September 2013- The Bakken

SEPTEMBER 2013

Core

Educator Ron Ness and ND Petroleum Council communicate optimism, facts about the Bakken Page 8

Plus:

Drilling and Completion Strategies Responsible For Accelerated Production Page 28

AND:

Williston Basin’s First NORM disposal facility Page 22

Frack Water Recycling Era Has Begun Page 36

www.THEBAKKEN.com Printed in USA

MBI Energy Services is North Dakota’s largest independent diversified oilfield service company.

Commitment to innova on and safety are values that govern the way we do business.

With our proven experience, strategic loca ons and integrated services, MBI is commi ed to responsibly growing with North Dakota’s oil and gas industry.

(701) 5752-8242

mbienergyservices.com

ALL-WEATHER LOCATION 24/7

Don’t be a stick-in-the-mud.

Quality Mat is the standard in the mat business.

Manufacturing and installing mats worldwide for 40 years!

World’s largest mat supplier.

Over 60,000 mats in stock in Bismarck, Dickinson, Tioga and Killdeer locations.

Minimize: · Environmental Impact · Road Congestion · Reclamation Cost · Accidents · Rock Cost · Dust

1 - 8 0 0 - 2 2 7- 8 1 5 9

\\

Q M A T. C O M

CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER 2013

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 6

Pg 22 LOGISTICS

NOW OPEN: First-Ever Bakken NORM Disposal Site Ross Oakland, an oilfield worker turned big-time Montana farmer, has drastically changed how oilfield waste services do business.

BY LUKE GEIVER

DEPARTMENTS

MAKING IT

36 Forget the Future: Frack Water Recycling is Here

Halliburton and Nuverra Environmental solutions have partnered to bring a proven produced water reuse system and logistics model to the Williston Basin.

BY STAFF

CONTRIBUTION

40 Solidification Solution

Fly ash plays a role in the Bakken oilfields.

BY ANDY GLASS, HEADWATERS RESOURCES

Pg 28 EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION

Well Worth the Attention Proppant placement strategies, longer laterals and cutting-edge downhole mechanical fracturing technology are extracting crude in less time, more efficiently and, in some cases, at a lower cost.

BY LUKE GEIVER

6 Editor’s Note

What Happens Next

BY LUKE GEIVER

8 Petroleum Council: Special Edition

Meet the Real North Dakota Petroleum Council

BY STAFF

14 Bakken News

Bakken News and Trends

ON THE COVER: Ron Ness, ND Petroleum Council president holds a Bakken shale core sample.

PHOTO: GLASSER IMAGES

THEBAKKEN.COM

5

EDITOR'S NOTE

What Happens Next Luke Geiver

Editor The Bakken magazine lgeiver@bbiinternational.com

Walking to my truck on a hot August afternoon after a twohour interview session with the North Dakota Petroleum Council, half-way between the NDPC’s Bismarck, N.D., office and my parked vehicle, I panicked. I had just held what I believed was an incredibly productive, valuable and enlightening sit-down with several of the Bakken play’s leading representatives, and then, reaching into my sports coat’s right pocket, I couldn’t locate the recorder I’d used to capture the session.

After a frantic search of my bag in the sweltering parking lot, the recorder was found and its contents, in this month’s special edition piece, “Meet the Real North Dakota Petroleum Council,” on page 8, show why I was relieved: The story of the transformation of the NDPC’s duties, and the perspectives of its members and staff, is something everyone should read. It provides insight into the play that Ron Ness, council president, calls a world class resource. I turned the truck west and headed for Dickinson, N.D., composing the story in my head as I drove.

Later the next day, I drove to Watford City, N.D., where I’d been invited to an unveiling event for potential clients of Halliburton’s frack water recycling system, which recycles produced water created during the hydraulic fracturing process. Walter Dale, strategic business manager of water management services for Halliburton, opened his presentation on the product by telling the crowd that everywhere he goes, he talks about water. For the next hour, that’s what he did, explaining in great detail the economics of a system that could drastically reduce the amount of fresh water needed to complete a single well in the Williston Basin and why the commonly held beliefs about the importance of water quality to a successful well completion are now outdated.

The Halliburton event and the NDPC interview session highlight the constant progression in the Williston Basin, from the way a trade organization approaches a community outreach strategy today versus five years ago, to how veteran operators plan and budget for water-related costs today compared to two years ago. This month’s exploration and production feature, “Well Worth the Attention,” on page 28, also highlights the changes happening in the play. Proppant placement strategies are helping retrieve more crude faster by utilizing multiple proppant types in different sections of a horizontal. Longer laterals and the push to increase the number of discrete fracture stages in some wells is also altering the way a well is brought online now more than ever before. As the Bakken and Three Forks development continues, and the world class resource grows its global prominence, the news and technology we value today will become merely a reference point for future innovation. Case in point: Halliburton’s frack water recycling system. Everything about it is exciting. But, what’s more exciting is finding out what will happen next.

6

The BAKKEN MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2013

ADVERTISER INDEX

www.THEBAKKEN.com VOLUME 1 ISSUE 6

4

EDITORIAL Editor Luke Geiver lgeiver@bbiinternational.com Senior Editor Susanne Retka Schill sretkaschill@bbiinternational.com Staff Writer Chris Hanson chanson@bbiinternational.com Copy Editor Jan Tellmann jtellmann@bbiinternational.com

PUBLISHING & SALES

20/20 Properties LLC

41

Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc. (AE2S)

17

AmeriPride Services Inc.

30

ASC Construction Equipment

31

Bakken Artificial Lift & Production Conference

16

Bartlett & West

39

Consolidated Telcom

Chairman Mike Bryan mbryan@bbiinternational.com

43

Dakota Supply Group

CEO Joe Bryan jbryan@bbiinternational.com

15

President Tom Bryan tbryan@bbiinternational.com

Empire Steel Manufacturing Company

26

Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corporation - Bakken Initiative

37

Headwaters Resources

44

Highland Projects LLC

35

International Road Dynamics Inc.

Vice President, Sales & Marketing Matthew Spoor mspoor@bbiinternational.com Vice President of Content Tim Portz tportz@bbiinternational.com Business Development Manager Bob Brown bbrown@bbiinternational.com Account Manager Tami Pearson tpearson@bbiinternational.com

2

Marketing Director John Nelson jnelson@bbiinternational.com

33

MBI Energy Services New Pig Energy

Circulation Manager Jessica Beaudry jbeaudry@bbiinternational.com

3

Quality Mat Company

Advertising Coordinator Marla DeFoe mdefoe@bbiinternational.com

27

Red Dog Soda Blasting

18-19

ART

24

Art Director Jaci Satterlund jsatterlund@bbiinternational.com

Safe-T-Pull TCI Business Capital Inc.

42 The Bakken Magazine

Subscriptions Subscriptions to The Bakken magazine are free of charge to everyone with the exception of a shipping and handling charge of $49.95 for any country outside the United States, Canada and Mexico. To subscribe, visit www. thebakken.com or you can send your mailing address and payment (checks made out to BBI International) to: The Bakken magazine/Subscriptions, 308 Second Ave. N., Suite 304, Grand Forks, ND 58203. You can also fax a subscription form to 701-746-5367. Reprints and Back Issues Select back issues are available for $3.95 each, plus shipping. Article reprints are also available for a fee. For more information, contact us at 866-746-8385 or service@bbiinternational.com.

Advertising The Bakken magazine provides a specific topic delivered to a highly targeted audience. We are committed to editorial excellence and high-quality print production. To find out more about The Bakken magazine advertising opportunities, please contact us at 866-746-8385 or service@bbiinternational.com. Letters to the Editor We welcome letters to the editor. If you write us, please include your name, address and phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity and/or space. Send to The Bakken magazine/Letters, 308 Second Ave. N., Suite 304, Grand Forks, ND 58203 or email to lgeiver@bbiinternational.com.

25

The Bakken-Three Forks Shale Oil Innovation Conference & Expo 2014

13

Tri-Pac Engineering

34

Ulteig Engineers

20

Water Solutions

21

Wells Concrete

32

Westcon Inc.

COPYRIGHT © 2013

by BBI International TM

Please recycle this magazine and remove inserts or samples before recycling

THEBAKKEN.COM

7

NORTH DAKOTA PETROLEUM COUNCIL

THE MESSAGE: SPECIAL EDITION

Meet the Real

North Dakota Petroleum Council The story behind the Bakken’s leading voice

By Staff Photos by Glasser Images

The North Dakota Petroleum Council isn’t your average state-based trade organization. On a midAugust morning, The Bakken magazine sat down with every member of the team to find out why. We talked about the daily challenges NDPC has in educating North Dakota citizens, business owners, community leaders and private investors on the oil and gas industry of the Williston Basin. The interviews revealed the NDPC’s accomplishments during the 2013 legislative session, the team’s reason for optimism in 2014 and why the Bakken shale play isn’t, as Ron Ness, council president put it, a western N.D. thing, a N.D. thing or even a U.S. thing. “This is a world game changer,” he said, sitting in 8

his office that morning. “This resource is a game changer for the way the world will look at energy.”

Why Everyone Is Looking Based on the average day for Tessa Sandstrom, NDPC’s communication’s manager, it is easy to see that the world is becoming fixated on the Williston Basin. The organization takes weekly media requests from Japan, Switzerland, Norway, England, Australia, Germany and others, she says, in addition to the national media attention the Bakken has received for the past few years. “A group of decision makers from California visited just last week. We don’t usually go to other states,” she says. “We have people coming here from around the world.”

For Ness, the reason for

The BAKKEN MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2013

the global attention is simple.

“They want to understand, is this Bakken real?” he says.

“I had two executives here because this [the Bakken] is changing the way Toyota thinks about making cars and what their fuel of the future is going to be.”

The attention on the oil patch in western N.D., isn’t always positive however. “At times it gets overwhelming,” Ness says, “but then you look at this as an opportunity to attract the great minds here that can help us achieve successful results while proving out technology.” The technology in the play isn’t an element Ness is worried about. “People know that we are going to take this technology developing right here and we are going to be able to export it all over the world.”

To help the Bakken shale play truly blossom into a global leader for unconventional oil and gas retrieval practices, Ness and his staff have transformed their organizational objectives from those centered on member services and lobbying, to include education and diplomacy. According to Ness, the team has spent much of the past two years

NORTH DAKOTA PETROLEUM COUNCIL

trying to educate people across the state about the opportunities created from the oil and gas development.

“If we do this right, we will have generations of tremendous upside,” he says.

During the past year, Ness estimates he spent roughly 80 percent of his time working to educate the public, the media and foreign countries about

the Bakken. Although the team continues to answer questions about the basics of hydraulic fracturing or the geological extent of the Williston Basin, Sandstrom says, the education efforts are helping in- and out-ofstate individuals comprehend the magnitude and complexities of the play.

During educational events, the halls and meeting places

are always packed, Ness says, the communities are getting more educated and the questions are getting more sophisticated. “One of the great things about North Dakota is that we have been able to get across the state and educate people because they truly do want to listen,” he says.

The teaching efforts aren’t just about answering

THEBAKKEN.COM

9

NORTH DAKOTA PETROLEUM COUNCIL

Ron Ness president

'The Bakken is unique, it is a world class resource. The peak in 1984 was 150,000 barrels of oil per day.

We produce that today before the sun comes up.'

questions or explaining the industry’s processes.

For Sandstrom, education means reaching out to young students and future grads on the opportunity of the play.

The NDPC staff currently works with and targets every school grade class from third to seniors in high school. The goal is to highlight the multifaceted nature of the oil patch, she says, including the job market. “There are more jobs than just those dealing with oil, dirt and heavy equipment.

There are very technical jobs and employers are looking more and more for those with two-to-four year college degrees,” she says, adding,

10

“there are a lot of people with degrees that are needed now and are going to be needed in the future.”

Goals for the Future Although education has become a main staple of the NDPC’s focus and outreach efforts, the team also maintains its exhaustive work to provide solutions in the Williston Basin for everything from flaring to dust control. Kari Cutting, vice president of the NDPC, concentrates her time working on regulatory affairs and state issues. Cutting, facilitates the work of the NDPC regulatory committee, a group of NDPC member company employees

The BAKKEN MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2013

who are knowledgeable in issues of extreme importance to the state, including air quality, environment, and endangered species, among others. Cutting’s work places her in contact with nearly every possible state and federal agency. Cutting and the regulatory committee have established relationships with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S Forest Service, U.S. EPA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as several state agencies.

“Developing a working relationship with agencies allows you to collaborate towards a successful solution,” said Cutting “That

is the purpose of all of NDPC’s efforts, whether it is government relations, education and outreach, or regulatory issues—find a solution to the challenges that come with the huge opportunity that is the Bakken.

“One of our member CEO’s said it best, ‘We sit down with all the stakeholders at the table, define the problem and then work together to come up with a workable solution.’ We are North Dakota nice.”

And the work rarely slows down. Topics that will define a Cutting’s agenda in the coming months include mitigating wildlife impacts in areas of

NORTH DAKOTA PETROLEUM COUNCIL

Kari Cutting vice president

'Our main mission for our members can be summed up in one word, problem-solving.

Everything we do, whether it is government relations, regulatory affairs, public education and outreach or the many NDPC events, reflects that mission.'

development and serving on a committee to discuss disposal options for naturally occurring radioactive material.

Alexis Brinkman, regulatory affairs manager, also works on regulatory and legislative issues.

Brinkman spent many hours during the previous biennium lobbying at the Capital. Like Cutting, Brinkman can cite several examples of how an NDPC staffer has helped to solve an issue in the Bakken.

Due to the attention on flaring in western N.D., Brinkman has had to help conquer easement fatigue, a term she says explains the fatigue landowners have experienced as pipeline installers request passage through a section

Tessa Sandstrom communications manager

'This has been a story of rural revitalization, opportunity and growth—of a strong and fast turnaround from the stories of decline and decay that were reported just eight years ago.'

THEBAKKEN.COM

11

NORTH DAKOTA PETROLEUM COUNCIL

Brittany Rud

membership services manager 'As the interest in the Bakken grows, so does our membership, and we are continuously working to meet our members’ needs, from planning conferences and additional networking opportunities to making sure our members’ views are heard through our government affairs and outreach activities.'

Alexis Brinkman

government relations manager 'My main job is to help with legislative issues. During the last biennium, there was a huge amount of oil specific legislation, more than any other session has ever seen.'

12

The BAKKEN MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2013

of land. On any given tract of land, three to four pipelines could be planned, she says, and eventually landowners get tired and just say no. But, because pipeline infrastructure is the main element needed to reduce flaring, Brinkman had to find a way to ease the minds of those landowners and make it easier for them to say yes. In the 2013 legislative session, Brinkman brought together a group of landowners to help form the legislation currently in place that has helped easement fatigue and sped up the pipeline installation process without putting further stress on landowners.

The issue of flaring remains the number one issue

NORTH DAKOTA PETROLEUM COUNCIL

for Brinkman, however, and she is currently working to find a solution to reduce the amount of flaring over the next two years. “We know that we are going to have to make significant progress in decreasing flaring or we are going to see more flaring legislation next session. We would love to deal with it prior to that,” she says.

The Main Message Since the main installment of the Bakken’s development began roughly seven years ago, Ness says, the NDPC has grown significantly. In 2007, the council consisted of 150 members, and today the membership is closer to 400. The members drive Ness and his staff to put together community events ranging from city-wide BBQs, to golf outings to fundraisers. The message he hears constantly from his members is one of public education and more importantly he says, of being part of the solution to issues created by oil and gas retrieval. “When people ask us if they should become a member, I ask if they are part of the oil and gas industry and if they want to be part of the solution to any challenges,” he says.

As for the NDPC staff, there is one theme that seemed to be woven into every conversation we had during that mid-August morning

behind-the-scenes look into the trade organization. Before Ness, Cutting, Sandstrom, Brinkman and Brittany Rud, member services manager, ended their conversations, they were asked what they believed was important to note about the Bakken, what they believed an article on the NDPC should include. “This is a substantial economic driver, a substantial resource that is going to have a long-term effect on what we do in North Dakota and every aspect of what North Dakota is all about,” Ness said.

Brinkman put it in real-life terms. “So many of the kids that I grew up with are able now because of the Bakken to make a home and a career in North Dakota, A lot the generations before me had to leave.”

Sandstrom shared the same sentiment. “The economic impact of this is just so huge. Sometimes I think it is understated,” she noted.

“We had exported all of these great North Dakota young people and now they come home to find work and that is not going to change,” Ness said as we ended our conversation.

“There are issues with development, but we will figure it out. The rest is all semantics about how we make it work.

That is going to solve itself over time.”

THEBAKKEN.COM

13

BAKKEN NEWS

BAKKEN NEWS & TRENDS

Kessler

IN PERSON: Secretary Jewell visits with Continental Resources officials, Harold Hamm, CEO, right, and Rick Bott, chief operating officer, left, at the Atlanta Well Pad near Williston, N.D. PHOTO: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

Public Officials Visit the Bakken There are many reasons to visit the Williston Basin. U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell paid a visit in August as did U.S. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe. West Virginia Senate President Jeff Kessler has announced plans to make a late-summer trip to the region.

Jewell toured the area for two days, seeing first hand the

14

oil and gas developments in the region. She was accompanied

by U.S. Senators John Hoeven, R-N.D., and Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., and several other public and private representatives.

Kari Cutting, vice president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council, was one of the private members on the tour. According to Cutting, Jewell was impressed with the technology on

The BAKKEN MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2013

Jewell

display in the oilfields. Cutting also noted that during the trip, Jewell said North Dakota could become the model for other shale plays across the country.

“The Bakken boom is a perfect example of how new and improved technology is allowing industry to tap previously inaccessible or unknown energy resources to create jobs, decrease our dependence on foreign oil and grow our economy,” Jewell said, following her visit. “Working hand in hand with industry, we have an opportunity to use innovative technologies.”

The Interior’s Bureau of Land Management is already utilizing new technologies and approaches in the Bakken oil play. The North Dakota Field Office has implemented an electronic submission process for Applications for Permits to Drill. The process has allowed the BLM to provide application updates while speeding up the entire process for the BLM and applicants.

Donahoe has also helped bring a focus on efficiency to his staff linked to western N.D. Donahoe has directed staff in Sioux Falls, S.D., to work at recruiting additional employees for western N.D., in addition to directing a full-time staff mem-

Donahoe

ber to focus on staffing issues.

In August, Donahoe announced plans to visit the region to assess mail service. “We’re pleased Postmaster Donahoe has agreed to visit North Dakota to see firsthand the impact of economic and population growth in the western part of our state,” said Hoeven. “Those growing communities are in need of reliable and timely postal services now more than ever.”

Kessler also believes a trip to N.D. is worth his time.

Kessler has proposed funding legistlation that will utilize oil and gas taxes generated in his state for a state-based investment fund similar to North Dakota’s Legacy Fund. Kessler announced he would bring a small delegation during his visit.

“If we can create the fund and begin investing in it now, it will send a powerful message to Wall Street that West Virginia, during these tough economic times, is not only balancing its budget but also saving for the future,” he said. In addition to learning about the Legacy Fund, Kessler also voiced his hope to learn about the ways the state manages its energy resources.

BAKKEN NEWS

Linking the Bakken to China Since the beginning of 2012, 18 of the top 50 wells in the North Dakota portion of the Bakken have been Hess Corp.-operated. In the second quarter of this year, the company’s Bakken production total rose 16 percent from the same period in 2012. The company also reduced its well costs in the second quarter of 2013 by 28 percent compared to the same period in 2012. Greg Hill, executive vice president of worldwide exploration and production, said the global energy firm remains optimistic about the long-term upside of the play.

That enthusiasm is reflected in two of the firm’s latest announcements. In an effort to become a pure play exploration and production company, Hess has sold its energy marketing business for roughly $1.025 billion. Hess has also signed a contract with China National Petroleum Corp. for onshore unconventional exploration in the Malang Bloc of the Santanghu Basin in northwest China. According to a company spokesperson, the contract includes rights for Hess to participate with CNPC if oil or gas in commercial quantities is found. The block covers 200,000 acres

of Permian Lucaogou Shale, and the agreement “builds upon our company’s unconventional experience in the Bakken and Utica Shale plays,” the spokesperson said.

EMPIRE STEEL MFG. CO.

Fabricating for the Bakken Since 1963

Billings, MT 59101 | 406-252-0101 | www.empiresteel.com | billb@empiresteel.com

API STEEL PRODUCTION TANKS Nominal Capacity 200 BBL 300 BBL 400 BBL 500 BBL 500 BBL 500 BBL 750 BBL 1000 BBL

Nominal Diameter 12'0" 12'0" 12'0" 12'0" 13'6" 15'6" 15'6" 15'6"

Nominal Height 10'0" 15'0" 20'0" 25'0" 20'0" 16'0" 24'0" 30'0"

Nominal Weight 5,106# 6,587# 8,182# 8,783# 9,281# 12,290# 13,088# 18,726#

H E I G H T

DIAMETER

THEBAKKEN.COM

15

BAKKEN NEWS

Port of Vancouver Taps Into Bakken Crude

READY BY 2014: The port facility will be operated by Savage Co., a rail and transloading expert with other inland locations operating in the Williston Basin.

PHOTO: PORT OF VANCOUVER USA

16

The BAKKEN MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2013

The Port of Vancouver USA is looking inland for crude. The POV’s board of commissioners has unanimously approved a 10-year lease with a joint venture group formed between Tesoro Corp. and Savage Co. to construct a crude oil handling facility that will import Bakken crude. The crude will be shipped to the port via rail before transfer to marine vessels headed to refineries in California, Washington or Alaska.

In total, the port will dedicate 42 acres to the Tesoro Savage joint venture (TSJV) for a rail unloading facility, storage tanks and a vessel loading area. TSJV will invest roughly $100 million in the facility.

Revenue generated over the lease period is expected to exceed $45

million for the port. The crude transloading facility will also create 120 permanent jobs and 250 temporary construction jobs.

The 120,000-barrel-per-day site is exciting for Tesoro, according to Greg Goff, president and CEO of Tesoro. The facility will be operational by 2014, and could be expanded to 280,000 barrels per day. “Building upon the recent success of the rail unloading facility at our Anacortes, Wash., refinery, where we have been delivering MidContinent crude via unit train,” Goff said, “this project is the ideal next step for Tesoro as we drive additional feedstock cost advantage to the remaining refineries in our West Coast system.”

BAKKEN NEWS

North Dakota: The No. 3 Business State North Dakota is the third best state in the U.S. in which to do business. The American Economic Development Institute, in conjunction with Pollina Corp. Real Estate Inc. and CNBC LLC, has each released reports ranking every state’s business climate in 2013.

Both reports ranked N.D. third.

CNBC’s report, “America’s Top States For Business 2013,” used 10 broad categories to create its rankings. The categories were then assigned a point total based on the frequency each state cited those categorical metrics, such as quality of life, innovation or access to capital, in-state-based economic development marketing materials. “That way,” CNBC said, “our study ranks the states based on the

criteria they use to sell themselves.”

North Dakota’s highest rankings were in the categories of economy and infrastructure.

According to CNBC’s explanation of its category metrics, each state’s economy was ranked based on credit ratings and outlook, revenues compared to budget projections and the number of major corporations located in the state.

For its infrastructure and transportation category, the study looked at the quantity of goods shipped by air, waterways, roads or rail, the availability of air travel, quality of roads, and work commute time. The cost of doing business followed by each state’s economy were the top two most heavily weighted categories in the report.

6 TH BUSINESS

FRIENDLINESS

2ND

30TH

ECONOMY

COST OF LIVING

OF LIFE

NO.3

NORTH DAKOTA

BUSINESS STATE

2ND

5 TH QUALITY

36TH

EDUCATION

46TH

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

29TH

ACCESS TO CAPITAL

8TH

WORKFORCE

INFRASTRUCTURE Along with CNBC’s report, the state was also ranked third in Pollina’s, “Top 10 Pro-Business States,” a nationally recognized report. The report used 32 factors related to each state’s handling of

taxes to energy costs. Regarding its list, Pollina Corp said, “All 10 topranked states should be held up as models for the other 40 states and the federal government.”

AmeriPride® is your source for Flame Resistant (FR) apparel made specifically for the hazards of working in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries. With AmeriPride, you can rent or purchase FR apparel and know you have local experts with over 20 years experience to keep your workers safe, compliant with regulations — and on the job.

Contact us about your FR Apparel needs: CALL: ONLINE:

701-258-6505 AmeriPride.com

ADDRESS: 1238 Frontier Dr.

Bismark, ND 58501

Bulwark® Supplier

WE KNOW FR APPAREL THEBAKKEN.COM

17

BAKKEN NEWS

Vantage Pipeline Approved

Impact of the proposed Vantage Pipeline Project on oil gas producers’ marketing strategy: Oil and gas in underground reservoirs

North Dakota oil and gas processing facilities

Natural gas (methane) is transported to market via pipeline

Value Added Ethane is transported to market via the new Vantage Pipeline

Propane, butane, and condensate are transported to market via pipeline, truck or rail

Oil is transported to market via truck, rail, or pipeline

The Vantage Pipeline will transfer ethane, a component of natural gas, from the Hess Corp. owned-and-operated gas plant in Tioga, N.D., 430 miles to Empress, Alberta, Canada.

The 80-mile leg of the pipeline in North Dakota was recently approved, completing a three-year process from submission through final permitting, which Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., noted following the announcement. “The project illustrates clearly how modern pipelines can create jobs, make us more energy secure and do so with good environmental stewardship,” he said.

The pipeline will require roughly 400,000 man hours to construct while injecting $300 million into the U.S. and Canadian

economies. The ethane will be used as a feedstock to produce plastics, rubber, detergents and other consumer products by NOVA Chemicals. The project will also mark the first time that liquids from the Williston Basin will flow north and tie into Alberta infrastructure, according to Vantage Pipeline. The facility will move 60,000 barrels of ethane per day. “The ability to transport ethane for use in the plastics industry will provide an important new revenue source for gas producers in North Dakota and will also allow producers to reduce flaring,” said David Schmunk, chief operating officer of Mistral Energy U.S. Inc., the limited partner of Vantage Pipeline U.S.

SAFELY & EFFICIENTLY PULLING STUCK EQUIPMENT FOR

22 YEARS

BAKKEN NEWS

Oil Activity in West ND Impacts Growth in East

67%

believe revenue from the Bakken has impacted eastern N.D. Has the oil and gas development in western N.D. impacted eastern N.D.?

23%

have added staff to support that business growth

A new survey completed by the Grand Forks (N.D.) Region Economic Development Corp. provides statistical evidence that the impact oil and gas development in western N.D., has had on eastern N.D. According to a survey dispersed among Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, (Minn.)

Chamber of Commerce members, 67 percent of respondents believe revenue over the past two years is, in part, related to the Bakken, and 23 percent have added staff to support that business growth. “These results are exciting for our region, demonstrating a much

™

MORE THAN

100 MODELS ON HAN D

greater impact,” said Barry Wilfahrt, president and CEO of the Chamber, adding that the respondents who’ve experienced business growth are those in the industries of automotive services, real estate, construction and manufacturing.

Klaus Thiessen, GFEDC president and CEO, said the entire region is expanding because of the Bakken and existing businesses are attracting new customers. “At the end of the day,” he said, “we can undeniably say the oil and gas industry is helping this region grow and create new jobs”.

BAKKEN NEWS

Pending New Federal Fracking Regulations The question regarding the U.S. Bureau of Land Management implementing a federal ruling on hydraulic fracturing is not a matter of if, but when.

During his August Director’s Cut press conference, Lynn Helms, director of the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources, shared his insight regarding meetings he attended in Denver with several members of the BLM. “That agency is very very committed to putting out a regulation for hydraulic fracturing. They were not committal at all about the timing of that. It just seems very certain that something is going to come out,” Helms said.

Any regulation implemented by the BLM would not affect private land minerals unless the U.S. EPA were to adopt the same regulations. In North Dakota, the main areas that would be impacted by new hydraulic fracturing regulations would be the National Grasslands and the

Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. Although Helms said the federal regulations would be very similar to those already used in North Dakota, there would be some new requirements that could slow drilling in the Bakken on an individual-well basis by 10 percent.

The slowdown would be a result of several factors: additional drilling log requirements for operators, an increase in permit-related paperwork and a BLM staff that is shrinking. “Added workload and less people, you know what that means,” he said.

Under the new regulations, drilling operators would be required to verify the amount and placement of all concrete pumped down the well to cement the well casing. Under current regulations, drilling supervisors are required to verify that the entire casing has been filled by proving the cement reached the surface of the well. Accord-

MARKETING

DESIGN/BUILD

ing to Helms, 98 percent of the time, drilling teams will succeed in doing so. In the event that cement did not reach the surface, thus proving the entire well casing was filled, the team has to use certain tools to measure how much cement is in the casing and where it is.

The new regulations would differ in the way drilling teams are required to measure and assess the amount and placement of cement in the well. “They [BLM] want to preapprove the amount of cement that is going to be placed in the well and then have precise measurements of how much went in and where it went,” Helms said. To do that, the drilling rig would have to shut down for three days to allow the cement to cure giving the necessary measuring tools the ability to accurately measure the cement.

The anticipated impact of the rule would slow down drilling teams and decrease invest-

OWN

ment into the region, he noted.

The rules would also increase the time needed to permit a federal well by 50 percent to 100 percent. The national average for a federally permitted well is roughly 225 days.

And, although the rules would only apply to federal mineral lands, Helms pointed out that the entire Williston Basin would be affected. “One of the little known facts of North Dakota is that in the process of farm foreclosures and such in the 1930s, the BLM acquired lots of minerals across the state,” he said. The tracts are mostly small, totaling only 160 acres or less, in most cases. But, he added, “90 percent of our spacing units have some federal minerals in them. So, even though they are dominantly private land, there could be one or two or three well bores that would have to get a federal permit.”

OPERATE

AE2S Water Solutions Freshwater Delivery Pipeline System Conveys Water to Temporary Storage Reservoirs at Pad Sites Southeast of Watford City

WATER

SOLUTIONS

www.ae2swatersolutions.com 20

Project Development and Marketing Land Services/GIS/Mapping Water Sourcing Fresh Water Delivery Systems Water Reservoirs/Storage

The BAKKEN MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2013

Water Treatment/Recycling/Reuse Produce Water Collection Systems Salt Water Disposal Controls/Programming Operations

Frack Supply Industry Evolving, Expanding The frack sand industry is rapidly evolving, and for several production or distribution companies, this summer has also meant expansion. Unimin Corp., a frack sand supplier, has leased space at a New Town, N.D., transloading facility to supply frack sand to the Williston Basin. The facility, set for completion in January 2014, will offer a throughput capacity of 750,000 tons per year. Sand for the facility will arrive from Unimin's Tunnel City, Wis., plant by rail on Canadian Pacific’s network.

Dakota Plains Holdings Inc., land owner of the Unimin facility, will provide transloading services.

Unimin will directly market its sand products to oilfield service companies and will also fund the construction of four new ladder tracks and sand storage infrastructure, according to Unimin. The lease for the frack sand location will last 30 years.

Lou Mastandrea, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Unimin, said the

location is ideally situated and will help the company respond to proppant requirements in the Bakken and surrounding areas.

Victory Nickel Inc., a mining and frack sand supplier with several operations in Canada, is also expanding in the area. The company recently announced it has received approval from the Alberta Energy Regulator to develop a 400,000-ton-per-year frack sand processing facility southwest of Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, known as the 7P facility.

“The AER approval has huge implications for Victory Silica Ltd.’s plan to begin marketing frack sand in 2013,” said Rene Galipeau, vice chairman and CEO of the company. “We will now begin the reclamation work and the upgrades at the 7P plant,” he added. “Producing frack sand from the 7P facility is the first step in VSL’s three-phased plan to establish Victory Nickel as a premier frack sand supplier to northern markets.”

Historical and Projected Proppant Demand

2.1 6.3

2001 2006 2011 2016 2021 0

5

10

15

OTHER CERAMICS RESIN-COATED SAND RAW FRAC SAND

21.7 30.7 40.7

20

25

30

35

40

45

MILLION TONS SOURCE: THE FREEDONIA GROUP

Preferred Sands LLC, another major frack sand supplier present in the Williston Basin, is also looking to expand. The company has partnered with E Proppants, a Monterrey, Mexicobased proppant manufacturer.

The collaboration is a strategic endeavor launched due to the increased demand for Preferred Sands product line in the exploration and production sector, according to Michael O'Neil, company founder and CEO.

THEBAKKEN.COM

21

LOGISTICS

Willisto NORTH DAKO 900 miles

120 miles

Grand View IDAHO

Lindse MONTANA

700 miles

Deer Trail COLORADO

DISTANCE MA 22

The BAKKEN MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2013

LOGISTICS

NOW OPEN: First-Ever Bakken NORM Disposal Site

on OTA

ey A

ATTERS

Oaks Disposal Services LLC is now accepting oilfield naturally occurring radioactive material, 40-miles from the North Dakota border.

By Luke Geiver When Jason LaQua, general manager of Oilfield Waste Logistics, heard about Oaks Disposal Services LLC on an early summer Friday afternoon, he was in his Culbertson, Mont., office. By early morning the fol-

Lindsey MONTANA

2

MILLION TON CAPACITY

80,000

TRUCKLOADS

14 YEARS

lowing Monday, he was in Lindsey, Mont., waiting in his vehicle, eager, excited and uncertain about meeting the team from Oaks Disposal Services. “My first reaction,” he says, upon hearing of the facility, “was that it was too good to be true.”

The facility, as LaQua understood, would be the first-ever landfill in Montana capable of disposing oilfield waste generated during the drilling and production process. He found out that Monday morning, what he had heard was true, and thanks to a former oilfield worker turned big-time farmer, OWL and other waste disposal firms in the Bakken oil and gas play can now dispose of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM). “This could be the single one biggest change in the Bakken in the last year and a half,” LaQua says.

THEBAKKEN.COM

23

LOGISTICS

DIRT WORK: The facility opened early this summer after two years of permitting and design.

PHOTO: OAKS DISPOSAL SERVICES

His statement might sound overarching, but LaQua has a point. Until the Lindsey facility opened, oilfield waste such as drill cuttings, filter socks used during drilling and flowback material generated on well sites in North Dakota or Montana had to be shipped to Colorado or Idaho.

Neither North Dakota nor Montana had an authorized, capable facility. For LaQua, the 650 miles his drivers don’t have to travel to dispose of material has changed his operational model immensely. His diesel costs have drastically decreased, along with vehicle maintenance and driver time.

His customers may be even happier about the facility than LaQua, as the price to do business with OWL has dropped. “I don’t have the same amount of equipment, and it takes one day to get rid of a load and it used to take three days,” he says.

The reason for the long miles and drive time relates to the way the North Dakota Department of Health Oilfield Waste Management deals with oilfield waste. In

the state, the maximum allowable limit for NORM is five picocuries per gram. LaQua says most proppants used in the drilling process contain more than five picocuries per gram before ever entering the ground.

The Oaks facility is capable of disposing material containing NORM with up to 30 picocuries per gram, a measurement that shows the level of radioactive elements that naturally exist in the earth such as radon.

Oaks Disposal Services History In the early 1980s, Ross Oakland was working in the oilfields of Montana. Following a brief stint in the oil industry, he started a farming operation and today he considers himself a big-time agricultural operator. After witnessing a drilling operation adjacent to his property in Montana for several days, Oakland paid a visit to the well site to chat with the drilling operator.

The conversation revealed the challenge that particular operator, like every other in the play, had with waste disposal.

Oilfield Companies - Want to Get Paid Faster?

Turn your Oilfield Invoices Into CASH!

Set-up is easy: Get Quote Submit Invoices Get Cash

CALL 800.707.4845

24

America’s #1 Source for Oilfield The BAKKEN MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2013 Capital TCIOilfieldFactoring.com

LOGISTICS

'I was quite surprised when I found out it was a local farmer.

I thought it would be a huge company. He accomplished what they [big companies] failed to do.'

Jason LaQua, Oilfield Waste Logistics

Oakland decided to pursue a landfill facility capable of handling the material.

After talking with the Department of Environmental Quality, Oakland says his early assumptions that he could find the money and write a check to the state to begin constructing the facility possible were inaccurate. “I’m a get-it-done-now type of guy,” he says.

To get the facility done, Oakland had to invest roughly $5 million and spend two years helping his consultants and engineering teams wade through the proper permitting and regulation processes required by the DEQ to make such a facility happen.

Kent, Wash.-based Northwest Lining and Geotextiles Inc., was brought in to design the facility. The firm had previously designed other landfills in Montana. The facility features a scale, an office and a detention pond that has been heavily engineered and lined. The lined portion of the facility is 23.1 acres, and features an impregnated liner, a 60 mil liner, a mesh liner and several

THE FRONTIER OF NEW EFFICIENCIES

Shale Oil Innovation CONFERENCE & EXPO

February 10-12, 2014 | Alerus Center | Grand Forks, ND | www.BakkenOilConference.com

MAXIMIZING EFFICIENCY. DISCOVERING OPPORTUNITY.

The Bakken-Three Forks Shale Oil Innovation Conference & Expo will showcase 120+ speakers describing techniques, strategies and technology accelerating the retrieval and movement of Williston Basin crude oil. This event will provide educational and networking opportunities to grow your business, with insight from North Dakota’s leading oil industry voices.

levels of gravel. In total, Oakland devoted 130 acres to the facility. The location has several underground monitoring units that can assure the facility’s status now and well into the future. The facility has capacity to last 14 years or until reaching 2 million tons of waste. Each truck that comes into the landfill typically averages 25 tons. “We built it safe, we didn’t cut any corners. That is what all the oil companies wanted,” he said. And, Oakland believes that the facility could be expanded.

In addition to drill cuttings and other waste, the facility is capable of handling filter socks used to filter wastewater at drilling sites. The socks must be buried upon dumping within 24-hour period, Oakland says, to minimize the potential of wind or other weather relocating the material.

LaQua, the only service provider in the Bakken capable of disposing of filter socks at the Oaks facility, thanks to a contract spawned in that early morning meeting, couldn’t be happier about the addition of

Bakken Technologies and Efficiencies Are Reshaping the Global Shale Oil Landscape

WE ARE GOING TO TAKE

THE SUCCESS RATE IN THE

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED IN THE BAKKEN IS PHENOMENAL. IT IS A BAKKEN AND EXPORT IT AROUND GOOD TIME TO BE IN THE OIL BUSINESS.

THE WORLD.

– Bart Sweazea, Pangean Energy

– Ron Ness, NDPC

LEARN MORE @ WWW.BAKKENOILCONFERENCE.COM Produced by: THEBAKKEN.COM

25

LOGISTICS

Operating in the Bakken and looking to grow?

Expand in Grand Forks, North Dakota

Where Business and the Bakken Meet Now Available • Customer service center, development-ready business park, and warehouse space, with additional land for further expansion • Qualifying business incentives: tax breaks and workforce training programs • Quality workforce • Easy access to the Bakken (via road, rail, and air) • Major petroleum research and engineering resources at the University of North Dakota

THE SITE: Roughly 23-acres are permitted for NORM disposal. An entrance gate manned with an Oaks employee, tracks the amount of waste and time of disposal before any dumping occurs.

PHOTO: OAKS DISPOSAL SERVICES

the filter sock disposal option, even though filter sock disposal is less than 1percent of his overall business.

The Future of Oaks

Expand East.

Do Business West.

Expand East.

Do Business West.

Visit us at www.accessthebakken.com or call Keith Lund at 701.746.2720 26

The BAKKEN MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2013

LaQua still can’t believe that Oakland was able to make the facility happen. The last Montana landfill before that took five years to go through the permitting and approval process, he says. “I was quite surprised when I found out it was a local farmer. I thought it would be a huge company,” he says of the entity that would make such a facility happen. “He accomplished what they [big companies] failed to do.”

The complex design of the site features gravel and liners to maintain the integrity of the facility and once full, Oakland says it will be in filled with gravel, soil and lined again before it is planted over with grass.

Oil companies and disposal services are now aware of the

LOGISTICS

facility and the phones haven’t stopped ringing, Oakland adds. The first thing everyone wants to know is the type of liner used and if the facility was built right. Because Oakland and the engineers worked closely with the DEQ, calling and meeting frequently to make sure every step was done right, Oakland says he is confident that the facility will always live up to its billing.

The use of the facility may cost more than other typical landfills, but as LaQua says, it will change the way everyone does business in the Bakken.

But, not for Oakland. Although he currently operates the facility, in part, he

says, to gain an understanding of how to train future employees, he will always be a farmer. And, if his early phone calls regarding the facility are any indication, he will be a retired farmer. “It’s been a great experience,” he said of opening and running the landfill. “I have never advertised it for sale, and I have had five companies come in and negotiate and want to buy it.”

