Fifteen (15) New Permits -- The Williston Basin, North Dakota, USA; CLR Cancels Thirteen (13) Linbeck Permits, Possibly Replaced By Jersey Federal Wells (Alkali Creek)

Spring road/load restrictions coming soon. An annual event, reported by The Bismarck Tribune. Elsewhere the US Army Corps of Engineers says a repeat of spring flooding like that seen in 2011 is unlikely:

The mountain snowpack in the Missouri River's upper basin is close to levels seen before devastating 2011 flooding along the river, but a repeat this year isn't likely, an Army Corps of Engineers official said.

Drought in 2012 has resulted in a one-third increase in water storage capacity in the three Missouri River reservoirs in the Dakotas and Montana, according to Jody Farhat, chief of Missouri River water management for the corps. There also is not as much snow accumulation on the plains as there was three years ago, when flooding devastated hundreds of thousands of acres of mostly farmland in the Dakotas, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.

Active rigs:

	3/7/2014	03/07/2013	03/07/2012	03/07/2012	03/07/2011
Active Rigs	191	186	204	204	171

Fifteen (15) new permits:

• Operators: CLR (7), MRO (4), Whiting (3), KOG
• Fields: Alkali Creek (Mountrail), McGregory Buttes (Dunn), Fryburg (Billings), Poe (McKenzie)
• Comments:

Wells coming off confidential list were posted earlier; see sidebar at the right.

Four (4) producing wells were completed:

• 22834, 1,208, Emerald, Hot Rod 1-27-26H, Boxcar Butte, t9/13; cum 45K 1/14;
• 25231, 1,115, Emerald, Slugger 1-16-21H, Charbonneau, t8/13; cum 65K 1/14;
• 25232, 1,098, Emerald, Talon 1-9-4H, Charbonneau, t8/13; cum 66K 1/14;
• 25920, 1,218, Emerald, Hot Rod 4-27-26H, Boxcar Butte, t9/13; cum 31K 1/13;

This may or may not be interesting, cancellations: 

• Continental Resources (CLR) canceled the thirteen (13) Linbeck wells, 6-153-93. These were permitted in Alkali Creek. There is no other activity in the immediate area. Whiting canceled one permit in this area some time ago; Whiting has one well in the immediate area that is a pretty good well but other than that, not much. It is possible these wells are being replaced by the Jersey Federal wells in 6-153-93.