The Million Dollar Way (The Bakken Oil Blog): Lodgepole Reefs, An Update -- December 5, 2017: Happy 21st Birthday -- Dinsdale 2-4

Disclaimer: in a long note like this, there will be typographical and factual errors. If this information is important to you, go to the source.

With regard to this subject (Lodgeple reefs) I welcome any comments from those in the oil industry who can add more information or correct me where I am wrong.

Earlier this morning (or overnight) a reader asked what percent of Lodgepole wells are successful in the area southwest of Dickinson, ND?

This had to do with this well:

33997, dry, Freedom Energy Operating, LLC, Freedom Energy ND 1-15, Heart River, pool: Lodgepole; spud 10/2/17; from the permit, estimated TD = 9,950 TVD;

From the geologist's report: this well was targeting a Lodgepole reef:

Oasis Petroleum Freedom ND #1-15 [SE SE Sec. 15, T139N-R97W] is located ~6 miles West of Dickinson, North Dakota. Freedom ND #1-15 is situated within the Heart River Field in Stark County. A vertical hole targeting the porous Reef of the Lodgepole formation.

It was a steep learning curve for me when I first learned about Lodgepole reefs. I discuss Lodgepole reefs at this post and that's where I will continue to track them.

I don't know what the percentage is, but anecdotally (based on casual observations or indications rather than rigorous or scientific analysis), these are my thoughts:

there is a difference between the Lodgepole formation and Lodgepole reefs
to date, it appears that operators in North Dakota have only been successful hitting the Lodgepole reefs immediately west, southwest, and south of Dickinson, ND and inside city limits
the farther one gets from Dickinson, ND, the less likely one will hit a reef
some operators have targeted the Lodgepole formation north of Williston (I forget now how those have turned out)
once you leave the area west and southwest of Dickinson the likelihood of hitting a Lodgepole reef is pretty unlikely
even in the area of the Lodgepole reefs it appears to be a real "hit or miss" (no pun intended) outcome
Lodgepole reef wells are vertical (or directional/vertical) wells and are not fracked; very, very low expense to drill
I am not quite sure what to think about horizontal wells (if there are any) that target the Lodgepole in the Dickinson area
Looking at the "Lodgepole wells" west and southwest of Dickinson: I have only looked at a few of these wells; I assume they are all Lodgepole reef wells but my assumption could be wrong

One can see a number of Lodgepole wells at my "Monster Wells" link.

As a "case study," I looked at one Lodgepole well in the Dickinson area, #14213. I have blogged about this well on numerous occasions. From this post: "Denbury Onshore, LCC, may have the most productive well in North Dakota," posted March 27, 2011. This Lodgepole reef well is inside Dickinson city limits.

14213, 3,357, Denbury, Dinsdale 2-4, Lodgepole, Stadium, t12/96, cum 4.95 million bbls 9/17; it was shut in all of 10/17; full production profile is at this post.

Interestingly, the "most productive well in North Dakota" was just shut in two months ago. In its 21 years of operation, it has never been shut in for a full month, until now.

The scout ticket: