Great Northern Energy, Inc. is a professional oil and gas land services company. The company has been providing the highest quality services to its clients since 1984. Our goal is to ensure every client receives top-priority on all projects regardless of how large or small the job may be. We have a highly trained, qualified and professional group of Landmen to ensure we meet and exceed the expectations of our clients.Great Northern Energy, Inc. adheres to the principles and practices set forth in the American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL) Code of Ethics, Standards of Practice, and Preamble.
Porosity & Permeability are the keys to recovering this oil and gas.
All stones have pores and capillaries in which liquids may be held. Porosity refers to the rock’s ability to store liquid hydrocarbons and is measured as a ratio of open spaces to sold material. A good way to understand porosity is to compare a piece of traditional lava rock to a piece of granite. The lava rock is filled with holes and cavities while the granite appears completely solid. Of course, the lava rock has the potential of holding a greater quantity of liquid, thus it has a higher porosity.
Williston Basin Stratigraphic Column
The Stratigraphic Column of the Williston Basin shows the different geological formations found at various depths in the region. The most productive layers recently have been the Bakken and Three Forks formations. However, there is now renewed interest in the Spearfish formation, and continuing interest in the Lodgepole, Mission Canyon, Birdbear, and Red River formations.
The Bakken
The Bakken has been the most notable formation in the Williston Basin. Its exploration began in the 1950s, however, recent advances in exploration techniques coupled with higher crude oil prices have resulted in substantial improvement in oil recovery in this area. In 2008, the U.S Geological Survey (USGS) reported up to 4.3 billion barrels of recoverable oil are stored in the Bakken formation. The State of North Dakota estimates up to 40 years of drilling activity will be required to tap this reserve.
Why Participate?
Participants are essentially partners in the well. They receive a larger portion of the gross production, but also accept a proportionate share of the costs and liability. Participating is generally not recommended unless you have access to geological data, the history of other wells in the area, knowledge of drilling practices, and experience with the high-pressure legal and regulatory labyrinth associated with oil exploration. Drilling is a high-stakes game. It requires a significant investment and carries a substantial risk.
What Is Pooling And Spacing;
Will My Well Drain Oil From My Neighbor’s Land? Spacing Units are tools used to prevent the drainage of oil & gas from nearby lands, and to prevent over drilling of a particular field. When a well is proposed, a Spacing Unit will be assigned by the state regulatory agency. The default spacing unit for new horizontal wells in most areas of the Williston Basin in North Dakota is now 1,280 acres. However, it is not uncommon to also find spacing units of 640 acres, 320 acres, or even smaller. Recently, North Dakota and several other states and provinces have been experimenting with 2,560 acre units. These super units may be evolutionary to oil & gas exploration and often require upfront permitting of multiple wells from a single drill pad. This is thought to increase efficiency of land use, pipelines, and utilities. Within this Spacing Unit, companies must follow rules regarding the number of wells to be drilled and their locations. Everyone owning minerals within the Spacing Unit is pooled together and will share in the gross production of the well based on their percentage ownership. For example, if you have 160 net mineral acres and the Spacing Unit is 1,280 acres, you own 12.5% of the Spacing Unit. This type of pooling is fairer to your neighbors. It prevents drillers from locating their wells on adjacent property lines in order to drain oil from the land nearby. It also discourages the competitive drilling of too many wells. This can reduce the overall pressure of the field thereby lowering the total amount of recoverable oil.
About The Exploration & Drilling Process
Energy companies make drilling decisions based on geologic and seismic data as well as the history of other wells in an area. When a possible drill site is identified, landmen go to work identifying the legal owners of record and securing leases. The well is then proposed, the Spacing Unit is established, and permits are filed. Finally, the Surface Use Agreement is signed with the surface owner. Now, the site preparation work may begin.
Company Name | Great Northern Energy |
Business Category | Renewable Energy |
Address | PO Box 669 Bismarck North Dakota United States ZIP: 58502 |
President | Ryan R. Friesz |
Year Established | 1984 |
Employees | NA |
Memberships | NA |
Hours of Operation | NA |
Phone Number | Locked content | Subscribe to view |
Fax Number | Locked content | |
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Website | Locked content |
Name | Position | Contact Details | Subscribe to view |
*** | President | Locked content |