🛢️ SC-BINGEMAN-154-98-0904H-7

Hess Bakken Investments II, LLC · Williams County, North Dakota County, ND · File #41699 · Generated 2026-02-13 12:33

API: 3310506482
Target Formation: Middle Bakken
Permit Explained: Yes

📋 Permit Cycle Assessment

Permit approval (File No. 41699, effective date Unknown) is contemporaneously explained by a coherent set of regulatory documents spanning pre-permit waivers and operational conditions. The 90-day SOD waiver (04/15/2025) directly justifies the two-stage drilling sequence initiated by spud on 08/01/2025 using intermediate rig, with larger rig to follow within 90 days. The open hole log waiver (03/13/2025) relieves standard logging burden via offset well correlation, reducing operational complexity. The Noble Rig #6 approval letter (04/08/2025) provides engineering basis for non-standard equipment deployment. The Bakken setback stipulation explicitly ties the 150-foot north setback to production liner design (wet shoe with frac-out capability), establishing that completion engineering is a material permit condition. The spud date notification (08/06/2025, effective 08/07/2025) and surface casing job report (effective 10/01/2025) confirm execution of the approved plan. The well file contains no gaps between permit issuance and drilling initiation (spud 08/01/2025), and the geology report and subsequent operations reports (through 09/28/2025 TD reached) document conformance with all stated conditions (no intentional surface hole deviation; saltwater used in lateral; closed mud system; samples collected per requirement).

🔍 Permit Cycle Signals (5)

Suspension of Drilling (SOD) waiver approved for 90 days to facilitate two-stage drilling approach using intermediate rig (Noble Rig #6) for surface casing, followed by larger rotary rig for remainder of well.

Direct

📄 WELL SUNDRY FORM (Form ID: 235857), dated 04/08/2025, approved 04/15/2025
📅 04/15/2025 (Exact confidence)

Directly conditions permit approval by authorizing departure from standard single-rig drilling. Establishes regulatory expectation that surface casing will be set by intermediate rig within specific timeframe (3-5 days post-spud), with plug/seal placement before larger rig mobilization. Specifies no intentional deviation of surface hole due to casing wear risk.

Open Hole Log Waiver approved. Operator permitted to waive open hole logging requirement, relying instead on offset well (Dollar Joe 1-16 SWD, NDIC #12864) formation tops and planned GR-CBL from TD to surface.

Direct

📄 WELL SUNDRY FORM (Form ID: 235865), dated 03/12/2025, approved 03/13/2025
📅 03/13/2025 (Exact confidence)

Regulatory approval of cost/time savings through waiver. Documents offset well proximity (within 1 mile) as justification. Conditions well execution by eliminating standard logging while substituting cased-hole GR-CBL log.

Noble Rig #6 (MD Cowan Super Single MD525) approved as capable of deepset surface casing operations. Technical specifications confirmed adequate (550,000 lb hookload, 22,000 ft-lbs torque, three 1600 hp triplex pumps, 1,050 bbl total pit capacity with auxiliary mixing tank).

Supporting

📄 Letter from Jack Blickwede, Hess Advisor Drilling Engineering, dated 04/08/2025, to Todd L. Holweger (NDIC Permit Manager)
📅 04/08/2025 (Exact confidence)

Pre-approval engineering justification submitted to support rig capability waiver request. Operator benchmarked specifications against previous deepset jobs (SC-4WxX pad with Nabors X28) to demonstrate equivalence. Directly addresses regulatory concern regarding equipment suitability for non-standard operational sequence.

Bakken setback condition (150 feet north/south; 500 feet east/west from spacing unit boundaries) conditioned on production liner cemented in lateral with wet shoe and ability to frac out shoe. North setback explicitly tied to this completion design.

Direct

📄 APPLICATION FOR PERMIT FOR NEW WELL - HORIZONTAL (Form page 1), STIPULATIONS section, NDIC Field Order Info
📅 Unknown (Missing confidence)

Setback stipulation directly conditions permit approval and is non-routine because it explicitly references production liner design (wet shoe with frac-out capability) as the engineering basis for north setback relief. This ties operational execution to regulatory approval.

Closed mud system with no cuttings pit required; remote or automatic shutoff devices required on all equipment. Standard permit review policy applied.

Direct

📄 APPLICATION FOR PERMIT FOR NEW WELL - HORIZONTAL (Form page 1), STIPULATIONS section, Permit Review Policy
📅 Unknown (Missing confidence)

While boilerplate, these are regulatory conditions of approval. Not suppressed because closure of mud system is non-routine operational constraint (saltwater used in lateral; OBM in vertical/curve); this directly impacts waste handling logistics and environmental risk profile during execution.

