Lodgepole Reefs, An Update -- December 5, 2017: Happy 21st Birthday -- Dinsdale 2-4

Disclaimer: in a long note like this, there will be typographical and factual errors. If this information is important to you, go to the source.

With regard to this subject (Lodgeple reefs) I welcome any comments from those in the oil industry who can add more information or correct me where I am wrong. 

Earlier this morning (or overnight) a reader asked what percent of Lodgepole wells are successful in the area southwest of Dickinson, ND?

This had to do with this well:

33997, dry, Freedom Energy Operating, LLC, Freedom Energy ND 1-15, Heart River, pool: Lodgepole; spud 10/2/17; from the permit, estimated TD = 9,950 TVD;

From the geologist's report: this well was targeting a Lodgepole reef:

Oasis Petroleum Freedom ND #1-15 [SE SE Sec. 15, T139N-R97W] is located ~6 miles West of Dickinson, North Dakota. Freedom ND #1-15 is situated within the Heart River Field in Stark County. A vertical hole targeting the porous Reef of the Lodgepole formation.  

It was a steep learning curve for me when I first learned about Lodgepole reefs. I discuss Lodgepole reefs at this post and that's where I will continue to track them. 

I don't know what the percentage is, but anecdotally (based on casual observations or indications rather than rigorous or scientific analysis), these are my thoughts:

• there is a difference between the Lodgepole formation and Lodgepole reefs
• to date, it appears that operators in North Dakota have only been successful hitting the Lodgepole reefs immediately west, southwest, and south of Dickinson, ND and inside city limits
• the farther one gets from Dickinson, ND, the less likely one will hit a reef
• some operators have targeted the Lodgepole formation north of Williston (I forget now how those have turned out) 
• once you leave the area west and southwest of Dickinson the likelihood of hitting a Lodgepole reef is pretty unlikely
• even in the area of the Lodgepole reefs it appears to be a real "hit or miss" (no pun intended) outcome
• Lodgepole reef wells are vertical (or directional/vertical) wells and are not fracked; very, very low expense to drill
• I am not quite sure what to think about horizontal wells (if there are any) that target the Lodgepole in the Dickinson area
• Looking at the "Lodgepole wells" west and southwest of Dickinson: I have only looked at a few of these wells; I assume they are all Lodgepole reef wells but my assumption could be wrong

One can see a number of Lodgepole wells at my "Monster Wells" link.

As a "case study," I looked at one Lodgepole well in the Dickinson area, #14213. I have blogged about this well on numerous occasions. From this post: "Denbury Onshore, LCC, may have the most productive well in North Dakota," posted March 27, 2011. This Lodgepole reef well is inside Dickinson city limits.

• 14213, 3,357, Denbury, Dinsdale 2-4, Lodgepole, Stadium, t12/96, cum 4.95 million bbls 9/17; it was shut in all of 10/17; full production profile is at this post.

Interestingly, the "most productive well in North Dakota" was just shut in two months ago. In its 21 years of operation, it has never been shut in for a full month, until now.

The scout ticket:

The graphics:

From the NDIC file:

Update: Hess' Lodgepole Well, Short Lateral, One Mile Northeast Of Tioga, North Dakota -- July 3, 2015

Note: this page will not be updated. This well is now tracked here. 

• 26738, 103, Hess, TI-Wao-157-95-14H-1, Tioga, t7/14; cum 16K 1/16.

February 19, 2017: update:

Monthly Production Data:

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
LODGEPOLE	12-2016	31	652	462	1338	2001	2001	0
LODGEPOLE	11-2016	30	544	670	1308	1869	1869	0
LODGEPOLE	10-2016	31	785	697	1365	1929	1929	0
LODGEPOLE	9-2016	30	739	674	1583	1903	1903	0
LODGEPOLE	8-2016	29	663	691	1079	2199	2199	0
LODGEPOLE	7-2016	28	600	685	1149	1460	1460	0
LODGEPOLE	6-2016	28	980	875	1411	1349	1349	0
LODGEPOLE	5-2016	21	327	437	1086	1038	1038	0
LODGEPOLE	4-2016	30	761	713	1404	1377	1377	0
LODGEPOLE	3-2016	30	889	936	1451	1415	1415	0
LODGEPOLE	2-2016	26	786	874	1289	1100	1100	0
LODGEPOLE	1-2016	23	675	433	1108	931	931	0
LODGEPOLE	12-2015	31	924	1149	1369	1364	1364	0
LODGEPOLE	11-2015	30	1002	909	1210	1363	1363	0
LODGEPOLE	10-2015	31	1059	902	1244	1357	1357	0
LODGEPOLE	9-2015	30	999	1099	1048	1300	1300	0
LODGEPOLE	8-2015	31	1342	1536	1499	1764	1764	0
LODGEPOLE	7-2015	30	1402	1348	1509	1915	1915	0

September 19, 2015: back on ACTIVE status; production profile most recent few months:

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
LODGEPOLE	7-2015	30	1402	1348	1509	1915	1915	0
LODGEPOLE	6-2015	26	1688	1793	1605	1895	1895	0
LODGEPOLE	5-2015	31	3447	3384	2989	5024	5024	0
LODGEPOLE	4-2015	1	60	0	221	199	199	0
LODGEPOLE	3-2015	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
LODGEPOLE	2-2015	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

****************************** 

Update on this well. 

