Comparing Oil Activity In The Williston Basin: The South Red River B In Cedar Hills Vs The Bakken Banks

This is for newbies. With all the talk about the Bakken, it is easy to forget how incredible the North and South Red River B wells are in southwestern North Dakota. Here is a sampling of wells drilled in 2005 and 2006:

• 15659, 301, BR, CHSU 11D-33SH 15, t2/05; Cedar Hills field, cum 821K 10/13; still producing 3,300 bbls/month; South Red River B well; 
• 15786, IA/1/,119, Denbury Onshore, CHUSE 24A-18SH 15, Cedar Hills, t9/05; cum 658K 11/13;
• 15828, 673, Denbury Onshore, CHSU 13C-11SH 16, Cedar Hills, t12/05; cum 817K 12/13;
• 15829, 374, Denbury Onshore, CHSU 13C-11NH 16, Cedar Hills field, t10/05; cum 726K 12/13;  South Red River B well;
• 15837, 634, Denbury Onshore, CHSU 13C-14NH 16, Cedar Hills, t12/05; cum 594K 12/13;
• 15847, 342, Denbury Onshore, CHSU 24C-14NH 16, South Red River B, t9/05; cum 712K 11/13; 
• 15849, 188, Denbury Onshore, CHSU 31B-3NH 26, South Red River B, t8/05; cum 646K 11/13;
• 15850, 190, Denbury Onshore, CHSU 33B-33NH 26, South Red River B, t8/05; cum 431K 11/13;
• 15939, 773, Denbury Onshore, CHSU 13C-10SH 16, Cedar Hills, t3/06; cum 790K 12/13;
• 15940, 483, Denbury Onshore, CHSU 13C-10NH 16, Cedar Hills t4/06; cum 552K 12/13;
• 16008, 329, BR, CHSU 42C034NH 26, s2/06; Cedar Hills field, cum 857K 11/13; 
• 16123, 349, BR, CHSU 22D-5NH 16,s4/06; Cedar Hills field, cum 890K 12/13; 
• 16242, 405, BR, CHSU 11C-5NH 05, t8/06; Cedar Hills, cum 856K 10/13;  still active;
• 16916, 385, CLR, JWT 11-34SH, Cedar Hills, North Red River B, t4/08; cum  316K 12/13; still producing 5,000 bbls of oil per month; no decline whatsoever;

All of these wells were drilled in 2005 - 2006 (with the exception of the last one listed); all are still active; many have shown no decline in productivity. Many of these wells will hit one million bbls in less than a decade. And this is just primary production. Operators are still drilling an occasional Red River well.

It's hard to say how much activity we would be seeing in this area today if the Bakken had not been successful. It was at this very time that drillers were starting to test the Bakken in North Dakota more seriously. It took quite a few non-economical wells before the Parshall well in 2007 that started everything in North Dakota.

Using the same overhead zoom, here's what Cedar Hills looks like today compared to a very active Bakken oil field, the Banks oil field, below. First the Cedar Hills (South Red River B):

Now the Banks (Bakken):

Lots of drilling left to do in the Banks.