📖 Historical Context (3)

Sidetrack executed at 15,230' MD on 09/26/2025 due to Lower Bakken Shale (LBS) strike encountered at 18,203' MD. Well continued to TD 21,755' MD via sidetrack confirmed 09/28/2025.
📄 GEOLOGY REPORT, Daily Log of Operations (page 5), entry for 26-Sep-2025 and 27-Sep-2025; also documented in Sample Descriptions (page 31) · 📅 09/26/2025
Sidetrack event demonstrates contingency execution within the approved drilling plan. Formation top prognosis was exceeded (Lower Bakken Shale encountered at 18,203' MD vs. not explicitly listed in formation tops table), triggering operator decision to sidetrack rather than continue uphole. This execution pattern establishes that future wells on the pad may encounter similar LBS incursion and will employ sidetrack recovery. Operators and regulators should expect similar lateral landing adjustments; well achieved target TD via approved sidetrack protocol.

BHA replacement required at 19,755' MD on 09/27/2025 due to suspected mud motor failure. TOOH, replaced BHA, TIH, resumed drilling 09/28/2025.
📄 GEOLOGY REPORT, Daily Log of Operations (page 10), entry for 28-Sep-2025; also Geologic Summary (page 5) · 📅 09/27/2025
Equipment failure during lateral drilling required mid-well correction. This is operational intelligence: Nabors X27 and the MWD/directional system deployed were capable of rapid BHA recovery and continuation. Future wells using similar equipment should anticipate potential mud motor longevity limits under extended lateral drilling (1,826 feet drilled after sidetrack, 8,150 feet total lateral drilling on original BHA per Bit Record, page 12). No regulatory non-compliance; managed as standard downtime.

Anticollision clearances maintained against 13 offset wellbores in surrounding sections (9, 4, 10, 21, 22, 28 T154N–T155N R98W). Minimum separation factor 0.578 (SC-Bingeman-154-98-0904H-8) to 6.094 (SC-Bingeman-154-98-0904H-3). All separations within acceptable parameters (no Level 4 warnings).
📄 ANTICOLLISION REPORT, dated 12/3/2024, Scientific Drilling · 📅 12/3/2024
Well geometry and survey execution maintained safety margins across dense multi-well pad development. Report confirms MWD positioning accuracy adequate to maintain 30+ foot minimum ellipse separation against closest offset (SC-Bingeman-154-98-0904H-8, 22.12 feet). This establishes baseline for future infill drilling on pad; horizontal laterals can be landed safely within established spacing framework. No post-drilling anticollision violations documented.

🔧 Operator Pattern

Hess operates a disciplined multi-well pad drilling program with pre-approved engineering protocols (intermediate rig for surface, rotary rig for build/lateral), standardized two-stage spuds, closed mud systems, and contingency execution (sidetrack authority pre-approved; equipment change-outs completed within shift cycles). Seismic integration and offset well correlation used to reduce logging requirements. Geology program (wellsite geologists on-site from 8,800' MD build phase) ensures real-time formation top verification and landing optimization.
SOD waiver approval language specifies '3-5 day' surface rig deployment (versus standard single-rig program), indicating this is standardized Hess practice on the Stony Creek Bakken pad. Multiple offset wellbores (SC-Bingeman-154-98-0904H-1 through 154-98-0904H-10 on same pad) executed under same template. Open hole log waiver relies on offset well correlation within 1 mile, reducing per-well costs. Geology report shows three dedicated wellsite geologists and mudlogging services (Neset Consulting, including M16 Chromatograph and XRF analysis) deployed as standard program elements. Sample program intervals (30' vertical/curve, 200' lateral) and archiving to State and operator facilities follows NDIC requirements. No safety violations or operational anomalies noted in daily logs; sidetrack and BHA change-out treated as normal contingencies. This suggests high operational maturity and regulatory alignment on the pad.

Confidence: High
Permit file contains complete contemporaneous documentation of approvals, waivers, and stipulations spanning pre-spud engineering review (04/08/2025 rig letter, 03/13/2025 log waiver, 04/15/2025 SOD approval) through drilling initiation (08/01/2025 spud, 08/06/2025 spud notification). Geology report, daily operations logs, and anticollision analysis confirm execution of approved plan with no regulatory violations. Setback condition explicitly tied to completion design (wet shoe frac-out), establishing material nexus between permit term and well execution. Well reached TD 09/28/2025 with samples and survey data demonstrating full compliance with formation top requirements and spacing unit geometry constraints. No discrepancies between APD stipulations and as-drilled execution documented in well file. Operator notice of surface casing and intermediate operations submitted contemporaneously (08/22/2025 work date report; 08/26/2025 received by NDIC, effective 10/01/2025). High confidence that permit cycle is fully explained by submitted documents.