Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Gusher Has Attention Of NDIC

5,000 bopd.

That's about all the information authorities can share. CRC sent the link; The Bismarck Tribune is reporting:
A gusher of an oil well in McKenzie County has the attention of regulators in North Dakota.
A well producing 5,000 barrels of oil per day northwest of Watford City was highlighted by Department of Mineral Resources director Lynn Helms during his monthly web cast last week.
The well is on confidential status so public information is restricted. The county also has 58 rigs drilling there now, so new producing wells are almost an everyday occurrence.
However, Helms did say the well's dramatic number may be related to the quality of proppant material used during the multiple hydraulic fracture stages.
And that's all the "specific" information we get.

"Northwest of Watford City" covers a lot of area, but there are very few wells on confidential status northwest of Watford City right now. Three fields are possible: Tobacco Garden, North Tobacco Garden, and Siverston.

In Tobacco Garden:
  • 24526, 1,729, Newfield, Loomer State 150-99-5-8-2H, Tobacco Garden, t6/13; cum 249K 10/17;
  • 24527, PNC, Newfield, Loomer State 150-99-5-8-10H, Tobacco Garden,
  • 24528, 1,558, Newfield, Loomer State 150-99-5-8-3H, Tobacco Garden, t6/13; cum 255K 10/17;
In North Tobacco Garden:
  • 23536, 2,315, Slawson, Gabriel 2-36-25H, North Tobacco Garden, t12/12; cum 221K 10/17;
  • 23556, PNC, Slawson, Gabriel 1-36-25H, North Tobacco Garden,
  • 24518, PNC, Slawson, Gabriel 6-36-25TFH, North Tobacco Garden,
  • 24519, PNC, Slawson, Gabriel 5-36-35TFH, North Tobacco Garden,
  • 24520, PNC, Slawson, Gabriel 4-26-25H, North Tobacco Garden,
In Siverston:
  • 24996, 1,541, Newfield, Lawlar 150-98-18-19-2H, Siverston, t7/13; cum 216K 10/17;
  • 24997, 1,820, Newfield, Lawlar 150-98-18-19-10H, Siverston, t7/13; cum 204K 10/17;
  • 24998, PNC, Newfield, Lawlar 150-98-18-19-3H, Siverston,
  • 23256, 642, Oasia/SM Energy, Arnold 16X-12H/Holm 16X-12HA, Siverston, t4/14; cum 124K 10/17;
  • 23257, 776, Oasis/SM Energy, Dorothy 16-12H/Holm 16X-12HB, Siverston, t4/14; bcum 206K 10/17;
  • 23121, 758, Oasis/SM Energy, Holm 14X-12HA, Siverston, t2/13; cum 154K 10/17;
  • 23122, 791, SM Energy, Holm 13-12HA, Siverston, t2/13; cum 237K 10/17;
Of the ones on "conf" status, only #23536 has a release date (March 30, 2013).

Based on the limited description in the article with regard to location, the SM Energy Holm wells look most likely, but past Holm wells have not been that outstanding.  The file reports for the two wells on "drl" status do not suggest these are very big wells. Of all the rest of the wells, only one, #23536, has a release date from the confidential well list (March 30, 2013). So, I really have no idea what well Mr Helms might have been talking about. I didn't hear the webcast; maybe he provided more information.

So, we'll see.

10 comments:

  1. 5000

    I don't know, but just look for an OXY well. They are overdue.

    anon 1

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not holding my breath waiting for a good OXY well in the Bakken.

      Delete
  2. What about this comment from the article:

    He said it’s not practical to refrack wells a second time to increase oil production.

    “It’s about doing it right the first time. I ask operators if they can’t afford it at first, when they get the most production, when can they?” Besler said.

    That's the first time I have heard that from any one. That is bad news as far as I am concerned. Many of the early wells were not fracked properly.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, for me, also, it's an important data point about the Bakken. Maybe more on this later; I am traveling today.

      Delete
  3. Bruce, I really think that no refracking is a very big deal. I am sure I have heard many times that there will be refracks. A one or two percent increase (or much more) in EURs from future advancements in fracking could amount to a much larger amount of recoverable oil across the basin.

    Can you imagine if every well that has been fracked as of today may not be a candidate for enhancements in fracking technology that will be coming in the future? Ultimately that may result in a lot more oil being left in the ground.

    It sure would be much appreciated if someone with knowledge in this area or who works in the industry could shed some light on this. Will refracks be the norm down the road or has this always been a myth because it is not even feasible? Which is it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Like everything else in the Bakken, time will tell. But you are correct; this seems to be a huge shift. I have any number of posts linking other articles from experts and industry spokesmen suggesting re-fracs.

      I have some thoughts, but can't articulate them well, and I want to see some more comments from experts and industry spokesmen, before I comment.

      I guess I will say one thing: it all goes back to economics of individual wells. "They" have 40,000 wells yet to drill over the next 20 years. Lots of work before they go back to the original wells. One might even argue that the comment about re-fracking was getting way ahead of where we are.

      Delete
  4. On the other hand, the smaller companies with less acreage will probably have their units fully drilled much sooner than 20 years I suspect.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ... and a lot of names will change, as new operators come in; old ones sell out or merge, etc. Just in the past two years, we've seen a lot of changes. Anschutz is gone. BEXP bought by Statoil. Etc.

      Delete
  5. Thinking more North in Poe/Camp.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You may very well be correct: that would add BEXP and KOG to the mix.

      In addition, Poe has had some huge wells lately:

      http://www.milliondollarwayblog.com/2012/02/kog-reports-gusher-poe-oil-field-bakken.html

      I was not looking that far north, but you may very well be correct, especially since BEXP and KOG are there.

      Delete

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