Cedar Coulee Oil Field: A Sweet Spot In Two Sections -- September 4, 2015

Updates

December 4, 2020: CLR activity in this field, update.

Original Post

Cedar Coulee oil field, located in the far northwest corner of Dunn County, is a small rectangular oil field, two sections by eight sections = 16 total sections. The entire field is spaced at 1280 acres. Except. Except for two 640-acre drilling units.

Here is a screenshot from the NDIC GIS map server showing four sections of Cedar Coulee oil field. The two sections in brown (in Cedar Coulee) are the only two sections in Cedar Coulee spaced for 640 acres. All of the rest of the sections, shown in white, are spaced at 1280 acres. Most of Cedar Coulee is pretty quiet; all sections are held by production but generally with just one or two wells. (Again, note that only a small portion of Cedar Creek is included in the screen shot below.)

Look at the two sections in brown in Cedar Coulee, sections 9 and 16:

The wells in these two sections:

Note the production numbers; these are all short laterals. Some folks argue that long laterals, all things being equal, would have twice the production of a short lateral. I'm not sure I agree with that, but be that as it may, here are the numbers of some very, very good wells, being reported by two different companies:

• 28544, 1,159, XTO, Schettler 14X-9A, 1 section, t6/15; cum 131K 12/20; cum 145K 5/22;
  
• 28545, 2,654, XTO, Schettler 14X-9E, 1 section, t6/15; cum 249K 10/20; remains off line 12/20; back on line; cum 270K 5/22;
  
• 28546, 2,318, XTO, Schettler 14X-9B, 1 section, t6/15; cum 251K 12/20; cum 273K 5/22;
  
• 28547, 2,312, XTO, Schettler 14X-9F, 1 section, t6/15; cum 223K 12/20; cum 245K 5/22;
  
• 28548, 1,112, XTO, Schettler 14X-9C, 1 section, t6/15; cum 86K 8/20; remains off line 12/20; back on line, 4/22; cum 92K 5/22;
  
• 28549, 1,841, XTO, Schettler 14X-9F, 1 section, t6/15; cum 161K 12/20; cum 177K 5/22;
  
• 28550, 1,991, XTO, Schettler 14X-9F, 1 section, t6/15; cum 264K 12/20; cum 295K 5/22;

• 19470, 1,274, Hess, Victor Pohribnak 16-1H, t1/11; cum 392K 12/20; off linee 6/22; cum 406K 5/22;
  

• 22944, 609, Hess, LK-Pohribnak-147-96-16H-4, 1 section, t8/12; cum 207K 12/20; cum 216K 6/22;
  
• 21350, 858, Hess, LK-Pohribnak-147-96-16H-3, 1 section, t1/12; cum 180K 12/20; cum 187K 4/22; off line 5/22;
  
• 21380, 1,424, Hess, LK-Pohribnak-147-96-16H-2, 1 section, t1/12; cum 388K 12/20; was off line for a few months in early 2019; back on line as of 5/19; cum 410K 6/22;
  

• 24733, 150, Hess, LK-Pohribnak-147-96-16H-7, 1 section, t10/13; cum 120K 12/20; cum 133K 6/22;
  
• 24734, 1,208, Hess, LK-Pohribnak-147-96-16H-6, 1 section, t10/13; cum 289K 12/20; cum 312K 6/22;
  
• 24735, 981, Hess, LK-Pohribnak-147-96-16H-5, 1 section, t10/13; cum 223K 12/20; cum 239K 6/22;
  

Random Update Of An Enerplus Mandan/Hidatsa Pad -- September 4, 2015

There really are some incredible wells being reported.

One example: this Enerplus two-well Mandan / Hidatsa pad, section 32-150-94; as of July, 2015, both were still flowing unassisted (no pump), according to the scout ticket.  [Enerplus has another two-well pad just to the east of this pad, a TAT well and an Arikara well, #21538 and #21539.]

The Mandan well: note the number of stages and the amount of proppant. Also note that this is a Three Forks well. Remember what Lynn Helms said about the Three Forks many, many years ago. Also note that the well was off-line for much of the past six months, so this well produced almost 130,000 bbls in less five months:

• 21536, 1,348, Enerplus, Mandan 150-94-32C-29H TF, Spotted Horn, 40 stages, 10 million lbs, t2/15; cum 129K 7/15;

Production profile:

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
BAKKEN	7-2015	21	16470	16439	8699	23058	19395	1609
BAKKEN	6-2015	10	9383	8953	6507	13742	12615	0
BAKKEN	5-2015	29	27076	27454	12853	39204	35866	0
BAKKEN	4-2015	29	28803	29145	220	43483	40040	0
BAKKEN	3-2015	20	25825	25154	220	40454	37467	0
BAKKEN	2-2015	16	21508	20946	220	34412	23685	7753

The Hidasa well:

• 21537, 1,522, Enerplus, Hidatsa 150-94-32C-29H, Spotted Horn, 40 stages, 10 million lbs, t1/15; cum 149K 7/15;

Production profile:

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
BAKKEN	7-2015	20	14257	13878	6068	19959	16653	1521
BAKKEN	6-2015	17	12840	13597	4902	17976	16254	139
BAKKEN	5-2015	31	30673	30660	11427	42942	38499	839
BAKKEN	4-2015	29	28329	28308	11762	45014	41620	0
BAKKEN	3-2015	31	39821	39733	18077	64043	59366	0
BAKKEN	2-2015	16	22649	21827	15363	36239	26388	6990

Week 35: August 30, 2015 -- September 5, 2015

Operations
US rig counts down sharply; Bakken holds steady
Zavanna gas lift
Top ten oil producing counties in the US; and here
BR's 22-well proposal for a 2560-acre standup unit in Pershing oil field 

Refining
New refinery in North Dakota?

