Utica Could Transform Rust Belt Into Diamond Belt -- Rigzone

Link here.

If the federal government stays out and the EPA stays away.

Ohio was home to some of the nation's earliest oil and gas activity, with over 8.5 Tcf of gas and 1.14 billion barrels of oil produced since 1860. Until recently, oil and gas exploration and production has been primarily focused on sandstone and limestone formations such as the Clinton. However, technological breakthroughs that have unlocked shale potential in other states could make development of Ohio's Utica shale possible, reversing the recent trend of declining oil production in the state.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources' Division of Geological Survey estimates the recoverable reserve potential of the Utica/Point Pleasant shale play in Ohio at between 1.96 billion to 8.2 billion BOE. The Utica shale play extends across Pennyslvania, New York and other U.S. states as well as Canada.

Ohio's regulations now include some of the most advanced oil and gas laws following an update of the state's oil and gas permitting and drilling regulations last year, Mustine said.

"We've had hydraulic fracturing in Ohio for decades, and are very familiar with the process," Mustine said. [All the more reason for the EPA to come in and say they know better.]

The update, which was passed by the state's legislature as Senate Bill 165, updated some regulations covering hydraulic fracturing, including the requirement of disclosure of chemicals.

How Much Drilling Is There Yet To Be Done In The Bakken? Two More Decades

From today's operational update from BEXP:

Brigham has two incremental Rough Rider Three Forks wells scheduled to be completed in the near term, both of which are located in McKenzie County, North Dakota. With continued drilling success in the Three Forks in Rough Rider, Brigham estimates that it has the opportunity to add in excess of 500 net drilling locations to its de-risked drilling inventory, which represents an incremental seven years of inventory based on its 2011 drilling pace. When combined with its already significant de-risked drilling inventory, Brigham estimates that it could have 18 years of de-risked drilling locations at its 2011 drilling pace.

That's in agreement with "Basic Analysis of the Bakken," linked at the sidebar on the right: drilling through 2030; production through 2100.

Dickinson't New Waste Water Plant: $34,000,000 -- Population 20,000

Link here.

The new facility would cost more than $34.3 million, Karla Olson, Apex Engineering Group, said. Apex Engineering Group, Bismarck, is the consultant for the project.

The city has been making plans for a new facility for two years, Olson said. She added the current facility, which is more than 30 years old, has exceeded its capacity and needs to be replaced.

“We are at full capacity,” Olson said. “We are above the design flow. We are really pushing what it can do.”

Data Points for Solar Housing -- $500,000 for a 650-Square-Foot House

Solar competition in Washington, DC. Some data points:

Houses are 750 square feet (though some say only 650 square feet)
Cost: $450,000 to $500,000 for material; labor was free
Price will drop to $300,000 if mass-produced -- this alone is quite a selling point
Only works when sun is shining; useless on cloudy days
Each team given $100,000 by federal government to compete
No one attended the competition except the participants and some press (see photo at link)

But at $450,000 (without labor) for a 750 square foot house.... I can't make this stuff up.

This contest has been running for years. Here's a link back to 2007 -- it doesn't seem we've made much progress if after a decade of doing this we are still in awe of a 650-square foot house that cost $500,000 in material (if mass produced, available from the Sears catalogue for "only" $300,000). 

I wonder if that includes those little squiggly lights that cost $10 a piece vs the 69 cent standard GE bulb?

Henry David Thoreau's home on Walden Pond was about 150 square feet, and was also solar heated.

North Dakota's 6,000 Wells Vs California's 100,000 Wells

From the Williston Wire:

In July, the state produced a record 13,131,366 barrels of oil or about 423,592 per day (bopd) compared to California's 540,000 bopd. North Dakota utilized about 6,000 wells while California used more than 100,000. "It's all because of your great initiatives," he praised NDPC members.

That's accurate -- that part about "great initiatives." I guess I would have said "due to the great working relationship among the residents, the oil companies, and the various state agencies. I'm not so sure whether it is "great initiatives" or "lack of obstacles."

