Incredible Story: CLR's Whitman Wells in Oakdale Oil Field -- July 31, 2018

I originally posted this note over the weekend. A major error was noted by a reader. I found the entire "story" so interesting that I have moved the entire post here.

Hopefully, no errors of substance this time.

This is an incredibly interesting story on so many levels, but  a huge shout out to the roughnecks and the safety team for a successful re-entry in a very dicey operation. This story speaks volumes about the skills, professionalism, can-do attitude of the entire team involved in this operation, and probably indicative of most operations in the Bakken. So without further ado, the new post.

Updates

July 31, 2018: huge mistake on my part regarding the Whitman wells. See comment from reader at the original post. Corrections and clarifications have been made -- continue reading.

First correction is easy:

• 20210, 803, CLR, Whitman 2-34H, Oakdale, API - 33-025-01259; t9/11; cum 1.595 million bbls 5/18; see production profile below; FracFocus: no re-frack; original frack, 24 stages; 2.4 million lbs sand; in addition to the 1.6 million bbls of oil, a cum of 1650315 MCF gas (275K boe natural gas -- so we're talking close to 2 million boe so far;

Second correction (not a correction so much as an update): as the reader noted, the original #20212 was not drilled to planned depth and not completed back in 2011 due to downhole issues. Last summer, CLR went back in, drilled to planned depth and fracked the well. From the file report:

• spud date: January 19, 2011
• original TD date: April 23, 2011 -- to 13,681 feet, equivalent to a short lateral
• re-entry date: July 5, 2017
• TD date: July 8, 2017 (only three days to drill to depth after re-entry)
• TD: 21,230 feet
• an Upper Devonian Three Forks well within the Rocket prospect
• introduction: Well drilling operations ceased on April 23, 2011, after dangerous levels of oil and gas pressure rendered further drilling unwise at the time. The well has been in production in its incomplete form (13681' MD reached, open hole, no fracking) since that time and has produced approximately 120,000 bbls of petroleum.  
• this report primarily concerns re-entry drilling information only, as complete data from the original drilling was generated by a different mud-logging company and is at points incomplete. Where available, salient points from the original drilling events have been included.
• the well plan ... three scenarios were foreseen ... the rig operators prepared for all events, the high-pressure scenario being the most dangerous, but likely manageable...
• original (back in 2011) drilling efforts ceased at 13681' MD for high (dangerous) levels of oil and gas pressures. As of 2017, these were deemed low enough for re-entry to attempt drilling to the originally planned TD point, hopefully to produce at least moderate amounts of oil, as indicated by original production levels.
• background gas levels were initially 600 - 1200 units with circulation through the gas buster, which was activated after the first trip gas at 10,000 units. This well had been hard to control when the first segment was drilled in 2011, so all precautions for safety and control were observed.  
• gas increased to 1800 - 2200 units at 17500' MD, when the formation took a relatively sharp turn and then rolled over, similar to the structure observed from the initial segment and may have signaled a fracture and/or stratigraphic trap of less, but still significant, production as the first one.
• the Upper Devonian Three Forks formation was intercepted at 11596' TVD ( ~ 8618' SS).
• it was determined initially that the ideal target would be approximately 15' thick, beginning 15' below the Three Forks top, and extending to 30' below the same reference point.

Original Post 

Is Something Going On With CLR's Whitman Wells?

Yup: A Re-Entry And Frack Of A Well That Was "Aborted" Back In 2011 Due To Dangerous Gas Levels

Section 34-147-96, Oakdale oil field; only three older wells sited in this section. One was off-line for a few months recently and is now back on line; the other two are now off line. FrackFocus will be checked.

The wells:

• 17061, 664, CLR, Whitman 11-34H, Oakdale, API - 33-025-00723; t6/08; cum 446K 5/18; see production profile below; FracFocus: no re-frack;
• 20210, 803, CLR, Whitman 2-34H, Oakdale, API - 33-025-01259; t9/11; cum 1.595 million bbls 5/18; see production profile below; FracFocus: no re-frack; original frack, 24 stages; 2.4 million lbs sand; in addition to the 1.6 million bbls of oil, a cum of 1650315 MCF gas (275K boe natural gas -- so we're talking close to 2 million boe so far;
• 20212, 482, CLR, Whitman 3-34H, Oakdale, API - 33-025-01261; t9/11; cum 181K 5/18; see production profile below; well, isn't this interesting -- yup, this well was fracked 9/23/17 - 10/5/17; 9.8 million gallons of water; 84% water; 15% sand; sundry form in file report: 61 stages; 14.5 million lbs sand; 

The graphic:

17061:

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
BAKKEN	5-2018	31	2378	2220	154	2695	2394	54
BAKKEN	4-2018	30	2371	2166	160	2724	2484	0
BAKKEN	3-2018	31	2440	2387	152	2619	2342	30
BAKKEN	2-2018	28	2294	2581	111	2251	2027	0
BAKKEN	1-2018	6	496	0	40	351	303	0
BAKKEN	12-2017	1	0	0	0	11	11	0
BAKKEN	11-2017	2	0	0	0	22	22	0
BAKKEN	10-2017	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	9-2017	7	420	545	30	669	613	0
BAKKEN	8-2017	31	1972	2157	114	3054	2806	0
BAKKEN	7-2017	31	1982	1811	115	2914	2448	218

20210 (a huge, huge well):

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
BAKKEN	5-2018	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	4-2018	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	3-2018	0	0	221	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	2-2018	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	1-2018	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	12-2017	2	0	0	19	0	0	0
BAKKEN	11-2017	3	22	0	21	1	0	0
BAKKEN	10-2017	3	2	38	0	1	0	0
BAKKEN	9-2017	16	3829	3858	232	4800	4703	0
BAKKEN	8-2017	31	9112	9143	428	10829	10590	0
BAKKEN	7-2017	26	6257	6352	117	6851	5326	1380
BAKKEN	6-2017	30	9377	9406	333	11517	11284	0
BAKKEN	5-2017	31	10218	10106	357	12107	11861	0
BAKKEN	4-2017	28	8004	8101	327	9332	8923	220
BAKKEN	3-2017	31	10149	10137	318	11626	11381	0
BAKKEN	2-2017	28	9545	9446	285	10713	10494	0
BAKKEN	1-2017	31	10635	10757	350	12042	11508	297
BAKKEN	12-2016	31	10697	10584	315	11582	11354	0
BAKKEN	11-2016	29	10539	10689	355	11311	11096	0
BAKKEN	10-2016	31	11462	11484	315	12258	12010	0
BAKKEN	9-2016	19	8745	8486	137	8366	8217	0
BAKKEN	8-2016	0	0	237	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	7-2016	30	10534	10558	350	11332	10035	1065
BAKKEN	6-2016	30	11354	11279	440	12596	8945	3412
BAKKEN	5-2016	31	12067	11991	479	14115	13656	212
BAKKEN	4-2016	27	10189	10128	528	11146	10973	0

20212:

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
BAKKEN	5-2018	0	0	403	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	4-2018	16	3239	3127	473	2465	2376	0
BAKKEN	3-2018	19	5486	5631	756	4317	4139	50
BAKKEN	2-2018	25	5310	5088	595	4445	4261	0
BAKKEN	1-2018	31	10513	10725	1869	8937	8641	50
BAKKEN	12-2017	31	21903	21790	4841	24087	23839	0
BAKKEN	11-2017	30	19452	19809	5379	19667	18479	968
BAKKEN	10-2017	21	12150	11401	6847	13549	7191	6268
BAKKEN	9-2017	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	8-2017	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	7-2017	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	6-2017	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	5-2017	1	0	0	2	0	0	0
BAKKEN	4-2017	5	380	363	98	115	114	0
BAKKEN	3-2017	6	157	320	0	108	99	0
BAKKEN	2-2017	4	162	170	0	174	0	158
BAKKEN	1-2017	3	158	284	0	154	0	153
BAKKEN	12-2016	2	147	0	0	162	0	146
BAKKEN	11-2016	3	152	184	0	5	0	0
BAKKEN	10-2016	2	151	278	2	123	115	0
BAKKEN	9-2016	3	148	0	0	3	0	0
BAKKEN	8-2016	2	141	0	2	80	0	80
BAKKEN	7-2016	7	189	203	25	89	88	0