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🛢️ DAYTONA 6-5-4 3H
Devon Energy Williston, LLC · Williams County, North Dakota County, ND · File #42688 · Generated 2026-02-13 12:33
- API
- 3310506793
- Target Formation
- Painted Woods-Bakken Pool
- Permit Explained
- Partially
📋 Permit Cycle Assessment
The permit approval is grounded in two contemporaneous regulatory anchors: (1) Commission Order No. 34514, which sets mandatory setback distances (500'/150') as a condition of approval, and (2) the operator's technical design submission demonstrating that a production liner with wet shoe and frac-out capability justifies the east setback at 150' FEL. The pool definition and construction notification requirements are administrative supporting elements. However, the permit file does not contain a detailed technical review memo, anticollision analysis, or explicit regulatory waiver justifying why this well's path—which enters adjacent spacing units—qualifies for approval under the backbuild framework referenced in the January 28, 2026 letter. The letter itself (asserting self-operation of adjacent unit and therefore no external notification requirement) is post-permit and does not explain the approval decision. The permit conditions are stated but the underlying regulatory analysis or order that permits entry into non-target spacing is not contemporaneously documented in the file.
🔍 Permit Cycle Signals (5)
📄 Permit Information page, NDIC Field Order Info stipulation
📅 2026-07-05 (Exact confidence)
Regulator-issued order explicitly conditions approval on 500' north/south and 150' east/west setbacks within the 1920-acre spacing unit. This is the direct statutory constraint on the well bore path.
📄 Permit Information page, Bakken Setback Summary Statement
📅 2026-07-05 (Exact confidence)
Permit explicitly links the east setback (150' FEL) to a technical design choice: production liner cemented in lateral with wet shoe and ability to frac out the shoe. This is the engineering/operational justification for the specific setback distance.
📄 Permit Information page, NDIC Field Order Info stipulation
📅 2026-07-05 (Exact confidence)
Pool definition (50 feet above Bakken to above Birdbear) establishes the regulated accumulation target and confirms formation identity tied to this specific spacing unit and permit approval.
📄 Permit Information page, Permit Review Policy stipulations
📅 2026-07-05 (Exact confidence)
Standard operational conditions imposed as permit stipulations; suppress under suppression rules unless tied to non-routine risk. These are boilerplate for horizontal wells and do not differentiate this permit.
📄 Permit Information page, Construction Commencement Notification stipulation
📅 2026-07-05 (Exact confidence)
Operator must contact NDIC Field Inspector Jessica Gilkey prior to location construction. This is a time-sensitive operational gate but does not explain the permit approval itself.
📖 Historical Context (2)
Filter Socks and Waste Disposal Requirements (DMR Letter, May 30, 2025)
📄 DMR letter re: Filter Socks and Other Filter Media, signed by Mark F. Bohrer, Assistant Director · 📅 2025-05-30
Establishes ongoing operational obligation: Devon must maintain a leak-proof, covered, placarded filter container on-site from spud through flow-back whenever filtration operations are conducted. Violations trigger solid waste disposal non-compliance. This constraint persists throughout well lifecycle and affects waste management procurement and daily operations.
Backbuild Order Notification (NDIC Order 31973)
📄 January 28, 2026 letter from Yani Durden, referencing NDIC Order 31973 · 📅 2026-01-28
Devon acknowledges its wells are proposed to enter the Bakken petroleum system outside the target spacing unit and asserts that as self-operator of the adjacent unit, no third-party notification under Order 31973 is required. This self-certification does not waive Order 31973 compliance; it shifts liability to Devon for ensuring its own drilling plan conforms to backbuild standards. Future disputes over well bore trajectory or interference could rest on this representation.
🔧 Operator Pattern
Devon Energy Williston, LLC is self-consolidating operations across adjacent spacing units. The filing demonstrates integration of pad locations (Daytona and Marilyn North pads shown on same development map) and asserts integrated regulatory compliance through self-operation claim.
Backbuild waiver letter (January 28, 2026) states 'Devon is the operator of such adjacent spacing unit; therefore, no additional notification is necessary.' Production layout maps (Sheet C-4) show centralized CTB (central treatment building) serving multiple wells across section boundaries. This pattern suggests horizontal portfolio consolidation requiring careful trajectory management to avoid regulatory overreach.
Confidence: Medium
Permit approval date and stipulations are explicitly stated and dated. However, the well file is missing: (1) a detailed technical review memorandum explaining why the setback distances satisfy regulatory requirements; (2) an anticollision analysis; (3) explicit reference to or approval of the backbuild path; (4) a waiver or exemption order if the well bore traversal outside the spacing unit required special authorization. The January 28, 2026 letter asserts compliance but post-dates the permit and appears to be a courtesy filing rather than the underlying approval justification. The permit conditions are clear but the analytical support is sparse. The filter waste directive is well-documented but unrelated to permit issuance.