🛢️ MS-Karen Sue 31-32H MB

Murex Petroleum Corporation · Burke County, ND · File #42708 · Generated 2026-02-13 12:33

API: 3301302016
Target Formation: Middle Bakken
Permit Explained: Yes

📋 Permit Cycle Assessment

The permit approval (2/11/2026) is substantively explained by Commission Order No. 34020, which specifies binding setback distances (500'/150'/100' from unit boundaries) and the completion design constraint (cemented production liner with wet shoe). The 1280-acre spacing unit justification is conditioned on coordinated drilling with an offset well maintaining 1220' setback. No pre-permit engineering or waiver submissions are referenced in the file; approval appears to rest on operator assertions in the APD itself regarding anti-collision review, surface use agreement (executed 6/1/2024 with landowners Dwight V. and Linda D. Pederson), and directional design (confirmed via Taktikal survey and anticollision reports). The permit imposes non-routine operational constraints (wet shoe completion, coordinated well drilling, field inspector notification protocol) that are tied directly to the approval conditions. Contemporaneous documentation is limited to the permit stipulation itself, directional surveys, and affidavits of gas gathering capacity and surface use rights.

🔍 Permit Cycle Signals (5)

Commission Order No. 34020 approval with mandatory setback conditions: 500' north/south, 150' west, 100' east boundaries within 1280-acre spacing unit (Sections 31-32, T159N, R94W)

Direct

📄 APD Page 1, Stipulations section
📅 2026-02-11 (Exact confidence)

Permit approval is explicitly conditioned on adherence to these setback distances. Non-compliance would invalidate the permit.

Production liner cemented in lateral with wet shoe and no ability to frac out shoe—specific completion design constraint tied to east setback justification

Direct

📄 APD Page 1, Bakken Setback Summary Statement
📅 2026-02-11 (Exact confidence)

The 100' east setback is explicitly justified by this liner design choice, indicating NDIC condition on completion method to support boundary compliance.

Well must be drilled in conjunction with well meeting 1220' setback from north and south spacing unit boundaries to justify 1280-acre spacing unit

Direct

📄 APD Page 2, Conditions of Approval
📅 2026-02-11 (Exact confidence)

Permit is contingent on coordinated drilling with an offset well. This is a non-routine spacing justification that directly conditions permit validity.

Closed mud system with no cuttings pit required by Permit Review Policy

Direct

📄 APD Page 1, Permit Review Policy stipulation
📅 2026-02-11 (Exact confidence)

Standard environmental condition tied to permit approval; non-compliance triggers permit violation.

Operator must contact NDIC Field Inspector Jason Hicks prior to location construction; 3rd business day waiting period post-publication unless waived by Director

Direct

📄 APD Page 1-2, Conditions of Approval
📅 2026-02-11 (Exact confidence)

Permit approval explicitly conditions commencement on notification protocol and mandatory waiting period, with limited waiver authority.

📖 Historical Context (4)

Surface Use Agreement with Dwight V. and Linda D. Pederson dated 6/1/2024 grants rights to place and drill wells into 'off-lease' (off-spacing) units in accordance with state and federal law
📄 Affidavit of Jake Scott (Landman), dated 10/29/2024 · 📅 2024-06-01
SUA is prerequisite legal instrument; operator must maintain compliance with landowner rights and restrictions throughout well lifecycle. Off-spacing designation triggers ongoing regulatory and contractual obligations.

Affidavit by Scott Nonhof (VP, MPC) confirming directional drilling plan and completion design provided to Continental Resources (operator of adjacent 1280-acre unit per Order No. 31848) prior to drilling commencement
📄 Affidavit of Factual Information, dated 2/9/2026 · 📅 2026-02-09
Operator has contractual/regulatory obligation under Order No. 31848 to notify adjacent operator of trajectory, target details, and casing design where wellbore traverses adjacent spacing unit. Non-compliance may trigger dispute or regulatory enforcement.

NDIC letter (5/30/2025) requiring covered, leak-proof, placard container for filter sock disposal on-site from spud through completion/flow-back operations
📄 NDIC Oil and Gas Division letter, effective 6/1/2014 and re-issued 5/30/2025 · 📅 2025-05-30
Mandatory waste management condition under NDAC 43-02-03-19.2; non-compliance subjects operator to enforcement. Container requirement persists throughout well life cycle operations.

Murex Petroleum Corporation affidavit (1/13/2026) confirming gas sales discussions with Kinder Morgan and peak production estimate of 3,600 Mcf/d; Kinder Morgan confirmed capacity to gather with adequate lead time
📄 Affidavit of Ty Jackson (Marketing Manager), dated 1/13/2026 · 📅 2026-01-13
Operator has expressed market commitment to gas off-take. Delays in gathering infrastructure or pipeline capacity could affect development schedule and economic viability. Kinder Morgan communication establishes operational baseline for well performance expectations.

🔧 Operator Pattern

Murex Petroleum Corporation demonstrates systematic approach to multi-well pad development with integrated directional design, regulatory notification, and market coordination. Operator filed coordinated permits for four horizontal wells (MS-Opdahl, MS-Karen Sue, MS-Melanie Suzette, MS-Julia Aristotle) on common pad footprint and obtained single surface use agreement covering all wells.
APD notes MS-Karen Sue is one of four planned wells on Opdahl Pad with shared access road, production facilities, and pad infrastructure. Directional survey and anticollision reports reference all four well designs. Affidavit confirms operator provided directional/completion designs to adjacent operator (Continental Resources) and Kinder Morgan gathering coordination. No prior permit violations or operational incidents noted in file.

Confidence: High
Permit document is complete and formally issued with explicit approval date (2/11/2026). Commission Order No. 34020 and underlying setback/spacing conditions are unambiguously stated. Contemporaneous supporting documentation (directional surveys dated 1/10/2026, anticollision reports, surface use agreement dated 6/1/2024, operator affidavits dated 1/13/2026 and 2/9/2026) clearly establishes pre-permit engineering, land access rights, and regulatory coordination. No material gaps in permit-cycle documentation identified; standard APD boilerplate (mud systems, safety devices, pool definitions) properly excluded from signal analysis per suppression rules.