Twenty-Nine (29) Bakken Wells To Come Off Confidential List Monday; All But Three Will Go To DRL Status -- New Record -- Sunday, March 15, 2015; Minnesota Looks To Raise Amtrak Fares

Active rigs:

	3/15/2015	03/15/2014	03/15/2013	03/15/2012	03/15/2011
Active Rigs	112	190	185	205	173

Wells coming off the confidential list over the weekend, Monday:

Monday, March 16, 2015

• 24062, 505, Crescent Point Energy, CPEUSC Narcisse 8-5-158N-99W, Ellisville, 35 stages; 3.5 million lbs; middle Bakken, t12/14; cum 27K 1/5;
• 24091, drl, MRO, VMR Trust 11-16TFH, Bailey, no production data,
• 28414, drl, BR, Shenandoah 44-36MBH ULW, Keene, no production data,
• 28683, drl, CLR, Leonard 2-12H, Northwest McGregor, no production data,
• 28779, drl, BR, Hammerhead 11-26TFH, Sand Creek, no production data,
• 28780, drl, BR, Hammerhead 21-26MBH, Sand Creek, no production data,
• 28851, drl, American Eagle, Byron 4-4-163-101, Colgan, no production data,
• 28886, drl, Zavanna, Gust 2-11 2H, Long Creek, no production data,
• 29005, drl, XTO, David Federal 21X-20A, Lost Bridge, no production data,
• 29120, drl, XTO, Eide 31X-29C, McGregor, no production data,
• 29187, IA/SI, Hess, EN-Nelson-155-94-2833H-7, Alkali Creek, no production data,

Sunday, March 15, 2015

• 26220, drl, BR, Harley 41-2TFH, Blue Buttes, no production data,
• 27937, drl, SM Energy, Elway 1-32H, Camp, no production data,
• 28269, drl, MRO, Moritz 11-30H, Reunion Bay, no production data,
• 28778, drl, BR, Hammerhead 11-26MBH, Sand Creek, no production data,
• 28787, drl, CLR, Bratlien 3-26H, Sadler, no production data,
• 29188, drl, Hess, EN-Nelson-155-94-2833H-6, Alkali Creek,
• 29235, drl, Statoil, Heen 26-35 8TFH, Todd, no production data,

Saturday, March 14, 2015 (pi day)

• 24072, drl, Crescent Point Energy, CPEUSC Holmes 8-5-158N-100W, Winner, no production data,
• 25858, drl, Statoil, Skarston 1-12 5H, Banks, no production data,
• 26221, drl, BR, Harley 41-2MBH, Blue Buttes, no production data,
• 28413, drl, BR, Shenandoah 44-36TFH, Keene, no production data,
• 28786, drl, CLR, Bratlien 4-26H1, Sadler, no production data,
• 29006, drl, XTO, David Federal 21X-20E, Lost Bridge, no production data,
• 29066, 816, Hess, BW-Heidi Ho-149-99-3526H-4, Juniper, t1/15; cum 19K 1/15;
• 29119, drl, XTO, Eide 31X-29G, McGregor, no production data,
• 29143, 227, Murex, Bradley Robert 1-12H, Daneville, t1/15; cum 5K 1/15;
• 29234, drl, Statoil, Smith Farm 23-14 4TFH, Cow Creek, no production data,
• 29246, drl, MRO, Piatt 11-17H, Murphy Creek, no production data,

Comment: I have been blogging about the Bakken since 2007; the current blog dates back to 2009. In all those years, I have never seen a report in which 26 of 29 wells coming off the confidential list will go to DRL status, waiting to be fracked. This is a huge number. Much of it is due to operational constraints as a result of pad drilling. North Dakota requires that wells must be completed within a year of being drilled. It would not surprise me, if push comes to shove, that operators would perform an open hole frack with minimal proppant, call it a day, and then come back later and do a "proper" frack -- assuming they can't get a waiver or as they call it, "relief," from the NDIC to delay fracking for operational reasons. It's possible they could argue that the "one year" be defined as starting after the last well on a pad is drilled. That could give the operators and extra four to six to eight months, depending on how many wells are on a pad. Just idle chatter. I have no background or formal training in any of this. This is simply idle chatter. 

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Minnesota Looks To Raise Amtrak Fares

If the Minnesota governor gets his way, Amtrak will raise their prices. The governor wants to tax the railroads that operate in Minnesota by at least $100 million. The railroads own the tracks and they will pass those additional costs on to their customers, including Amtrak which rents the time they spend on the tracks going through Minnesota. The Dickinson Press has the story but missed the impact.