Halcón Resources Reduces 2015 Budget

halcon bakken
halcon bakken

In a press release on January 8th, Halcón Resources executives announced that they will slash their drilling and production budget almost in half for 2015. The Houston-based company affirmed it will reduce operations in the Bakken to two rigs in the Fort Berthold area of North Dakota.

This is the second round of cuts for the Bakken producer in less than two months due to the continued decline in oil prices. Projected spending for the company is set at between $375 - 425 million, which represent a steep decline from 2014 numbers of $950 million. Even with decreased spending for 2015, production is expected to increase to an average 40,000-45,000 barrels per day, compared to 43,554 b/d in the third quarter of 2014.

Halcon CEO Floyd Wilson says that, “Our plan is to deploy capital to assets where results indicate EURs and initial production rates higher than our published type curves. We are comfortable with our current liquidity position and we expect our strong hedge portfolio to continue generating income well into 2016. Although we are significantly hedged, the continued weakness in crude oil prices, combined with elevated service costs, calls for conservative planning. We expect to see these costs come down dramatically during 2015.

Read the full report at halconresources.com.

Halcón Resources Sets New Operations Records in the Williston Basin

Halcon Bakken Acreage Map
Halcon Bakken Acreage Map

During the first quarter of 2014, Halcón Resources (HK) set new company operations records in the Williston Basin for drilling and production.

A major focus for Halcón is on improving efficiencies, particularly those associated with pad drilling. Currently, Halcón is in the process of putting six new wells online in the Fort Berthold area that were drilled from a single pad and spaced 660' apart. The initial production (IP) rate for one of these wells during the quarter was a record breaking 4,225 boe/d. 

The company also recorded its fastest drilling times to date during the first-quarter. A Bakken well in the Fort Berthold area was drilled in 12 days (spud to total depth). Another Three Forks well in the Fort Berthold area was drilled in 17 days (spud to total depth).

Halcón Williston Basin First Quarter Operations Update

Halcón operated an average of four rigs in the Williston Basin during the first quarter, and the company plans to keep an average of three to four rigs active for the remainder of the year. Average production for the quarter was 23,313 boe/d. That's a 73% increase compared to the same period in 2013.

Weather-related issues slowed down drilling and completion that were begun late in the fourth quarter of 2013. Despite the weather-related impacts and delays, Halcon saw average initial and 30 day production rates improve during the quarter. Company officials say activity in the Williston Basin has since returned to normal, and current production is approximately 25,000 Boe/d.

Halcón Non-Operated Interests in the Williston Basin

Halcón participated in 72 non-operated wells during the quarter with an average working interest of approximately 6%. Current production from non-operated wells is approximately 3,500 boe/d.

By contrast, there are currently 144 Bakken wells producing, 11 Bakken wells being completed or waiting on completion and 2 Bakken wells being drilled on Halcón's operated acreage.

Similarly, there are currently 44 Three Forks wells producing, 5 Three Forks wells being completed or waiting on completion and 2 Three Forks wells being drilled on the Company's operated acreage.

Read more at halconresources.com

Wood Mackenzie Forecasts $15 Billion on Bakken Drilling and Completions - 2014

Wood Mackenzie Bakken and Three Forks Map
Wood Mackenzie Bakken and Three Forks Map

According to the oil and gas research and consulting firm Wood Mackenzie, $15 billion will be spent on drilling and completion in the Bakken in 2014, second only to the Eagle Ford Shale. This year, oil production is expected to reach the 1 million b/d mark, and grow markedly beyond that figure over the next 5 - 6 years.

Read more: Bakken Production Sets Another Record - More Than 10,000 ND Wells Producing

We expect Bakken/Three Forks oil production to average 1.1 million barrels a day (b/d) in 2014, growing to 1.7 million b/d in 2020,” says Jonathan Garrett, upstream research analyst for Wood Mackenzie.

The firm's analysis shows the Bakken and Three Forks plays hold close to $118 billion in value. Despite infrastructure concerns, estimates indicate operators will recover more than 20 billion bbls of oil reserves throughout the life of the play.

