Just as towns and cities and counties in Oklahoma are taking economic advantage of the surge in oil and gas activity in the SCOOP and STACK, so are the businesses of North Dakota’s Bakken play.
As the Bismarck Tribune reported recently, North Dakota legislators spent two days in November touring operations of four energy firms in Minot. They were Hess Oil, Cameron Surface Systems, Enbridge and Baker Hughes.
All apparently indicated they do not plan any letup in operations in the Bakken, a play where Oklahoma’s Continental Resources continues to have a strong presence at the urging of founder Harold Hamm.
Continental drilled its first Bakken well in 2003 and now, as the company website states, “This prolific oil field has been the cornerstone of Continental’s tremendous growth.” Its first Bakken well drilled in North Dakota came a year later. Continental’s interests cover North Dakota and Montana where the crude oil is described as the highest quality in the world.
By all indications, the company is expanding operations as its crews are able to drill a Bakken well from spud to total depth in 12 days. The crews average 2,000 feet of drilling a day.
It’s understandable why other companies want to expand their operations in the Bakken including Hess Oil whose spokesman told the North Dakota legislators is planning to deliver 100 new wells in the coming year. Production is expected to be increased by ten percent. His company’s drilling cycle time also has dropped from an average 50 days down to 15.