Disclaimer: in a long note like this and a lot of data to look at; and the same thing for two other posts linked to this post -- there are likely to be typographical and factual errors. I may be seeing things that don't exist. I don't have any background, formal training or education in the oil and gas industry. I'm only posting this to help me better understand the Bakken. If this information is important to you, go to the source.
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I think folks who have followed the Bakken closely will enjoy looking at these MRO wells in Reunion Bay oil field.
In this case, we have an old MRO well that was drilled back in 2008. It was fracked twice, 2008 and 2014. Then it had a huge jump in production (for the third time) in 2017 (and no evidence that it was fracked.
However, several wells were fracked in 2017 just before the production jumped in this older well.
The graphics are on this page. The completion data and the production data are at two different posts. The
data for the older well is at this post; the
data for the three newer wells is at this post.
Below the graphics are some things to notice about these four wells.
The graphics:
1. The older well was fracked with almost "no" proppant. The first time it was fracked with about 500,000 lbs of sand; the second time it was fracked with about 500,000 lbs of sand;
zero stages in the first frack; 30 stages in the second frack (note: less than 500,000 lbs of proppant in 30 stages almost seems to be a typo; a 30-stage frack would seem more likely to use 4 million lbs).
2. The wells run heel-to-toe
and toe-to-heel: the older well runs from the north to the south. The three newer wells from the south to the north.
3. I believe I have identified the horizontals correctly but it was a bit confusing. If I have them correct, the two
middle Bakken wells were farthest apart, 1,600 feet apart. The older well was nearer the Three Forks first bench and the Three Forks second bench well. So, again, the old middle Bakken was was closer to the Three Forks wells and 1,600 feet from its sister middle Bakken well.
4. The newer Three Forks wells were fracked with 6 million lbs of sand; whereas the newer middle Bakken well was hammered with 10 million lbs. All three newer wells were fracked with around 40 stages.
5. Look at the production in the older middle Bakken well. Its jump in production in 2017 (not fracked) was significantly more than the production back in 2008 when it was first fracked. Think about that and the "pressure issues." Remember, in 2017, this well had already been producing for nine years.
6. MRO was the first Bakken operator to talk about re-fracks. Under Mark Papa, EOG thought it might be cheaper to simply re-drill new wells. That was many, many years ago.
7. I've long forgotten but I believe I posted on numerous occasions that radial effectiveness of fracking extends out 500 feets.
8. Early on there were discussions regarding communication between the middle Bakken and the Three Forks formations. I have no idea where those discussions stand today.
