← Back to Daily Permits
🛢️ OLSON 147-97-34-27-6H
ENERPLUS RESOURCES USA CORPORATION · Dunn County, ND · File #40764 · Generated 2026-02-13 12:33
- API
- 3302504892
- Target Formation
- Middle Bakken
- Permit Explained
- Yes
📋 Permit Cycle Assessment
The permit approval is directly explained and constrained by four time-bound regulatory actions: (1) permit restoration following suspension lift (06-20-2024 suspension, 07-29-2024 spud), (2) 90-day Suspension of Drilling approval enabling staged rig deployment strategy (effective 10-16-2024), (3) wet shoe completion method with mandatory 150-foot toe setback imposed as structural stipulation, and (4) supporting waivers for open hole logs and directional survey frequency that reduced operational cost and complexity. The permit cycle demonstrates that approval was contingent on: the Burlington Resources revocation dispute resolution (enabling spud after 06-20 suspension), the SOD mechanism allowing small-rig surface casing work within a defined 90-day window, and acceptance of non-standard wet shoe completion geometry with specific setback requirements. All material permit conditions directly condition the well's geometry, drilling phasing, and completion design.
🔍 Permit Cycle Signals (5)
📄 Sundry Form 198805 (Change in Completion Method) and APD Stipulations page
📅 07-25-2024 | Approved 03-26-2025 (Exact confidence)
Reviewer comment explicitly required '150' setback at the toe' and tied this to 'new toe design' using wet shoe configuration. This non-standard completion method directly conditioned the permit approval and required regulatory constraint modification from standard cemented shoe design.
📄 June 20, 2024 letter from Todd L. Holweger, Permit Manager; Spud notification 07-30-2024
📅 06-20-2024 | Spud 07-29-2024 (Exact confidence)
Permit 40764 was suspended pending Commission hearing on revocation request. Well was spud 07-29-2024 despite suspension notice dated 06-20-2024, indicating permit was restored or suspension was lifted before spud. This creates a time-sensitive regulatory window that directly enabled the spud approval.
📄 Sundry Form 198632 (Suspension of Drilling)
📅 07-24-2024 | Effective 10-16-2024 (Exact confidence)
SOD approval explicitly permitted operator to use smaller rig for surface casing operations (3–5 days) and allowed 90-day window for rotary rig to arrive before mandatory plug and abandon. This regulatory accommodation directly enabled the staged drilling approach documented in spud notification (T&S 1 rig) and subsequent True 39 rig operations.
📄 Sundry Form 198491 (Open Hole Log Waiver)
📅 07-24-2024 (Exact confidence)
Regulator approved substitution of GR-AIT logs from offset well (10,756'–2,300' TVD) instead of full open hole log suite, and approved Gamma Ray from KOP to surface + cement bond log on 7" casing + mud log. This waiver directly enabled cost reduction and conditioning of completion verification requirements.
📄 Sundry Form 198544 (Directional Survey Frequency Waiver)
📅 07-24-2024 (Exact confidence)
Waiver justified by use of 5-inch Range III drill pipe in 45-foot lengths. Regulator accepted reduced survey frequency based on pipe size and directional drilling methodology, enabling operational efficiency without safety compromise.
📖 Historical Context (6)
Commission Order No. 33255 setback stipulation: 150' south, 50' north, 500' east/west from spacing unit boundaries
📄 APD Stipulations page 1; referenced in multiple directional survey documents · 📅 Unknown
Setback geometry persists as non-negotiable constraint on lateral landing position and horizontal extent. All subsequent well design iterations (wet shoe, 150' toe setback) are derived from this order. Shapes forward completion and stimulation design; violation incurs regulatory sanction.
Little Knife-Bakken Pool definition: 200 feet above Bakken top to above Birdbear Formation top
📄 APD Stipulations page 1 · 📅 Unknown
Pool definition bounds the legal target interval and drainage unit for this and all future wells on spacing unit. Non-compliance subjects well to zone abandonment or commingling violations. Affects reservoir characterization and production allocation.
NDAC 43-02-03-28 simultaneous operations safety regulation; 150' minimum from producing wells (125' with spark arrestor)
📄 APD Stipulations page 1 · 📅 Unknown
Safety separation applies to all on-pad operations during drilling, completion, flowback, and production. Constrains future well locations, equipment placement, and operations sequencing on the LK Olson 34 SW pad for all eight planned horizontal wells. Non-compliance creates operational shutdowns and penalties.
Cores and samples submission requirement to ND Geological Survey within 30–180 days; Base of Last Charles Salt is collection trigger depth
📄 Letter from Ross Edison, Geologist, 5-20-2024 · 📅 05-20-2024
Sample custody and submission is a statutory obligation (ND Century Code 38-08-04) with civil penalty exposure ($12,500 per violation per day). Applies to this well and affects geological database completeness; operator must maintain compliance schedule independent of production status.
Filter sock and solid waste container requirement (leakproof, covered, placard) effective during drilling, completion, flowback, and clean-out operations
📄 August 28, 2023 letter from Assistant Director, Oil & Gas Division · 📅 08-28-2023
Environmental compliance obligation persists throughout well life. All filtration waste must be containerized and transported by permitted haulers (ND Dept of Health Division of Waste Management). Non-compliance creates civil penalties and operational disruptions.
Gas Capture Plan: Oneok Rockies Midstream tie-in commitment; ONEOK Bear Den Gas Plant destination with 320 MMSCFD capacity; flaring target 6% of production
📄 Proposed Wellbore Schematic and Gas Capture Plan, signed 03-11-2024 · 📅 03-11-2024
Well is committed to Oneok gathering system; export capacity and gas plant constraint affects production ramp rate, flowback scheduling, and flaring exposure. Operator is bound by Commission Order 24665 flaring limits. Failure to achieve pipeline tie-in within defined window may trigger mandatory flare stack installation or production curtailment.
🔧 Operator Pattern
Enerplus Resources operates multi-well pad development with staged permitting and drilling sequence; uses exemptions and waivers strategically to reduce capital intensity; maintains active engagement with regulatory approval processes
File contains eight planned horizontal wells on LK Olson 34 SW pad (filed under separate permits 39059–39061, 40764–40765, 40769); operator submitted SOD request enabling small-rig surface casing work and cost savings; obtained waivers for open hole logs (offset well substitution), directional survey frequency reduction, and drill cutting sampling intervals. Operator also self-operated the adjacent spacing unit (N/2 Section 3 T146N R97W), allowing internal waiver of NDIC Order 31848 notification requirement for wellbore trajectory crossing. Operator proactively addressed gas capture and flaring mitigation via Oneok midstream partnership.
Confidence: High
Well file contains complete permit record with dated sundry approvals, explicit stipulation language, regulator comments, and operational completion/plugging reports. Permit approval date is 07-01-2025 (Confidential Status Sundry Form 290121, effective date). Spud date is documented as 07-29-2024 with well completion documented 06-29-2025 and approved 07-17-2025. Directional surveys, bit records, and completion data are complete and internally consistent. Suspension of Drilling, completion method change, and log/survey waivers all have specific approval dates. Only temporal gap is the June 2024 permit suspension and subsequent restoration/lifting, which is reconstructed from suspension notice timing (06-20-2024) and spud notification (07-29-2024). No invention of dates; all material facts sourced to document record.