Montana oil permits

New Locations - Horizontal Wells

Three new Bakken Formation wells were approved in Richland County. All three wells will be operated by XTO Energy, Inc. The Dige Federal 41X-29D has a surface hole location (SHL) at NE NE 29-23N-59E (229 FNL/1201 FEL) and a probable bottom hole location (PBHL) of 20,170 feet at SE SE 32-23N-59E (250 FSL/1340 FEL). The Dige Federal 41X-29B has an SHL at NE NE 29-23N-59E (229 FNL/1231 FEL) and a PBHL of 20,704 feet at SW SE 32-23N-59E (250 FSL/2580 FEL). The Dige Federal 41X-29A has an SHL at NE NE 29-23N-59E (229 FNL/1261 FEL) and a PBHL of 21,580 feet at SE SW 32-23N-59E (250 FSL/1340 FWL).

Re-Entry of Plugged Wells

In Powder River County’s Bell Creek Field, Denbury Onshore, LLC has been approved to re-enter a pugged well, the Federal 15-11, located at C NE SW 15-8S-54E (1980 FSL/1980 FWL). The well was spudded on September 11, 1967 and abandoned in 1989. The well terminates in the Skull Creek Formation.

Re-Issued Locations

In Richland County, a re-issued permit was approved for the Bahls HSL, operated by Continental Resources Inc., with an SHL at NE NE 10-23N-56E (345 FNL/330 FEL) and a PBHL of 20,281 feet at SE SE 15-23N-56E (200 FSL/0 FEL). The Bahls will target the Bakken Formation.

In Toole County, five permits were re-issued to wells that will be drilled by Anadarko E&P Onshore, LLC.

The Horgus Fee 3702 07-11H has an SHL at SW SW 7-37N-2W (380 FSL/380 FWL) and a PBHL of 7,899 feet at NW NW 7-37N-2W (330 FNL/380 FWL); the Horgus Fee 3702 07-06-42H has an SHL at NE NE 7-37N-2W (965 FNL/600 FEL) and a PBHL of 7,915 feet at NE NE 6-37N-2W (609 FNL/600 FEL). The Horgus wells will target the Bakken Formation.

The other three Anadarko wells in Toole County to be approved for re-issued permits will be targeting the Exshaw Shale Formation.

The Simmes Ranch 41-11-36-3WH has an SHL at NE NE 11-36N-3W (400 FNL/735 FEL) and a PBHL of 7,360 feet at SE SE 11-36N-3W (400 FSL/735 FEL); the Simmes Ranch 21-13-36-3WH has an SHL at NE NW 13-36N-3W (200 FNL/2230 FWL) and a PBHL of 7,596 feet at SE SW 13-36N-3W (400 FSL/2230 FWL) and the Simmes Ranch 31-14-36-3WH has an SHL at NW NE 14-36N-3W (400 FNL/1980 FEL) and a PBHL of 7,448 feet at SW SE 14-36N-3W (400 FSL/1980 FEL).

The Exshaw Formation is equivalent to the lower and middle members of the Bakken Formation in southern Alberta, southern Saskatchewan, Montana and North Dakota.

Completions

In Dawson County, Interstate Explorations, LLC reported the completion of the MBA Consultants 1-1, located at NE NE 34-19N-56E (1180 FNL/664 FEL). The well, which taps into the Red River Formation at a total depth of 12,000 feet, recorded an initial production (IP) of 18 barrels of oil per day (BOPD) and 390 barrels of water per day (BWPD).

In Richland County, there were three completions reported.

Whiting Oil and Gas Corporation reported the completion of two wells.

The Sundheim 21-27-2H. The Sundheim has an SHL at NE NW 27-25N-58E (350 FNL/1980 FWL) and three laterals with bottom hole locations (BHLs) of 10,653 feet at NE NW 27-25N-58E (723 FNL/1931 FWL); 10,529 feet at NE NW 27-25N-58E (610 FNL/1941 FWL) and 20,145 at SE SW 34-25N-58E (251 FSL/1999 FWL). All three laterals tap the Bakken Formation. The well reported an IP of 1,429 BOPD, 1,119 thousand cubic feet of gas per day (MCFPD) and 3,386 BWPD.

The Iversen 34-32-4H has an SHL at SW SE 32-26N-58E (25 FSL/2280 FEL) and a BHL of 21,106 feet at NE NE 29-26N-58E (236 FNL/638 FEL). The Bakken Formation well reported an IP of 1,118 BOPD, 662 MCFPD and 4,682 BWPD.

Continental Resources Inc. reported the completion of two wells in Richland County.

The Cherry 2-17H has an SHL at NW NW 17-24N-53E (325 FNL/270 FWL) and two laterals with BHLs of 13,843 feet at SW SW 17-24N-53E (180 FSL/691 FWL) and 19,075 feet at SW SW 20-24N-53E (236 FSL/679 FWL). The well reported an IP of 827 BOPD, 559 MCFPD and 281 BWPD. The Cherry taps into the Bakken Formation.

