Data recently released by the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources make official a new record high initial production rate of 7,824 barrels of oil equivalent per day that a Whiting Petroleum offsetting upper Three Forks well in the Twin Valley field in northern McKenzie County put out during the first 24 hours of production when tested in October 2014. Whiting announced the IP in its third quarter 2013 press release, but with the well on confidential status for six months, the data only recently became part of North Dakota’s official public record.
The Flatland Federal 11-4TFH produced 6,002 barrels of oil and 10,932 thousand cubic feet of natural gas in the first 24 hours on production, which equates to the record 7,824 boe using a conversion of 6,000 cubic feet of gas per barrel of oil equivalent.
A second Whiting well on the same pad, the Flatland Federal 11-4HR completed in the middle Bakken and also tested in October, also trumped the previous high IP by producing 5,002 barrels of oil and 12,706 mcf of gas for a combined IP 7,120 boe. Both of those top IP Whiting wells were completed with coiled tubing and cemented liners.
According to Petroleum News Bakken’s research, the previous record high combined IP was 7,027 boe from Statoil’s Beaux 18-19 7H in the neighboring Banks field, which now stands as the third highest North Dakota IP. That well, originally drilled by Brigham Oil and Gas, produced 5,417 barrels of oil and 9,663 mcf of gas when tested in August 2013.
Whiting’s Tarpon 21-4H well, also in the Twin Banks field, now moves down from the No. 2 IP in the state to No. 4. That well produced 4,815 barrels of oil and 13,163 mcf of gas when tested in October 2011 for a combined IP of 7,009.
The fifth highest IP is now Statoil’s Beaux 18-19 4H middle Bakken well, on the same pad as the other Statoil well, that yielded 5,387 barrels of oil and 9,484 mcf of gas for a combined IP of 6,968 boe when tested in June 2013. That well was also originally drilled by Brigham Oil and Gas.
While not breaking a record, a third Whiting well on the same pad as the other Flatland Federal wells, a second bench Three Forks well, produced 4,207 barrels of oil and 10,340 mcf of gas in the first 24 hours for a combined IP of 5,930 boepd. The three Whiting wells filled the top three spots on the week’s top 10 IP list for North Dakota wells (see page 11).
Since going on production Oct. 11, Whiting’s top IP well has been on production for a total of 178 days yielding 263,964 barrels of oil and 641,379 mcf of gas for an average daily output of 1,483 barrels of oil and 3,602 mcf of gas with a combined average of 2,084 boepd.
Whiting’s second IP well has been on production for 177 days yielding 231,901 barrels of oil and 536,215 mcf of gas for daily averages of 1,310 barrels, 3,030 mcf and 1,815 boe.
Statoil’s Beaux 18-19 7H well has produced 215,734 barrels of oil and 317,305 mcf of gas over 475 days resulting in daily averages of 454 barrels, 668 mcf and 566 boe.