By the way, if North Dakota surpasses California's 540,000 bopd, Alaska is next. Latest numbers I have for Alaska -- 550,000 bopd. 

"Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie ... " -- Yes, It's a Bakken Story

Updates

November 10, 2013: I forget how this all played out, but I believe civil penalties were assessed for the death of two ducks that landed in a pool of water on a drilling bad in North Dakota. There was early talk that oil company employees and/or executives could be criminally charged. Now, today, the Los Angeles Times is reporting two California condors were found dead in water tanks owned by Kern County:

The deaths of two California condors found last month in water tanks used by Kern County firefighters have state wildlife officials working on a way to keep the large, endangered birds out of the tanks. 

It will be interesting to see what charges are brought against Kern County officials and the fire department. I'm not holding my breath.
 

Original Post

On the front page with a huge headline in today's local paper: "Oil Companies Plead Not Guilty in ND Bird Deaths." NOT GUILTY, they plead.

I won't read much of the article, maybe scan some of it.

The size of the headline, the length of the story, and the placement on the front page suggests the local paper and/or its readers consider this story as interesting or as important as anything else that has ever been covered in the newspaper, including murders in Williston (very rare, knock on wood), mulitple vehicle fatalities (almost as rare, knock on wood again), oil rig mishaps (rare), loss of limbs and lives in the Afghanistan and Iraqi war (not so rare), and so forth.

Before continuing, it should be noted that wind turbine operators and developers are immune from whooping crane deaths caused by wind turbines. I could be wrong on that. The law may not yet be written; it still may be under discussion by Fish and Wildlife folks. I honestly can't remember where that stands, but the Federal government is pushing for open season on whooping cranes by the wind energy industry. I assume if the decision has not yet been made, the sticking points are what to do with the carcasses. If not too badly damaged, they might look nice in a natural history museum.

So the deaths of these 26 birds, I think it was (again, I skimmed the article, so don't know the details, but I think I recall that it was 26 migratory birds -- I assume ducks of some sort) is the story.

But I digress. Whether you have deep thoughts about this story one way or the other (and I don't), or are completely indifferent about it, matters not (at least to me). The story here is not that oil companies are being charged with killing 26 migratory birds through an act of omission (or perhaps commission). The story is that this is the BIG story of the day, perhaps the year, here in western North Dakota.

That should give newbies an idea how utterly safe and wonderful the state of North Dakota is. Twenty-six migratory birds died during the state's worse winter/spring in decades -- I don't think they all died at once or in the same oil-well-waste pond, though they might have. I assume it occured over time and in different waste ponds. I'm impressed the oil industry does as well as it does protecting wildlife if this is the extent of documented wildlife loss since the boom began in 2007. Oh, yes, I'm sure there are additional cases, both documented and undocumented, but be that as it may.

I honestly don't think the story of the eleven HUMAN deaths on the Gulf rig that exploded in 2010 got the attention in the local papers that this story of 26 migratory birds is going to get.

I only saw one sentence in the article as I flipped the paper over to see what other "news" was being covered today: at least one line of defense by the oil companies will be that the evidence was gathered illegally.

I assume the case will be covered live on television. I am hoping for some great sound bites that will end up on the Jay Leno show to compete with such classics as "if it doesn't fit, you must acquit."

"Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie ... "

North Dakota and Potato Production -- Not a Bakken Story

This has to be wrong -- the lede in a KXNet.com article that says: "We [North Dakota farmers] lead the nation in potato production." Other sources say North Dakota is third or fourth in total production behind Idaho (by a huge margin), Washington state, and maybe even Wisconsin, with several other states close to us.

Be that as it may, with all the talk about the Bakken and wheat, and then sugar beets in eastern Montana, I had lost the bubble on North Dakota potato production. Nice reminder.

Fracking Backlog -- Bakken, North Dakota, USA

Of the 18 wells most recently reported in North Dakota, 8 were placed on DRL list; they had not been completed. For the umpteenth time, a Burlington Resources well has come off the confidential list to be reported as "Shut In."

See updates here.

Solyndra Redux -- If You Blow It With Solar, Try It With Wind

Link here.

President Barack Obama will raise money in early October with a Missouri businessman whose company benefited from a $107 million federal tax credit to develop a wind power facility in his state.

Tom Carnahan, a scion of Missouri’s most prominent Democratic political family, is listed on Obama’s campaign website as a host of a $25,000-per-person fundraiser to be held in St. Louis on October 4.

His energy development firm, Wind Capital Group, was helped by a sizable credit authorized in the stimulus, for an energy project in northwest Missouri.

Republicans argue that it’s inappropriate for the Obama campaign to raise money from a donor who has benefited directly from the Recovery Act.

Missouri Republican Party executive director Lloyd Smith compared the situation to the Solyndra affair, in which the Obama administration reportedly rushed federal support to a green-energy firm that subsequently collapsed. [And we all know how that turned out.]

Actually I thought that WAS what the Recovery Act was for: a slush fund to pay back donors (of both parties).

Job Watch: Comparing Minnesota and the Dakotas

I originally posted this story back on January 21, 2011.

For various reasons, I thought I would post it again.

JOB WATCH

January 21, 2011

President Obama will focus on jobs this year, he says, as the 2012 election approaches.

He might want to talk to Senator Al Franken (D) from Minnesota to find out what's happening out in the trenches.

For one thing, a very well-respected company and, should we say, an icon of Minnesota has recently expanded, building three new plants on the North Dakota side of the border.

Warroad-based Marvin Windows and Doors has opened North Dakota plants in Fargo, West Fargo and Grafton.

Marvin’s John Kirchner explained why the firm expanded to North Dakota in the last several years: “The regulatory and tax climate in North Dakota ... tend to be more friendly toward the business."

Also, Kirchner said, it takes too long to get state permits, delaying expansion plans.

While pledging that “we are not going to walk away from Minnesota” and saying Warroad will remain Marvin’s home and biggest factory, North Dakota is a good location for company manufacturing plants, he said. 

Wow, wow, and wow.

• Regulatory climate.
• Tax climate.
• Too long to get state permits.

Wow, wow, and wow.

If I didn't know better, that sounds like Washington and the federal government.

If President Obama wants to keep jobs in the US from moving overseas he should note that it is not just the corporate taxes everyone seems to talk about.  And it's not just just the regulatory climate. But it's also the phenomenal delay to get anything done, generally due to a) bureaucratic inefficiencies; and, b) legal delays on minor or technical issues.

How long can it take? Well, just to get the environmental impact statement completed can take five years. Not five months, not even a year. But five years.

How Exciting Is the Bakken? How About 75,000 Wells in the North Dakota/Montana Bakken?

I will complete this entry later, but for now you all may enjoy this CLR presentation dated August 8, 2011.

Every slide is great, but notice slide 7: 14,700 square miles of continuous oil accumulation. A square mile is a section, 640 acres. Denbury Onshore has requested permission to put 7 wells on 640-acre spacing units. QEP has permits for 10 wells on one pad (?) with 3,860-acre spacing. Doing the math, one could easily get to >75,000 wells in the North Dakota Bakken (straddling North Dakota/Montana: don't confuse this with the Alberta Bakken in central Montana). Most of those 75,000 wells would be in North Dakota. Some folks can do the math and come up with 88,000 wells.

It should be noted that Lynn Helms has suggested as many as 50,000 wells will be needed to drill out the Bakken. The infrastructure in North Dakota can manage about 2,000 wells/year.

Note slide 9, the pay zones or formations: Middle Bakken, Upper Three Forks (1st Bench), and now the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th benches of the Three Forks.

And if you aren't impressed yet, look at slide 10: Harold Hamm highlights the results of five Eco-Pads, where the average IP of each of the four wells on each pad reported the following: 940; 1,377; 1,088; 745; and, 1,948. The Carson Peak/Morris Eco-Pad that average 1,948 bbls (IP) is located in the Oakdale oil field, a very, very active field.

