Oxy USA may have set a new record for the length of a lateral well in the Bakken/Three Forks play, but we won’t know for sure until the State of North Dakota releases the well from confidential status because Oxy isn’t talking.
Petroleum News Bakken sources say that the Oxy well, the Matthew Schmidt 3-35-2H-144-97 in the Cabernet field of Dunn County, N.D., was drilled by Nabors rig B10 and targeted the middle member of the Bakken formation. It had a measured depth of more than 25,000 feet and a lateral length just short of 3 miles.
Three miles is 15,840 feet. North Dakota Industrial Commission records show the lateral record is currently held by Continental Resources’ Louisville 2-9H well, which Continental says has a lateral length of 15,354 feet.
The well, no longer a tight hole, also targeted the middle Bakken. It has a total depth of 26,555 feet and is in the Last Chance field of Williams County.
As for Oxy’s contender, the Matthew Schmidt 3-35-2H-144-97, it reportedly came in under budget and ahead of schedule.
Nabors isn’t talking either, but NDIC records show rig B10 still onsite, next headed to “Matthew Schmidt 2.”
—Kay Cashman
