🛢️ AMBER 1732-9BH

KODA Resources Operating, LLC · Divide County, ND · File #42629 · Generated 2026-02-13 12:33

API: 3302301737
Target Formation: Middle Bakken
Permit Explained: Yes

📋 Permit Cycle Assessment

The permit approval is explained by: (1) site-specific aquifer stipulation requiring closed mud system and impermeable liner, triggering onsite inspection precondition; (2) non-routine setback justification tied to production liner wet-shoe completion design; (3) pre-spud operational conditions (perimeter berm, spill contingency plan, shutoff devices) conditioning approval; (4) regulatory core and sample collection obligations; and (5) anticollision modeling confirming safety clearance from offset wells on the multi-well pad. The permit cycle documentation directly addresses the aquifer risk, lateral placement constraints, operational hazards, and directional safety that differentiate this horizontal Bakken well from routine approvals.

🔍 Permit Cycle Signals (5)

Aquifer stipulation requiring onsite inspection and site-specific conditions including closed mud system with no drilling pit and impermeable liner on entire location

Direct

📄 APPLICATION FOR PERMIT FOR NEW WELL - HORIZONTAL OIL & GAS, STIPULATIONS section, Aquifer stipulation row
📅 2026-01-12 (Exact confidence)

Stipulation explicitly conditions permit approval on aquifer-protective measures; triggers mandatory field inspection requirement prior to spud

Setback stipulation: 150' setback from north/south boundaries and 500' setback from east/west boundaries within 2880-acre spacing unit, based on production liner cemented in lateral with wet shoe capability to frac out

Direct

📄 APPLICATION FOR PERMIT FOR NEW WELL - HORIZONTAL OIL & GAS, STIPULATIONS section, Bakken Setback Summary Statement
📅 2026-01-12 (Exact confidence)

Non-standard setback justification tied to specific completion design (wet shoe frac-out); constrains lateral placement within spacing unit

Conditions of approval: perimeter berm surrounding entire location and spill contingency plan required prior to spudding; remote or automatic shutoff devices required on all equipment

Direct

📄 APPLICATION FOR PERMIT FOR NEW WELL - HORIZONTAL OIL & GAS, STIPULATIONS section, Conditions of Approval rows
📅 2026-01-12 (Exact confidence)

Pre-spud operational conditions tied to location hazards; enforce environmental and safety compliance before drilling commences

Core and sample collection requirements from Base of Last Charles Salt through lateral, with 30-inch intervals in vertical/build sections and 200-foot intervals in horizontal section; samples due within 30 days, cores within 180 days of completion

Supporting

📄 CORES AND SAMPLES letter dated 1/12/2026 from ND Geological Survey
📅 2026-01-12 (Exact confidence)

Regulatory requirement for post-drill geologic documentation; statutory obligation under NDCC 38-08-04 and NDAC 43-02-03-38.1

Anticollision avoidance modeling submitted on pad confirming clearance from all known offset wells (Amber 1705-2BH, 1705-3BH, 1706-1BH, 17-1 SWD, 1731-7BH, 1732-8BH) with minimum separation factors and closest approach distances documented

Supporting

📄 Anticollision Report dated 25 November 2025; referenced in Drilling Plan Section 5 Directional Planning
📅 2025-11-25 (Exact confidence)

Demonstrates wellbore geometry safety compliance; supports approval of high-angle lateral design in multi-well pad context

📖 Historical Context (4)

Surface use agreement executed with surface owner (Brent Andersen and Ashley Engh) dated effective 7 November 2025, covering all drilling, completing, and producing operations for the six-well Amber 17 SW pad
📄 Affidavit of Fully Executed Surface Use Agreement dated 2 December 2025 · 📅 2025-11-07
Establishes contractual liability framework and compensation mechanism for surface impacts; operates forward through drilling, completion, and production phases; prerequisite documented proof of surface authorization

KODA Resources Operating, LLC holds 80.71% working interest in drilling and spacing unit (Sections 19, 20, 29, 30, 31 & 32, T160N-R103W); 95.65% working interest in adjacent DSU (Sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 17 & 18, T160N-R103W) for six-well pad development
📄 Affidavit of Working Interest dated 13 November 2025; Waiver Request dated 3 December 2025 · 📅 2025-11-13
Operator majority control and self-operation status persist through development; affects future revenue distribution, development decisions, and regulatory compliance obligations across the pad

Waiver granted for three-day waiting period prior to construction/operations following APD approval; effective for all six wells on Amber 17 SW pad
📄 Affidavit - Request for Waiver to Three-Day Waiting Period dated 3 December 2025 · 📅 2025-12-03
Accelerated construction timeline authorization; must remain in effect through completion of pad construction and drilling of all six wells; operator must document commencement within regulatory window

Grenora Aquifer identified in well proximity (within 1/4 mile buffer); two documented water wells (16010317BBB depth 201 feet; 16010320DBB depth 180 feet) proximate to location; aquifer risk management embedded in permit stipulations
📄 Well Proximity Map (Topo C) and Drilling Plan · 📅 2025-09-02
Aquifer protection obligation persists through all phases; constrains mud system design, waste disposal, and operational practices; triggers ongoing compliance with closed mud system and spill contingency requirements; affects groundwater monitoring if post-drilling assessment required

🔧 Operator Pattern

Multi-well pad operator with coordinated directional drilling program across two adjacent 2880-acre spacing units; manages offset well avoidance and intersecting wellbore paths on shared surface location
Six-well Amber 17 SW pad (Amber 1706-1BH, 1705-2BH, 1705-3BH, 1731-7BH, 1732-8BH, 1732-9BH) developed on single pad in Sections 5-32, T160N-R103W; anticollision modeling submitted for all offset well clearances; operator is majority interest holder (80.71% and 95.65% WI) in both spacing units; coordinated surface use agreement and waiver strategy for pad-level approval acceleration

Confidence: High
Permit approval date anchor (1/12/2026) is explicit. Contemporaneous documentation is comprehensive and directly referenced in permit: aquifer stipulation and onsite inspection requirement, setback justification tied to completion design, pre-spud operational conditions, regulatory core/sample obligations, and anticollision modeling all clearly condition the permit approval. No conflicting dates or missing critical justifications. Directional drilling plan, casing design, cementing program, and well location plat provide technical support for the permit's geometric and safety stipulations. Surface use agreement and working interest documentation are dated within permit cycle window (November–December 2025).