Hope Springs Eternal -- XTO Proposes Unitizing A Large Area Of The Bakken -- September 28, 2018

Grinnel-Bakken and Hofflund-Bakken are contiguous -- is that the right word? -- think of a long rectangular field, with the eastern fourth being the Hofflund, and the western three-quarters being the Grinnell. I don't know much about the Hofflund -- I see it once in awhile -- but the Grinnell is a great field. It's amazing how much of the best Bakken is below the river and the lake. God has a sense of humor. The Native Americans were right: "we" never should have flooded what is now Lake Sakakawea. 

Hofflund:

Grinnell:

Link here. Data points:

• XTO would like to unitize the Hofflund-Bakken and the Grinnell-Bakken oil fields as one large unitized unit
• Petrogulf Corp is one of the 150 working interest owners
• Petrogulf objected to unitizing the two fields as one unitized unit
• Petrogulf felt unitizing the two units as one unit would be "unfair" because geology is "so different"
• NDIC proposed separating the two units; but allow unitizing both -- separately
• NDIC also recommended changes to the royalty distribution formula that he said would make the plan more equitable (details not provided in the article)
• NDIC unanimous: the proposal goes forward but as two separate unitized fields: the Hofflund-Bakken unitized field; and the Grinnell-Bakken unitized field
• the proposal must now be approved by 55% of mineral owners

Flashback

• QEP tried unitizing the Helis Grail field years ago; the proposal was defeated 
• Helis Grail field is not unitized
• something tells me....

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Electric Switches 101

Unfortunately this was filmed in low light. But I had to take advantage of the moment. Sophia did not want this filmed but she agreed to one "take." Earlier, not filmed, was much better, but this will give you an idea of what we are working on.

It's In: The Vote Is 2 - 1 On QEP's "Helis" Grail "Unitization"

The Dickinson Press is reporting:

The North Dakota Industrial Commission voted 2-1 to approve a proposal from QEP Energy Co. to develop 25,000 acres in McKenzie County as one large drilling unit known as the Grail-Bakken Unit.

But individual mineral owners will still have the final say. QEP needs 60 percent approval from mineral owners and working interest owners in the unit.

Lynn Helms, director of the Department of Mineral Resources, recommended approval because QEP estimates it will be able to recover an additional 2.7 million barrels of oil by developing the area as a large unit.

PrairieMagazine.com reports (same writer):

An oil drilling proposal that drew opposition from many mineral owners moved forward Wednesday in a split vote with Gov. Jack Dalrymple objecting.

The North Dakota Industrial Commission voted 2-1 to approve a proposal from QEP Energy Co. to develop 25,000 acres in McKenzie County as one large drilling unit known as the Grail-Bakken Unit.

But individual mineral owners will still have the final say. QEP needs 60 percent approval from mineral owners and working interest owners in the unit.

Lynn Helms, director of the Department of Mineral Resources, recommended approval because QEP estimates it will be able to recover an additional 2.7 million barrels of oil by developing the area as a large unit.

I assume that first paragraph could have been written: "...that was supported by many mineral owners in which the commission voted 2 -1 ."

I have no dog in this fight, and I will hold off comments for now (the subject is full of landmines, which I don't need).

However, I have very, very strong feelings about this on so many levels, and some day, I will write about some of them, if the spirit moves me. 

Eight (8) New Permits -- Another Nice New Helis Well -- The Williston Basin, North Dakota, USA

Daily activity report, April 23, 2012 --

Operators: CLR (4), BR (2), SM, Zavanna

Fields: Epping (Williams), Springbook (Williams), Corral Creek (Dunn), Ft Buford (Williams), Elm Tree (McKenzie)

Continental Resources has a permit for a wildcat in Billings county.

Of the five wells approved for confidential status, four were Whiting's, and Whiting reports a "plugged or producing" well:

• 21474, conf, Whiting, Kjelstrup 44-24TFH, Golden Valley

Twelve (12) came off the confidential list; six were completed, including:

• 19280, 1,454, XTO, Rolfsrud State 14X-36, McKenzie
• 20092, 155 (no typo), OXY USA, Gordon Pavlicek 1-17-20H-141-95, Dunn
• 21054, 1,601, Helis, Veeder 1-27/34H, McKenzie
• 21351, 1,774, MRO, Ostlund 11-14H, Mountrail

Comments:

• OXY USA continues to impress. 
• I'll check later, but if these are not the first BR permits in Corral Creek under the new scheme announced December 21, 2011, they are some of the first. [I just checked: yes, these are the first permits for this field in 2012.]
• That's another nice Helis well; it looks like they've cracked the code in the Bakken.