Seismic Crews Moving Into Southwestern North Dakota -- August 22, 2019

The other day, with tongue-in-cheek, I mentioned that whereas President Trump was looking into buying Greenland, Northern Energy Corp was looking into buying Bowman County, ND -- or at least the entire county's minerals.

From a reader who lives in Bowman County, ND:

Something I have not seen in many years is happening right here in our area and that is a very advanced Seismic Crew is moving in our area. 

[It is my understanding that they will be here until] September 4, 2019,  and [it's also my understanding their technology is] so good the oil company can tell within a foot of where they will be drilling to. 

Marmarth is one area ...

I remember seeing seismic crews in/around Williston when I was growing up there, 1951 - 1969.

Some of the biggest wells in North Dakota are in the Bowman / Marmarth area. At the link, scroll to the Red River wells.

The big problem with Red River wells: water. Life history of a Red River well, oil:water ratio:

• first three years of production: 5 parts oil:1 part water
• next two years: 1:1
• next year: 1:3  
• then huge jumps eventually reaching: 1:15 and even as high as 1 part oil : 44 parts water
• I assume to some extent this is water-flooding EOR (Denbury)
• my hunch: the "water issue" becomes the deciding factor when to take a producing well off line
• supports my thesis that the water issue and fracking was another bogus story to scare folks; oil companies have had immense experience dealing with water
• to what extent CO2 injection plays a role in EOR, I do not know. I don't follow Denbury very closely; corporate presentations might help but that's a story for another day

But until water becomes a big issue, these are huge wells.

From the "monster well" list as a small example of some of the huge wells in this area.

Red River (includes Red River, North Red River, South Red River)

• 5269, 380, Abraxas, Miller 7X-27, Coyote Creek, s5/73; t7/73; cum 952K 9/17; still producing; 2 bbls/month; 40 years old in 2013; INACTIVE 5/16; back on status 6/16; producing only one or two days recently; IA again, as of 11/18; remains inactive, 6/19;
• 5930, 300/PA, Petroleum, Inc., Arithson C 1, t9/76; cum 1.0246 million bbls; last produced July, 1997; about 21 years of production
• 15659, 301, Denbury/BR, CHSU 11D-33SH 15, t2/05; Cedar Hills field, cum 933K 6/19 still producing 2,000 bbls/month; South Red River B well; 
• 15786, TA/1,119, Denbury Onshore, CHUSE 24A-18SH 15, Cedar Hills, a South Red River well, t9/05; cum 658K 11/13;
• 15828, 673, Denbury Onshore, CHSU 13C-11SH 16, Cedar Hills, t12/05; cum 945K 6/19;
• 15829, 374, Denbury Onshore, CHSU 13C-11NH 16, Cedar Hills field, t10/05; cum 802K 11/18;  South Red River B well;
• 15837, 634, Denbury Onshore, CHSU 13C-14NH 16, Cedar Hills, t12/05; cum 685K 11/18;
• 15847, 342, Denbury Onshore, CHSU 24C-14NH 16, South Red River B, t9/05; cum 872K 11/18;
• 15849, 188, Denbury Onshore, CHSU 31B-3NH 26, South Red River B, t8/05; cum 718K 11/18;
• 15850, 190, Denbury Onshore, CHSU 33B-33NH 26, South Red River B, t8/05; cum 477K 11/18;
• 15907, 752, Denbury Onshore, CHSU 33C-10SH 16, Cedar Hills, South Red River B, t2/06; cum 1.27 million 11/18; still producing 1,700 bbls/month;
• 15939, 773, Denbury Onshore, CHSU 13C-10SH 16, Cedar Hills, t3/06; cum 901K 4/19;
• 15940, 483, Denbury Onshore, CHSU 13C-10NH 16, Cedar Hills t4/06; cum 645K 11/18;
• 16008, 329, Denbury Onshore, CHSU 42C034NH 26, s2/06; Cedar Hills field, cum 978K 6/19;
• 16120, 383, Denbury Onshore, CHSU 13C-29SH 26, Cedar Hills, South Red River B, t6/06; cum 647K 11/18;
• 16122, 155, Denbury Onshore, CHUS 22C-5SH 16, Cedar Hills,  South Red River B, t6/06; cum 749K 11/18;
• 16123, 349, Denbury Onshore/BR, CHSU 22D-5NH 16, t6/06; Cedar Hills, cum 1.024508 million K 6/19; see this note;
• 16126, 605, Denbury Onshore, CHUS 33C-5SH 15, Cedar Hills, South Red River B, t8/06; cum 839K 4/19;
• 16127, 362, Denbury Onshore, CHSU 33C-5NH 15, Cedar Hills, South Red River B, t8/06; cum 770K 11/18;
• 16149, 410, Denbury Onshore, CHUS 44D-29NH 26, Cedar Hills, South Red River B, t5/06; cum 620K 11/18
• 16150, 316, Denbury Onshore, CHUS 44C-29SH 26, Cedar Hills, South Red River B, t5/06; cum 789K 11/18;
• 16151, 551, Denbury Onshore, CHUS 24C-29NH 26, Cedar Hills, South Red River B, t8/06; cum 653K 11/18;
• 16152, 37, Denbury Onshore, CHUS 24C-29SH 26, Cedar Hills, South Red River B, t8/06; cum 613K 11/18;
• 16155, 120, Denbury Onshore, CHUS 41D-32NH 26, Cedar Hills, South Red River B, t7/06; cum 667K 11/18;
• 16156, 231, Denbury Onshore, CHUS 41D-32SH 26, Cedar Hills, South Red River B, t5/06; cum 539K 11/18;
• 16242, 405, Denbury Onshore/BR, CHSU 11C-5NH 05, t8/06; Cedar Hills, cum 1.000539 million bbls 6/19;
• 16916, 385, CLR, JWT 11-34SH, Cedar Hills, North Red River B, t4/08; cum  539K 11/18; still producing 5,000 bbls of oil per month; no decline whatsoever;
• 16699, 277, CLR, Jones 11-33NH, Cedar Hills, North Red River B, t11/07; cum 525K 11/18;
• 16820, 382, CLR, Evelyn 31-25NH, Cedar Hills, North Red River B, t5/08; cum 452K 11/18;
• 16821, 283, CLR, Sharon 44-28SH, Cedar Hills, t2/08; cum 532K 11/18; 
• Several incredible CLR Red River wells in Medicine Pole Hills, southwest corner of the state;

The area of interest:

Note: no parks, no BLM land, no state land.