🛢️ Esther Federal 4697 42-33 3B

Enerplus Resources USA Corporation (subsidiary of Chord Energy) · Dunn County, ND · File #42600 · Generated 2026-02-13 12:33

API: 3302505132
Target Formation: Middle Bakken
Permit Explained: Yes

📋 Permit Cycle Assessment

The well file contains clear contemporaneous documentation justifying the permit approval dated 12/29/2025. The permit-cycle explanation centers on three signal classes: (1) **Geometric justification**: directional constraints and lateral setbacks are explicitly justified by well design features (wet shoe liner configuration) and maximum legal coordinates tied to measured azimuth—these are non-routine and condition the approval; (2) **Anticollision certification**: the 12/11/2025 anticollision report and well path design (PLAN #1) validate safe separation from six offset wells with separation factors exceeding safety thresholds, justifying multi-well pad drilling feasibility; (3) **Regulatory waivers and statutory conditions**: the 11/12/2025 waiver request regarding adjacent spacing unit entry (with same-operator justification) preempts notification liability under Order No. 31848, and the 1/5/2026 geologist letter imposes statutory core/sample collection starting at Base of Last Charles Salt, binding the operator to preservation and delivery schedules. All signals directly address or condition the specific permit action. The permit is neither routine nor unopposed; it reflects operator-initiated waivers and geometric/geotechnical justification specific to the multi-well pad development strategy.

🔍 Permit Cycle Signals (5)

Directional well geometry constraint: North setback of 150' based on production liner cemented in lateral with wet shoe and ability to frac out shoe.

Direct

📄 Permit approval document, STIPULATIONS section, NDIC Field Order Info
📅 12/29/2025 (Exact confidence)

Non-routine setback justification tied to specific well design (wet shoe configuration) rather than standard horizontal spacing. Condition explicitly conditions the permit approval.

Maximum legal coordinates restriction from wellhead at 7" casing point (389'S) and at Total Depth (20297'N & 1652'W) based on lateral azimuth.

Direct

📄 Permit approval document, CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL section
📅 12/29/2025 (Exact confidence)

Non-standard geometric constraints tied to specific lateral trajectory requiring regulatory coordination of subsurface path within DSU.

Anticollision analysis demonstrating safe separation from offset wells (ESTHER FEDERAL 4697 42-33 2B, 4B, 5B; LK Esther 146-97-3328H-1; Obrigewitch 4-1H). Minimum separation factors exceed 1.5 at critical points.

Supporting

📄 Anticollision Report dated 12/11/2025; well path design document PLAN #1; Summary highlights confirm safe clearances at build sections.
📅 12/11/2025 (Exact confidence)

Anticollision certification required for horizontal wells in multi-well pad. Clearances validate geospatial feasibility of approved trajectory and justify drilling authorization.

Waiver of notification to adjacent operator (Order No. 31848) based on Enerplus being operator of adjacent spacing unit.

Supporting

📄 Letter from Ryan Emery, Enerplus, dated November 12, 2025, to ND DMR re: Esther Federal wells.
📅 2025-11-12 (Exact confidence)

Regulatory waiver addressing non-routine concern (wellbore entering adjacent spacing unit). Justification (same operator) supports permit approval without standard third-party notification.

Samples and cores submission to ND Geological Survey required per ND Century Code § 38-08-04 and Administrative Code § 43-02-03-38.1. Samples beginning at Base of Last Charles Salt; 30" maximum intervals (vertical/build), 200° maximum intervals (horizontal). Cores boxed within 180 days of completion.

Direct

📄 Letter from Ross Edison, Geologist, ND Department of Mineral Resources, dated 1/5/2026, RE: CORES AND SAMPLES.
📅 2026-01-05 (Exact confidence)

Statutory condition binding operator to core/sample preservation and delivery. Regulatory requirement conditioned by law, not operator discretion. Forward-binding operational constraint during execution.

📖 Historical Context (6)

Operator is subject to Case No. 28949, Order No. 31500 setback exemption for indirect heater equipment, permitting placement within 60 feet of wellhead and 21 feet of oil tank (vs. standard greater setbacks).
📄 Enerplus facility statement, NEW WELL PAD CONSTRUCTION STATEMENT section. · 📅 Unknown
Equipment setback exemption persists as operational constraint on surface facility design and HSE compliance. Affects future pad reconfiguration, addition of secondary equipment, or third-party oversight of the production facility.

