Trivia in Beaver Lodge Oil Field -- Bakken, North Dakota, USA

Beaver Lodge oil field was where the very first North Dakota oil was was discovered, back in 1951.

Today, Murex announced another nice well in Beaver Lodge:

• 19233, 1,747, Murex, Mandy Kay 14-23H, Beaver Lodge, Bakken; 41K in 3 months; 19 frac stages; Bakken formation

Back in January, 2011, I posted a short trivia note regarding two other wells also named after women and also located in Beaver Lodge:

• 16186, 439, Murex, Angie Marie 13-24H, Beaver Lodge, Bakken, cumulative: 228,742 bbls.
• 16358, 223, Murex, Megan Brooke 15-22H, Beaver Lodge, Bakken, cumulative: 101,569 bbls.

At the time of the January posting, I estimated the Angie Marie had produced $10 million at the wellhead, and now we have another Murex well in the same oil field.


For newbies, I consider 100,000 bbls a significant milestone.

North Dakota vs South Dakota Re: Cell Phone Usage

North Dakota: among 10 states in which more than 30 percent of adults use cell phones exclusively (no land line phones)

South Dakota: among 8 states in which that figure is less than 17 percent

North Dakota spokesman on theory why the difference:

• College students make up greater percentage of adults in North Dakota
• North Dakota is flatter
• Data is wrong

Am I missing something?

• It's possible there are a greater percentage of college students in North Dakota but I doubt it could make that big a difference. South Dakota has several colleges similar to North Dakota's
• North Dakota flatter than South Dakota? LOL -- except for the relatively small area of the Black Hills the two states could not be more alike
• Data could be wrong -- won't even go there

One has to assume 99.99% of all oil workers use cell phones exclusively. Innumerable new oil support services also supporting the oil industry; I'm sure their personnel pretty much use cell phones exclusively

Am I missing something? Probably.

Newfield (NFX): Another Operator in the Bakken With a Dedicated Frac Team

Link here.

I can't keep track of all the Bakken-companies that now have dedicated frac teams but that seems to be a growing requirement.

KOG announced this past week that it would have a dedicated frac team 14 days/month. KOG has 2 operated rigs; getting a third; and executing plans to have a fourth rig by the end of the year.

Now, NFX announces it will have a dedicated frac team; NFX has 5 operated rigs.

Oasis has a second dedicated frac team and expects to have a third by 2012.

BEXP should have two dedicated frac teams on board by now.

WLL has two dedicated frac teams, see 1Q11 earnings report. WLL estimates that each crew can frac 100 wells per year.

One can assume the larger Bakken-companies have their own dedicated frac teams or long-term contracts with independent companies to provide dedicated service.

Newfield Earnings 1Q11 -- 5 Rigs in the Bakken -- Drilling Super Extended Laterals (SXLs) -- Bakken, North Dakota, USA

Link here.

Excerpt regarding the Williston Basin from earnings press release:

Newfield is running five operated drilling rigs in the Williston Basin. Current net production is about 5,000 BOEPD and the Company has 10 wells in various stages of completion (average lateral length approximately 8,600’). Dedicated fracture stimulation services arrived in the field in April and completions are underway with initial volumes from the new wells expected late in the second quarter of 2011.

Substantially all of the Company’s planned wells in 2011 are super extended lateral (SXLs) wells. Three horizontal wells were recently completed with an average initial gross production rate (24-hour) of approximately 3,900 BOEPD. This average includes a recent record completion which had an initial gross production rate (24-hour average) of 4,468 BOEPD.

Data points:

• Five (5) operated rigs
• Ten (10) wells in various stages of completion
• Dedicated fracture teams to arrive in April
• Drilling super extended laterals
• Average 24-hour flowback IPs of 3,900 boepd
• Recently a record completion with initial 24-hour flowback of 4,468 boepd

SeekingAlpha: Seven More Oil Companies To Consider

This is part VII of his series. I have linked some, but not all in the series. This one focuses on companies with market caps greater than $7 billion.

There were several from the Bakken, including Whiting, Continental Resources, and Denbury.