File #12531 | Petro-Hunt Dakota, LLC | McKenzie County
API
33-053-02251
Target Formation
Bakken
Permit Explained
Partially
Permit Cycle Assessment
The well file documents operator and purchaser/transporter changes that are directly tied to the 2017 operator transfer but does not contain explicit documentation of a new drilling permit or completion approval issued in the January 2017 timeframe. The file shows the well was previously completed in December 1988 (Bakken Pool) and has operated continuously since then under multiple operators. The 2017 operator change required regulatory approval and bond posting but does not constitute a new drilling permit. No contemporaneous documentation explaining a fresh drilling permit action is present in this file. The file is primarily a historical record of ownership transfers and marketing changes rather than a permit issuance file.
Permit Cycle Signals (2)
Operator change from Emerald Oil, Inc. to Petro-Hunt Dakota, LLC effective January 1, 2017 (2017-01-01)
Operator transfer is a regulatory event that requires approval and bond posting. New operator assumed responsibility under Bond No. 106150693 (Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America).
Purchaser and Transporter changes documented in Form 8 filings dated December 18, 2017; March 27, 2018; April 2, 2018; and May 3, 2018 (2017-12-18 | 2018-03-27 | 2018-04-02 | 2018-05-03)
Series of purchaser/transporter changes: Concord Energy LLC (August 1, 2017), Mann Energy Services (April 1, 2018), and Tugg Trucking (May 1, 2018). These represent standard operational adjustments following operator transfer.
Historical Non-Routine Signals (4)
Well converted from producer to saltwater disposal candidate in 1996 (UIC Permit A2345477C issued February 29, 1996) but conversion was never completed; permit rescinded March 17, 1997 (1996-02-29)
Well retains obligation to comply with Dakota formation saltwater disposal regulations if future conversion is contemplated. Operator records show well remained a producing Bakken well and SWD status was not pursued; this decision chain persists in regulatory record.
Well qualified as Stripper Well Property for Bakken Pool under NDCC 57-51.1-01 (October 21, 1997); average daily production 10.2 barrels per day during January-December 1996 qualifying period (1997-10-21)
Stripper well status has potential tax implications and regulatory treatment under North Dakota statute. This determination is applicable only to Bakken Pool. Status may affect future abandonment and reclamation obligations.
Operational compliance issues documented: field inspector noted reserve pit reclamation deficiency (July 20, 1989); mud log and deviation survey past due (November 1989, November 20, 1989); bottom hole pressure test reporting non-compliance (December 18, 1990) (1989-07-20)
Historical pattern of administrative/operational deficiencies may indicate need for heightened record-keeping discipline. Well has long operational history (spudded October 28, 1988) with multiple operators; historical compliance gaps could inform current operator's obligation to maintain current reporting.
Principal name change from Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company to Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company LP effective January 1, 2001; subsequent principal name change from Nance Petroleum Corporation to St Mary Land & Exploration Company effective December 26, 2007 (2001-01-01 | 2007-12-26)
Bond continuity and legal responsibility chain: Well was covered by multiple bonds under different principal names (Bond E803 under Nance Petroleum; subsequent bonds under St Mary). Establishes legal chain of operational responsibility across operator transitions.
Historical Operator Profile
Total Wells:N/A
Active Wells:N/A
Notable Patterns:None identified
Confidence Assessment
Level: Medium Rationale: File contains comprehensive historical record of operator transfers, purchaser changes, and regulatory actions dating to 1988 well completion. However, the file does not explicitly label a 'new permit' approval date; the anchor dates (January 2017 operator change) are well-documented but subsequent to well drilling. The 2017-2018 forms document operational changes (purchaser/transporter) following the operator transfer but do not represent a new drilling permit or completion permit. Absence of explicit permit-issuance documentation contemporaneous with the operator change creates ambiguity about what specific 'new permit' the task references. If the task refers to the January 2017 operator transfer itself, that approval is documented; if it refers to a drilling or completion permit, none is found in this file dated 2017–2018.