Bear Creek Oil Field

Updates

September 14, 2012: permits issued so far in 2012 --

• None.

Original Post

When a relatively small player in the Bakken reports three monster wells in a relatively quiet oil field all on the same day, maybe it's time to take a look at that oil field. Denbury reported the three monster wells (two short laterals, one long lateral); two Denbury wells waiting to be fracked; and DNR is drilling two wells (not all of these wells are in Bear Creek; two are in Murphy Creek and one is in the Charlson).

The Bear Creek oil field is a relatively small field, all of 19 sections, directly west of the southwest corner of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation.

Currently there are ten horizontal producing wells, all but two short laterals. Three of them are still on the confidential list according to the GIS map server but in fact were reported in the Denbury link above.

This area was active in the previous boom as evidenced by several vertical wells that are still producing and have file numbers in the 10500 to 12000 range. Two file numbers, #10749 and #11365, were obviously filed before this current boom but are horizontal wells. My database does not go back that far and I don't subscribe to any premium service at the NDIC so I can't add much information to these wells.

The 11365: Brandvik 11-2, spudded in October, 2002. Interesting: a horizontal spudded back in 2002; the Madison was entered in 2000, cum of 120K 7/12; still producing; the Duperow was entered 1985; produced 26K, PNA;
The 10749: Wild Turkey Federal 1-22H, the Duperow was entered in 1985; produced 129K now abandoned; the Bakken was entered in 2008; IP of 439; t2/08; cum 129K 7/12; still active;

There is currently one rig on site inside the Bear Creek field: #18725, Summerfield 15-15H, American Oil and Gas.