🛢️ SKAAR 15-22 7H

Devon Energy Williston, LLC (transferred from Grayson Mill Operating, LLC) · McKenzie County, ND · File #40624 · Generated 2026-02-13 12:33

API: 3305310231
Target Formation: Middle Bakken
Permit Explained: Partially

📋 Permit Cycle Assessment

The well file demonstrates permit approval was conditioned on contemporaneous operational specifications and engineering assurances. The initial APD (04/01/2024) authorized drilling with specific casing design, cementing program, and mud program. Subsequent permit modifications (04/23/2025) and waivers (05/02/2024, 04/25/2024, 04/18/2024, 04/10/2024) directly condition the well's execution. However, the file does not contain an explicit contemporaneous explanation for why the permit modification was necessary in April 2025—the technical justification for the 3-string-to-4-string casing redesign is absent. The operator change (10/31/2025) post-completion does not appear to require or explain a new permit but rather a transfer of existing authorization. Permit renewal (04/03/2025) is routine and precedes spud. The permit-cycle record is largely complete for drilling/completion phases but lacks explicit operational rationale for the design modification.

🔍 Permit Cycle Signals (5)

Permit Modification approved - change from 3-string to 4-string deep-set casing design

Direct

📄 Permit Modification Form, dated 04/23/2025
📅 2025-04-23 (Exact confidence)

Fundamental change to well design post-original APD approval; modification conditioned on CBL (Cement Bond Log) requirements on all casing strings and specific cement job procedures

Operator change from Grayson Mill Operating, LLC to Devon Energy Williston, LLC

Supporting

📄 Notice of Transfer of Oil and Gas Wells (Form 15), approved 10/31/2025
📅 2025-10-31 (Exact confidence)

Well transferred to new operator post-spud (06/12/2025) and post-TD (07/03/2025); bond transferred to CMS0358791

Permit Renewal approved for continued operations beyond initial permit term

Supporting

📄 Sundry Form (Form 4), Permit Renewal, approved 04/03/2025
📅 2025-04-03 (Exact confidence)

Renewal submitted 03/31/2025 and approved 04/03/2025, indicating extended operational authorization; requested before spud date (06/12/2025)

Tubing/Packer Waiver approved with specific casing design assurances

Direct

📄 Sundry Form (Form 4), Tubing/Packer Waiver, approved 05/02/2024
📅 2024-05-02 (Exact confidence)

Variance to NDAC 43-02-03-21 granted based on operator assurances regarding new #29 and #32 casing with 11,220 psi API burst rating, 0.85 safety factor, immediate damage detection monitoring, and 300# surface gauge installation during flowback

Suspension of Drilling approved for 90-day initial small-rig surface-casing operation before main-rig arrival

Direct

📄 Sundry Form (Form 4), Suspension of Drilling, approved 04/25/2024
📅 2024-04-25 (Exact confidence)

Approved 04/24/2024, authorizing two-phase drilling: small rig for 17½-inch surface hole with freshwater mud (no saltwater), followed by main rig within 90 days; surface casing set at 5,000 MD per APD; reflects operational phasing strategy

📖 Historical Context (5)

H2S contingency planning and public protection measures for Watford City extra-territorial jurisdiction location
📄 H2S Mitigation Plan (March 2024) and Well Site Emergency Response Plan (March 2024); Permit Modification stipulations (04/23/2025, Municipality section) · 📅 2024-03-11
Well pad located within Watford City's extra-territorial boundary; H2S drilling contingency plan, closed mud system, impermeable liner, security fence, perimeter berm, and spill contingency plan are mandatory and persist through production. Public protection protocols (100 PPM ROE 3,000 ft, 500 PPM ROE 1,373 ft) remain in force.

Deep surface casing (13-3/8-inch at 5,000 MD) with restrictive mud-logging and no-intentional-deviation requirements; Mowry Formation protection
📄 Permit Modification (04/23/2025), Conditions of Approval; APD (04/01/2024) · 📅 2024-04-01
Well design restriction: 17½-inch surface hole and 13-3/8-inch casing must not penetrate Mowry Formation; mud logger required ground level to TD of surface hole; intentional deviation prohibited. These constraints affect any future sidetrack, workover, or remedial operations.

Cement Bond Log (CBL) requirements on multiple casing strings with zero-pressure pass and compressive strength verification protocol
📄 Permit Modification (04/23/2025), Conditions of Approval · 📅 2025-04-23
CBL required on 13-3/8-inch deep-set surface casing (radial or ultrasonic) and 7-inch production casing (standard). Adequate cement curing time required before CBL to achieve minimum 500 psi compressive strength. These requirements bind any future cement remediation or abandonment decisions.

South Tobacco Garden-Bakken Pool definition and setback constraints (150' north/south, 500' east/west within 1280-acre unit)
📄 Permit Modification (04/23/2025), NDIC Field Order Info; APD (04/01/2024) · 📅 2024-04-01
Pool definition (50 ft above Bakken top to 50 ft below Three Forks top) and setback geometry (south setback based on wet-shoe production liner and frac-out ability) constrain all future development, spacing, or unitization decisions within the field.

Anti-collision compliance and offset well monitoring requirements (wells within 500 ft reviewed; maximum legal coordinates specified at 7-inch casing point and TD)
📄 Permit Modification (04/23/2025), Conditions of Approval; APD (04/01/2024) · 📅 2024-04-01
Legal coordinates for 7-inch casing point (247' north max from wellhead) and TD (10,013' south max from wellhead at azimuth 177.82°) define the well's authorized spatial envelope. Any deviation or sidetrack must re-verify anti-collision against offset wellbores.

🔧 Operator Pattern

Grayson Mill Operating, LLC initiated drilling under two-phase operational strategy (small-rig surface-casing, main-rig build-to-TD) with emphasis on casing design, environmental compliance, and emergency response infrastructure. Well transferred to Devon Energy Williston, LLC post-completion (10/31/2025) under existing bond and operational framework.
SOD approval (04/25/2024) authorizing 90-day surface-casing phase; H2S Plan and ERP (March 2024) demonstrating proactive hazard mitigation for Watford City proximity; Tubing/Packer Waiver (05/02/2024) with detailed casing specification assurances; Closed mud system and Nuverra disposal commitment (drilling plan); SCADA, high-level alarms, pollution pots, and SASR membership documented in operator letter (March 2024). No violations or enforcement actions referenced in file.

Confidence: High
Well file contains complete permit chain (APD 04/01/2024, Modification 04/23/2025, Transfer 10/31/2025), executed waivers with approval dates and reviewer sign-offs, geological logs with dated certifications (06/12–07/03/2025 drilling window), MWD survey data (07/04/2025 certification), and operator commitments with specific dates. Operator change post-completion is documented with bond authority (RLI Insurance, CMS0358791). Historical constraints (H2S, setback, CBL, anti-collision) are explicitly stated in regulatory approval documents. Missing element: no explicit technical justification for the 3-to-4 string casing redesign in April 2025 permit modification—the 'why' is absent, though the 'what' is clear. Overall document integrity and regulatory completeness support high confidence in permit-cycle and historical signal extraction.