BEXP Announces Record TFS Well -- East Fork Oil Field -- Bakken, North Dakota, USA

Updates

Permits

2016
None as of February 21, 2016

Issued in 2015 (list is complete)
31592, conf, Statoil,
31591, conf, Statoil,
31590, conf, Statoil,
31589, conf, Statoil,
31588, conf, Statoil,
31587, SI/NC, Statoil,
31586, SI/NC, Statoil,
31585, SI/NC, Statoil,
31584, SI/NC, Statoil,
31026, loc, Whiting,
31025, drl-->conf, Whiting, P Berger 156-100-14-7-19-14H, API 33-105-04025, according to FracFocus fracked 10/25 - 29/2015; a huge well;
31024, loc, Whiting,
31023, drl-->conf, Whiting, P Berger 156-100-14-7-19-13H, API 33-105-04025, a huge well;
30767, SI/NC, Statoil,
30766, PNC, Statoil, Judy 22-15 8TFH,
30701, 1,761, Statoil, Irgens 27-34 8H, t10/15; cum 20K 12/15; only 13 days in 12/15;
30700, 1,754, Statoil, Irgens 27-34 7TFH, t10/15; cum 34K 12;15;
30432, SI/NC, Statoil,
30431, SI/NC, Statoil,
30430, SI/NC, Statoil,
30429, SI/NC, Statoil,
30428, SI/NC, Statoil,
30427, SI/NC, Statoil,
30378, SI/NC, Statoil, East Fork 32-29 7H,
30377, SI/NC, Statoil, East Fork 32-29 2TFH,
30375, SI/NC, Statoil, East Fork 32-29 1H,
30374, SI/NC, Statoil, East Fork 32-29 8TFH,

Issued in 2014 (the list is complete)
30142, 3,249, Statoil, East Fork 32-29 XE 1H, t6/15 cum 87K 12/15; off-line much of the time
29416, drl-->conf, Whiting/KOG, P Berger 156-100-14-7-6-3H, a huge well, producing,
29415, SI/NC, Whiting/KOG, P Berger 156-100-14-7-6-3H3,
29414, drl-->conf, Whiting/KOG, P Berger 156-100-14-7-6-4H3, a huge well, producing,
29413, SI/NC, Whiting/KOG, P Berger 156-100-14-7-6-4H, a huge well, now producing, as of 11/15;
29385, 387, Petro-Hunt, State 159-94-25B-36-1H, t4/15; cum 68K 12/15;
29321, 2,676, Statoil, East Fork 32-29 6TFH, t5/15; cum 39K 12/15;
29319, 2,197, Statoil, East Fork 32-29 5H, t5/15; cum 71K 12/15;
29228, 2,333, Whiting/KOG, P Jackman 156-100-2-18-6-1H, t6/15; cum 99K 10/15;
29227, 1,492, Whiting/KOG, P Jackman 156-100-2-18-6-2H3, t7/15; cum 55K 10/15;
29226, 1,817, Whiting/KOG, P Jackman 156-100-2-18-6-2H, t7/15; cum 61K 10/15;
29225, 1,063, Whiting/KOG, P Jackman 156-100-2-18-6-2H3A, t6/15; cum 42K 10/15;
29224, 1,890, Whiting/KOG, P Jackman 156-100-2-18-19-16H, t7/15; cum 69k 12/15;
29223, 1,425, Whiting/KOG, P Jackman 156-100-2-18-19-15H3, t7/15; cum 53K 12/15;
29222, 1,182, Whiting/KOG, P Jackman 156-100-2-18-19-15H, t7/15; cum 83K 12/15;
29221, 407, Whiting/KOG, P Jackman 156-100-2-1-19-15H3A, t7/15; cum 35K 12/15;
28896, 1,486, Zavanna, Blackjack 24-13 1H, t12/15; cum 4K after 10 days;
28895, 1,135, Zavanna, Blackjack 24-13 2TFH, t1/16; cum 3 bbls (no typo) after 2 days;
28894, 623, Zavanna, Blackjack 24-13 3H, t1/16; cum 177 bbls after 6 days
28509, 3,335, Statoil, Judy 22-15 6TFH, t5/15; cum 55K 12/15; off-line mid-2015;
28508, 3,335, Statoil, Judy 22-15 5H, t4/15; cum 102K 12/15; off-line mid-2015;
28506, 1,744, Statoil, Irgens 27-34 6TFH, t4/15; cum 13K 6/15;
28505, 2,803, Statoil, Irgens 27-34 5H, t5/15; cum 24K 6/15;
28438, 747, Zavanna, Arrowhead 10-3 1H, t12/15; cum 26K 12/15;
28437, 388, Zavanna, Arrowhead 10-3 2TFH, t12/15; cum 22K 12/15;
28436, 274, Zavanna, Arrowhead 10-3 3H, t11/15; cum36K 12/15;
28433, 0 (no typo), Zavanna, Tomahawk 10-3 4TFH, 40 stages, 7.5 million lbs, t10/15; cum 51K 12/15;
28432, SI/NC, Zavanna, Tomahawk 10-3 3H, still shown as SI/NC but is producing as a huge well;
28431, SI/NC, Zavanna, Tomahawk 10-3 2TFH, still shown as SI/NC but is producing as a mediocre well;

