN     Perfs: 9999-18368     Comp: 11/23/2009     Status: AL     Date: 4/27/2010     Spacing: 2SEC
   Pool: BIRDBEAR     Perfs: 11017-14892 OH     Comp: 1/31/2005     Status: TA     Date: 8/13/2009     Spacing: SEC
   Pool: RED RIVER     Comp: 1/31/2005     Status: DRY     Date: 1/31/2005
Cumulative Production Data
   Pool: BIRDBEAR     Cum Oil: 53386     Cum MCF Gas: 70508     Cum Water: 32374
   Pool: BAKKEN     Cum Oil: 120573     Cum MCF Gas: 54522     Cum Water: 34012
Production Test Data
   IP Test Date: 2/7/2005     Pool: RED RIVER     IP Oil: 192     IP MCF: 134     IP Water: 133
   IP Test Date: 11/25/2009     Pool: BAKKEN     IP Oil: 1835     IP MCF: 811     IP Water: 1540
   DST: 10700-10739    Recovery: DST #1 Birdbear - Pipe recovery: Ran 10 gal inhibitor. Reversed circulated: 7015' Total fluid = 86.48 bbls., consisting of: 262' Mud = 3.38 bbls., and 6753' Water = 83.10 bbls. Sampler recovery: Pressure in sampler = 140 psig. Volume of sampler = 2300cc. Volume of sample = 2100 cc including: Oil = 0 cc, Water = 2100 cc, Gas = 0.09 cu ft. Rw: .051 @ 70 deg f/180,000 ppm Cl.
   DST: 12442-12461    Recovery: DST #2 Red River "B" - Pipe recovery: Ran 2392' freshwater cushion w/15 gal inhibitor = 27.24 bbls. Reverse circulated: 2803' Total fluid = 32.54 bbls., consisting of: 691' Mud cut water = 5.30 bbls. (10' free salt on bottom). Sampler recovery: Pressure in Sampler = 120 psig. Volume of Sampler = 2300 cc. Volume of sample = 1750 cc consisting of ; Oil = 0 cc, Water = 1500 cc, Mud = 250 cc, Gas = 0.22 cu ft. Rw: .054 @ 60 deg f/200,000 ppm Cl. Final shut in pressure = 4930 psig.
   DST: 12491-12552    Recovery: DST # 3 Red River "C" - Pipe recovery: Ran 2393' water cushion w/15 gal inhibitor = 27.24 bbls. Reversed circulated: 3272' Total fluid = 38.58 bbls., consisting of: 775' Mud = 10.00 bbls. (pumped in on top of recovery) 130' Gas cut mud = 0.79 bbls. & 90' Gas & mud cut oil = 0.55 bbls. Sampler recovery: Pressure in Sampler = 430 psig. Volume of Sampler = 2300cc. Volume of Sample = 1750cc. consisting of 1750cc of mud cut oil, and 0.72 cu ft of Gas. Final shut-in pressure = 5435 psig.

Sioux City, Iowa, Flood Pictures From the MMF11 -- Not a Bakken Story

Click here for photos of flooding in and around Sioux City, Iowa, sent to me by a friend of a friend of a friend ...

The photos are large and may take a second or two to load; be patient. Once they start loading, it goes quite quickly.

My hunch is that the Missouri-Mississippi Flood of 2011 is a much bigger catastrophe than Hurricane Katrina/New Orleans, and the former (the MMF11) is getting much less national attention.

Several Nice Metrics For Tracking the Bakken Producers -- What Company Is Not On The List? -- SeekingAlpha.com

Link here.

This is the second post for the same link. The earlier link touched on the companies mentioned in that SeekingAlpha post.

This time I recommend going back and looking at some of the metrics -- and then note one company that is not on the list. I have noticed the same thing.

I will come back later and discuss that but will let you see if you can see what I am seeing and what the author of the SeekingAlpha.com article is seeing.

Investors: Opportunity to Buy the Bakken During the Pullback -- SeekingAlpha

Link here. Companies listed: MRO, BEXP, KOG, WLL, EOG

Marathon's purchase of Hilcorp shifted attention from the Bakken to the Eagle Ford. At $25000/acre, or approximately $21000/acre plus current production, companies are willing to pay more for Eagle Ford acreage. Marathon paid a premium for a large acreage adjacent to its current leasehold. This decreases costs, but the main reason is the Eagle Ford's multiple pay zones. Marathon will have more net locations when comparing its Eagle Ford and Bakken acreage.

Interestingly enough, last week Jim Cramer emphatically told a caller to get out of Marathon. He said MRO had had its run and was time to get out. My hunch is that Cramer will be back into MRO before the end of the year. Cramer is a bit schizoid: he is a momentum player during some parts of the show, and he is a long-term conservative investor in other parts of the show.

Highlights of the NDIC Hearing Dockets for July, 2011

The NDIC hearing dockets for July have been posted.

