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🛢️ HBU Baptiste Federal 34X-11H
XTO Energy Inc · Williams County, ND · File #41554 · Generated 2026-02-13 12:33
- API
- 33-105-06430
- Target Formation
- Three Forks 1st Bench
- Permit Explained
- Yes
📋 Permit Cycle Assessment
The well file contains robust contemporaneous documentation justifying permit approval. The critical permit-cycle signals are: (1) Tubing/Packer Waiver (11/19/2025), which directly conditions completion safety by restricting frac pressures to 80% API burst rating and mandating real-time monitoring; (2) Suspension of Drilling approval (04/02/2025), which establishes the two-phase drilling protocol (small rig surface hole, then conventional rig), with 90-day mobilization deadline and P&A trigger; (3) Setback waiver (implicit in APD) conditioned on fully cemented production liner shoe with no frac-out capability, reducing south setback to 50' and explicitly justified in the stipulation; (4) Anticollision Statement (11/11/2024), committing to survey and offset coordination for six-well pad; and (5) Closed mud system and remote shutoff requirements per Permit Review Policy. The approval date for the APD itself is not explicitly stated in the file, but all conditioning documents predate or contemporaneously support drilling and completion operations (spud 06/27/2025, TD 11/12/2025, frac completion post-11/19/2025). No material gaps exist between permit issuance and operational execution constraints.
🔍 Permit Cycle Signals (5)
📄 Sundry Form ID 283541, dated 11/19/2025 (approved); Well File No. 41554
📅 11/19/2025 (Exact confidence)
Waiver directly conditions post-fracture completion period. XTO provided casing integrity assurances (32# 7" casing with 9500 psi API burst rating; 0.80 safety factor on frac design; immediate damage detection via monitoring; 300# surface gauge during flowback). Waiver approval is prerequisite to commencement of frac and completion operations.
📄 Sundry Form ID 239551, dated 04/02/2025 (approved); Well File No. 41554
📅 04/02/2025 (Exact confidence)
SOD approval conditioned drilling execution timeline. Small rig surface hole (freshwater mud, no saltwater) followed by conventional rig mobilization within 90 days post-spud. Reviewer required immediate field notification of spud, plug bump, and conventional rig arrival. Failure to drill to TD within 90 days triggers P&A obligation.
📄 APD Stipulation Section, Form ID not individually enumerated; well file 41554
📅 Unknown (Missing confidence)
South setback reduced to 50' (vs. standard 150') explicitly tied to liner shoe cement design preventing fracture propagation beyond casing shoe. This constraint is non-waivable and directly justifies approval geometry.
📄 Statement of Well Protection; signed by Ryan Carlson, Wells Drilling Engineer
📅 11/11/2024 (Exact confidence)
Pre-drilling commitment to survey programs and anticollision tool runs for nearby offsets. Six wells on pad (34X-11A, E, B, C, D, G, H) require coordinated lateral positioning. Statement establishes engineering accountability for spatial risk management prior to spud.
📄 APD Stipulation Section, Permit Review Policy line items
📅 Unknown (Missing confidence)
Standard environmental/safety conditions. Elevated to permit cycle only because tied to Williams County operational standard (not routine boilerplate). Cuttings pit prohibition and automatic shutoff requirement are non-negotiable approval conditions.
📖 Historical Context (5)
Hofflund-Bakken Unit spacing definition (Commission Order Nos. 29315 & 29316): unitized interval from 50' above Bakken top to above Birdbear top, defined by Amerada #1 Harry Mendenhall well offset control
📄 APD Stipulation, NDIC Field Order Info section · 📅 Unknown
Spacing unit boundaries (8960 acres; Sections 12-16, 21-28, 35-36 in T154N, R95W) constrain future drilling on the unit and establish precedent for setback calculations on all wells in the unit, including this well. Off-unit location waiver (Affidavit for Off Unit Location, 07/11/2024) explicitly references this spacing definition and requires Surface Damage Agreement for eight-well pad drilling from Section 11 surface location.