Issued in 2013 (list complete, I believe)
27049, 1,189, CLR, Putnam 1-25H, t3/14; cum 197K 6/15;
26961, 1,204, KOG, P Moen 155-99-14-11-2-3H3, t5/14; cum 31K 7/14;
26960, 1,527, KOG, P Moen 155-99-14-11-2-3H, t5/14; cum 37K 7/14;
26959, 1,259, KOG, P Moen 155-99-14-11-2-3H3A, t6/14; cum 20K 7/14;
26958, 1,746, KOG, P Moen 155-99-14-11-2-4H, t5/14; cum 30K 7/14;
26774, 419, Zavanna, Double Down 24-13 4TFH, t1/16; cum --
26773, 687, Zavanna, Double Down 24-13 3THF, t1/16; cum 11 bbls over 3 days;
26772, 2,058, Zavann, Double Down 24-13 2H, t1/16; cum --
26108, PNC, Slawson, Rum Runner 2-16-9H,
26107, 404, Slawson, Rum Runner 1-16-9H, t3/14; cum 36K 7/14;
26102, 1,476, Petro-Hunt, Syverson 156-99-30B-31-6H, t6/14; cum 39K 7/14;
26101, 1,528, Petro-Hunt, Syverson 156-99-30B-31-7H, t6/14; cum 147K 10/15;
26098, 1,612, Petro-Hunt, Syverson 156-99-30B-31-4H, t5/14; cum 57K 7/14;
26097, 1,187, Petro-Hunt, Syverson 156-99-30B-31-5H, t5/14; cum 40K 7/14;
25964, 349, Petro-Hunt, Syverson 156-99-30A-31-2H, t5/14; cum 24K 7/14;
25963, 987, Petro-Hunt, Syverson 156-99-30A-31-3H, t5/14; cum 51K 7/14;
25950, PNC, Petro-Hunt, Estby 159-94-35-1H PNC,
25255, 1,926, WhitingKOG, Cavalli State 156-100-9-4-11TFH, t7/13; cum 87K 7/14;
25244, 784, WhitingKOG, Nelson 156-100-17-20-12TFH, t10/13; cum 63K 7/14;
25243, 1,365, WhitingKOG, Nelson 156-100-17-20-3H, t10/13; cum 73K 7/14;
25242, 681, WhitingKOG, Nelson 156-100-17-20-11TFH, t10/13; cum 47K 7/14;
25241, 1,806, Whiting/KOG, Nelson 156-100-17-20-2H, t10/13; cum 133K 6/15
24978, conf, CLR/BEXP, Syverson 3-12H, East Fork,
24977, conf, CLR/BEXP, Syverson 2-12H, East Fork,
24773, 2,563, Statoil/BEXP, Judy 22-15 2H, East Fork, t10/15; cum 32K 10/15;
24759, 2,081, Statoil/BEXP, Melissa 31-30 7TFH, East Fork, t10/14; cum 64K 10/15; 24758, 3,002, Statoil/BEXP, Melissa 31-30 6H, East Fork, 10/14; cum 107K 10/15; 24757, 1,627, Statoil/BEXP, Melissa 31-30 5TFH, East Fork, t10/14; cum 45K 10/15; 24756, 1,928, Statoil/BEXP, Melissa 31-30 4H, East Fork, t10/14; cum 61K 10/15; 24755, 2,586, Statoil/BEXP, Melissa 31-30 3TFH, East Fork, t10/14; cum 51K 10/15; 24754, 3,004, Statoil/BEXP, Melissa 31-30 2H, East Fork, t10/14; cum 114K 10/15;


