Random Update Of EOG Well In The Parshall, #28316 -- July 2, 2015

For newbies like me, this is kind of fun to look at, one of the wells EOG reported today:

• 28316, 305, EOG, Parshall 147-1608H, Parshall, ICO, 1920-acre proposed, 54 stages, 13 million lbs, t1/15; cum 94K 5/15;

Again, a large number of fracks: 54. Most operators are still reporting 30 to 36 stages, and most operators are still in the 4 million lbs of proppant (sand only, or sand + ceramic). EOG uses only sand.

The ICO means that a case to determine the size of the drilling unit is still before the commission, but I am unaware of (m)any such cases being denied. It looks like the paperwork is yet to catch-up with the scout ticket. In a May 6, 2014, letter, EOG was informed that the permit had been approved for a 1920-acre unit via Commission Order 23511.

In this case, the operator is requesting a 1920-acre drilling  unit, which is an L-shaped unit incorporating three sections:

In this case, the well was sited in section 16 and ran in a northwesterly direction, cutting through the corner of section 17, and ending in section 6-152-90, Parshall oil field.

The application was for a "Three Forks B1" well (which in the "old days" was referred to as the "upper Three Forks"). Also, the "147" designation suggests an "upper Three Forks" well. But the sundry report for the frack suggests it has become a middle Bakken well. Let's check the geologist's report (Neset Consulting Service):

• spud date: July 27, 2104
• drilling rig begins: September 11, 2014
• cease drilling: September 23, 2014
• total depth (vertical depth + length of horizontal): 20, 298 feet
• vertical depth: 9,368.02 feet (that 0.02 feet = 0.24 inches) -- pretty fine measuring if you ask me

And there it is, in the first paragraph of the geologic summary: a middle Bakken well. Somewhere along the line -- between submitting the application and drilling, EOG shifted from a Three Forks target to a middle Bakken target. My hunch is that in the current price climate they are going for the best wells and will come back to this unit and drill deeper wells (Three Forks wells) if / when pricing comes back.

As long as we've come this far, let's continue, paraphrasing:

Once into the horizontal, initial gas averaged 400 units; later, gas rose to an average of 668 units and reached a maximum of 2,301 units on connection. Late in the horizontal a shale strike was noted, skimming the Lower Bakken Shale. Gas rose immediately to 4,000 units after the shale strike and the horizontal was brought back into the target window. At the end, gas continued to rise averaging 1,655 units and a maximum of 10,000 units on connection were noted. 

Some operators / geologists provide the distance the horizontal was in the target zone (reported as a percent). I did not see that in this report, but it might be there. I go through them pretty quickly, but I assume this would have been in the 95 - 97% range (percentage of the horizontal in the target zone).

And there it is. A sundry form dated 5/06/14 has the typed "Three Forks" lined out and replaced with inked-in "Bakken."

Note: in a long post like this, there will be factual and typographical errors. Paraphrasing was used. I have no formal training in reading geologist's reports, so interpretations will likely be wrong. The 95 - 97% in the target zone was a WAG; in fact, the horizontal might have been in the target zone 100% of the time. I do these kinds of posts to help me understand the Bakken. If this information is important to you, go to the source.