Some highlights:

• Increased Chesapeake activity in the southwest part of the state
• Increased activity in the Madison pool
• Increased activity in Red River "B"
• Increased number of wells on each Bakken spacing as a new norm
• Continued interest in multi-well pads
• A lot of inter-company squabbles; several cases to revoke already-issued permits
• 12 wells on 320-acre unit spacing in the Spearfish
• BEXP is huge around Williston

Specific cases, as examples:

• For those who think 7 wells on one 1280-acre spacing unit are a lot of wells, look at case #15228 -- Corinthian will drill as many as 12 wells on a 320-acre spacing unit (Spearfish formation wells); Corinthian has asked for approximately 15 320-acre spacing units.

• Chesapeake is getting much more active, asking for about 12 new 1280-acre spacing units. Eight of those new units will be in Stark County (case #15234).

• Continental Resources (CLR) has requested a few more multi-well pads, including a 2560-acre spacing unit with an unspecified number of wells from one pad (case#15059).  CLR requested an Eco-Pad for a 2560-acre spacing unit in Elm Tree-Bakken (case #14356).

• Zenergy has requested to extend Dublin-Madison pool with 8 320-acre spacing units; 1 well on each unit (case #15222).

• KOG to place 3 wells on one 640-acre spacing unit in the Bakken (case #15170).

• Helis requests an additional 12 1280-acre units; 3 wells each; a total of 36 wells in one application (case #15187).

• Oil for America which seems to have trouble completing a vertical well based on how long their wells remain on "DRL" status has requested temporary spacing for Zastoupil 22-1 in Stark County (case #14541).

• Silver Oak Energy, LLC, will place 3 wells on a 640-acre unit in Cedar Hills-Red River "B" in Slope County (case #15237).

• BEXP has requested 6 new 1280-acre spacing units in Squires-Bakken (outside Williston, North Dakota) and will place four wells on each unit (case #15274).

Ethanol Scam

Talking about scams (see this post from yesterday), here's a real scam: ethanol.  This op-ed is from the New York Times.

Link here.

Feeling the need for an example of government policy run amok? Look no further than the box of cornflakes on your kitchen shelf. In its myriad corn-related interventions, Washington has managed simultaneously to help drive up food prices and add tens of billions of dollars to the deficit, while arguably increasing energy use and harming the environment.

Even in a crowd of rising food and commodity costs, corn stands out, its price having doubled in less than a year to a record $7.87 per bushel in early June. Booming global demand has overtaken stagnant supply.

But rather than ameliorate the problem, the government has exacerbated it, reducing food supply to a hungry world. Thanks to Washington, 4 of every 10 ears of corn grown in America — the source of 40 percent of the world’s production — are shunted into ethanol, a gasoline substitute that imperceptibly nicks our energy problem. Larded onto that are $11 billion a year of government subsidies to the corn complex. 

Even Al "I Invented the Internet/I Invented Global Warming" Gore agrees that ethanol is the wrong thing to be doing. He admits to pushing the policy to garner votes in the Iowa primaries.

Rolling Stone Magazine agrees:

The great danger of confronting peak oil and global warming isn't that we will sit on our collective asses and do nothing while civilization collapses, but that we will plunge after "solutions" that will make our problems even worse. Like believing we can replace gasoline with ethanol, the much-hyped biofuel that we make from corn.

This is not just hype — it's dangerous, delusional bullshit. Ethanol doesn't burn cleaner than gasoline, nor is it cheaper. Our current ethanol production represents only 3.5 percent of our gasoline consumption — yet it consumes twenty percent of the entire U.S. corn crop, causing the price of corn to double in the last two years and raising the threat of hunger in the Third World. And the increasing acreage devoted to corn for ethanol means less land for other staple crops, giving farmers in South America an incentive to carve fields out of tropical forests that help to cool the planet and stave off global warming.

I found the Times and the Rolling Stone links at Carpe Diem.

MDU Acquires 20,000 Acres in the Bakken Oil Play -- Richland County, Montana

Link here. (Corporate website)

MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) today announced the acquisition of 20,000 additional acres of leaseholds in the Bakken oil play. The new leaseholds are in Richland County, Montana. The company now holds a total of approximately 90,000 net acres of leaseholds in the Bakken.

Richland County, Montana, is where the current Bakken play began back in 2000.

North Dakota Lease Auction Results

Links to the quarterly lease sales in North Dakota. This page is linked at the sidebar on the right under "data." The official North Dakota lease sales is at this site: Latest Lease Sale Results. In addition, there is a tag at the bottom of the blog, "LeaseSales" and "Quarterly Lease Sales."

August, 2019: one land company seems to buying the entire county of Bowman, just before the news breaks that a seismic crew has moved into Bowman for a couple of months;

• Dunn County, August, 2019

June 15, 2019: URL change?

May, 2019

February, 2017

November, 2016 -- there was an on-line auction, but I did not bother to summarize

August, 2016

May, 2016

February, 2016

November, 2015

May, 2015

February, 2015

November, 2014

August, 2014

May 11, 2014 

February, 2014

November, 2013

August, 2013

May, 2013

February, 2013

November, 2011

August, 2011

May, 2011