In an article in its July 14, 2013, edition, Petroleum News Bakken reported that the existence of five oil wells in North Dakota identified by Breitling Oil and Gas Corp. on its website could not be verified because the names Breitling posted for the wells did not appear in the North Dakota Industrial Commission Department of Mineral Resources Oil and Gas Division’s online database.
However, after the July 14 edition was released to online subscribers on July 12, Petroleum News Bakken was contacted by the Dallas law firm of Friedman & Feiger representing Breitling saying that Breitling would agree to provide the actual names of the wells. The law firm explained that Breitling had used fictitious names for the wells so as not to breach contractual confidentiality agreements between the company and well operators.
Friedman & Feiger said that Breitling’s investors receive daily drilling reports that contain the actual well identities.
The following day, July 13, Petroleum News Bakken received an email from Friedman & Feiger with the real names for the five wells in which Breitling has an interest. Petroleum News Bakken was able to find those wells in the Oil and Gas Division’s online database.
Here are each of the wells, with their fictitious name first, followed by their actual name: the Breitling-Pumpkin Ridge #2H, which is actually the Emie Federal 5792 24-9H, an Oasis Petroleum-operated well in Mountrail County; the Breitling-Pumpkin Ridge #3H, which is the G Larsen 1-14-23H in Williams County operated by HRC Operating (Halcon Resources); the Breitling-Big Caesar #1H, which is the Sidonia 45-0409H in Mountrail County operated by EOG Resources; the Breitling-Big Caesar #2H, which is the Karlgaard 27-34-160-98H 1XP, a Baytex Energy-operated well in Divide County; and the Breitling-Big Horn #1H, which is the Moody 159-94-15A-22-1H in Burke County operated by Petro-Hunt.
The five wells were completed between August 2012 and May 2013. All five are currently on “active” status with the Oil and Gas Division.
Four of the five wells are in the counties specified by Breitling on its website, but the counterpart of Breitling-Big Horn #1H, the Moody 159-94-15A-22 1H, is actually in Burke County.
Friedman & Feiger also provided the identity of a sixth well in its July 13 email, the Pumpkin Ridge #1H, which the company has identified as the Stoltenberg 1-9H well, a Continental Resources-operated well in Williams County. As of July 14, that well was still on confidential status. Petroleum News Bakken had not found mention of that well on Breitling’s website while researching the other five Breitling wells for the July 14 story.
Editor’s note: See the July 21 edition of Petroleum News Bakken for the full story. The newspaper will available online Friday, July 19, at www.petroleumnewsbakken.com.
