Applications submitted to the North Dakota Industrial Commission seeking permission to flare natural gas from producing wells increased substantially in June. Only three operators submitted flaring applications in May, and those applications were limited to McKenzie and Williams counties. In contrast, 13 operators submitted applications in June seeking authorization to flare wells across six northwestern counties.
While most of the flaring focus is again in McKenzie and Williams counties, numerous applications were submitted for flaring approval in Dunn, Mountrail and Divide counties, and two applications were submitted for flaring in Burke County.
Williams County applications
In the Todd field, most of which lies in southern Williams County with a small portion extending under the Missouri River into northern McKenzie County, Continental Resources, Statoil and Zenergy filed a joint application asking permission from the commission to flare all wells not connected to gathering infrastructure in the field. Statoil identified two wells and indicated the wells should be connected to a Oneok system by Sept. 30. Likewise, Zenergy identified two wells it wants to flare until the wells can be connected to Oneok’s system. Continental did not specify the number of wells it wants to flare.
Statoil and Zenergy jointly submitted an application seeking permission to flare wells in the Williston field in southern Williams County. Statoil identified only one well in the field it wants to flare. That well should be connected to Oneok’s system by Dec. 31. The application did not specify how many wells Zenergy wants to flare.
Halcon Resources, filing as G3 Operating, submitted five applications seeking permission to flare indefinitely all of its wells that are not connected to gas gathering infrastructure in the Little Muddy, Lone Tree Lake, Marmon and Strandahl fields, all in northwest Williams County.
In the Otter field in the west-central region of Williams County, Halcon and Triangle Petroleum filed a joint application seeking permission to flare all wells in that field. Triangle identified two wells in the field it wants to flare for 90 to 120 days. Halcon did not specify the wells it wants to flare or a flaring period.
Triangle filed another application jointly with EOG Resources seeking permission to flare wells in the Rosebud field in southwest Williams County. Triangle identified two wells it wants to flair for 90 to 120 days until connections can be made to gas gathering infrastructure. EOG did not identify in the application the number of wells it wants to flare.
McKenzie County
Triangle Petroleum filed applications with the commission seeking permission to flare gas from wells in the Pronghorn field in western McKenzie County and in the Antelope field in northeast McKenzie County. Triangle is seeking permission to flare one well in the Pronghorn field for 90 to 120 days and four wells in the Antelope field for the same period of time.
Statoil is seeking permission to flare gas from two wells in the Briar Creek field which straddles southern Williams and northern McKenzie counties along the Montana border. Statoil says it expects the wells to be connected to gas gathering infrastructure by Dec. 31.
Triangle and Statoil jointly filed an application to flare wells in the Ragged Butte field in north-central McKenzie County. Triangle wants to flare two wells for 90 to 120 days. Statoil wants to flare one well until it is connected to gas infrastructure. That well is expected to be connected to gas sales by Sept. 30.
In the Spotted Horn field, most of which is in far eastern McKenzie County, EOG Resources, Halcon and WPX Energy Williston filed a joint application seeking permission to flare wells until they can be connected to gas gathering systems. Halcon identified one well in the field it wants to flare, but neither EOG nor WPX Energy specified the number of wells they want to flare in the application.
Dunn County
WPX Energy asked the commission for permission to flare gas from three wells in Dunn County. Two of those wells are near Lake Sakakawea in the Heart Butte field. The other is in Wolf Bay field south of the Heart Butte field. WPX Energy says the wells are stranded and estimates flaring alternatives are highly uneconomic and asked permission to flare gas from the wells indefinitely.
In the Moccasin Creek field in northern Dunn County, WPX Energy is seeking permission to flare an unspecified number of wells.
Enerplus Resources filed a joint application with WPX Energy seeking approval to flare wells in the Heart Butte field. Enerplus identified five wells in the Heart Butte field that it wants to flare until a Targa Resources pipeline is constructed. That pipeline is expected to be completed in 2014. WPX Energy did not specify the number of wells it wants to flare in the joint application.
Enerplus and WPX Energy filed another application, this one jointly with Halcon, seeking permission to flare wells in the McGregory Buttes field in northwest Dunn County. Halcon has 15 wells in the field it wants to flare until September at which time it expects to have the wells connected to gas gathering infrastructure. Enerplus identified only one of its 30 wells in the field that it wants to flare. Enerplus says the well will eventually be connected to a Targa Resources pipeline, construction on which is scheduled to begin on Aug. 1. WPX Energy did not indicate how many wells it wants to flare in the application.
Enerplus, WPX Energy and Halcon filed another joint application asking to flare wells in the Eagle Nest field, also in northwest Dunn County. Halcon identified six wells it wants to flare until the wells can be connected to gas sales. Enerplus and WPX Energy did not indicate how many wells they want to flare.
Mountrail County
MDU Resources subsidiary Fidelity Exploration is seeking permission to flare wells in the Alger field in west-central Mountrail County until the wells can be connected to gas sales. Fidelity also submitted an application to flare a well in the Sanish field located north of the peninsula in southwest Mountrail County until it can be connected to a gathering system. And in the Stanley pool in central Mountrail County, Fidelity want to flare two wells until they can be connected to gas sales.
EOG submitted applications seeking approval to flare an unspecified number of wells in the Clear Water and Kittleson Slough fields, both in northern Mountrail County with a portion extending north into southern Burke County. EOG is asking to flare the wells indefinitely.
EOG Resources, Hunt Oil and Sinclair Oil jointly filed an application seeking permission to flare wells in the Parshall pool in southern Mountrail County. The number of wells to be flared was not specified in the application.
WPX Energy is asking permission from the commission to flare gas from three wells in the Reunion Bay field in the peninsula in southwest Mountrail County until the wells can be connected to sales.
In the Enget Lake field in northwest Mountrail County, Hess Corp. is seeking permission to flare one well until it can get the well connected to gas sales.
Divide County
In central Divide County, Baytex Energy, Continental and Hunt Oil filed a joint application seeking permission to flare gas from all wells in the Bluffton field that are not currently connected to gathering infrastructure for an indefinite period until they can be connected to gas sales.
Baytex, along with Samson Resources, is seeking permission to flare gas from wells not connected to gathering systems in the Blooming Prairie field in north-central Divide County. Samson is asking to flare only one well in the field and says it is currently working with Oneok on connecting the well to Oneok’s system, and it expects to have the well connected by Sept.1. Baytex did not specify how many wells it wants to flare.
Burke County
Hess Corp. was the only operator filing flaring applications in Burke County. Hess is seeking permission to flare gas from one well in the Short Creek field in northwest Burke County, and from another in the Forthun field in far northwest Burke County. Hess also wants to flare indefinitely until it can get the wells connected to gas gathering infrastructure.
—MIKE ELLERD
