Locator: 49012WINNIPEG.
Depth:
- deeper than the Red River, but not all that much deeper
- CLR has a lot of experience in the Red River
- shallow to the Deadwood
- age: 450 million years old
- age of dinosaurs:
- 245 to 66 million years ago.
Description:
The Winnipeg Formation in North Dakota has had limited and predominantly gas-focused production, with most of the oil coming from the Black Island Formation, a basal sandstone member of the Winnipeg Group. While there are some oil and gas shows in the Winnipeg, only 18 wells produced from it, resulting in over 200,000 barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) and over 115 billion cubic feet of dry gas.
- The Black Island Formation is interpreted as a secondary source rock, while the Icebox Formation within the Winnipeg Group is considered a primary source rock.
- Winnipeg Formation in North Dakota Members:
- The Winnipeg Formation is generally divided into three members:
- a basal sandstone (the Black Island Formation),
- the Winnipeg shale, and,
- a transitional upper member (sometimes called the Roughlock Formation).
- Shale Member:
- The Icebox (or Roughlock) Formation is a shale that acts as a source rock for oil and gas within the Williston Basin.
- Sandstone Member:
- The Black Island Formation, primarily a quartz arenite, has served as a reservoir, though it is primarily a gas-prone reservoir, according to the North Dakota Geological Survey.
- Oil and Gas Production Focus:
- Production from the Winnipeg
- Formation has been predominantly from the Black Island sandstone and the overlying Deadwood Formation, notes the North Dakota Geological Survey.
- Plays:
- The formation has been explored as a potential play in the deeper Williston Basin, including a recent well in Divide County in 2024 by Continental Resources.
- Limited Success:
- Despite exploration efforts, the Winnipeg Formation has not been a major source of oil in North Dakota.
- Geological Context Source Rocks:
- The organic-rich shales of the Icebox Formation (Winnipeg Group) are considered the primary source of oil and gas, according to the USGS.
- Migration:
- Oil and gas generated from these source rocks have migrated into reservoirs such as the Winnipeg sandstones
From ChatGPT: not particularly helpful.
No data on the recent CLR well, a two-mile lateral. Still close hold but no evidence that it was a notable well.
From a reader, thank you very much:
