Whiting Petroleum acquired additional Bakken acreage in North Dakota and Montana, and tested new completion designs in the third quarter.
Whiting is using cemented liners and higher sand volumes in the Missouri Breaks area. One well completed in August using this method and a slick water frack came online at rates approximately 75% better than an offset well.
The method was used again in the Hidden Bench area and yielded results almost 1,000 boe/d better than an offset plug and perf completion.
Watch for Whiting to test cemented liners across much of its acreage. If initial results are any indication, future wells could perform as much as 50% better than previously thought.
“This is an exciting time for Whiting and our shareholders. During the third quarter, we added 17,282 net acres to our Hidden Bench and Missouri Breaks prospect areas and 32,419 net acres to our Redtail Niobrara prospect. Our new completion design using cemented liners and plug and perf technology is working throughout the Williston Basin. Initial results from our higher density drilling program at our Pronghorn prospect are very encouraging, and we expect results from our Sanish field and Hidden Bench prospect higher density drilling programs in the fourth quarter.”
Also, downspacing results in the Sanish Field are expected in the fourth quarter. If the wells prove commercial, Whiting could add an additional ~190 gross drilling locations.
Whiting produced a total of 92,750 boe/d in the third quarter with 87% attributable to crude oil and NGLs. Approximately 81% of Whiting's production is attributable to the company's Rockies Region, where the Bakken and Three Forks drive growth.
Read the company's third quarter earnings release at whiting.com