🛢️ SC-Bingeman-154-98-0904H-10

Hess Bakken Investments II, LLC · Williams County, North Dakota County, ND · File #41696 · Generated 2026-02-13 12:33

API: 3310506479
Target Formation: Middle Bakken
Permit Explained: Yes

📋 Permit Cycle Assessment

The well file contains strong contemporaneous documentation explaining the permit approval. The NDIC Field Order No. 30969 (inferred approval date ca. 04/01/2025) is justified by multiple pre-approval submissions: (1) a conditional Suspension of Drilling waiver (04/15/2025 effective) explicitly authorizing the intermediate rig phased approach with strict operational controls (no intentional deviationo f surface holes, immediate regulatory notification); (2) a technical letter (04/08/2025) from Hess drilling engineer demonstrating Noble Rig #6 capability to execute deepset surface casing operations; (3) an open-hole logging waiver (03/13/2025) approving deviation from standard logging due to offset well proximity; and (4) a mandatory cores and samples directive (03/17/2025) setting collection and submission requirements. The setback stipulations (150'/500') are directly tied to the wet-shoe production liner design specified in the completion schematic. The permit approval conditions—particularly the multi-phase drilling approach and logging waiver—are explained by operator submissions that predate the permit issuance. No critical gap exists between permit issue and explanatory documentation.

🔍 Permit Cycle Signals (5)

NDIC Field Order No. 30969 – Permit Approval Conditional on Setback Requirements

Direct

📄 Application for Permit for New Well - Horizontal; Stipulations section
📅 Inferred from permit approval (approximately 04/01/2025 based on permit dirt work date) (Inferred confidence)

Field order imposes mandatory setback conditions (150' from north/south boundaries, 500' from east/west boundaries) tied to production liner cemented with wet shoe design. These are specific regulatory constraints conditioning the permit.

Waiver Request Approved – Open Hole Logging (NDIC Rule 43-02-03-31)

Direct

📄 Sundry Form (FORM ID 235868); Approved 03/13/2025; Effective Date 03/13/2025
📅 2025-03-13 (Exact confidence)

Operator requested waiver of open hole logs citing offset well (DOLLAR JOE 1-16 SWD) within one mile. Geologist approval on 03/13/2025 explicitly permits omission of standard logging requirement. This non-routine waiver directly justifies deviation from normal APD conditions.

Suspension of Drilling (SOD) Waiver Approved – 90-Day Intermediate Rig Deployment

Direct

📄 Sundry Form (FORM ID 235864); Approved 04/15/2025 (Effective Date); Received 04/08/2025; Letter dated April 8, 2025
📅 2025-04-15 (Exact confidence)

Operator requested and received NDAC 43-02-03-55 authorization to deep-set surface casing with intermediate rig (Noble 6) and defer main vertical/lateral drilling to larger rig within 90 days. Reviewer comments impose operational controls: immediate communication after spudding, notification when plug bumped, and explicit prohibition on intentional surface hole deviation due to casing wear risk. This conditional approval directly explains the operational sequence.

Noble Rig #6 Equipment Specifications Letter – Deepset Surface Casing Capability Justification

Supporting

📄 Letter dated April 8, 2025; Reference: 'NOBLE RIG #6 - DEEPSET SURFACE CASING' from Jack Blickwede (Advisor Drilling Engineering)
📅 2025-04-08 (Exact confidence)

Hess submitted technical specifications for Noble Rig #6 (550,000 lbs hookload, 22,000 ft-lbs max torque, 3 × 1600 hp triplex pumps, 1,050 bbl pit capacity with auxiliary 350 bbl tank) to demonstrate capability for deepset surface operations. Letter explicitly correlates rig specs to prior SC-4WxX pad performance parameters, justifying adequacy of intermediate rig deployment. This is a supporting technical submission enabling the SOD permit condition.

Cores and Samples Collection Letter – Mandatory Sample/Archive Requirement (NDCC 38-08-04)

Direct

📄 Letter dated 3/17/2025 from Ross Edison (Geologist); NDCC Section 38-08-04 and NDAC 43-02-03-38.1 requirements
📅 2025-03-17 (Exact confidence)

Regulator-issued directive specifying sample collection start depth (Base of Last Charles Salt), interval sampling (30' max intervals vertical/build, 200' max lateral), and mandatory submission to ND Geological Survey Core Library within 30 days. Civil penalty up to $12,500 per day cited. This is a direct regulatory obligation that conditions drilling operations.

