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🛢️ Edward Federal 4797 43-21 3B
Enerplus Resources USA Corporation (subsidiary of Chord Energy) · Dunn County, North Dakota County, ND · File #42673 · Generated 2026-02-13 12:33
- API
- 3302505140
- Target Formation
- Middle Bakken
- Permit Explained
- Yes
📋 Permit Cycle Assessment
The permit approval (issued 11/05/2025) is justified by three converging permit-cycle signals: (1) Commission Order 34663 stipulation conditioning approval on specific setback compliance tied to the well's wet shoe liner design; (2) operator-submitted anticollision analysis demonstrating industry-standard 1.2 separation safety factor and real-time survey protocols; and (3) regulatory waiver under Order 31973 for drilling from a surface location outside the spacing unit, supported by operator control of the adjacent spacing unit and executed surface use agreement. The setback justification document (dated 10/30/2025) was explicitly referenced in the permit stipulations, establishing contemporaneous technical support for the approval. No direct evidence of conditioning orders, engineer requirements, or non-routine waivers beyond those identified above is present in the file.
🔍 Permit Cycle Signals (5)
📄 APD Stipulations section; Bakken Setback Summary Statement
📅 2025-11-05 (Exact confidence)
Setback stipulation directly conditions the permit approval and constrains wellbore placement. South setback based on 'wet shoe' liner configuration with fracturable toe.
📄 Full Well Details section; Well Paths Planning Report (both labeled 'Discussion')
📅 2025-10-30 (Inferred confidence)
Non-routine completion design directly explained and tied to setback justification. Operator submitted technical rationale for liner configuration pre-approval.
📄 APD Anti-Collision Statement; Anticollision Report dated 10/30/2025 (Page 2, Summary table)
📅 2025-10-30 (Exact confidence)
Anticollision precautions document operator's protocol to avoid collision with offset wells (Edward Federal 2B, 4B, 5B; Little Chase Creek wells). Multiple Level 3 warnings noted but separation factors > 1.3 at closest approach; demonstrates risk mitigation specific to pad geometry.
📄 November 6, 2025 letter from Chord Energy (Enerplus subsidiary) to NDIC; Surface Use Agreement affidavit dated 1/29/2026
📅 2025-11-06 (Exact confidence)
Waiver explicitly conditions permit approval under Order 31973 policy for horizontal wells drilled from surface location outside spacing unit. Demonstrates non-routine drilling geometry requiring regulatory relief.
📄 NDIC letter dated 2/2/2026 from Ross Edison, Geologist, referencing Well File No. 42673
📅 2026-02-02 (Exact confidence)
Post-permit operational requirement; contemporaneous with permit cycle but not explanatory of approval itself. Included for compliance visibility only.
📖 Historical Context (5)
Bakken Pool definition per Commission order: 200 feet above Bakken top through above Birdbear Formation contact
📄 APD Stipulations; Bakken Setback Summary Statement · 📅 Unknown
Pool definition persists for all future regulatory actions and production accounting on this well; governs mineral ownership and spacing unit compliance.
Closed mud system with no cuttings pit; remote or automatic shutoff devices required on all equipment
📄 APD Stipulations (Permit Review Policy section) · 📅 Unknown
Operational constraint applicable throughout drilling and completion phases; affects pad design (containment dikes) and equipment specification.
Indirect heater setback exemption (NDIC Case No. 28949, Order 31500) permitting 60' from wellhead and 21' from oil tank—non-standard spacing
📄 Facility Statement in operational data (well plan document) · 📅 Historical (prior to this permit)
Facility design waiver conditions future production equipment installation; exemption applies to the entire pad shared with Edward Federal wells 2B, 4B, 5B.
Prohibition on diesel-based stimulation fluids (CAS 68334-30-5, 68476-34-6, 68476-30-2, 68476-31-3, 8008-20-6)
📄 Operational requirements document (Chord Energy header sheet) · 📅 Unknown
Hydraulic stimulation constraint; restricts chemical selection during completion operations and affects frac fluid design going forward.
Licensed disposal facility designation: Operator must use closest available facility from approved list (Chimney Butte, Petrocomp, Dishon, Ideal, IHD, Secure Energy, Prairie, Tervita)
📄 Licensed Facilities for Solid Drill Cuttings Disposal (Chord Energy operational data) · 📅 Unknown
Cuttings logistics constraint applicable throughout drilling phase; compliance obligation for waste management.
🔧 Operator Pattern
Operator controls multi-well pad development with adjacent lateral wells and spacing units; demonstrates advanced use of common pad drilling and off-spacing horizontal geometry under Order 31973
Enerplus operates Edward Federal wells 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B from common surface location (SW¼ SE¼ Sect. 21, T147N R97W) with wellbores entering off-spacing Bakken interval in adjacent units. Anticollision analysis confirms tight spacing coordination with four wells drilled from single pad. Operator also holds Little Chase Creek spacing units (wells 21-1H, 2116H-2/3/4) with demonstrated survey and drilling coordination protocols. This pattern indicates institutional capacity for complex horizontal drilling programs with offset risk management.
Confidence: High
Permit approval date is explicitly stated (11/05/2025, Dirt Work Date on APD). Commission Order 34663 stipulation is directly cited in permit conditions. Contemporaneous technical documents (anticollision report 10/30/2025, planning report 10/30/2025, waiver request 11/06/2025, surface use agreement 01/29/2026) are sequenced before and after approval. Setback justification document is embedded in the permit file and references the 'wet shoe' configuration. All dates are explicit except for generic pool definition and operational requirements, which carry no permit-approval explanatory value. No OCR errors affect critical permit stipulation text.