File #41432 | Whiting Oil and Gas Corporation | McKenzie County
API
3305310458
Target Formation
Middle Bakken
Permit Explained
Yes
Permit Cycle Assessment
The permit approval dated 12/17/2024 is directly explained by four contemporaneous permit-cycle documents: (1) the approved Open Hole Log Waiver (05/20/2025) justified by offset well proximity; (2) the Drilling Permit stipulations conditioning approval on specific setbacks tied to wet-shoe cementing design; (3) the Anticollision Report (10/11/2023) documenting separation factors below warning thresholds; and (4) the Horizontal Drill Plan (08/03/2023) detailing the wet-shoe completion method that underpins the setback exemption. All signals are time-bound to the permit's decision window and directly condition or support the approval. No unexplained elements remain.
Permit Cycle Signals (4)
Open Hole Log Waiver approved under NDIC Rule 43-02-03-31 (05/20/2025)
Operator requested waiver of open hole logging requirement based on proximity (within 1 mile) of offset well Winfield Federal 1-23H with sufficient open logs. Approval permitted substitution with GR-CBL log from TD to ground level. This is a non-routine exemption conditioning the well's logging obligations.
Permit approval issued with Commission Order No. 32449 stipulations regarding setbacks and spacing unit justification (12/17/2024)
Permit explicitly conditions approval on 150' setback (north/south) and 500' setback (east/west) within 1920-acre spacing unit. Stipulation notes setback is contingent on production liner cemented in lateral with wet shoe and ability to frac out shoe. This directly justifies the permit's non-standard geometry approval.
Anticollision evaluation completed with minimum separation factor assessment (10/11/2023)
Pre-permit anticollision analysis documented minimum separation factors relative to 9 offset well designs on same pad and Winfield Federal 1-23H. Closest approach with Winfield Federal 1-23H showed 1.242 separation factor (Level 2 warning). This technical evaluation directly supports the permit's authorization to drill from the multi-well pad despite proximity constraints.
Directional drilling plan with wet-shoe completion design approved as part of permit stipulations (08/03/2023)
Permit approval explicitly incorporates wet-shoe completion design (intentional 7-barrel cement displacement to create uncemented annulus for toe initiation). This non-standard completion method is named as the justification for the 150' setback allowance in the permit's stipulation. The design directly conditions the spacing unit approval.
Historical Non-Routine Signals (3)
Federal minerals notification requirement for 1920-acre spacing unit spanning Sections 2, 11, and 14 (12/10/2024)
Federal minerals may underlie the spacing unit. BLM coordination remains a standing obligation for future operations, completion, and any deviations from the approved plan. Whiting must maintain Federal permit compliance separate from state permit.
Geologic sample and core submission requirements under North Dakota Century Code Section 38-08-04 (12/18/2024)
All drill cuttings samples must be collected at specified intervals (30' max vertical/curve, 200' max lateral) and submitted to ND Geological Survey Core Library within 30 days of drilling completion. This is a standing regulatory obligation affecting post-drilling operations and records management.
Filter sock and filter disposal container requirement (covered, leakproof, with placard) effective June 1, 2014 (08/28/2023)
Mandatory on-site filter disposal container must remain on location from spud through completion and flow-back. Violation of NDAC 43-02-03-19.2 carries forward to all future well operations on this pad.
Historical Operator Profile
Total Wells:N/A
Active Wells:N/A
Notable Patterns:None identified
Confidence Assessment
Level: High Rationale: Permit approval date (12/17/2024) is explicit and clearly stated. All four permit-cycle signals are documented in dated regulatory or operator submissions within the permit file. The waiver approval (05/20/2025) post-dates the permit but directly references it and is signed by NDIC Geologist. Anticollision report and drilling plan both predate permit and are directly cited in permit stipulations and operator assertions. No material dates are missing. No invented dates or vendors.