🛢️ AMBER 1705-2BH

KODA RESOURCES OPERATING, LLC · Divide County, ND · File #42630 · Generated 2026-02-13 12:33

API: 3302301738
Target Formation: Middle Bakken
Permit Explained: Yes

📋 Permit Cycle Assessment

The permit approval for AMBER 1705-2BH on 2026-01-12 is contemporaneously explained by five distinct regulatory and technical signals. The aquifer stipulation and closed mud system requirement directly condition the approval due to the well's location on the Grenora Aquifer, a site-specific constraint not routine for Bakken horizontals. The setback stipulation, explicitly tied to Commission Order No. 34405 and justified by the wet shoe/frac-out capability of the 4.5" production liner, establishes a non-routine geometric constraint. Perimeter berm and spill contingency requirements reinforce aquifer protection. The State Geologist's letter of 1/12/2026 establishes mandatory core/sample collection protocols post-drilling. The anticollision report dated 11/25/2025 demonstrates technical justification for the 15,516-foot lateral trajectory within a six-well pad development, confirming separation factors exceed safety thresholds relative to Amber 1705-3BH (minimum SF 2.086), Amber 1706-1BH (2.966), and other adjacent wellbores. No material gaps exist between the permit issuance date and contemporaneous documentation explaining or conditioning the approval.

🔍 Permit Cycle Signals (5)

Aquifer stipulation requiring onsite inspection and closed mud system with impermeable liner across entire location prior to spudding

Direct

📄 APD Permit page 1, Stipulations section
📅 2026-01-12 (Exact confidence)

Regulatory condition imposed by NDIC due to well location on Grenora Aquifer; directly conditions approval and mandates pre-spud operational constraints

Setback stipulation: 150' from north/south boundaries, 1220' from east/west boundaries within 2880-acre spacing unit; production liner cemented with wet shoe and ability to frac out shoe

Direct

📄 APD Permit page 1, NDIC Field Order Info stipulation
📅 2026-01-12 (Exact confidence)

Non-routine setback justification explicitly tied to specific well geometry (wet shoe, frac-out capability) and Commission Order No. 34405; conditions wellbore placement

Perimeter berm required surrounding entire location and spill contingency plan mandated prior to spudding

Direct

📄 APD Permit page 1, Conditions of Approval
📅 2026-01-12 (Exact confidence)

Secondary containment and environmental protection condition tied to aquifer-sensitive location; must be in place before drilling commences

Core and sample collection requirements: samples from Base of Last Charles Salt at 30' maximum intervals (vertical/build), 200' maximum intervals (horizontal); cores within 180 days of completion

Supporting

📄 Cores and Samples letter dated 1/12/2026 from State Geologist
📅 2026-01-12 (Exact confidence)

Contemporaneous regulatory mandate from State Geologist under NDAC 43-02-03-38.1; condition precedent to geological documentation post-drilling

Anticollision analysis submitted and accepted; minimum separation factors exceed warning thresholds (SF 2.086 to 21.205) with respect to all offset wellbores including Amber 1705-3BH, Amber 1706-1BH, and adjacent pad wells

Supporting

📄 Anticollision Report dated 11/25/2025; Well Planning Report
📅 2025-11-25 (Exact confidence)

Pre-permit technical submission demonstrating collision avoidance for 24,526.6 MD lateral well in multi-well pad context; validates directional geometry and justifies approval of this specific wellbore design

📖 Historical Context (3)

Surface Use Agreement executed 2025-11-07 between KODA Resources and surface owner (Brent Andersen/Ashley Engh) covering drilling, completion, and production; affidavit of fully executed agreement dated 2025-12-02
📄 Affidavit of Fully Executed Surface Use Agreement · 📅 2025-11-07
Establishes ongoing operator liability and damage remediation obligation that persists through all operational phases (drilling, completion, production). Protects surface owner interests and conditions execution of field development plan.

KODA Resources holding 95.65% working interest in T160N-R103W spacing unit (Sections 5,6,7,8,17,18 - 2880 acres); operator of adjacent T160N-R103W spacing unit (Sections 19,20,29,30,31,32), necessitating waiver of NDIC Order 31973 notification requirement
📄 Affidavit of Working Interest dated 2025-11-13; Waiver request letter dated 2025-11-17 · 📅 2025-11-13
Establishes operator control over both drilling and spacing units; waiver of three-day waiting period (requested 2025-12-03) affects operational schedule and demonstrates consolidated interest position that reduces inter-operator conflicts throughout well life

Closed loop drilling system with all cuttings disposal at 13 Mile Landfill, Williston, ND; oil-based mud program (70/30 to 80/20 OBM) for intermediate section 1,350-9,010 MD
📄 KODA RESOURCES DRILLING PLAN, section 4 (Drilling Fluids Program) · 📅 Unknown
Establishes waste management and mud program standards that condition all drilling operations and waste disposal obligations persisting through well completion; closed loop system directly supports aquifer protection mandate

🔧 Operator Pattern

Multi-well pad developer with consolidated working interest in adjacent spacing units; proactive in regulatory compliance (anticollision analysis, directional engineering, surface agreements, waiver requests); operations in environmentally sensitive areas (Grenora Aquifer) with emphasis on containment and remediation infrastructure
Six-well pad (Amber 1705-2BH, 1705-3BH, 1706-1BH, 1731-7BH, 1732-8BH, 1732-9BH) with 95.65% and 80.71% working interests in respective spacing units; submitted anticollision report 2025-11-25 prior to permit issuance; executed surface use agreement 2025-11-07; requested waiver of inter-operator notification 2025-12-03; designed closed-loop drilling system and impermeable pad liner for aquifer-sensitive location; comprehensive drilling plan with MWD, casing design, and cementing specifications dated 2025-11-25

Confidence: High
Well file contains complete contemporaneous documentation chain: permit issued 2026-01-12; regulatory letters from State Geologist and NDIC (both 2026-01-12) establish core/sample and stipulation requirements; drilling plan and anticollision analysis dated 2025-11-25 (pre-permit) directly referenced in permit approvals; surface use agreement and working interest affidavits dated 2025-11-07 and 2025-11-13 establish pre-permit compliance status; waiver requests dated 2025-12-03 address regulatory requirements. No date gaps, no missing regulatory approvals, and explicit linkage between permit conditions and technical/operational submissions. OCR quality sufficient for all critical dates and stipulations.