Multi-well pad development on 2560-acre spacing unit (Sections 16, 21, 28, 33, T146N-R97W) with four laterals from single surface location. Wellbores traverse across section boundaries (SHL in SEC 33, BHL in SEC 16).
📄 Permit approval, STIPULATIONS NDIC Field Order section; Well Location Plat (Sheets S-1 to S-4); Enerplus notification letter 11/12/2025. · 📅 Relative to permit approval 12/29/2025
Multi-well pad geometry creates persistent operational and regulatory interdependencies: future drilling modifications, sidetracking, or re-entry of any lateral affects the entire pad footprint and offset well clearances. Anticollision constraints remain binding across all four wells on the pad.

Federal mineral interest may be present in spacing unit (Sections 16, 21, 28, 33). BLM notification required per email from Emma Neigum (ND DMR) dated 12/18/2025 referencing potential federal permitting.
📄 Email from Neigum, Emma V., ND DMR Engineering Technician - Permitting, dated December 18, 2025, to Ryan Emery. · 📅 2025-12-18
Potential federal mineral overlays create parallel permitting obligations and compliance burden beyond state NDIC authority. Operator must coordinate with BLM Dickinson office (701-227-7713) for all four wells. Failure to obtain federal consent (if required) could invalidate or suspend operations.

Diesel-based stimulation fluids prohibited. Operator commitment that no compounds with CAS registry numbers 68334-30-5, 68476-34-6, 68476-30-2, 68476-31-3, 8008-20-6 will be used in hydraulic stimulation.
📄 Enerplus operational statement, DIESEL BASED STIMULATION FLUIDS/COMPOUNDS section. · 📅 Unknown
Operational constraint binding during completion and flowback phases. Restricts stimulation chemical inventory and supplier options. Non-compliance constitutes permit violation.

Dry cuttings disposal to licensed facilities mandated. Operator must use one of nine named facilities (Chimney Butte Environmental, Petrocomp, Dishon Disposal, Ideal Oilfield Disposal, IHD Solids Management, Prairie Disposal, Secure Energy Services, Tervita Corporation), routing to closest available facility.
📄 Enerplus operational statement, LICENSED FACILITIES FOR SOLID DRILL CUTTINGS DISPOSAL section. · 📅 Unknown
Waste management obligation persisting through entire drilling campaign. Facility availability, distance, and scheduling affect drilling economics and timeline. Non-compliance creates civil liability under NDAC 43-02-03-19.2.

Filter socks and filtration media disposal in leak-proof, covered, placarded containers required beginning at spud and continuing through cleanout and flowback (NDAC 43-02-03-19.2).
📄 May 30, 2025 letter from ND DMR (Assistant Director Mark F. Bohrer) RE: Filter Socks and Other Filter Media. · 📅 2025-05-30
Standing administrative requirement binding operator throughout drilling and completion phases. Effective June 1, 2014 (retroactively affirmed). Violation triggers separate enforcement action and waste disposal liability.

🔧 Operator Pattern

Operator (Enerplus/Chord Energy) demonstrates institutional capacity for multi-well pad development, regulatory coordination, and compliance documentation. Operator-initiated waivers (adjacent spacing unit notification, setback exemption) reflect established relationships with regulator and prior approval precedent.
Operator submitted detailed anticollision report (12/11/2025), directional well design (PLAN #1, Total Directional Services certified), waiver request with technical justification (11/12/2025), and operational statements covering filtration, cuttings disposal, and stimulation chemistry. Four-well pad on single surface location indicates operator experience in pad optimization and multi-well clustering. Setback exemption (Order No. 31500) suggests prior successful applications for facility-specific relief. No evidence of prior violations or enforcement actions in file.

Confidence: High
Permit approval date is explicitly stated (12/29/2025) on permit document. All permit-cycle signals are directly extracted from permitting documents (APD form, field order stipulations, geologist letter, anticollision report, operator waiver request) dated within 60 days of approval. Regulatory letters and operator submissions are contemporaneous and specifically address the well's approval. No material dates are inferred or missing. Historical signals are clearly marked as background and lack direct causal link to the 12/29/2025 approval. Document set is complete and internally consistent.