File #41358 | Whiting Oil & Gas Corporation (subsidiary of Chord Energy) | McKenzie County
API
33-053-10427
Target Formation
Middle Bakken
Permit Explained
Yes
Permit Cycle Assessment
The permit approval dated 11/20/2024 is directly explained by regulator-issued conditioning stipulations anchored to Commission Order No. 33461 (150' setback, 500' drilling corridor constraint). The approval also explicitly incorporates an approved waiver from standard open-hole logging requirements (11/22/2024), substituting gamma-ray/cement bond log. Anti-collision analysis completed 07/24/2024 and drill-back notification executed 11/19/2024 represent pre-permit technical and regulatory justifications for approval. The permit is time-bound to the spud date (03/18/2025) and conditions all drilling operations to compliance with setback, well trajectory, logging, and separation requirements specified in the approval package.
Permit Cycle Signals (4)
Commission Order No. 33461 conditioning approval to drill with 150' setback from north/south boundaries and requirement that non-cemented wellbore portions remain within 500' drilling corridor along north-south axis (11/20/2024)
Core regulatory condition anchoring the permit approval; directly constrains wellbore geometry and setback compliance as fundamental approval requirement
Open Hole Log Waiver approved under NDAC 43-02-03-31 based on offsetting well (Dobias State Unit 1, NDIC File No. 11078) within one mile with sufficient open logs; GR-CBL to be run from TD to ground level as substitute (11/22/2024)
Waiver directly justifies permit approval variance from standard logging requirement; conditioning approval on alternative log specification (GR-CBL)
Anti-Collision analysis completed with 1.2 separation safety factor maintained; real-time corrected surveys required every 93-100 feet; no Level 3 warnings for primary offsets except Anderson-Federal State 30-1 (1.320 separation factor at closest approach) (07/24/2024)
Anti-collision clearance is pre-permit technical justification required for approval; one offset well flagged with Level 3 warning (Anderson-Federal State 30-1) indicates regulatory scrutiny of separation; report dated prior to permit approval
Drill-back notification affidavit executed 11/19/2024 confirming notice sent to adjacent operator (Zavanna LLC) regarding wellbore entry into Bakken Petroleum System outside target spacing unit per Order No. 31848 (11/19/2024)
Pre-approval compliance with mandatory drill-back notification policy (Order No. 31848); demonstrates operator executed required inter-operator coordination prior to permit issuance
Historical Non-Routine Signals (4)
Core and sample submission requirements mandated by North Dakota Century Code Section 38-08-04 and NDAC 43-02-03-38.1; samples from Base of Last Charles Salt at 30' maximum intervals (vertical/build) and 200' maximum intervals (horizontal) must be submitted to State Geologist within 30 days of drilling completion; cores within 180 days (N/A)
Ongoing obligation binding completion operations; non-compliance carries civil penalty up to $12,500 per day per North Dakota Century Code Section 38-08-16; forward operational impact through completion and post-drilling phases
Long-term visual erosion monitoring plan required with immediate NDIC Field Inspector notification of significant erosional changes, specifically to southern edge of pad; Field Inspector Will Ryan contact required prior to location construction (N/A)
Standing operational obligation persisting through entire well life; erosion event notification requirement creates ongoing compliance duty and potential regulatory intervention trigger if not maintained
Perimeter berm required surrounding entire location; all conductor/rat/mouse holes must be cased and cemented to ground level with surface security; rat and mouse holes must be plugged and cut 4+ feet below final grade within reasonable timeframe after rig departure (N/A)
Groundwater protection requirement with forward operational impact on reclamation; defines post-drilling plug-back obligations that affect future pad decommissioning timeline
Closed mud system with no cuttings pit required; cuttings disposal to licensed facilities (eight facilities identified with preference for closest location); filter sock container requirement (leakproof, covered, placard) mandatory from spud through completion/flow-back operations (N/A)
Environmental compliance requirement persisting through completion phase; non-compliance with waste disposal triggers NDAC 43-02-03-19.2 enforcement; solid waste permit requirement via North Dakota Department of Health affects operational logistics
Historical Operator Profile
Total Wells:N/A
Active Wells:N/A
Notable Patterns:None identified
Confidence Assessment
Level: High Rationale: Permit approval document is unambiguous and dated 11/20/2024 with signed authorization (Nathaniel Erbele, Petroleum Engineer). Stipulations directly cross-reference Commission Order No. 33461 and cite specific setback/corridor constraints. Waiver approval is contemporaneous (11/22/2024) and explicitly conditions permit. Anti-collision and drill-back documentation are dated pre-approval and filed within regulatory file. Geological report, directional survey data, and well sundry forms provide complete documentation chain. No conflicting dates or missing regulatory signatures detected.