File #42018 | Phoenix Operating LLC | Divide County
API
3302301635
Target Formation
Middle Bakken
Permit Explained
Yes
Permit Cycle Assessment
The permit issued 2025-06-16 is contemporaneously supported by four pre-spud waivers (tubing/packer variance, open hole logs, drill cuttings sampling, filter sock container exemption) all approved 2025-06-18 or 06/19/2025, and an anticollision analysis dated 2025-05-24. The permit stipulations anchor approval to Commission Order No. 34436 spacing unit setback constraints and the specific completion design (production liner with wet shoe and frac-out capability). The waivers document operator justification for departures from standard drilling and logging protocols on the basis of offset well control and pad-level operational efficiency. No permit approval date is documented in the file; the approval date of 2025-06-16 is inferred from the permit document header. The well spud 2025-10-01 and reached TD 2025-10-09, meeting all pre-spud conditions.
Permit Cycle Signals (5)
Commission Order No. 34436 condition on 150' north-south setback and 500' drilling corridor mandate for all wellbore sections not isolated by cement (2025-06-16)
Setback is specifically tied to the spacing unit geometry (3,840 acres across Sections 21, 22, 27, 28, 33, 34) and drilling corridor constraints that directly condition wellbore placement and trajectory design.
Production liner cemented in lateral with wet shoe and ability to frac out toe; tubing/packer variance approved with documented safety factor rationale (0.85 API burst rating) and 300# surface gauge requirement during flowback (2025-06-18)
Non-standard completion design waiver explicitly approved pre-spud; directly conditions production operations and casing integrity strategy during flowback phase following spud.
Open hole log waiver approved; offset well MOE TRUST 33-28-160-98H 1BP (File #23601) within 1 mile provides offset control; GR-CBL log required from TD to ground level (2025-06-18)
Waiver justifies exemption from full open hole logging suite by reference to proximate offset well data; establishes geological correlation basis required for formation top confirmation in vertical and curve sections.
Drill cuttings sampling waiver for vertical section (Base of Last Salt to KOP); offset well 33-28-21 1H (File #42014) on same pad provides samples; sampling resumes in curve and lateral (2025-06-18)
Waiver explicitly conditions sampling protocol to leverage parent well (1H) geology; directly supports cost/operational efficiency tied to multi-well pad development strategy.
Anti-collision analysis completed; minimum separation factors documented against 6 offset wells (MOE TRUST, Nystuen 2H3, and four other Gail Arnold laterals 1H–4H); Level 3 warning noted at minimum approach point (2025-05-24)
Anticollision clearance and documented warning levels directly inform trajectory design approval and drilling corridor compliance; minimum 1.318 separation factor at closest approach indicates acceptable but constrained geometry.
Historical Non-Routine Signals (3)
Multi-well pad development on 3,840-acre spacing unit (Sections 21, 22, 27, 28, 33, 34, T160N, R98W); four horizontals proposed from single surface location (Gail Arnold 33-28-21 1H through 5H planned) (2025-05-24)
Establishes precedent for stacked lateral development in Skabo-Bakken field; constrains future infill drilling, well spacing modifications, and completion sequencing due to fixed-point anticollision geometry and shared infrastructure.
Bakken Pool definition established by permit: 50 feet above Bakken top to 100 feet below Three Forks top; production unit acres fixed at 3,840 across six-section spacing (2025-06-16)
Pool definition and unit acreage persist for all future development, completion modifications, and regulatory filings on this spacing unit; constrains reserve classifications and royalty accounting.
Surface owner John C Nystuen retains surface rights; offset well EXIST HZ W NYSTUEN 159-98-15-9-4-2H3 and MOE TRUST wells on adjacent tracts; land ownership checkerboard noted on well proximity map (2025-06-16)
Surface use agreements and mineral interest alignment critical for completion operations, access maintenance, and future offset well drilling; offset operator notification affidavit indicates cross-spacing-unit communication requirements remain active.
Historical Operator Profile
Total Wells:N/A
Active Wells:N/A
Notable Patterns:None identified
Confidence Assessment
Level: High Rationale: Well file contains complete permit application (dated 2025-06-03, approved 2025-06-16), four formal waiver documents (all approved 2025-06-18 or 06/19/2025), executed well summary post-drilling (spud 2025-10-01, TD 2025-10-09), geological report with detailed formation tops and cuttings analysis, MWD survey stations, bit record, mud record, anticollision analysis dated 2025-05-24, directional design report, and engineering drawings. No permit approval letter is explicitly labeled, but permit document header dated 2025-06-16 with approver signature establishes permit issuance date. All waiver approvals precede spud by 3.5 months, establishing contemporaneous justification. Geological observations and directional design confirm actual drilling aligned with pre-spud design expectations. No inconsistencies detected between permit conditions and post-drilling documentation.