Another Example Of The Halo Effect In The Bakken -- And Just Think -- "We're" Only Getting Started -- June 12, 2016

Updates

June 13, 2016: a reader writes:

EOR (enhanced oil recovery) should have a good future in the Bakken. Water flooding should be great (water flooding is sometimes considered "primary recovery").

The least productive well on a pad, or a nearby pad would be used as a salt water reinjection well. It takes some horsepower to do this but the readily available "cheap" gas for the pumps should make it exceptionally profitable.

Original Post

 

This is going to be a long note. There will be typographical and factual errors. I may be seeing things that don't exist. I may be coming to conclusions that are incorrect. I am doing this to help me understand the Bakken and for no other reason. If this is important to you, go to the source. 

********************************** 

At the following monthly production spreadsheets, pay attention to the third column (the number of days the well was on-line in 11-2015 and 12-2015); the fourth column (bbls oil); and, the sixth column (bbls water):

Well #3 -- note the increase in water production noted in red --

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
BAKKEN	4-2016	30	3636	3557	7336	4641	4551	0
BAKKEN	3-2016	31	3065	3250	10617	3867	3749	26
BAKKEN	2-2016	29	1888	1838	11169	2325	2204	35
BAKKEN	1-2016	30	2707	2658	15135	3860	2485	1285
BAKKEN	12-2015	13	1291	1322	6566	1975	0	1938
BAKKEN	11-2015	13	1126	1132	722	1109	0	1070
BAKKEN	10-2015	29	2681	2609	1579	3286	2346	858
BAKKEN	9-2015	30	2785	2953	1931	3655	3189	376
BAKKEN	8-2015	31	2966	3058	2837	4123	4001	29

Well #4 -- note: no increase in oil production, but look at the produced water in red:

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
BAKKEN	4-2016	30	6976	6797	6879	10897	10807	0
BAKKEN	3-2016	31	6656	6965	9752	11138	10410	635
BAKKEN	2-2016	29	5434	5357	12855	9725	9511	128
BAKKEN	1-2016	30	5699	5500	14309	8791	5518	3185
BAKKEN	12-2015	25	4979	5024	19680	7301	5694	1534
BAKKEN	11-2015	13	1450	1510	1070	2691	2399	253
BAKKEN	10-2015	31	3533	3446	2296	6262	6032	143
BAKKEN	9-2015	30	3444	3645	2431	5867	5240	537
BAKKEN	8-2015	31	3782	3859	2429	7385	7231	61

Well #1: no increase in either water or oil -- this well will turn out to be the farthest from the other wells; this well was not taken off-line during this period, unlike the other wells in this exercise:

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
BAKKEN	4-2016	30	2191	2116	2544	4085	3994	1
BAKKEN	3-2016	31	2359	2480	2761	4583	4464	26
BAKKEN	2-2016	29	2369	2408	2607	4936	4847	2
BAKKEN	1-2016	23	2581	2482	3287	4081	3985	30
BAKKEN	12-2015	31	2762	2877	3208	5571	4978	500
BAKKEN	11-2015	30	2704	2668	3000	4728	2868	1772
BAKKEN	10-2015	31	2674	2595	2890	3363	2764	507
BAKKEN	9-2015	30	2525	2610	2753	2766	2296	387
BAKKEN	8-2015	31	2754	2696	3078	3242	3103	5

Well #2 -- this is the newest well; it has just been fracked and has just started producing --

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
BAKKEN	4-2016	30	10048	9798	8851	13602	13048	468
BAKKEN	3-2016	31	20441	20892	17039	30042	29308	642
BAKKEN	2-2016	29	26883	26987	23702	44006	38007	5912
BAKKEN	1-2016	30	22404	22030	31750	34998	14952	19957
BAKKEN	12-2015	25	24622	24284	43010	36231	1428	34728

The "Index" well: this is the well that caught my attention. Why did oil production jump in January, 2016? And note the huge increase in water production at the same time. Where did that water come from? Look how much water was produced in just 19 days in December, 2015 -- not due to fracking this well. This well was fracked years ago.

