A Pop-Quiz -- April 14, 2020

Note: I think I have this correct, but with limited knowledge about the oil and gas industry, I could have this wrong. I am posting it to learn more about the Bakken.

A reader noted this; I wasn't paying attention.

Look at the production data at this well:

• 17159, 811, CLR, Rodney 1-29H, Cedar Coulee,  t8/08; cum 166K 2/20;

This is the production profile for this well going back to February, 2018, (data is available all the way back to the beginning, June, 2008, but the data goes back far enough to make some observations. I will provide some "clues" and then come back later and post what a very, very alert reader noted.

The clues:

• pay attention to the last three columns, the natural gas produced / sold / flared columns;
• unlike crude oil, natural gas is not stored on site; 
• unlike crude oil, natural gas has a very, very short life at the site (the excess is vented/flared, not stored);
• crude oil can be stored at the site, "indefinitely"; 
• early on, let's say back before 2017 in the table below, MFC produced = MCF sold + vented/flared;
• more recently, let's say after May, 2018, in the graphic below, MFC produced ≠ MCF sold + vented/flared
• so, what changed between May, 2018, and June, 2018? 

The reader's comments will be posted later.

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
BAKKEN	2-2020	29	567	767	98	741	349	0
BAKKEN	1-2020	31	592	507	112	783	364	0
BAKKEN	12-2019	31	585	551	92	751	332	0
BAKKEN	11-2019	30	577	526	110	775	370	0
BAKKEN	10-2019	31	592	524	95	801	382	0
BAKKEN	9-2019	30	576	560	107	848	443	0
BAKKEN	8-2019	31	589	549	125	899	480	0
BAKKEN	7-2019	31	586	787	95	847	429	0
BAKKEN	6-2019	30	565	511	87	814	409	0
BAKKEN	5-2019	31	618	756	108	820	388	13
BAKKEN	4-2019	30	581	479	102	746	354	0
BAKKEN	3-2019	31	638	550	97	815	224	172
BAKKEN	2-2019	28	552	539	195	786	244	164
BAKKEN	1-2019	31	633	546	110	836	417	0
BAKKEN	12-2018	31	638	597	103	803	329	55
BAKKEN	11-2018	30	613	857	93	770	336	29
BAKKEN	10-2018	31	624	594	115	859	422	18
BAKKEN	9-2018	30	589	562	98	850	427	18
BAKKEN	8-2018	31	625	563	100	869	450	0
BAKKEN	7-2018	31	622	581	96	874	448	23
BAKKEN	6-2018	30	597	570	115	930	445	89
BAKKEN	5-2018	31	645	563	95	639	606	33
BAKKEN	4-2018	30	624	878	97	550	550	0
BAKKEN	3-2018	31	641	455	103	629	629	0
BAKKEN	2-2018	27	581	580	103	539	539	0
BAKKEN	1-2018	31	714	834	108	642	642	0
BAKKEN	12-2017	31	738	543	193	757	757	0
BAKKEN	11-2017	30	335	278	27	196	190	6
BAKKEN	10-2017	31	638	872	103	742	742	0
BAKKEN	9-2017	30	621	568	107	747	720	27
BAKKEN	8-2017	31	645	565	112	861	861	0
BAKKEN	7-2017	31	649	575	90	834	769	65
BAKKEN	6-2017	30	662	835	120	828	828	0
BAKKEN	5-2017	31	681	604	105	645	645	0
BAKKEN	4-2017	30	679	760	107	581	581	0
BAKKEN	3-2017	31	709	862	107	612	612	0
BAKKEN	2-2017	28	634	293	100	561	543	18
BAKKEN	1-2017	31	725	921	102	615	594	21
BAKKEN	12-2016	31	699	780	110	622	569	53
BAKKEN	11-2016	30	684	552	123	581	581	0
BAKKEN	10-2016	31	715	867	88	621	621	0
BAKKEN	9-2016	30	681	566	115	622	622	0
BAKKEN	8-2016	31	709	812	120	754	602	152
BAKKEN	7-2016	31	712	532	120	725	717	8
BAKKEN	6-2016	30	695	786	123	701	541	160
BAKKEN	5-2016	31	732	820	105	695	695	0
BAKKEN	4-2016	30	702	592	98	691	691	0
BAKKEN	3-2016	31	768	830	118	791	791	0
BAKKEN	2-2016	29	712	592	115	702	702	0
BAKKEN	1-2016	31	753	888	117	670	670	0
BAKKEN	12-2015	31	759	615	105	683	614	69
BAKKEN	11-2015	30	741	913	132	669	603	66
BAKKEN	10-2015	31	777	617	108	745	729	16
BAKKEN	9-2015	30	665	842	155	649	545	104
BAKKEN	8-2015	31	761	510	110	769	714	55
BAKKEN	7-2015	31	750	1207	123	760	729	31
BAKKEN	6-2015	30	764	580	133	766	700	66
BAKKEN	5-2015	31	800	557	95	748	672	76
BAKKEN	4-2015	30	786	905	128	713	713	0
BAKKEN	3-2015	30	766	577	182	669	646	23
BAKKEN	2-2015	28	726	920	110	658	658	0
BAKKEN	1-2015	31	681	769	242	745	745	0
BAKKEN	12-2014	31	799	837	105	805	769	36
BAKKEN	11-2014	30	791	836	110	898	868	30
BAKKEN	10-2014	31	871	597	122	1028	1016	12
BAKKEN	9-2014	30	766	873	113	987	816	171
BAKKEN	8-2014	31	833	925	127	879	859	20
BAKKEN	7-2014	31	849	813	113	907	880	27
BAKKEN	6-2014	30	810	576	80	905	700	205
BAKKEN	5-2014	31	817	909	118	1014	989	25
BAKKEN	4-2014	30	852	849	130	930	865	65
BAKKEN	3-2014	31	838	906	118	895	864	31
BAKKEN	2-2014	28	724	771	178	878	820	58
BAKKEN	1-2014	31	878	830	147	769	698	71
BAKKEN	12-2013	31	902	912	110	935	895	40
BAKKEN	11-2013	30	868	888	130	925	925	0
BAKKEN	10-2013	31	923	907	140	1032	1032	0
BAKKEN	9-2013	30	872	944	147	958	958	0
BAKKEN	8-2013	31	924	818	135	1017	979	38
BAKKEN	7-2013	31	906	877	147	1035	991	44
BAKKEN	6-2013	30	925	1123	130	808	728	80
BAKKEN	5-2013	31	956	854	167	923	923	0
BAKKEN	4-2013	30	924	803	133	1000	1000	0
BAKKEN	3-2013	31	982	1024	137	1035	1035	0
BAKKEN	2-2013	28	907	864	135	957	957	0
BAKKEN	1-2013	31	1009	1184	135	963	963	0
BAKKEN	12-2012	31	993	691	153	1055	1055	0
BAKKEN	11-2012	30	986	1081	138	1043	1043	0
BAKKEN	10-2012	31	1048	1072	143	1103	1103	0
BAKKEN	9-2012	30	975	865	157	1145	1145	0
BAKKEN	8-2012	31	1052	1332	180	1101	1101	0
BAKKEN	7-2012	31	1050	862	152	1085	1085	0
BAKKEN	6-2012	30	1056	1074	155	1027	1027	0