The Bauer 1-29HR has an SHL at NE NE 29-25N-55E (312 FNL/709 FEL) and a BHL of 12,362 feet at NW NE 29-25N-55E (1188 FNL/1541 FEL). The Red River Formation well reported did not report any IP results.

In Roosevelt County, Oasis Petroleum North America LLC reported the completion of three wells.

The Faye Federal 2759 43-19H has an SHL at SW SE 19-27N-59E (510 FSL/1680 FEL) and two laterals with BHLs of 13,094 feet at SW NE 30-27N-59E (2337 FNL/2099 FEL) and 21,025 feet at SW SE 31-27N-59E (307 FSL/2085 FEL). The well, which targets the Three Forks Formation, reported an IP of 2,065 BOPD, 1,674 MCFPD and 3,940 BWPD.

The Signal Butte Federal 2758 44-9 #2B has an SHL at SE SE 9-27N-58E (160 FSL/520 FEL) and four laterals with BHLs of 17,509 feet at NE SE 4-27N-58E (2407 FSL/611 FEL); 17,835 feet at SE NE 4-27N-58E (2551 FNL/641 FEL); 19,578 feet at NE NE 4-27N-58E (809 FNL/612 FEL) and 20,090 feet at NE NE 4-27N-58E (296 FNL/586 FEL). The Signal Butte reported an IP of 890 BOPD, 365 MCFPD and 4,522 BWPD. The well taps into the Bakken Formation.

The Signal Butte Federal 2758 44-9 #3B has an SHL at SE SE 9-27N-58E (160 FSL/570 FEL) and a BHL of 20,340 feet at 4-27N-58E (307 FNL/1458 FEL). The Bakken Formation well recorded an IP of 890 BOPD, 635 MCFPD and 4,522 BWPD.

In Fergus County, Minuteman Exploration, LLC reported the completion of two Heath Formation wells. The Bunker Hill 15-17-21-1 has an SHL at NE SW 21-15N-17E (2305 FSL/2292 FWL) and a BHL of 2,833 feet at NE SW 21-15N-17E (2161 FSL/2161 FWL); the Concord 14-17-10-1 has an SHL at NW SE 10-14N-17E (2309 FSL/1956 FEL) and a BHL of 2,510 feet at NW SE 10-14N-17E (2285 FSL/2010 FEL). Both Fergus County wells targeted the Heath Formation, no production report was given.

In Judith Basin County, Minuteman Exploration, LLC reported the completion of three Heath Formation wells,

The Quebec 13-15-5-1 has an SHL at NW SE 5-13N-15E (2022 FSL/2298 FEL) and a BHL of 4,000 feet at NW SE 5-13N-15E (2281 FSL/2273 FEL); the Lexington 14-15-25-1 has an SHL at NW SE 25-14N-15E (2309 FSL/2295 FEL) and a BHL of 3,739 feet at NW SE 25-14N-15E (2076 FSL/2052 FEL) and the Yorktown 14-14-20-1 has an SHL at NE SW 20-14N-14E (2314 FSL/2307 FWL) and a BHL of 3,300 feet at NE SW 20-14N-14E (2293 FSL/2280 FWL). No IP numbers were reported for the Judith Basin wells.

In McCone County, Great Plains Energy, Inc. reported the completion of the Duck Creek 1-5, located at NE SW 5-21N-48E (1980 FSL/1980 FWL). The Dawson Bay, Interlake Formation well reported an IP of 87 BOPD, 18 MCFPD and 95 BWPD.

Abandoned Wells

In Blaine County’s Sawtooth Mountain Field, final abandonment procedures were approved for three wells. The operator of record is NorthWestern Corporation: the Federal 1-2, located at W2 SW NE 2-26N-20E (1800 FNL/1980 FEL); the U.S. 2-3, located at SHL: NE NW 2-26N-20E (942 FNL/2340 FWL) and the US-DIR 1-4, located at SW NW 1-26N-20E (2203 FNL/219 FWL).

In Sheridan County’s South Comertown Field, final abandonment procedures were approved for the State 2-16, operated by Abraxas Petroleum Corporation. The well is located at SE SW 16-36N-57E (727 FSL/1560 FWL).

In Toole County, final abandonment procedures were approved for the Zell 14-6, located at SW SW 6-31N-2W (990 FSL/1050 FWL). The Zell was first drilled in 1991 by Sands Oil Company. In 1992, the operator of record was changed from Sands Oil Company to Rawlin Zell. In October, 2014, the operator of record was changed to Lucile Smith.

Permit report for Jan. 26 - Feb. 6.

Darryl L. Flowers is the publisher of the Sun Times in Fairfield, www.fairfieldsuntimes.com, and can be contacted at publisher@fairfieldsuntimes.com.