Six New Permits for Hess in Little Knife Oil Field; Another 6-Well Pad -- The Bakken, North Dakota, USA

I've been wanting to write this note for a long, long time, but there hasn't been a good opportunity. Well, finally a great opportunity plus the time to blog.

Based on questions and comments elsewhere (no link on purpose) some folks have missed the memo that the "norm" going forward in the Bakken is a minimum of four wells/spacing unit and at least eight wells/spacing unit in the "better" Bakken. The NDIC hearing dockets provide the background.

Friday's daily activity report provided another example. This will be a six-well pad, with three wells running south (the "Dukart" wells) and three running north (the "Obrigewitch" wells):

• 22798, loc, Hess, LK-Obrigewitch 146-97-3427H-2
• 22799, loc, Hess, LK-Dukart 145-97-0310H-2
• 22800, loc, Hess, LK-Obrigewitch 146-97-3427H-3
• 22802, loc, Hess, LK-Dukart 145-97-0310H-3
• 22803, loc, Hess, LK-Obrigewitch 146-97-3427H-4
• 22804, loc, Hess, LK-Dukart 145-97-0310H-4

There are already two wells in these two spacing units

• 17980, 292, Hess, Dukart 3-1H, Little Knife, Bakken, s2/09; t6/09; cum 37K 2/12;
• 18227, 116, Hess, Obrigewitch 34-1H, Little Knife, Bakken, s9/09; t10/09; cum 86K 2/12; 

Notice:

• The "LK" in the names: "Little Knife" field

The question is which will be middle Bakken wells and which will be Three Forks wells.