Issued in 2012
24180, 4,065, Statoil/BEXP, East Fork 32-29 3H, East Fork, t8/13; cum 260K 10/15;
24182, 1,485, Statoil/BEXP, East Fork 32-29 4TFH, t5/14; cum 3K 7/14;
22522, 522, Liberty Resources,Nelson 156-100-17-20-1H, East Fork, t8/12; cum 91K 1/13;
22719, 632, Petro-Hunt, Syverson 156-99-30A-1H, East Fork, t3/13; cum 162K 10/15;
22783, 2,256, KOG, P Alexander 155-99-16-11-2-1H3, East Fork, t8/12; cum 47K 11/12;
22866, 763, CLR, Carpenter 1-12H, East Fork, t8/12; cum 35K 11/12;
23007, PNC, Zavanna,
23033, 2,888, Statoil/BEXP, Jennifer 26-35 1H, East Fork, t11/12; cum 45K 1/13;
23034, 2,850, Statoil/BEXP, Allison 23-14 1H, East Fork, t11/12; cum 143K 7/14;
23035, conf, Statoil/BEXP, Jennifer 26-35 2TFH, East Fork,
23036, conf, Statoil/BEXP, Allison 23-14 2TFH, East Fork,
23043, PNC, Petro-Hunt,
23115, 773, Zavanna, Tomahawk 10-3 1H, East Fork, t9/12; cum 50K 11/12;
23125, 603, Zavanna, Double Down 24-13 1H, East Fork, t11/12; cum 60K 1/13;
23132, 948, KOG/Liberty Resources, Cavalli State 156-100-9-4-1H, East Fork, t9/12; cum 208K 7/14;
23180, 833, CLR, Buddy 1-27H, East Fork,  t1/13; cum 5K 1/13;
23181, 318, CLR, Domindgo 1-22H, East Fork, t1/13; cum --
23211, 577, CLR, Durant 1-12H, East Fork, t11/12; cum 43K 1/13;
23751, 2,930, Statoil/BEXP, Judy 22-15 4TFH, East Fork, t4/15; cum 46K 10/15;
23752, 1,914, Statoil/BEXP, Irgens 27-34 4TFH, East Fork, t5/15; cum 43K 10/15;
23753, 2,756, Statoil/BEXP, Judy 22-15 3H, East Fork, t5/15; cum 59K 10/15;
23754, 2,741, Statoil/BEXP, Irgens 27-34 3H, East Fork, t5/15; cum 64K 10/15;

