Big Stick Oil Field -- Whiting Madison Wells in One Section, Billings County, Williston Basin, North Dakota, USA

Updates

Permits 

2012
22634, conf, Whiting, BSMU 3108, Big Stick,
22637, conf, Whiting, BSMU 2410, Big Stick,
22694, conf, Whiting, BSMU 3006, Big Stick,

From 2011, forward, not including ones already posted below
22059, conf, Whiting, BSMU 2304, Big Stick,
21547, drl, Whiting, Teddy 11-20TFH, Big Stick,

Original Post

Big Stick Oil Field is an older oil field in the Williston Basin, comprising just less than one township, T142N-R101W, with a few sections in the township to the south. If one looks at the GIS map server it is peppered with vertical wells, most (all?) of which are Madison wells drilled back in the very late 70's and 80's. The center of the field is about 20 miles northwest of Belfield, and explains the increased emphasis on CBR oil-loading facilities in the southwestern part of the state (Zap, Dickinson, and Fryburg).

There are some huge Madison wells there, as noted below.

At the time of the posting, the area is "owned" by Whiting and is part of their Lewis and Clark prospect.

It appears that drillers will be interested in two formations: vertical wells into the Madison and horizontal wells into the Three Forks formation. Today, these wells are on the confidential list:
21075, conf, Whiting, BSMU 1807, Madison
21077, conf, Whiting, BSMU 1707, Madison
21127, conf, Whiting, BSMU 1706, Madison
21074, conf, Whiting, BSMU 1705, Madison
19370, 17, Whiting, BSMU 2905, Madison, t4/12; cum 227 bbls (no typo -- brand new well); no production since testing;
18652, conf-->drl, Whiting, BSMU 3107, Madison
19294, conf, Whiting, BSMU 3605, Madison
19417, conf, Whiting, Teddy State 21-36TFH, Three Forks; production 6K in 2/12; 4K in 3/12;

Remember the Whiting Madison well posted earlier?

That well is in section 36-T142N-R101W in northern Billings County, in southwestern North Dakota, in Whiting's Lewis and Clark prospect.

That Madison well produced 110,000 bbls in the first year, comparable to any Bakken well. I was curious what the other wells in that section did:

• 6995, 569, Whiting, BSMU 3610, Big Stick field, s1979; t 1979; cum 625,309, 4/12; still producing (32 years)
• 7123, 450, Whiting, BSMU 3603, Big Stick field, s1980; t1980; cum 1,795,849 bbls 4/12;
• 7124, 115, Whiting, BSMU 3612, Big Stick field, s1983; t1983; cum 115,648 4/12
  
• 7125, 311, Whiting, BSMU 3602, Big Stick field, s1979; t1979; cum 792,016; PNA
• 15445, 224, Whiting, BSMU 2506, Big Stick field, s2003;t2003; cum 155K 4/12;
  
• 18625, 368, Whiting, BSMU 3604, Big Stick field, s10;t10; cum 145K bbls 4/12

In the neighboring section,

• 7295, 1,711, Whiting, BSMU 3503, Big Stick Field, s81;t81; cum 1,381,756 bbls 3/12

Comments on this later. But except for the new wells drilled in the last year or so, these are all 30-year-old wells and all are still producing, except for one or two. 

The IPs are respectable for Bakken wells, but for Madison wells they are huge. And then look at the Madison well with an IP of 1,711. Pretty interesting.

By the way, earlier this year, Sagebrush reported a great Madison well in Renville County, northern North Dakota.

• 19315, 1,038, Sagebrush, Rice 11, Renville, Madison (not a Bakken), s7/10; 8/10; cum 80K (4/12); the drop off in production was severe after the first two months, but it is producing 2,500 bbls/month a year later