Bakken and Three Forks-Sanish Oil Update

Tweet North Dakota Production is over 177,000 barrels per day in August, 2008. Barrels per well increasing from 1000 last year to 1400 this year. This does not include about 50,000 bopd from Montana or the Saskatechwan bakken oil.

The Three Forks Sanish Formation which is the geological layer below the Bakken Oil formation shows promise as well.

In April, the U.S. Geological estimated that up to 4.3 billion barrels of oil can be recovered from the Bakken using current technology. The potential of the Three Forks-Sanish formation was factored into the agency’s estimate for the Bakken, though it was based on production from the Antelope Field, said Rich Pollastro, a USGS geologist.

Pollastro said only about 50 wells have tapped the Three Forks-Sanish formation in the past, and all have used conventional vertical drilling. He said Continental’s well was the first

to use horizontal drilling techniques that have been successful in the Bakken.

Many new wells are producing 700 barrels per day and more by tapping into the Three Forks-Sanish Formation.

XTO Energy is getting 1750 barrels per day out of some of its Three Forks-Sanish wells





There may be a Bakken Pipeline spur which would help move more of the Bakken oil out of Saskatchewan and North Dakota.