Continental Remains Top Bakken Operator

In 2014, Continental Resources remains the top Bakken operator, with more than 1.2 million acres according to Wood Mackenzie. The value of the company's proved reserves in the Bakken are ~ $14.5 billion.

Read more: Continentals Proved Reserves in the Bakken Valued at $14.5 Billion

In 2013, Continental conducted multiple tests of the Three Forks . Wood Mackenzie indicates the company has the most advanced delineation program in the deeper Three Forks benches.

Wood Mackenzie Analysis of Bakken Three Forks Sub-Plays

Current figures show the highest initial production rates are on the Nesson Anticline sub-play, with 30-day IP rates of 1000 boe/d. Estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) rates are the highest in the Fort Berthold sub-play at nearly 700,000 barrels of oil equivalent (boe).

In the Southern fringe sub-play, wells targeting the Three Forks formation outperformed Bakken wells. Similar results for Three Forks wells were also found in the North Williston and Williams Perimeter sub-plays.

Wood Mackenzie also indicates in their report that infrastructure constraints will not impact the pace of the play's development. Currently, 73% of crude leaves the Williston Basin by rail.

Read more at woodmac.com

QEP Resources Bakken & Three Forks Production Surpasses 21,000 boe/d

QEP Resources Fort Berthold Bakken Well Results
QEP Resources Fort Berthold Bakken Well Results

QEP Resources Bakken and Three Forks production grew a little less than 1,000 boe/d in the third quarter to average 21,300 boe/d.

QEP brought 21 operated wells to production with impressive initial production rates. Ten wells in the South Antelope area came online with a 24-hour initial production (IP) rate of 3,412 boe/d and 11 wells in the Fort Berthold area came online with IPs of 2,588 boe/d. Many of those wells were drilled and completed on mult-well pads.

Production didn't grow quite as much as expected due to midstream bottlenecks and shut-ins required by drilling operations. I suspect we'll see relatively strong growth in the fourth quarter.

At the end of the third quarter, QEP had drilling operations active on eight well pads (3 at South Antelope and 5 at Fort Berthold). QEP also has an interest in 24 outside operated wells being drilled and is awaiting completion on 22 operated and non-operated wells.

In the Williston Basin, we brought on 21 new QEP-operated wells in the third quarter compared to a total of 27 operated completions in the first half of the year. Production results from our South Antelope wells continue to confirm our pre-drill EUR expectations. Despite some delayed well completions — in part due to bottlenecks in third-party downstream crude oil systems — and shut-ins of existing wells for offset completions, we expect to grow oil production at an enviable rate of 60 percent over 2012.
— Chuck Stanley, CEO

On QEP's Fort Berthold acreage alone, the company estimates potential for 420 gross Bakken and Three Forks wells at 160-acre spacing. EURs in the Bakken range from 400-650 mboe and wells in the Three Forks are expected to yield 350-600 mboe. That equates to resource potential of 121-202 million barrels of oil equivalent (net) from QEP's Fort Berthold assets alone.

Read the full press release at qepres.com

Enerplus's US Production Grows With Fort Berthold Bakken Production

Enerplus Bakken Map
Enerplus Bakken Map

Enerplus grew U.S. oil production to more than 20,000 boe/d in the second quarter. Production from the Bakken was the primary driver, with volumes growing to 15,000 boe/d from the company's Fort Berthold assets.

Enerplus invested $78 million drilling 4.7 net wells and bringing 6.1 net wells to production during the second quarter. Service costs and well costs continue to fall. Enerplus has realized savings of 10% compared to its plan at the beginning of 2013.

The company's Fort Berthold assets are the primary focus of development. Enerplus has drilled 92 wells to date (74 Bakken & 18 Three Forks) and estimates its acreage holds:

  • 6 year drilling inventory or 130 undrilled locations
  • Downspacing potential at 160 acres per well that could add another 150 undrilled locations
  • Potential in the second, third, and fourth benches of the Three Forks.

Read the full Q2 press release at enerplus.com