GO-Skjei MW TR-158-98-3526H-4

HESS BAKKEN INVESTMENTS II, LLC · Williams County, ND · File #43317 · Generated 2026-10-14 06:31

API: 3310506891
Target Formation: Bakken
Permit Explained: Yes

Permit Cycle Assessment

The permit approval is directly explained by contemporaneous documentation. Key signals include a cited Commission Order (35503) conditioning approval, a waiver request for inter-operator notification requirements, a technical justification for a modified north setback, and a surface use affidavit fulfilling off-spacing requirements.

Permit Cycle Signals (4)

Permit approval is explicitly conditioned on Commission Order No. 35503, which defines spacing and setbacks for the 1280-acre unit.

Direct

Permit Information/Stipulations section
2026-09-18 (Exact confidence)

Direct regulatory order cited as the basis for permit approval and specific setback conditions.

Waiver request for Order No. 31973 notification requirements because Hess is the operator of the adjacent spacing unit.

Direct

Letter from Levi S. Greenly to NDIC dated July 8, 2026
2026-07-08 (Exact confidence)

Directly justifies permit approval by addressing a regulatory precondition for off-spacing horizontal drilling into the Bakken Petroleum System.

North setback condition (150') is specifically justified by a production liner cemented in the lateral with a wet shoe and ability to frac out the shoe.

Direct

Conditions of Approval section (Permit Review Policy note)
2026-09-18 (Exact confidence)

Non-standard setback modification tied to specific well geometry (cemented liner with wet shoe) requiring technical justification for approval.

Affidavit confirming executed Surface Use Agreement with surface owner Norman and Lisa Hanson, required for well located off-spacing.

Supporting

Affidavit of Jennings White dated June 17, 2026
2026-06-17 (Exact confidence)

Directly satisfies a mandatory pre-permit condition for off-spacing wells as acknowledged in the operator assertions.

Historical Context (2)

Commission Order No. 31973 imposes persistent notification obligations for horizontal wells drilled into the Bakken Petroleum System from outside the target spacing unit.
Letter from Levi S. Greenly referencing Order No. 31973 · Relative (pre-permit)
This order establishes a standing regulatory process affecting all future permit applications for off-spacing horizontal wells in the Bakken system, requiring affidavits or waivers.

Surface Use Agreement with Norman and Lisa Hanson grants rights for 'off lease' drilling into specified sections, including future operations.
Affidavit of Jennings White detailing Surface Use Agreement · 2026-03-01
The agreement is a multi-well, ongoing contract that secures surface access for current and future 'off lease' drilling from this pad, impacting future execution beyond this single permit.

Operator Pattern

Hess systematically pursues pad development with multiple wells, utilizes centralized planning (Scientific Drilling reports, KLJ engineering designs), and proactively manages regulatory preconditions (waivers, affidavits).
Pad design includes six wells; anti-collision protocols and detailed drilling prognosis are standardized; waiver request demonstrates understanding of complex spacing order requirements.

Confidence: High
Key documents (approval letter, waiver request, affidavit) are date-stamped and directly reference the permit conditions. The permit approval date and major explanatory signals are clearly extractable from the provided text.