Issued in 2011
20370, PNC, Zavanna, SS 20-17 1H, East Fork,
20639, 2,901, Statoil/BEXP, Judy 22-15 1H, t9/11; cum 247K 12/15;
20640, 2,597, Statoil/BEXP, Irgens 27-34 2h, t9/11; cum 103K 11/12;
20885, 359, CLR/Newfield, Christopherson 156-99-2-11-1H, East Fork, t6/12; cum 60K 11/12;
20928, 937, CLR, Stockton 1-28H, t10/11; cum 111K 11/12;
20943, PNC, Newfield,
20944, PNC, Newfield,
20946, 159, CLR/Newfield, Vandeberg 1-26H, East Fork, t9/12; cum 39K 11/12;
21045, 3,205, Statoil/BEXP, Ruth 28-33 1H, East Fork, t4/12; cum 92K 11/12;
21046, 2,264, Statoil/BEXP, Jack 21-16 1H, East Fork, t5/12; cum 66K 11/12;
21068, 491, CLR/Newfield, Irgens Rexall 156-99-1801H, East Fork, t5/12; cum 56K 11/12;
21078, 2,129, KOG/BTA, P Alexander 155-99-16-11-2-1H/20711 Alexander 112 1H, East Fork,  t8/12; cum 54K 11/12;
21081, 2,053, Whiting/KOG/BTA, P Peterson 155-99-2-15-22-15H3, t6/12; cum 69K 1/13;
21141, 1,108, Liberty Resources/Newfield, Anna 156-100-8-5-1H, East Fork, t8/12; cum 79K 1/13;
21197, 1,100, Liberty Resources/Newfield, Jackman 156-100-18-19-1H, t4/12; cum 98K 11/12;
21198, 1,091, Liberty Resources/Newfield, Berger 156-100-7-6-1H, t4/12; cum 110K 11/12;
21295, 979, CLR/Newfield, Peterson 156-99-29-32-1H, East Fork, t5/12; cum 72K 11/12;
21514, 1,058, CLR, Seaver 1-5H, East Fork, t6/12; cum 35K 11/12;
21520, 571, CLR, Carlton 1-7H, East Fork, t7/12; cum 37K 11/12;
21775, 561, CLR, Syverson 1-1H, East Fork, t5/12; cum 52K 11/12;
22005, 3,090, Statoil/BEXP, Melissa 31-30 1H, East Fork, t8/12; cum 242K 12/15;
20945, PNC, Newfield,

Issued in 2010
19731, 1,800, Statoil/BEXP, Irgens 27-34 1H, t9/11; cum 160K 12/15; off-line most of the past six months;

Original Post

What a great Friday in the Bakken oil patch. Link here.

I spent the entire day out and about in the Bakken yesterday: Stanley, Tioga, The Links of North Dakota (Red Mike) Golf course east of Williston and then out west of Williston where BEXP has some huge wells. And now this morning, I'm sent the following (see link above):

Brigham Exploration Company announced that the Irgens 27-34 #2H Three Forks well produced approximately 2,906 barrels of oil equivalent during its early 24-hour peak flow back period, which represents a company record early production rate for a Three Forks well. The Irgens 27-34 #2H is located in Brigham's Rough Rider project area in Williams County, North Dakota. To date, Brigham has completed 88 consecutive long lateral high frac stage wells in North Dakota with an average early 24-hour peak rate of approximately 2,797 barrels of oil equivalent.

• 20640, 2,906 boe, BEXP, Irgens 27-34 2H, East Fork field, Three Forks

The East Fork field is northeast of Williston; the well is about 8 miles northwest of Epping. As a reminder, the new bypass around Williston will begin at the Epping turnoff on US Highway 2 north of Williston. Also, one of the nation's largest truck stops will be sited on 720-acre industrial/commercial park at that US 2 -- Epping turnoff intersection.

There is a huge, beautiful, state-of-the-art man-camp situated at that location now. It is quite impressive.

East Fork oil field is exactly two townships: T156N-99W and T156N-100W, 72 sections. There is a string of activity running in a northwest to southeast line from the middle of 156-100 to the southeast corner of 156-99. I assume these are all old Madison wells (more on them later). They are all vertical wells and most are still active.

In addition, there is now a string of Bakken wells running west to east from the center of East Fork 156-100 to 156-99.