Author: Luke Geiver Managing Editor, The Bakken magazine lgeiver@bbiinternational.com 701-738-4944

THEBAKKEN.COM

27

EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION

AERIAL VIEW: A fracking and work over rig location in North Dakota south of the Missouri River, roughly 10-miles north of Watford City.

PHOTO: OVERLAND AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

28

The BAKKEN MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2013

EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION

Well WORTH THE ATTENTION Effective strategies are increasing initial production rates and ushering in new completion practices in the Williston Basin.

By Luke Geiver

Retrieving oil from the Williston Basin is almost a guarantee for those who deploy the appropriate capital. Today, with new well-com-

pletion strategies, hydraulic fracturing teams and producers have the ability to turn a well-pad into a record-breaking site regardless of the well’s geographical location. The strategies aren’t just about extracting more oil out of the reservoir. Some new completion methods are lowering the cost of doing business while retrieving a greater amount of the recoverable oil in less time.

Proppant Placement Evolution CARBO Ceramics is the world’s largest ceramic proppant supplier. Terry Palisch, director of petroleum engineering for CARBO, says the company isn’t just about proppant supply.

THEBAKKEN.COM

29

EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION

“We are trying to help clients with their proppant selection so that it maximizes their return on investment,” he says. To do that, Palisch and his team sit down with prospective clients to better understand that client’s wells, completion preferences and frack design plans. “Then we will run models to help them determine what is the most economic proppant to use for their specific conditions and goals.”

The CARBO approach to proppant selection may not have been as widely used five years ago, but today the emphasis on proppant selection and usage in the Williston Basin is undeniable. According to the Energy and Environmental Research Center, from 2008 to 2012 the amount of proppant used on a poundper-foot of lateral-length basis increased from 100 to 350. During that same period, the ceramic fraction of all proppant used increased from 10 to 40 percent. And, the average number of fracture stages per well rose from roughly 10 to roughly 30. “Of all the major plays in the U.S., the Bakken

NEARLY NEW: The NCS Oilfield Services bottom hole assembly tool can be used to produce an unlimited number of hydraulic fractures. The photo shows the BHA after a 24-stage frack job.

PHOTO: NCS OILFIELD TECHNOLOGIES

employs more ceramic proppant than all the others,” Palisch says.

According to Palisch, the increased focus on proppant isn’t just about volume, as producers are now taking a close look

at the type, size and placement of proppant. As a proppant material moves from sand to a ceramic, the proppant will gain strength, consistency in shape and temperature stability. In the proppant spec-

YOU CLEAR THE WAY FOR PROGRESS. ?<I<½J KF KI8@C9C8Q<IJ C@B< PFL%

Smart Works.

nnn%XjZmfcmf%Zfd

EFIK? ;8BFK8

><FI>@8

9`jdXiZb (701) 250-4882 Fargo (701) 250-4882 Minot (701) 250-4882

9l]fi[ (678) 318-9500 =fi\jk GXib (770) 319-0074 JXmXeeX_ (912) 964-8079

Volvo Construction Equipment 30

The BAKKEN MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2013

EFIK? :8IFC@E8 8j_\m`cc\ (828) 687-0620 :_Xicfkk\ (704) 596-8283

>i\\em`cc\ (252) 754-5280 IXc\`^_ (919) 661-8710

JFLK? :8IFC@E8 K<EE<JJ<< :_Xic\jkfe (843) 414-1120 :fcldY`X (803) 791-0740 G`\[dfek (864) 704-1060

:_XkkXeff^X (423) 308-7940 Befom`cc\ (865) 525-1845

EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION

UNLIMITED OPTIONS: The closeable frack sleeve technology created by NCS Oilfield Services allows for completion designs that call for higher than average fracture stimulation stages. NCS' record is currently around 60 stages on a single horizontal.

PHOTO: NCS OILFIELD SERVICES

THEBAKKEN.COM

31

EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION

trum, there are three types: ceramic, resincoated sand and uncoated sand. All three are used in the Bakken, and Palisch says all three must be used because there is not enough ceramic to go around.

The product with the most conductivity or flow capacity is ceramic, followed by resin coated sand and uncoated sand.

The CARBO approach to proppant is unique, Palisch says, because the company deploys an engineering and design team along with computer modeling to pin-

point the appropriate proppant size and type for any given well. “As an industry, we want to get to a standardized completion design,” he says, a design that can be used in particular areas for most wells in that area. “By doing that you can really be efficient; unfortunately you may sacrifice the optimal completion because even over a short distance a reservoir can change substantially.”

Due to heterogeneous and reservoir characteristics, a typical completion de-

Well Completion Trends 2008-2012

350%

Pounds of proppant per foot of lateral length increased from 100 to 350

57% Lateral length per stage (ft) decreased from 700 to 300

32

The BAKKEN MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2013

EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION

30%

sign may not be possible to achieve for an entire field in the Williston Basin, but well optimization can be. Several factors have to be considered for an operator as it creates a frack design and completion program in accordance with budget constraints or concerns, but there are proven approaches some are using to increase production without increasing the budget. “The decision the engineer has to make is a cost-benefit decision,” Palisch points out.

One major trend Palisch has seen is re-

lated to proppant placement. He compares the trend to downtown Houston. To efficiently move more traffic into downtown Houston, the city requires more lanes and highways closer to the city than it does in the suburbs because traffic from several areas are moving towards a single area.

“That is exactly what we are doing with our hydraulic fracturing. We are putting these roads and highways out into the reservoirs,” he says. The closer to the well bore (Houston), the more fracture-flow capacity

Well Pad Liner Ceramic fraction of all proppant increased from 10 to 40 percent

300% American gas. American jobs.

100% American-made liner.

Average number of stages per well increased from approximately 10 to approimately 30

Some companies import materials and geomembranes to fabricate their liners. But every single aspect of the PIG Well Pad Liner is red, white and blue — our raw materials, lamination, fabrication, installation and even recycling processes are all 100% American.

Keep liquids contained and workers on their feet.

Top-quality manufacturing makes top-quality products. The PIG Well Pad Liner (patent pending) is the only containment product that’s been tested and certified as a high-traction surface that can reduce slips and falls.

ZERO IMPORTS. Z ZERO OFFSHORE.

For more information, call toll-free

855-PIG-LINER (744-5463)

pigliner@newpigenergy.com newpigenergy.com

SOURCE: ENERGY & ENVIORNMENTAL RESEARCH CENTER

New Pig Energy THEBAKKEN.COM

33

EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION

and conductivity is needed as oil from the furthest sections (suburbs) of the fracture are moving towards the heel and then the wellbore.

To optimize a well, completion teams are placing different types of proppant in different sections of the fracture. Many are placing high-conductivity, engineered proppant that offers uniform shape and consistency in the last third or half of the hydraulic fracture closest to the wellbore. The tip of the fracture may be stimulated with

sand, a less expensive product. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That is how they are able to maximize production without spending as much money,â&#x20AC;? he says, by creating a better highway system near the wellbore that acts as the city and helps to move a greater amount of oil out of the reservoir faster.

The Completion Business NCS Oilfield Services does not have the size or scope of business that CARBO Ceramics does. The company does believe

Meeting Challenges Ulteig recognizes the infrastructure challenges facing communities in North 'DNRWD +HDY\ WUDIĂ&#x20AC;F YROXPH KDV FUHDWHG GHWHULRUDWLQJ URDG FRQGLWLRQV DQG VDIHW\ LVVXHV :LWK RXU SODQQLQJ GHVLJQ DQG FRQVWUXFWLRQ SKDVH VHUYLFHV ZH SURYLGH more than just temporary patches; we offer long-term transportation solutions. :H SURGXFH UHVSRQVLEOH V\VWHPV IRU connecting people to one another; FRQQHFWLQJ UHVRXUFHV DQG JRRGV WR FRQVXPHUV DQG FRQQHFWLQJ HQWLUH economies to one another.

:LOOLVWRQ 2IĂ&#x20AC;FH

www.ulteig.com 34

820 11th Street East, Suite 201 Â&#x2021;

The BAKKEN MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2013

in the power of retrieving oil as fast as possible, though. The firm has designed, and proven a system capable of an unlimited number of fracture stages. To date, the record for the company is 60 discrete fracture stages. The basis of the NCS process is a mechanical system that combines ported fracture sleeves with a bottom hole assembly tool that eliminates the need for perforations that puncture a well casing, and ball dropping, which is used to portion off and plug one section of a well from another.

