File #41972 | DEVON ENERGY WILLISTON, L.L.C | Williams County
API
3310506603
Target Formation
Middle Bakken
Permit Explained
Partially
Permit Cycle Assessment
The well file contains multiple regulatory approvals and waivers issued 06/06/2025–06/12/2025 (pre-spud permits) and 01/29/2026 (sample waiver post-drilling). The primary drilling permit (APD) was approved 05/30/2025 by petroleum engineer Nathaniel Erbele. The 01/29/2026 sample waiver directly addresses post-drilling operational execution and is justified by prior sampling on Thunderbolt 10-12 1H (same pad). The tubing/packer variance (06/09/2025) and suspension-of-drilling approval (06/11/2025) provide engineering and procedural justification for non-standard casing/flowback design and phased drilling strategy. The file confirms the well spudded 10/10/2025, reached KOP 10/11/2025, and TD 10/18/2025. However, the file does NOT contain a regulator-issued approval letter or order explicitly dated 01/29/2026 that triggers or justifies a NEW permit issuance on that date. The 01/29/2026 date appears only on the sample waiver approval. No contemporaneous documentation explains the rationale for a separate 'new permit' approval keyed to 01/29/2026; the substantive drilling permit is dated 05/30/2025. If a distinct permit action occurred on 01/29/2026 (e.g., permit reissuance, extension, or phase approval), no anchor document for that specific action is present in the file.
Permit Cycle Signals (5)
Drill Cutting Samples Waiver - Vertical Section (Base of Last Salt to Kick Off Point) (01/29/2026)
Regulator (Ross Edison, Geologist) approved operator's request to waive 30-foot sample collection requirement for vertical section between Base of Last Salt and curve kick-off point. Justification: 30-foot samples already collected on Thunderbolt 10-12 1H on same pad; sampling resumes in curve and lateral sections. This directly conditions execution of the drilling program for this well.
Tubing/Packer Variance to NDAC 43-02-03-21 - Approved by UIC Supervisor (06/09/2025)
Variance approved by Jared Thune (UIC Supervisor) permitting waiver of tubing/packer requirement. Operator provided engineering assurances: new 29# and 32# surface casing with 11,220 psi API burst rating; 0.85 safety factor on maximum pressure; immediate detection of casing damage; 300# gauge on surface casing during flowback; equipment installation post-flowing. Non-routine condition tied to completion design and flowback operations.
Suspension of Drilling - 90-Day Authorization with Small Rig Surface Casing Program (06/11/2025)
Regulator (Dan Kuchar, Engineer Tech) approved 90-day drilling suspension under NDAC 43-02-03-55. Operator strategy: small rig sets surface casing with freshwater mud (3-5 days), then larger rotary rig moves in within 90 days to drill to TD. Regulatory stipulation: 'surface holes are not to be intentionally deviated' due to possibility of severe casing wear. This time-bound operational constraint directly conditions the phased drilling approach and casing integrity assurance for this well.
Filter Sock Container Waiver - Drilling Phase Only (06/12/2025)
Waiver to NDAC 43-02-03-19.2 approved: operator stated no filter media used during drilling operations, therefore exempt from container requirement for drilling phase. Non-routine exemption tied to Devon's operational practice (closed-loop mud system per APD).
Open Hole Log Waiver - GR-CBL Substitution Justified by Offset Well Logs (06/06/2025)
Waiver approved under DMR Rule 43-02-03-31. Offset well (Myron 9-4 3H, NDIC File #28232) within 1 mile has open logs sufficient to establish formation tops. Devon substituting GR-CBL (Gamma Ray-Casing Bond Log) from TD to ground level instead of full open hole log suite. Justification: geological correlation from proximate offset eliminates need for full wireline logging program.
Historical Non-Routine Signals (8)
Bakken Setback Policy - 1220' North/South; 150' East/West within 1920-acre spacing unit (Sections 10, 11, 12, T155N, R103W) (05/30/2025)
Setback constraint is structural and persists through well life. East setback conditioned on 'production liner cemented in lateral with wet shoe and ability to frac out shoe'—this completion design requirement carries forward to completion operations and post-completion evaluation. Violation monitoring applies to any future wellbore deviations or adjacent well drilling.
Pool Definition - Squires-Bakken Pool defined as 50 feet above top of Bakken Formation to top of Birdbear Formation (05/30/2025)
Pool boundary definition is regulatory and applies to any future drilling offset well applications, spacing unit evaluations, and acreage assignments within Squires Field. Affects future allocation of production and unit negotiations.
Closed Mud System with No Cuttings Pit Requirement (05/30/2025)
Operational constraint for drilling and completion phases. Persistent environmental/waste management obligation: all drill cuttings must be containerized and transported to licensed facility. Non-compliance triggers NDAC 43-02-03-19 penalties.
Perimeter Berm and Groundwater Protection Measures (05/30/2025)
Ongoing construction and operational requirement. Berm must surround entire location. Conductor/rat/mouse holes must be cased and cemented to ground level; rat/mouse holes must be plugged and cut ≥4 feet below final grade after drilling. Compliance required before site reclamation.
Directional Survey Frequency Standard - 100 feet vertical, 30 feet curve, 90 feet lateral; certified surveys to certsurvey@nd.gov (05/30/2025)
Regulatory expectation for future survey submissions during completion and workover operations. Non-compliance affects regulatory review of subsequent well modifications or offset drilling applications.
Casing Change Prior Approval Requirement - Any shortening of casing point, lengthening at TD, or completion technique change within Bakken-Three Forks Petroleum System requires prior NDIC approval (05/30/2025)
Structural constraint on operational flexibility. Any future remedial casing work, re-perforation, or completion redesign in Bakken-Three Forks requires pre-approval. Affects well longevity planning and intervention strategies.
Diesel-Based Hydraulic Stimulation Prohibition - Operator prohibited from using six specified CAS Registry compounds (fuels, diesel, kerosene) (05/30/2025)
Completion design constraint. Restricts stimulation fluid formulation and mandates use of alternative base fluids. Any future restimulation or remedial frac design must comply with this prohibition. Affects cost and performance assumptions for multi-stage completion program.
Wet Shoe with Frac-Out Capability - Production liner completion design specifies wet shoe sub and ability to frac out toe (05/30/2025)
Completion design choice is now part of permit record. Establishes baseline for East setback calculation (150 feet, conditioned on this design). Future liner integrity issues or alternative completion schemes would require amendment and re-approval.
Historical Operator Profile
Total Wells:N/A
Active Wells:N/A
Notable Patterns:None identified
Confidence Assessment
Level: Medium Rationale: The file contains comprehensive pre-drilling permits (05/30/2025), operational waivers (06/06/2025–06/12/2025), and post-drilling sample approval (01/29/2026). All regulatory approvals and rejections are clearly documented with approver names, titles, and dates. The geological report and wellbore survey data confirm actual well execution (spud 10/10/2025, TD 10/18/2025). However, ambiguity exists regarding the TRIGGERING EVENT for analysis: no distinct 'new permit' approval dated 01/29/2026 is explicitly visible—only the sample waiver bears that date. The primary drilling permit is dated 05/30/2025. If the task assumes a 01/29/2026 permit action, no standalone permit issuance order or director's approval letter exists in the file to anchor that date. The file strongly justifies all operational decisions but does not clearly identify what specific permit action on 01/29/2026 required contemporaneous documentation. The sample waiver is a supporting document, not a primary permit. Confidence is thus Medium: all historical context and most operational justifications are evident, but the specific trigger for a 01/29/2026 'new permit' approval is not defined in the file.