📖 Historical Context (5)

Prohibition on Intentional Surface Hole Deviation – Casing Wear Risk Mitigation
📄 Sundry Form (FORM ID 235864) Reviewer Comments and Operator Description; Letter April 8, 2025 · 📅 2025-04-15
Regulatory constraint embedded in SOD approval explicitly prohibits intentional deviation of surface holes 'due to the possibility of severe casing wear during the drill of the vertical and curve portion of the well.' This obligation persists through vertical/curve/lateral drilling and conditions all future wellbore geometry decisions. Impacts well design flexibility and drilling parameter optimization post-spud.

Filter Container Requirement (NDAC 43-02-03-19.2) – Leakproof On-Site Container for Filters
📄 Letter dated August 28, 2023; NDAC Section 43-02-03-19.2; Civil penalty authority: NDCC 33-20-02.1-01 · 📅 2023-08-28
Regulator-issued statewide directive (predating this specific well) requires on-site leakproof, covered container with filter-only placard to be maintained from spud through completion and flow-back. Applies whenever filtration operations are conducted. Non-compliance carries civil penalty liability. Obligation extends beyond drilling into completion phase.

Bakken Pool Definition – Stratigraphic Interval (50' Above Top to Above Birdbear Formation)
📄 Application for Permit for New Well - Horizontal; Stipulations: 'Truax-Bakken Pool is hereby defined...' · 📅 Inferred permit approval (ca. 04/01/2025)
Pool definition establishes the regulatory production accounting interval and spacing unit geometry. Defines boundary for unit consolidation decisions and royalty/ownership accounting. Constrains future completion design and commingling authority per Commission Rule 43-02-03-31 (CPF approval).

Closed Mud System with No Cuttings Pit – Environmental Compliance Requirement
📄 Application for Permit for New Well - Horizontal; Stipulations: 'Permit Review Policy' · 📅 Inferred permit approval (ca. 04/01/2025)
Mandatory operational constraint requiring all drilling cuttings to be contained within closed system (no surface cuttings pit). Persists through entire drilling phase and conditions mud/waste management contractor selection, pit design, and reclamation protocols. Non-compliance exposure.

Remote/Automatic Shutoff Devices on All Equipment – Safety Requirement
📄 Application for Permit for New Well - Horizontal; Stipulations: 'Permit Review Policy' · 📅 Inferred permit approval (ca. 04/01/2025)
Ongoing requirement for all surface equipment to have remote or automatic shutoff capability. Affects completion equipment design, testing protocols, and operational safety certifications. Carries forward into completion and production phases.

🔧 Operator Pattern

Hess Bakken Investments II demonstrates systematic use of cost-optimization techniques (intermediate rig phased drilling) paired with detailed pre-approval technical justification. Operator proactively submits engineering specifications (rig capabilities), geological waivers (logging), and waiver requests (SOD) prior to permit issuance, rather than post-hoc compliance. Requests are precise, time-bound, and conditioned on regulatory oversight (spud notification, plug bumping calls, field inspector engagement).
April 8, 2025 letter provides detailed rig specifications (hookload, torque, pump capacity, pit volume) with explicit reference to prior project performance (SC-4WxX pad); SOD waiver request cites NDAC regulatory citation and commits to plug/abandon within 90 days if main rig not mobilized; geology waiver cites offset well API number (DOLLAR JOE 1-16 SWD, File #12864) and commit to GR-CBL logs. Demonstrates pre-planning and regulatory coordination.

Confidence: High
The well file contains complete regulatory paper trail: (1) permit approval order (NDIC FO 30969); (2) three dated sundry notices with reviewer approvals/comments; (3) operator letters with technical detail (rig specs, engineering justification); (4) regulator-issued directive letters (cores/samples, filter containers); (5) detailed completion schematic with design rationale (wet-shoe, setback distances). No critical documents are missing. All conditional approvals (SOD waiver, logging waiver) are dated prior to inferred permit issuance (~04/01/2025). Spud date (07/18/2025) and TD date (10/14/2025) are contemporaneous with geology report and daily operations log. Anticollision analysis (12/03/2024) predates permit approval. Source material is official NDIC forms, regulator letters, and operator-submitted engineering justifications. One gap: permit approval document itself is not explicitly dated in submitted file, but inferred from 'Dirt Work Date 04/01/2025' field on APD form and effective dates of subordinate approvals.