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
BAKKEN	4-2016	30	7097	6942	7967	8285	8093	103
BAKKEN	3-2016	31	8100	8456	10182	9529	9358	78
BAKKEN	2-2016	29	6776	6560	11517	8000	7459	454
BAKKEN	1-2016	30	6268	6319	21254	9237	4655	4496
BAKKEN	12-2015	19	3254	3144	22383	3827	49	3724
BAKKEN	11-2015	12	724	747	399	949	783	132
BAKKEN	10-2015	31	2196	2109	1057	2525	2291	141
BAKKEN	9-2015	30	1949	2095	1346	2334	1899	345
BAKKEN	8-2015	31	2105	2075	1299	2637	2410	135
BAKKEN	7-2015	31	2189	2173	971	2638	2422	123
BAKKEN	6-2015	30	2129	2136	1232	2691	2273	328
BAKKEN	5-2015	31	2333	2274	1275	3089	2680	317
BAKKEN	4-2015	30	2337	2300	1733	2810	2275	446
BAKKEN	3-2015	31	2420	2617	1621	3897	2260	1544
BAKKEN	2-2015	28	2125	2069	1245	4162	2047	2033
BAKKEN	1-2015	31	2498	2714	1668	4545	2359	2093

 *****************************

Observations:

Well #3:

• it appears the well was taken off line in mid-November, 2015, and placed back on line in mid-December, 2015
• when it came back on-line, there was no noticeable increase in oil production
• however, look at the huge increase in water, going from1,500 bbls in October to over 15,000 bbls in January, 2016

Well #4:

• it appears the well was taken off line in mid-November, 2015, and placed back on line in late-December, 2015
• when it came back on-line, there was a noticeable increase in oil production
• also, look at the huge increase in water, going from 2,000 bbls in October to almost 20,000 bbls in December, 2015, even though that well was on-line for less than a full month ("severe vomiting")

Well #1:

• unlike wells #3 and #4, this well was not taken off-line during this period of time
• during this period of time, there was no noticeable increase in oil production, month-over-month
• in addition, there was no evidence in any change in the amount of water produced

Well #2:

• this well was brought on-line in late December, 2015, after it was fracked earlier
• following the frack, huge oil production
• following the frack, huge water production

Index well:

• it appears the well was taken off line in mid-November, 2015, and placed back on line in mid-December, 2015
• when it came back on-line, there was a huge increase in oil production
• in addition, look at the huge increase in water, going from1,000 bbls in October to over 22,000 bbls in January, 2016

************************************

The "Index Well" was a middle Bakken well:

I called the "index well," the index well because it had the most noticeable increase in oil production after a neighboring well was fracked.

Wells #1 and #3 were Three Forks wells.

Wells #2 and #4 were middle Bakken wells.

Summary:
1. Well #2 was a middle Bakken well, fracked in late 2015.
2. Wells #1 and #3 were Three Forks wells and did not show any evidence of the "halo effect" based on increased oil production. In addition, there was no evidence of communication based on produced water between the middle Bakken well (#2) and the Three Forks well #1 -- these two wells are 0.84 mile apart. However, there was evidence of communication based on water production between the middle Bakken well (#2) and the Three Forks well (#3). Wells #2 and #3 are laterally separated by about 265 feet. I assume the vertical separation is less than 100 feet.
3. The middle Bakken "index well" was 0.3 mile from the newly fracked well.
4. The middle Bakken well #4 was less than 800 feet from the newly fracked well. 

The graphic:

I apologize for the confusing graphic. I've labeled the horizontals twice: once with the permit number and formation target; and, a second time with just a numeric label.

I labeled the horizontals, 1 through 4, left to right; perhaps I should have numbered them differently. 

Calling one of the wells an index well may be confusing, but I called it that because it showed a definite halo effect. Once I saw the jump in oil production, I then looked for the likely explanation. The only possibility was the fracking of the neighboring well, which I call #2.

These are the wells:

• 18758, 714, Whiting, 20711 Paulso 49 1H, Stockyard Creek, t4/11; cum 230K 4/16;
• 23112, 1,657, Whiting, P Bibler 154-99-1-5-8-16H3, a Thee Forks well, t5/13; cum 180K 4/16;
• 24196, 2,251, Whiting, P Evans 154-99-2-4-9-15H3, a Three Forks well t8/13; cum 165K 4/16;
• 24198, 2,282, Whiting, P Evans 154-99-2-4-9-16H, t8/13; cum 199K 4/16;
• 30850, 2,015, Whiting, Marty 31-4H, Stockyard Creek, t12/15; cum 104K 4/16; API 33-105-04003-00-00; frack start 12/7/15; frack end 12/7/15; 7.6 million gallons of water; white sand frack, 9% by weight of total frack components (Frac Focus; data here at Frac Focus; 40 stages, 6.6 million lbs; the sundry form says the well was stimulated 11/18/2015.