Montana Bakken Activity -- August 27, 2018

A reader asked about Montana oil sector.

I replied that I don't follow Montana -- I have enough trouble just keeping up with North Dakota. Years ago I posted fairly regularly on Montana but at the time I was getting my links and reports from a reader who was following Montana (I assumed he/she became a multimillionaire on oil, moved to Phoenix and is happily retired).

The reader noted that Kraken Operating reported three nice wildcat Montana wells; surface locations, not bottom hole locations:

• 083-23346, 1,007, Kraken Operating, Elroy 32-31 1H, section 31-26-59;  Richland County,
• 083-23347, 1,210, Kraken Operating, Fletch 5-8 1H, section 33-26-59; Richland County,
• 083-23345, 1,360, Kraken Operating, Eagle 4-9 2H, section 33-26-59; Richland County

A huge thank you to the reader for sending me this information. Kraken Operating is new to the Bakken (2016) and I'm just starting to learn more about them.

It's interesting that these wells were all considered "wildcats."

In the North Dakota Bakken we are starting to see increased interest in Tier 2 (and even Tier 3) locations, but much more interesting, are the number of wells targeting the lower benches of the Three Forks (the second bench and the third bench). It will be interesting if that interest spills over into Montana. But again, this reminder/caveat: the nature of the Williston Basin is such that most consider Montana on the western fringe of the Bakken. With that in mind, these appear to be very nice Kraken wells.

Montana Bakken 101 -- Finding Your Well; This Is Really, Really Cool For Newbies -- Including Me

I don't follow Montana oil and gas industry to any extent, but readers always help me learn things.

Today, I learned how easy it is to track a Montana permit or well you might be interested in.

For example, if you know the operator and the API and the name of the well or any combination, go to this site:

http://bogc.dnrc.mt.gov/WebApps/DataMiner/Wells/Wells.aspx

Then, click on the drop-down menu at the far left (the default is API #). Perhaps easiest is to click on the operator. I seldom know the API.

Go down the list, find the well you are interested in, click on it, and voilà, there you have it, a 3 x 5 index card with the status of the well.

And this is really, really cool! It looks like you can download well file reports in Montana without a paid subscription like one needs in North Dakota. Wow!