Federal minerals notification issued 01/23/2025 requiring BLM Dickinson office coordination for wells in spacing units containing federal leases
📄 Email from Doug Jackson (NDIC) to Kelly Bryant (XTO), 01/23/2025; identifies HBU Baptiste Federal 34X-11B, C, G, H, E and 34X-11D · 📅 Unknown
Operator must ensure compliance with BLM Class II injection permit requirements for any hydraulic fracturing involving federal mineral interests. This is a standing obligation that persists beyond this single well and affects all wells on the pad and any future operations in the spacing unit with federal minerals. Failure to obtain BLM permit could invalidate frac operations.
Affidavit for Hydraulic Fracture (no diesel fuel) signed by Kevin Gant, Bakken Operations Manager, dated 03/31/2025 (notarized)
📄 Affidavit for Hydraulic Fracture document; well file 41554 · 📅 Unknown
XTO commitment that no diesel fuel (CAS Nos. 68334-30-5, 68476-34-6, 68476-30-2, 68476-31-3, 8008-20-6) will be used in any frac operations. This is a standing operational constraint. Violation requires UIC Class II permit amendment and creates regulatory exposure. Persists for all stimulation work on this well and operations in the Bakken formation under XTO permits.
Waiver request to withhold wellbore information from offset operators (NDIC Order 31848 & 31973), dated 06/14/2024, approved based on XTO being offset operator in Section 11
📄 Waiver Request NDIC Order 31848 & 31973; Kelly Bryant, Regulatory Lead, XTO · 📅 Unknown
XTO is exempt from standard wellbore disclosure to 'other' offset operators because XTO operates both the subject well and offset spacing unit. However, this waiver is specific to XTO's offset position and could be challenged if acreage changes hands or unit boundary disputes arise. Creates information asymmetry that affects future exploration in the unit.
Sample and core retention requirement (ND Century Code § 38-08-04; NDAC 43-02-03-38.1) mandated in letter dated 02/03/2025 from State Geologist Ross Edison
📄 Letter from Ross Edison, Geologist, NDIC; well file 41554; dated 02/03/2025 · 📅 Unknown
Operator must collect cuttings at 30' intervals (vertical/build) and 200' intervals (lateral), wash, dry, box, and submit to ND Geological Survey Core Library within 30 days of completion. Core submission deadline is 180 days post-completion. Failure to comply triggers civil penalty up to $12,500 per day. This obligation persists for post-drilling operations and affects operational timeline.
🔧 Operator Pattern
XTO Energy Inc (ExxonMobil subsidiary) demonstrates integrated regulatory compliance framework: pre-drilling commitment to anticollision protocols, proactive federal coordination (BLM notification), diesel fuel abstention attestation, and affidavit-supported waivers (wellbore disclosure, tubing/packer). Multi-well pad development (seven wells from single surface location in Section 11) coordinated via unified spacing unit definition and off-unit affidavit. Operator has established standing commitments on frac chemistry (no diesel) and offset communication protocols applicable across Bakken operations, not just this well.
Statement of Well Protection (11/11/2024) signed by designated Wells Drilling Engineer (Ryan Carlson); Affidavit for Hydraulic Fracture (03/31/2025) signed by Bakken Operations Manager (Kevin Gant); Waiver Request letter (06/14/2024) from designated Regulatory Lead (Kelly Bryant); Affidavit for Off Unit Location (07/11/2024) signed by Surface Landman (Nicole Bement). Organizational structure indicates formal delegation of regulatory responsibilities and standing operational policies (no-diesel commitment, anticollision protocols, surface damage agreements for off-unit drilling).
Confidence: High
Well file contains complete permit application (APD with stipulations), all material sundry approvals (SOD, tubing/packer waiver, spud notification), directional survey and geological synopsis documenting well execution, and explicit regulatory correspondence (BLM federal minerals notification, State Geologist sample retention letter). Permit approval date is not explicitly stamped in the APD header ('Dirt Work Date' shows 01/01/2025, likely placeholder), but the sequence of approved sundries (SOD 04/02/2025, spud notice received 07/03/2025, tubing/packer waiver 11/19/2025) establishes permit currency and execution timeline. All conditioning documents predate or align with spud (06/27/2025) and completion phases (post-11/12/2025). No conflicting directives, expired waivers, or missing critical approvals identified. OCR quality is high on all regulatory documents; geological and directional survey data are complete and internally consistent.