File #42718 | Hess Bakken Investments II, LLC | Mountrail County
API
3306105652
Target Formation
Bakken Petroleum System (Manitou-Bakken Pool)
Permit Explained
Yes
Permit Cycle Assessment
The permit approval dated 2/13/2026 for EN-Aicha-156-94-3416H-5 is clearly explained by contemporaneous documentation. The well file contains explicit regulatory orders (34736, 34884), setback justifications tied to completion design (wet shoe, frac-out capability), and anti-collision technical submissions that support the permit's core condition: approval for an off-spacing horizontal well with lateral extending into protruding corners of the Manitou-Bakken Pool spacing unit. The permit conditions reflect two non-routine elements: (1) the spatial exception allowing lateral encroachment beyond standard setbacks, justified by Orders 34736/34884 and Bakken-specific setback methodology; and (2) the off-spacing geometry itself, which triggered and was addressed through anti-collision analysis, directional survey protocols, and a regulatory waiver under Order 31973. The Director-approval gate for fracture stimulation tied to as-built survey verification establishes a compliance checkpoint specific to this geometry. No material gaps exist between the permit conditions and their justification in submitted technical materials.
Permit Cycle Signals (5)
Commission Order No. 34736 and 34884 referenced as basis for permit approval; well approved as infill development within 2560-acre spacing unit with specific exception to spacing requirements for Manitou-Bakken Pool allowing lateral encroachment on protruding corners. (02/13/2026)
Regulatory orders explicitly condition the permit approval and define the non-routine geometry (lateral extending into adjacent spacing unit sections 15, 16, 21, 22 protruding corners) that justifies the off-spacing allowance.
Director approval required prior to fracture stimulation; as-built well construction, directional surveys, and distances to protruding corners must be submitted via Sundry Notice (Form 4) for Director review and verification of compliance before any completion operations. (02/13/2026)
Post-drilling compliance gate tied directly to the off-spacing geometry—triggers Director verification step before completions, indicating permit-conditioned execution pathway.
Bakken Setback Summary Statement specifies production liner cemented in lateral with wet shoe and ability to frac out shoe as basis for north setback calculation (150-foot setback from section line boundaries). (02/13/2026)
Technical completion design (wet shoe, frac-out capability) explicitly cited to justify setback compliance in the context of lateral geometry and boundary proximity.
Anti-collision analysis and standards documented in permit: Hess applies 1.5 minimum separation factor for planning, utilizes real-time corrected surveys every 93-100 feet (increasing frequency as needed), and employs gamma ray geo-steering to avoid existing wellbores in same formation. (09/22/2025)
Pre-permit anti-collision technical submission supporting the lateral trajectory design and off-spacing geometry; anticollision report identifies Level 1 and Level 3 warnings with closest approach to Lalim D 34-11H (0.413 separation factor) requiring active mitigation during drilling.
Waiver of Order No. 31973 notification requirements requested and granted: Hess (operator of both the subject spacing unit and adjacent EN-RICE-A-155-94-0310 unit from which well will be drilled) requested and obtained waiver of directional plan disclosure and contact information delivery to adjacent unit operator. (08/05/2025)
Regulatory waiver conditioning the permit approval process—demonstrates that the off-spacing configuration and inter-unit lateral trajectory triggered Order 31973 notification obligation, which was then waived based on operator's dual control of both units.
Historical Non-Routine Signals (3)
Hess executed Surface Use Agreement with Rice Ranch LLLP effective September 27, 2019, covering Sections 3 & 10 (T155N-R94W) with explicit right to drill off-lease well(s) into Sections 15, 16, 21, 22, 27, 34 (T156N-R94W). Agreement remains active basis for drilling operations. (09/27/2019)
Surface use agreement pre-dates permit and remains binding; it specifically authorizes off-spacing drilling that is now being executed under this permit. Operator must maintain compliance with agreement terms during all well operations and future development.
Diesel fuel affidavit from Hess (April 21, 2022, Tom Richardson, Senior Manager Drilling & Completions) certifies that completion partner Halliburton does not use prohibited diesel fuels (CASRN 68334-30-5, 68476-34-6, 68476-30-2, 68479-31-3, 8008-20-6) in hydraulic fracturing for all Hess Bakken wells in North Dakota. Coverage extends to EN-AICHA-156-94-3416H-5. (04/21/2022)
Ongoing regulatory obligation under North Dakota administrative code; certification must be maintained current and re-validated if completion contractor changes prior to fracture stimulation on this well.
North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources letter dated May 30, 2025 (Assistant Director Mark F. Bohrer) mandates leak-proof, covered, placard-labeled filter sock container on all wells beginning at spud and continuing through clean-out, completion, and flow-back. Effective requirement since June 1, 2014. (06/01/2014)
Mandatory operational requirement with no waiver route except by separate Sundry Notice; applies to all filtration operations on this well from spud forward. Hess must maintain compliant container on-site throughout drilling and completion phases.
Historical Operator Profile
Total Wells:N/A
Active Wells:N/A
Notable Patterns:None identified
Confidence Assessment
Level: High Rationale: Permit file is complete with high-quality technical submissions, explicit regulatory orders, signed affidavits, and contemporaneous correspondence. Permit approval date is exact (2/13/2026). All permit conditions are tied to specific regulatory citations (Orders 34736, 34884, 31973) and technical documents (anti-collision report, directional plan, setback justification). No missing or ambiguous dates in the permit-cycle chain. The off-spacing geometry and lateral encroachment on protruding corners are the defining non-routine features, and both are clearly explained by Orders 34736/34884, anti-collision analysis, and the Director-approval gate for completion. Historical signals are clearly dated and documented. No material contradictions or gaps detected between permit conditions and supporting evidence.