June, 2013, Dockets: Marathon's Tyler Formation Locations, Slope County

Updates

January 28, 2014: update on a Williston Exploration Tyler well in southwest North Dakota.

January 10, 2014: MRO has a rig-on-site, wildcat, northeast Slope County, about ten miles east of Amidon:

• 26335, conf/ros, MRO, Powell 31-27TFH, wildcat, NWNE 27-135-99,

October 23, 2013: a second Tyler well permit in same section, on same pad as #26223 below.

• 26794, conf, MRO, Rundle Trust 21-29TH, wildcat, NWNW 29-136-99,

September 26, 2013: rig on site in section 29/32-136-99 (see below)

• 26223, ros, MRO, Rundle Trust 11-29TH, wildcat, southwest corner of state, on edge of Rocky Ridge oil field; NWNW 29-136-99

Original Post

June 26, 2013, NDIC hearing dockets.

Case No. 20428: Application of Marathon Oil Co. for an order creating four 1280-acre
drilling units consisting of sections 3 and 10; sections 27 and 34; sections 30 and 31, T135N-R99W.; and sections 29 and 32, T136N-R99W.; Slope County, ND, and allowing a horizontal well to be drilled in the Tyler Formation in each such drilling, and such other relief as is appropriate.

In T135N-R99W: three 1280-spacing units -- 3/10; 27/34; and, 30/31.

In T136N-R99W: one 1280-acre spacing unit -- 29/32.

You can see that the new MRO 1280-acre standups are really an extension of the Rocky Ridge oil field which is a Tyler field with vertical wells. [Two of the new stand-ups are outlined; the other two are just to the south, at the bottom of the image.]

Vertical wells into the Tyler are typical "hit or miss."

Many Tyler vertical wells are very, very poor wells, but some are very, very, good. In section 2-136-100, there are two solid black circles with no line(s) running through them. These two wells are still active:

• 4971, 422, Charger Resources, LLC, Howie 11X2, Rocky Ridge, t12/71, cum 780,771 bbls 7/13; and still producing 150 bbls/month (in a good month)
• 6015, 70, Charger Resources, LLC, Howie 2, Rocky Ridge, t3/77; cum 323,851 bbls 7/13, and still producing 250 bbls/month (in a good month)

It will be interesting to see how horizontal Tyler wells will do compared to vertical wells. 

Williston Exploration is drilling a well in this same field, at the northwest end of the field:

• 25347, 5, Williston Exploration, Rocky Ridge-Fritz 1, a vertical well, about 8K feet deep; Heath/Tyler; t2/14; cum 300 bbls 2/14; one stimulation stage, HCL, no proppants;

That's all interesting, but if one is reading the tea leaves, this is the most interesting bit of trivia. Near this Rocky Ridge-Fritz 1 well, they are also drilling a SWD well which is also on the confidential list. The arrow in the image points to the SWD (on confidential list). It's my impression after following the Bakken boom for the past several years, they don't drill SWD wells just anywhere; this to me suggests they think they will be doing a lot of drilling in this area.

Recent ND DMR presentation, undated, but 2012 or later. [a pdf file]