It's Not Just The Bakken in the Williston Basin -- Operator Transfer: From Citation O&G to Oxy Little Knife LLC -- The Madison, North Dakota, USA

A few months ago I started blogging about the Madison, and actually listed the Madison as the most exciting story for 2011. 

I have specifically noted that the Little Knife oil field has some very interesting Madison wells.

It looks like my timing could not have been better:

In today's (January 6, 2012) daily activity report, the following operator transfer from Citation Oil & Gas to Oxy Little Knife, LLC, was reported (original operator for all these wells, Amoco Production):

• 9000, 135, Kudrna B 1, Little Knife, Dunn, Madison; s9/181; t10/81; cum 360K, 11/11
• 9195, 235, Kukla A 1, Little Knife, Dunn, Madison; s1/82; t4/82; cum 490K, 11/11
• 9748, 1,300, F. Skachenko A 1,  Little Knife, Dunn, Madison; s9/81; t11/82; cum 867K, 11/11
• 9749, 437, LOH "A" 1, Little Knife, Dunn, Madison; s9/82; t11/82; cum 250K, 11/11
• 10450, DRY, Velenchenko 29-6 SWD, Dunn; s3/84; Madison, Dry

From an August 12, 2011, entry on a Citation well near the Little Knife:

It was also noted that some years ago a vertical well drilled in the Meadowlark/Skachenko Eco-Pad area was quite remarkable:

• 8499, 1,652, Citation Oil and Gas, Skachenko A 1, Jim Creek, Bakken, tested, 1981; 1.5 million barrels as of June, 2011, and still producing from the Duperow, the original target; the Red River was dry; this well sits between the two horizontals running north from the Meadlowlark/Skachenko Eco-Pad.

As exciting as this is now, can you imagine reporting the Citation Skachenko well back in 1981 with an IP of 1,652? I can't even imagine what the local folks must have thought when that well was reported. Even today, 1,652 catches your attention, but back in 1981, it would have been awe-inspiring. 

To the best of my knowledge, Oxy Little Knife LLC is a new company and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to "guess" whether this is a wholly owned subsidiary by another oil and gas E&P company; but I could be wrong; just a hunch.

There is a relationship between Amoco and OXY USA, of course.

The two themes that I will be highlighting in 2012:

• the Madison
• the bull's eye in the Bakken where the action is headed

A third theme, but I think we won't see it until 2014: the Tyler; the ND DMR foreshadowed the Tyler in its November 1, 2011 presentation on the same