🛢️ STEPANEK 5201 13-18 4B

OASIS PETROLEUM NORTH AMERICA LLC · McKenzie County, ND · File #41277 · Generated 2026-04-04 15:56

API: 3305310407
Target Formation: Middle Bakken
Permit Explained: Partially

📋 Permit Cycle Assessment

The well file contains limited contemporaneous documentation explaining the original drilling permit (issued 10/24/2024). The permit approval itself is not directly explained by contemporaneous regulatory orders or stipulation letters in the file—only standard APD conditions (setbacks, closed mud system, CBL on 9-5/8 casing, perimeter berm) and boilerplate safety/operational requirements appear. However, the file does document two post-permit, time-sensitive operational events: (1) a casing integrity repair approved 01/06/2026 following frac-stage stuck plug and liner distortion discovery, and (2) freshwater tank infrastructure approval 12/22/2025 supporting well completion/frac operations. The drilling permit itself was conditioned on a pre-permit open hole log waiver (10/31/2024) granted via offset well reference, which is the only significant permit-cycle regulatory signal directly tied to the original drilling approval. No contemporaneous geologist order, engineer waiver request, or regulatory directive explains why this particular horizontal well in the Bakken required exceptional approval conditions beyond standard Bakken pad drilling rules.

🔍 Permit Cycle Signals (3)

Casing repair approval issued following stuck plug and liner distortion discovery during frac operations. Permission granted to mill out casing and install 120' expandable patch over ~20' distorted section at ~12,000' MD.

Direct

📄 Well Sundry Form, Form ID 291255, Reviewer: Gunther Harms
📅 01/06/2026 (Exact confidence)

Post-perforation/frac operational issue requiring mid-well intervention. Indicates well encountered unexpected casing integrity problem not anticipated at drilling stage.

Temporary freshwater storage tank (40K, 150' diameter AST) approved for multi-well pad support. Tank to feed Stepanek 5201 13-18 pad (wells 2B, 3B, 4B) and support frac/coil operations.

Supporting

📄 Well Sundry Form, Form ID 289570, Reviewer: Cody VanderBusch, Effective Date 12/22/2025
📅 12/22/2025 (Exact confidence)

Infrastructure approval tied to well completion/frac phase. Documents contemporaneous facility deployment for well stimulation.

Open hole log waiver granted under NDIC Rule 43-02-03-31. Offset well GREEN 18-1 (NDIC 10387) provides formation tops. GR-CBL to be run from TD to ground level as substitute.

Direct

📄 Well Sundry Form, Form ID 215481, Reviewer: Ross Edison, Effective Date 10/31/2024
📅 10/31/2024 (Exact confidence)

Pre-permit geological data waiver conditioning drilling operations. Offset reference well substitutes for primary open hole logs per regulatory rule.

📖 Historical Context (3)

Cores and sample submission requirement per ND Century Code §38-08-04 and NDAC §43-02-03-38.1. Operator directed to collect drill cuttings at 30' intervals (vertical/build) and 200' intervals (horizontal), submit within 30 days of drilling completion to ND Geological Survey Core Library, Grand Forks.
📄 Letter from Ross Edison, Geologist, dated 10/28/2024 · 📅 10/28/2024
Statutory obligation persisting through well completion and beyond. Non-compliance carries civil penalty up to $12,500 per violation per day. Affects post-drill operations and compliance record.

Anti-collision safety protocol established using certified well planner AC guidance, real-time corrected surveys every 93–100 feet (increased frequency near lateral crossings), 1.2 industry-standard separation safety factor, and gamma ray signature identification to avoid wellbore collisions with Eckert 41X-6D, Eckert 41X-6H, Greenstein 30-31 5H/6H, and Stepanek 5201 13-18 2B/3B.
📄 Oasis Drill Statements - Anti-Collision Statement and Anticollision Report (Survey Tool Program dated 10/10/2024) · 📅 10/10/2024
Operational constraint during drilling and lateral section execution. Dictates survey frequency and corrective steering protocols if lateral approaches offset wellbores. Minimum separation factor 1.355 documented for Stepanek 5201 13-18 3B interaction.

Indirect heater facility design with NDIC setback exemption (Case No. 28949, Order No. 31500) permits 60-foot setback from wellhead and 21-foot setback from oil tank, replacing direct heated treater.
📄 Oasis Drill Statements - Facility Statement · 📅 Unknown
Non-standard facility layout codified in order. Affects surface equipment placement, maintenance, and future facility modifications. Exemption is well-specific and non-transferable.

🔧 Operator Pattern

Multi-well pad development strategy with integrated freshwater logistics and real-time anti-collision monitoring. Demonstrates operational scale and technical coordination across three-well Bakken horizontal pad (wells 2B, 3B, 4B in same section) with drill-back waiver capability into adjacent spacing unit (Section 7).
Stepanek 5201 13-18 pad contains three laterals drilled from common surface location; operator self-manages adjacent spacing unit development; facilities consolidated (single indirect heater, shared freshwater tank); drill-back notification pre-filed 02/28/2024 citing self-operation of adjacent unit eliminating third-party notification requirement.

Confidence: Medium
File contains complete drilling permit documentation with standard Bakken pool conditions and clear contemporaneous operational records (sundry notices, geologic logs, anti-collision calcs). However, the original permit approval (10/24/2024) lacks explicit regulatory justification or non-routine conditioning beyond standard APD boilerplate and off-spacing/anti-collision analysis. The casing repair and freshwater tank approvals are well-documented but post-drilling events. Open hole log waiver is the only direct pre-permit regulatory signal. OCR quality is high; dates are precise where provided. Confidence is reduced because the file does not include correspondence, engineer orders, or regulatory rationale explicitly justifying the permit issuance itself—only the permit document and routine operational conditions.