Random Look at a Haystack Butte Well in the Bakken, Williston Basin, North Dakota, USA

The Bakken never ceases to amaze. BR reported a nice well in Haystack Butte today, so I was a bit curious about the field.

Look at the production history for a Haystack Butte well that is a couple of years old:

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
BAKKEN	4-2012	2	10020	9705	963	19470	19470	0
BAKKEN	3-2012	31	9993	9745	1452	16431	16431	0
BAKKEN	2-2012	14	8871	9013	1879	13863	13854	0
BAKKEN	1-2012	30	8077	8371	1651	11987	11977	0
BAKKEN	12-2011	7	0	0	0	18015	17997	0
BAKKEN	11-2011	30	10114	10260	2070	15793	14238	1481
BAKKEN	10-2011	31	13223	13186	3299	21404	20283	1121
BAKKEN	9-2011	18	7617	8153	1647	11909	11671	238
BAKKEN	8-2011	17	5553	5578	1047	10318	7859	2459
BAKKEN	7-2011	27	7999	7690	1926	12922	12106	816
BAKKEN	6-2011	25	13226	13136	2601	22674	20757	1918
BAKKEN	5-2011	14	10887	10305	1926	16022	14374	1647
BAKKEN	4-2011	10	8475	8556	1546	10914	10233	680
BAKKEN	3-2011	13	4871	4961	704	4429	1025	3404
BAKKEN	2-2011	28	13910	14180	2549	19675	17040	2565
BAKKEN	1-2011	31	17569	17292	4411	23746	16500	7168
BAKKEN	12-2010	31	19563	19723	4617	27563	21739	5747
BAKKEN	11-2010	27	17370	17504	3908	16374	616	15691
BAKKEN	10-2010	27	13752	13657	2203	3863	0	3863
BAKKEN	9-2010	24	11194	11171	2397	8150	0	8150
BAKKEN	8-2010	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	7-2010	17	3794	3285	7599	1691	0	1691

The was originally a Burlington Resources well but it was transferred to Continental Resources in November, 2011. The Bakken is known for its horrendous decline rate, but look at the production history for this well. I don't see much of a decline; I see a lot of variability. What's with 10,000 bbls of oil produced in two days in April, 2012? And almost 9,000 bbls in just 14 days in February, 2012?

Note that the well is hooked up to a natural gas pipeline and is no longer flaring.

This is:

• 18615, 480, CLR/BR, Jorgenson Federal 44-9H, Haystack Butte, t7/10; cum 216K 4/12;