Fracking
Federal fracking rules implementation delayed

Bakken economy
The Williston Wire: Menards in Williston, Jamestown to open September 9

Investing
WPX monetizing some of its midstream assets in the Bakken 

Miscellaneous
Peak oi? What peak oil?
New soybean processing plant to open in Grafton, ND 

First US Tar Sands About To Open -- September 4, 2015

This is interesting. The AP is reporting:

On a remote Utah ridge covered in sagebrush, pines and wild grasses, a Canadian company is about to embark on something never before done commercially in the United States: digging sticky, black, tar-soaked sand from the ground and extracting the petroleum: Book Cliffs of eastern Utah, about 165 miles from Salt Lake City.

The impending opening of the nation's first tar sands mine has become another front in the battle across the West between preservationists and the energy industry.

U.S. Oil Sands has invested nearly $100 million over the last decade to acquire rights to about 50 square miles, obtain permits and develop what it says is a brand-new, non-toxic method of separating out the oil with the use of an orange-peel extract similar to what's in citrus-scented household soaps and detergents.

Protesters have tried to thwart the mine's construction for two summers in a row and have gotten arrested for chaining themselves to equipment. They argue that the project is an eyesore and that it could contaminate nearby springs and ruin habitat for deer, beaver and bears.

The mine sits on a cleared swath of land enclosed by barbed wire, with modular buildings, bulldozers, large metal posts and rails and a massive metal cylinder with a cone-shaped bottom where the tar sand mixing will be done.

Opponents also worry the mine will spur more projects in this pristine area that attracts hikers, campers and hunters. A 45-mile, $86 million highway as smooth as an autobahn has been built out to the mine. And the state has given approval for three other tar sands operations in the same corner of Utah.  (About $2 million/mile.)

Instead of relying on the usual industrial-strength hydrocarbon solvent, U.S. Oil Sands says it will employ the biodegradable citrus extract that is in grease-cutting household products.

Much more at the link.

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World-Class Cities

The other day I got off on a tangent, world-class cities.  I've been in Tokyo so I can talk first-hand of that experience, and Tokyo is a world-class city. Tonight I happened to watch James Bond Skyfall again and saw Shanghai. Both in the movie and in the "extras" one can see exactly what I mean by a "world-class" city."

From The Williston Wire -- September 4, 2015

Keeping a stiff upper lip:

Drilling is down and hotel vacancies are up, but participants at a conference Wednesday said there are still reasons to be optimistic about Williston's economy. Peter Elzi, a consultant whose firm has done more than 70 market studies on Williston, said low oil prices will make 2015 and 2016 challenging years for the city. But the area has a lot of other economic activity, he said, such as a new airport in the works and construction of new schools and government buildings, along with pipeline and gas plant expansions. "There's still people coming here and there's still activity," said Elzi, a principal with THK Associates in Denver. "People forget the most valuable oil that an oil company owns is still in the ground. It's a bank for them. It's there when prices recover."

Planning economic development:

The city of Williston is ramping up efforts to bring more retail to town. Williston Economic Development and the Williston Convention and Visitor Bureau are partnering with a retail recruitment firm to identify shops and restaurants that best match local customers' needs. Buxton, a Texas-based firm, has helped more than 700 communities open over 35 million square feet of new retail space since 2002. The key to Buxton's success is its information gathering system. 

Finally:

The new Menards Mega Store will open for business on Wednesday in Williston. Trevor Fisk, Williston Menards General Manager says, "The big day is finally here! We appreciate all the support and patience from everyone in town and can't wait to open the doors on Wednesday.  Menards in Jamestown is also opening at the same time.

Moose Sightings:

Moose sightings in Watford City are soon to spike with plans to open a Smiling Moose Rocky Mountain Deli in October 2015 located at 1005 Main St. South. This will be the second Smiling Moose Deli in western North Dakota and the fourth for the state. A group of close, mountain loving friends opened the first Smiling Moose in Edwards, Colorado in 2003, and over the years the fast casual restaurant concept has steadily grown to 18 locations in seven states. 

Up-Scale Luxury Apartment Complex Has Broken Ground:

Williston Apartments, LLC has broken ground on a new upscale apartment community, The Retreat, which will offer residents upscale amenities and a convenient location.  They are pre-leasing now with move in dates set for early winter! This is in a convenient location across from the new Menards.