Seven (7) New Permits -- The Williston Basin, North Dakota, USA

Daily activity report, June 1, 2012

• Operators: Hess (4), Denbury (2), Petro-Hunt
• Fields: Little Knife (Dunn), Robinson Lake (Mountrail), Siverston (McKenzie), East Fork (Williams)

KOG has canceled this permit:

• 20573, PNC, KOG, Tracey 5-29H, Divide County

Samson Resources has changed the name of a permit, suggesting a change in target formation:

• 22483, loc, Samson Resources, Coronet 2413-4TFH (was coronet 24-13-163-99H), Divide

Seven well files released from confidential status:

• 20749, 101, OXY USA, Marlene Steffan 1-5-8H-141-97; St Anthony; t12/11; cum 11K 4/12;
• 20943, No data,  Newfield, Jarrett 156-99-35-26-2H, East Fork,
• 20945, No data, Newfield, Sami 156-99-35-26-1H, East Fork,
• 21269, 372, WPX Skunk Creek 23-14HC, Mandaree,
• 21673, DRL, SM Energy, Bogner 13-20H, Wildcat,
• 21763, DRL, Fram Operating, Zeltinger 1, a Madison well, South Greene,
• 21784, DRL, Enerplus, Lion 149-93-31A-30-2H TF, Mandaree, 

Comment: when there is no data, and no statement that the permit has expired, I assume the wells have gone to DRL status. I assumed that on 20943/20945 and I was wrong. According to NDIC, they are both still on "LOC" status. There is a letter dated April 25 in the well file alerting Newfield that the permits would expire May 25. The GIS map now shows the permits as expired, but the NDIC production site shows the status of these two wells still as "LOC." Until I hear something else, I will assume the company got the re-filing paperwork in at the last minute; the permits have been renewed, and the GIS map will reflect that on a future update. (Interestingly, I just confirmed: the three other wells that had no data are now on "DRL" status.)

Comment: just the other day, officials said that operators were catching up with fracking, but I don't see that, unless wells are staying on DRL status for a shorter length of time. But, again, today, six Bakken wells came off the confidential list and only two (33 percent) reported an IP, suggesting they were completed/fracked.

Three of the Hess permits are for a 3-well pad in Robinson Lake. To see how aggressive Hess plans to drill Robinson Lake check out the NDIC hearing dockets for June, 2012, that were just published. Hess plans to drill 9 wells on each of several 1280-acre spacing units.

Finally, the South Greene oil field where Fram Operating is reporting the Zeltinger Madison well is an interesting field. It is about as small as a field can get: 1.5 sections (960 acres). It is located in the middle of Renville County, up north, near the Canadian border. In this small section, Fram has three other wells/permits:

• 17739, 105, Fram Operating, Funke 1, t8/11; cum 15K 4/12;
• 21720, DRL, Fram Operating, Laura Funke 4; no production reported yet;
• 21762, DRL, Fram Operating, Donovan Funke 3, Madison, s11/11; cum 145 bbls;