The main benefit of the process is that is allows users to place fracture stages at nearly any interval without removing the entire system between fractures.

Eric Schmelzl, vice president of business and part designer of the process, says that one operator in the U.S. recently issued a Society of Petroleum Engineers paper comparing a plug-and-perf cluster operation with the NCS technology on a two-well pad. Each well was completed with 27 fracture stages, but each well used a different approach. â&#x20AC;&#x153;After several months of production they plotted the expected recoveries of each well. The NCS technology is expected to recover 107 percent more than the other well,â&#x20AC;? Schmelzl says.

The secret to the NCS approach is the ability of the operator to place individual fractures with great certainty. In most cluster fracturing instances, enough pumping horsepower and fluid is used to place three fractures at once, and operators can only expect to be certain of one to two of the fractures, Schmelzl says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sixty-six percent of the fractures you are placing in that well, you are uncertain about,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It becomes a real Russian roulette to well completionsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what you did, you only know what production you got.â&#x20AC;?

The cost to use a technology like that of NCSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s versus other methods is nearly a wash due to the decreased amount of horsepower needed at the well site for pumping purposes. The time to complete a well does take longer, but the result is a well that gives more fracture placement certainty to the operator combined with the ability to place an incredibly high number of fracture stages.

EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION

'When there is an inventory of uncompleted wells sitting out there, there is going to be a demand for our service. Oil and gas producers don’t like to have a well sit, they want to get it producing as soon as possible so they can start seeing cash flow.'

continue to see more stages per more well bore.”

The practice of longer laterals may add costs during drilling, but as Schmelzl says, the producer doesn’t have to waste money on drilling down to the second lateral. “It can have a significant economic impact if you are able to function reliably two to three miles sideways,” he says.

The effect of longer laterals, increased fracture stages and sophisticated proppant placement programs will all help producers to retrieve a greater amount of crude from the reservoirs, in some cases, faster. There is a trade-off, however. The time to drill and complete the wells will increase.

For companies like CalFrac, a midsized fracking company capable of handling major drilling schedules, or smalltime, one-well-per-year programs, the recent trends seen at the well site do require a new approach. “Although a lot of other processes have stayed the same,” Larsen says, “the time on location is going to in-

crease.” Because of that, companies that offer the services CalFrac does will need to tweak its long-term manpower planning.

In some cases, companies will need to keep rotating crews at a well site for a longer period of time.

“When there is an inventory of uncompleted wells sitting out there, there is going to be a demand for our service,” he says. “Oil and gas producers don’t like to have a well sit, they want to get it producing as soon as possible so they can start seeing cash flow.”

Author: Luke Geiver Managing Editor, The Bakken magazine lgeiver@bbiinternational.com 701-738-4944

Eric Schmelzl, NCS Oilfield Services

“When you stop and think about the economics of completing the well, by putting in additional frack stages of equal size in, you are accelerating the speed at which you drain the reservoir,” he says. “When you look at the time value of money, having your money this year is worth more to you than having it next year.”

Initial production rates are benefiting from the strategies focused on proppant placement and increased discrete fracture stages. The cost-to-benefit ratio is still a major reason why some wells produce at record breaking levels, however. And, according to Dale Larsen, account manager at CalFrac Well Services Corp., the lateral lengths used in the play are also helping.

Larsen’s customers are now preparing for three-mile laterals. “We are going to see the longer horizontal lengths,” he says, “and

THEBAKKEN.COM

35

MAKING IT

RESOURCE UTILIZATION: Recycled water created from Halliburton's process will initially be stored in frack fluid tanks at central locations.

Forget the Future: Frack Water Recycling is Here

By The Bakken Magazine Staff

36

The BAKKEN MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2013

Flat screen televisions and water produced during the hydraulic fracturing process have a lot in common.

Walter Dale, strategic business manager of water management services for global energy service provider Halliburton, can explain why. Just like the flat screen TVs we used five years ago, produced water and pro-

ducers' understanding of the resource has changed, Dale says. With the commercial launch of Halliburtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trademarked H20 Forward water recycling and reuse process, the difference in how produced water will be handled in 2013 versus 2009 could be more than just a change. As the process becomes more widely used and accepted (it has already been proven in more than 60 wells

MAKING IT

NEW STANDARD: Multi-well pads are a common sight in the Williston Basin, and water recycling units and sites might not be far behind.

and 280 fractures), it could create a new approach to the way the oil and gas industry and the entire Williston Basin thinks about water, or as Halliburton believes, a paradigm shift of fluid technology.

The H20 Forward process can recycle produced water in the same reservoirs that hold the hydrocarbons unlocked during the hydraulic fracturing process, and the flowback water that is pumped into the well and

then returned during extraction. This allows for unlimited reuse of the produced water in new well completions instead of disposal in deep injection wells. “When you think about the industry and all the people

that are involved, they’ve always said you need good quality water [for fracking] and now we are saying you don’t,” Dale says.

In August, Dale and others held a one-day event to showcase the product, explain the process and answer question from producers considering the approach. The process combines two main steps: electrocoagulation and bacteria control.

The electrocoagulation process removes colloidal matter present in a produced water stream by releasing positively charged ions into the water that attach to negatively charged ions. The process bonds the ions to any colloidal matter in the water stream. Through the use of gas bubbles, the bonded matter particles become buoyant and surface, , leaving behind clear water suitable for drilling, and completed wells. The process creates a clean brine suit-

The largest fly ash supplier in the USA! Fly ash − bagged or bulk Blended products − fly ash, cement, lime, custom blends Applications: Ready mixed concrete Oil pit solidification Soil stabilization: roads, oil pad sites, cattle fields

ANDY GLASS Business Development Representative 1518 East Avenue F Bismarck, ND 58501 C: 701.212.2575 aglass@headwaters.com

THEBAKKEN.COM

37

MAKING IT

UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS: The electrocagulation unit, above, uses ultraviolet light to reduce the amount of bacteria present in flowback water. The process, in turn, helps to reduce the need of biocide, a fluid also used to reduce bacteria. Below, potential clients and attendees ask questions about the unit.

38

The BAKKEN MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2013

able for complex and slick water fluids used to frack a well.

The components of the water removed during the process include hydrocarbons, suspended solids and metals. The key to the entire recycling process is the understanding that the water for future use only needs to be suitable, Dale says.

In combination with the electrocoagulation step, the system uses an ultraviolet (UV) bacteria control process that helps to reduce bacteria present in the waste water.

When water is pumped into a well, it returns with bacteria present in the earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surface.

That bacteria, left untreated, can lead to the corrosion of iron or steel and can also thin out a fracture fluid limiting its

effectiveness. The UV process flashes UV rays through the water, treating both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, a step that helps to reduce the amount of biocide, a bacteria control agent.

The H20 Forward process presents several benefits, including: effective water treatment, fluid formulation qualities, effective biocide use and a logistical component for handling, storing and moving the water. Halliburton will move 60,000 barrels of produced water and 20,000 barrels of flowback water to a central recycling location. Producers can then take 80,000 barrels of clean brine to use in any future well.

To move, handle and

MAKING IT

store the produced and flowback water, Halliburton has partnered with Nuverra Environmental Solutions. Nuverra will place recycling sites in locations central to several clients, or, according to Mark Johnsrud, CEO of Nuverra, the company can set-up sites in remote locations. Nuverra will utilize frack water storage tanks to store recycled water.

The system doesn’t only reduce the need for fresh water, it also can reduce the well completions and overall operations costs for producers.

Dale estimates the water costs for wells in the Williston Basin total roughly $16 per barrel.

Depending on the amount of water recycled, Halliburton clients could reduce the amount spent on water anywhere from $100,000 to $500,000.

“Overall efficiency is going to be extremely important,” Johnsrud says. Currently,

he believes roughly seven or eight clients are signed up to use the recycling process.

The North Dakota Industrial Commission has worked with Halliburton through the development stages of the process and at this point, there are no regulatory constraints that will impede the rapid deployment of the service.

The process will allow for the use of commingled water, and the site preparation for the first recycling facility is already underway east of Watford City, N.D. According to Dale, water managements costs related to hydraulic fracturing are roughly $51 billion annually.

