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Sunday, May 9, 2021

A Decade-Old Petro-Hunt Well In The Charlson Is Back On Confidential -- Was Trending Toward 1.75 million Bbls Crude Oil Cumulative -- May 9, 2021

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The Disclaimer

Note: in a long note like this there will be typographical and content errors. Facts and opinions will be interspersed; it is difficult to tell facts from opinions. I often see things that don't exist. I often get ahead of my headlights. If this is important to you go to the source. I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken. This is really exciting. For newbies, this page is chock full of amazing Bakken information, amazing information that can only be found on this blog. That's a great example of "fact" vs "opinion." LOL. The post is a bit disjointed because it was updated "on the fly" as new information was ascertained. But in the big scheme of things, the note still flows rather nicely.

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The Note

The Bakken never fails to amaze me. I've said that many times on the blog. 

But today, perhaps, is one of those most amazing days. 

In fact, I've been waiting for this day for quite some time. It has happened before, but infrequently, but this might be the best example for newbies. 

When I first started blogging about the Bakken, I mentioned that each well will go through many phases: initial drilling (with or without fracking); pump installation; re-works; neighboring fracks; small re-fracks; major re-fracks; re-entry targeting new formations; and so on. 

Well, here we have it. This well is still on confidential so we won't know what Petro-Hunt is doing with this well until it comes off the confidential list. The only thing we might know for sure: it was not re-fracked based on FracFocus data. 

If it was not re-fracked, and the two neighboring recently fracked wells were targeting the middle Bakken it's going to be fascinating to see the new production data: was there a halo effect?

Note that it was a Three Forks well; this would make it one of the earliest Three Forks in the Bakken and although I can't say for sure, it may not have been fracked when originally drilled.

More: there are two newer wells sited in this same section that drain the same general area but do not exactly parallel this older well. The new wells have these file numbers: #37151, #37152. They are also on confidential list but report a small amount of production suggesting they were fracked recently. 

  • 37151: Bakken, 52 stages; 432,725 bbls; 10.7 million lbs proppant; fracked 1/21/21 - 3.2/21; note how long this frack took; 18.2 million gallons of water; 92% water by mass;
  • 37152: Bakken, 51 stages; 428,80 bbls; 10.5 million lbs proppant; fracked 1/21/21 - 2/24/21; note how long this frack took; 18.0 million gallons of water; 92.1% water by mass;

The well:

  • 16059, conf, Petro-Hunt, USA 2D-3-1H, Charlson, full production data here; this well was first drilled back in October, 2006; had runs of 3,000 to 4,000 bbls/month through 11/19, when runs jumped to 5,000 to 6,000 bbls/month (memo to self: re-read Hubbert's Theory); now it's back on the confidential list; FracFocus has no data to suggest this well was fracked at the time #37151/#37152 were fracked;

Because the well is on the confidential list we don't have the total production to date, but if I did the "math" correctly, this very short 640-acre-spaced well has had 1.7 million bbls of oil sold. Generally, the amount of oil sold is about the same as the amount of oil produced.

So, when it comes off the confidential list we will know. 

By the way, it's unusual for neighboring, producing wells not to be taken off line when newer, neighboring wells are fracked. If that is the case this time -- that #16059 was not taken off line while the two neighboring wells were fracked it is because:

  • the new wells were middle Bakken wells? and,
  • the old well (#16059) was a Three Forks well?

But we don't know yet whether this well was taken off line; it's on the confidential list, but it appears it was taken off line -- no runs were reported after 11/20 and runs are not confidential

Wow, wow, wow, stop the presses -- this was noted -- from the blog -- what a great blog -- this is worth the cost of the subscription. From an earlier post:

16059, 729, Petro-Hunt, USA 2D-3-1H, Charlson field, t10/06; cum 1.776024 million bbls 4/20; still producing 6,000 bbls/month, 11/19; update at this post; off line 5/20; remains off line 6/20; two days in 7/20; to be lengthened; confidential noted 11/20; still confidential but now producing again after being lengthened

  • 16059, conf after being lengthened 7/29, Petro-Hunt, USA 2D-3-1H, Charlson field, t10/06; cum 1.78233 million bbls 11/20; still producing 6,000 bbls/month, 11/19; update at this post; off line 5/20; remains off line 6/20; two days in 7/20; to be lengthened; confidential noted 11/20; note the gap between 7/20 and 11/20. Target: upper Three Forks just below the lower Bakken black shale. Permit deapth, ~ 15,155' MD (~ 4,400' lateral); new bottom hole, 60' FNL 510' FWL; original bottom hole permitted  700' FNL 700' FWL; about 670' longer:

The graphic:


4 comments:

  1. The well you are discussing is the largest cum producer from the modern shale era in ND. I.e. the current record holder (is a CRL well that is close, may eventually pass it).

    https://shaleprofile.com/blog/north-dakota/north-dakota-update-through-january-2021/ (advanced insights, cum production ranking, sort by well).

    I am skeptical that it is Three Forks, rather than just poorly labeled.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you. I did not know that. Once it comes off the confidential list, I'll go back through the file report -- take a better look at the "target" formation, etc.

      The best part about all this: each well is like a "family history." Each well has its own story to tell. Like humans, some wells are very successful; the vast majority are pretty ho-hum; and a few turn out to be really poor excuses for offspring. LOL.

      Thank you for taking time to write, and adding a bit of folklore to this well. I know nothing about these wells when I first start writing about them; it's always interesting what shows up on the blog, which I've often long forgotten.

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    2. I have been watching the "race" between the Petro-Hunt and CLR wells for a long time. CLR well is younger and was doing more recently (when not shut in for nearby work). But the Petro-Hunt well is much shorter than CLR. Forget the exact numbers but roughly a one mile versus two mile Given Petro-Hunt is being lengthened (and those sections completed with modern techniques), may keep it in the lead forever.

      Both wells are marvelous though.

      Of course they are atypical. Have to remind you of that.

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    3. It will be interesting to watch. This well has a lot to "teach" newbies about tight / shale / unconventional oil.

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