On another note, these vertical wells are still active in East Fork, located in a relatively narrow cluster:

• 11242, IA/181, Citation, Arthur Smith 22-28, East Fork, Madison, s11/87; t11/87; cum 163,706 4/15;
• 11937, 174, Prairie Production, Isakson 32-23, East Fork, Madison, s3/86;t3/86; cum 100,598 11/15;
• 11941, 153, Citation, Alexander 42-22, East Fork, Madison, s2/87; t3/87; cum 155,256 10/15;
• 11949, 408, Citation, Christopherson 14-30, East Fork, Madison, s4/86; t5/86; cum 368,650  10/15;
• 11993, SWD/327, Zavanna, Roulette 1 SWD/Nelson 33-23, East Fork, Madison, s6/86; t7/86; cum 173,148 6/13;
• 11996, 221, Bowers Oil, Nelson 44-25, East Fork, Madison, s10/86; t11/86; cum 132,851 11/15;
• 12038, PA/91, Zavanna, Isakson 12-24, East Fork, Madison, s10/86; t 11/86; cum 78K 10/11;
• 12060, 198, Bowers Oil, Nelson 11-25, East Fork, Madison, s11/86; t12/86; cum 113K 11/15;
• 12067, 309, Citation, Strang Trust 34-30, East Fork, Madison, s12/86; t1/87; cum 319K 10/15;
• 12096, 176, Bowers Oil, Nelson 32-25, East Fork, Madison, s2/87; t4/87; cum 113K 11/15;
• 12098, TA/384, Citation, Westphal 11-32, East Fork, Madison, s6/86;t7/87; cum 201K 10/11;
• 12115, 388, Citation, Westphal 31-32, East Fork, Madison, s6/89; t7/89; cum 283K 10/15;
• 12182, 184, Citation, Carpenter 22-33, East Fork, Madison, s11/87; t12/87; cum 238K 10/15;
• 12254, 68, Citation, Irgens 43-22, East Fork, Madison, s11/87; t12/87; cum 146K 10/15;
• 12313, PA/70, Denbury Onshore, Arthur Smith 42-29, East Fork, Madison, s12/87; t1/88; cum 195K 10/11

For newbies, Madison wells are vertical wells that can be drilled in less than 10 days; and are generally single stage fracks, using slick water.

So, how does 200K cumulative bbls of oil from a Madison compare with a Bakken? The spacing for a Madison is generally 40 to 80 acres, I believe, maybe 80 to 160 acres. 1,280 acre spacing (Bakken)/80 --> a factor of 16.

Spearfish Revival: Bottineau County Excites -- Bakken, North Dakota, USA -- September 23, 2011

What a great way to start out a Friday: link here.

For newbies, the Spearfish formation is NOT part of the Bakken formation; these are two of several "pay zones" in the Williston Basin.

The Bakken is the BIG one, but the Spearfish is garnering a lot of interest, and even the "legacy" formations are not to be counted out.

There is a revival going on with the Spearfish Formation in Bottineau County, said the state's top oil and gas regulator.
"The original company up there EOG has gone to Texas to play the Eagle Ford," said Lynn Helms, Bismarck, director of the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources.

About two years ago EOG Resources announced it had made another domestic crude discovery the Spearfish play in North Dakota.

Helms recently told members of the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce's Energy Committee there are new players for the Spearfish now Corinthian, Legacy and Surge, which are Canadian companies.

The Spearfish play is part of the Wasada South Field, an extension of Manitoba's Waskada Field, which is 12 miles north of the Manitoba-North Dakota border.

He said these particular wells will be drilled down about 4,000 feet and then go out about 2,600 feet.

The Spearfish Formation is at a shallower depth than the Bakken Formation and is just above the Madison Formation.

As far as the timeframe of how long it will take to drill and bring one of the wells into production, Helms said, "It's going to take them a month to drill the wells, another month to frack them and then outfit them with tubing and put them onto production so you're talking three months by the time anything happens. There's going to be a lot of investment in the ground before any production," he said.

Because it is sour crude (high sulfur content), Enbridge no longer mixes it with Bakken (sweet crude: low sulfure content). Spearfish formation oil is trucked to Canada.

Goodnight -- I'm Heading to Bed -- I'll Leave You With This