I posted this back on August 17, 2014:

• 26738, IA, Hess, TI-Wao-157-95-14H-1, Tioga, this is a Lodgepole well; Hess will come back to this well on/about May 7, 2014, to drill this well to TD of 13,693 feet; and then complete it with a multi-stage acid frack; the company will core the upper and the middle Lodgepole; the company will also core the upper, middle, and lower Bakken; the company will core the 1st and 2nd benches of the Three Forks, and the upper 30' of the Three Forks third bench; 640-acre spacing for a Lodgepole well. [Updates: 12/14: no production since early September, 2014; Update: actually produced 60 bbls in one day in April, 2015; also noted that well is now IA (previously TA)]

*********************************

Update As Of July 3, 2015

This is an important well. 
See notes below the production profile.

Update as of July 3, 2015:

NDIC File No: 26738    
Well Type: OG     Well Status: A     Status Date: 7/18/2014     Wellbore type: Horizontal
Location: NWNW 14-157-95     Latitude: 48.428849     Longitude: -102.923745
Current Operator: HESS BAKKEN INVESTMENTS II, LLC
Current Well Name: TI-WAO- 157-95-14H-1
Total Depth: 13625     Field: TIOGA
Spud Date(s):  12/6/2013
Completion Data
   Pool: LODGEPOLE     Comp: 7/18/2014     Status: AL     Date: 8/19/2014     Spacing: ONE SECTION (640 acres)
Cumulative Production Data
   Pool: LODGEPOLE     Cum Oil: 7292     Cum MCF Gas: 199     Cum Water: 6520
Production Test Data
   IP Test Date: 7/18/2014     Pool: LODGEPOLE     IP Oil: 103     IP MCF: 0     IP Water: 148

Monthly Production Data

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
LODGEPOLE	5-2015	31	3447	3384	2989	0	0	0
LODGEPOLE	4-2015	1	60	0	221	199	199	0
LODGEPOLE	3-2015	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
LODGEPOLE	2-2015	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
LODGEPOLE	1-2015	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
LODGEPOLE	12-2014	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
LODGEPOLE	11-2014	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
LODGEPOLE	10-2014	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
LODGEPOLE	9-2014	10	1789	1786	1167	0	0	0
LODGEPOLE	8-2014	7	811	444	1089	0	0	0
LODGEPOLE	7-2014	12	1185	1185	1054	0	0	0

Note the well is now active.

There were no new sundry forms after the August, 2014 update. The well was put on a pump o/a August 15, 2014.

The original geologist's summary back when the well was first drilled (the following includes direct quotes and paraphrasing, but mostly direct quotes):

• this is an experimental well testing the production potential of the Middle Lodgepole 
• thirty-foot lagged samples were caught from 9,568 feet through the end of the lateral section at 13,625 feet [short lateral] in the Middle Lodgepole formation
• true vertical depth of the target formation: 9,219 feet
• after the pumps were started gas would peak at 9,568 units (sic) before the gas buster came into use
• "it should also be noted that the command center faced away from the flare stack and rig"
  "Neset personnel would intermittently leave the command center to look for a flare but none was observed"
• saltwater based drilling fluid was used throughout the lateral
• the target window would be ten feet
• the Lodgepole is a massive body of limestone in the Madison group

Pilot hole core (plans):

Middle Lodgepole

• 9110' TVD - 9290' TVD for a total of 180 feet of core
• this core will include 30 feet above the middle Lodgepole, middle Lodgepole, and 30 feet below the middle Lodgepole; all of this core is in the Lodgepole

Bakken-Three Forks

• 9550' TVD - 9780' TVD for a total of 230 feet of core
• 20' above the Upper Bakken Shale, Upper Bakken, Middle Bakken, Lower Bakken, Three Forks 1st Bench, Three Forks 2nd Bench, and 30' of the Three Forks 3rd Bench
• the rat hole for the open hole logs will end up in the Birdbear formation

Drilling

• spud rig: December 6, 2013
• drilling rig: May 13, 2014
• cease drilling: May 16, 2014 (3 days)

Completion: June 27, 2014

• 37 stages
• acid frack; no proppant 

Location:

The only other active well in the immediate area:

• 8257, 176, McRae & Henry, Ltd, Gallagher 43-15, vertical Madison well, t7/81; cum 160K 5/15;

An interesting well in the area:

• 12790, 242/115, Hess, Pederson 14-33, Silurian/Ordovician, the Silurian was drilled in 1991; before it was abandoned at the end of 2008, cum 814K bbls of oil; 1.4 bcf gas

Note: in a long note like this, there will be factual and typographical errors. I have no formal training in oil and gas exploration and I may have missed important points and/or misinterpreted data. If this information is important to you, go to the source.