Spacing -- Liberty 24-2531 -- #20557 / #21225 -- Unusual Spacing Size/Shape -- The Bakken, North Dakota, USA

Updates

April 8, 2012: This is interesting but trivial. Just some housekeeping. The well in question: 20557, was mis-named by the original poster. It should have been Liberty 24-2531W, not Liberty 24-2531H. In fact, #20557, Liberty 24-2531W permit was canceled, never drilled. Its sister well was drilled just a bit to the east, #21225, Liberty 24-2531H. So the discussion below has been updated to correct the file number and the name of the well.

Original Post

Over at the best Bakken discussion group board on the web, "wormy" has asked a great question:

•  how will they work out the spacing for #20557, Liberty 24-2531W? [corrected]

We are going to start seeing a lot more spacing issues going forward. Older wells in the Bakken are generally spaced at 640-acre, 1280-acre, and more recently 2560-acre.

But now, we see that new wells are going in where Bakken wells already exist, and operators are asking for new spacing rules for some of these wells. A term you will be seeing more of in the ND hearing dockets: overlapping.

In the specific case above, it appears the NDIC is yet to determine the proper spacing for this well (at the NDIC site, the spacing is noted to be: ICO).

Link here here to FAQ #53: With regard to spacing, what does ICO mean? ICO = Industrial Commision Order. The driller requests an unusual size or shape for a spacing unit. Requires an NDIC hearing for approval.

The well was spud in section 25.  It cuts diagonally across that entire 640-acre section, and then cuts through the northeast quadrant of section 36 in the same township before ending in section 31 of the neighboring township, in the southwest quadrant of that section.  All three sections that the horizontal traverses are currently spaced at 640 acres.

Common sense suggests 1920-acre spacing, in an "L" configuration, which means mineral owners as far away as the southwest corner of section 36-151-91 will participate. One could argue that a 2x2 2560-acre spacing unit would also be appropriate based on other 2x2 2560-acre spacing units.