“Everybody,” Johnsrud said, at the demonstration event, “will be watching to see how it [the Halliburton-Nuverra process] happens.”

SERIOUS EQUIPMENT: During the process showcase, operating unit managers described the process and what they've learned after running the system on multiple jobs.

Business Computer Sales es & Serv Service vice ems Business Telephone Systems Long Distance Services Local Telephone Service Cable Television Service Cell Phones & Accessories es High Speed Internet ng: Networking, Data Wiring: *VTW;0( :LY]LY 5L[^VYR ( *LY[PMPLK

7 701-483-4000 1-888-225-5282 1 507 South Main 5 Dickinson, ND 58601 D

www.ctctel.com w

Serving southwestern soutthwestern North Dakota D THEBAKKEN.COM for 52 years!

39

WASTE TREATMENT

CONTRIBUTION

,QFUHDVLQJ &RQFUHWH 3HUIRUPDQFH )/< $6+ &21&5(7(

3/$,1 &(0(17 &21&5(7(

&2035(66,9( 675(1*7+ 36,

36, *$,1

6285&( +($':$7(56 5(6285&(6

$*( '$<6

Solidification Solution

Fly ash finds new use in treating oil cuttings and waste.

By Andy Glass

"IN 2009, BASIN ELECTRIC AND ITS MEMBER SYSTEMS PLANNED FOR 400 MEGAWATTS OF LOAD TO DEVELOP IN THIS AREA. BASIN ELECTRIC IS NOW

PLANNING FOR LOADS TO GROW AN

ADDITIONAL 1,000 MEGAWATTS BY 2025."

â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Basin Electric Power Cooperative on serving the Bakken.

North Dakota has just order to do so, producreached the No. 2 spot tion and drilling must in oil production in the be extremely high. The United States and in nearly 200 drilling rigs in

the state need special agents during and after the drilling process including drying agents to solidify the oil cuttings and waste.Fly ash is the leading drying and solidification agent in the Bakken oil fields. It is widely used as it is affordable, capable of solidifying into cement, and has hygroscopic (ability to absorb water) properties.

Fly ash is primarily used in the concrete industry as a cement replacement and product enhancer. It makes concrete stronger, more durable and more resistance to chemical at-

The claims and statements made in this article belong exclusively to the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Bakken magazine or its advertisers. All questions pertaining to this article should be directed to the author(s).

40

The BAKKEN MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2013

tack. It also is used in many other products and in many other products and processes, including in concrete block, as a soil stabilizer, and in carpet backing and roofing shingles.

Fly ash is generated at coal-fired power plants where dust collection systems collect the fly ash in the flue gas as it exits the plant. The use of fly ash throughout the world has incredible benefits to the environment. It keeps ash out of landfills while it improves and enhances products and displaces cement use. Every ton

WASTE TREATMENT

of coal-combustion products used to improve our nation’s highways and buildings is a ton that is not deposited in a landfill, saving the same amount of space that the average American uses over 455 days. For every ton of cement that is replaced with fly ash, we would save enough electricity to power the average American home for 24 days and reduce carbon dioxide emissions equal to two months use of an automobile.

Fly ash’s role in North Dakota is increasing immensely.

The two main uses for fly ash within the Bakken oil field are constructing the oil pad site and access road, and solidifying the drill cuttings and liquids that are a byproduct of the drilling process.

As a location is surveyed and is deemed viable for drilling, an earth-moving crew is hired to construct the pad site as well as an access road. With the truck traffic and weights of

the loads, these roads and pad sites need to be well-constructed and able to withstand high use. These pad sites and roads are being topped with scoria rock over a base layer of solidified soil. Fly ash is being mixed with the earth and clay to produce an incredibly strong base that will allow the road to last.

Fly ash is delivered via bagged material, pneumatic tankers or live-bottom grain trailers and applied to the ground. Water is applied to create the optimum moisture level. The soil material, fly ash and moisture are mixed to create a homogenous mixture. Once completed, it is rolled, compacted and then allowed to setup, creating strength. Once the appropriate amount of time has passed, the top layer of scoria rock is applied.

The biggest use of fly ash is during the drilling process itself. Drill cuttings composed of drilling fluids (fresh water

and oil-based liquid), dirt, clay and rock are created as the hole is drilled deeper and deeper.

These materials are solidified two ways. One, as they come off the rig, they are mixed with fly ash and disposed of in the solids pit on the pad site. Or two, the solid and liquid cuttings are hauled off-site in closed top containers. Once the material reaches a landfill, it is solidified with fly ash. Approved landfills are found throughout the oil field.

With nearly 20 million tons of coal combustion products (CCP’s) under contract and contracts with over 90 utilities, 110 locations and 43 rail terminals, Headwaters Resources is the nation’s preeminent manager and marketer of CCP’s.

Headwaters Resources employs more than 700 people, serving utility clients and end-use customers across the United States and Canada. Headwaters is the only CCP marketer owned by

U.S. management and investors. Headwaters has long-term contracts with most utilities in North Dakota and eastern Montana. Headwaters has just completed an ash-lime blending facility in Stanton, N.D., servicing both the bulk and bag market. Fargo, Washburn and Bismarck are the homes of the North Dakota offices.

In addition to extensive marketing services, Headwaters has the resources, personnel, and technical expertise to provide total long-term management programs as well as specific CCP management services.

Fly ash use is a great way to help our environment while adding value to the oil industry.

Author: Andy Glass Business Development Representative 701-212-2575 Aglass@headwaters.com

THEBAKKEN.COM

41

MARKETPLACE

The BAKKEN Magazine Marketplace BAKKEN MARKETPLACE With all contact information placed in one convenient location, The Bakken magazine

– Light, Medium, & Heavy Duty Towing and Recovery – Local Home Town business with our local home town rates – No inflated Oil Boom Rates here!

– Set up an account or call us for all your needs.

POST A JOB TODAY

17,000 Monthly Impressions

not only contains top editorial content but also a useful directory in each publication.

Whether a first-time advertiser wanting to raise awareness of your business or a frequent display advertiser looking for added exposure, BAKKEN Marketplace is the perfect solution.

TRY

BAKKEN MARKETPLACE

.com

ONLINE O NLINE A ADVERTISING DVERTISING

Advertise Today & Track Your Results

For more information, contact: Bob Brown | 701-738-4918 | bbrown@bbiinternational.com

42

The BAKKEN MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2013

Oil Booms Come With A Lot Of Pressure Big jobs. Big decisions. Big expectations.

DSG provides you with more than just products, helping your business keep pace.

You get : A Wide Distribution Network – We have locations in Williston, Minot, Dickinson and Bismarck, plus 23 other locations througout the Midwest. We can provide products where you need them and when you want them.

The Most Experienced Team In The Midwest – Our crew specializes in combining experience and innovation to offer you solutions for even your most challenging projects.

7KH %HQHÀWV 2I 'HDOLQJ :LWK $Q 2ZQHU ² We’re an employee-owned company, and that means everyone you deal with has a vested interest in your success.

In other words, you’ll experience The Power of We – our company-wide philosophy that has proven time and time again that your success is the key to our own.

X Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you.

WILLISTON

X

[800] 637-0170

MINOT

X

[800] 472-2145

DICKINSON

X

[855] 245-2098

BISMARCK

X

[800] 363-7112

BISMARCK WATERWORKS

X

[855] 337-9258

Plus 23 more locations across the Midwest and Montana.

www.dakotasupplygroup.com

HIGHLAND PROJECTS Highland Projects is dedicated to setting a new standard in oil and gas construction and maintenance. Safety, efficiency, quality and integrity are the corner stones of our growing company. Attention to detail and customer satisfaction are always our priority.

From standard projects to complex custom jobs, our team of professionals will work with you until the job is complete. We take pride in everything we do. We strive to exceed your expectations.

DIVISIONS: r Custom/Structural Fabrication r Tank Manufacturing r Field Construction Services

DEVELOPING THE FUTURE

12F-0089

HIGHLAND PROJECTS 301 Orchard Lane Billings, Montana

API Spec 12F

12F-0089

The scope of this license includes the following product: Storage Tanks QMS Exclusions: No Exclusions Identified as Applicable

Effective Date: JANUARY 9, 2013 Expiration Date: JANUARY 9, 2016

HIGHLAND PROJECTS

Ph: 406-969-2595 | Fax: 406-969-2597 | www.highlandprojects.com Field Office: 406-876-1721