Hunting Fishing Discussions

Featured Outdoor Businesses
Dakota Tackle
Bismarck, ND
Prairie Knights Casino and Resort
64 miles north of Mobridge, SD on Hwy 1806 on Lake Oahe, ND


Forums Home > Off Topic Discussions
Share on Facebook subscribe feed
12 Replies | Page 1 of 11 | Top of Page | Bottom of Page

Question for you oil guys

by bobkat , Posted to Fishing Buddy on 06/22/2010 07:49 AM | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
bobkat

Joined: 12/16/2001
Location: ND
I did a bicycle ride through the oil patch last weekend and stopped and looked at a few rigs up close.   I know absolutely nothing about oil rigs or drilling  and like most city folks  have hardly even glanced  at  them while passing at 70 mph.
First off, those things are HUGE, and look pretty complicated to me, and probably a bit dangerous!    I've new respect for the workers on them and all their support people!
There was a lot of trucks hauling equipment here and there, and also a lot of big tanker trucks.  
My question - do those tanker trucks haul out the crude to a pipeline somewhere, and I assume the tanks by wellheads collect the crude for the trucks!?!   Or do they dump directly into a pipeline system?  Or both? 
I saw a couple of places here and there where there were dozens of small trailers that looked about 4 times the size of a "jiffy biffy" but obviously were not.  Wonder if anyone can clue me in what these are for?   I thought they'd make good deerstands as I passed by! LOL
Must be an explanation why some rigs are drilling fairly close to each other and some widely spaced.  And must be a reason why some rigs are placed in what would appear to an oil-ignorant-idiot like me to be the toughest terrairn available, when moving it over 100 yards looks like nice flat terrain needing little work to prepare for the rig.  ?water witchers? Oil witchers?
Anyway, I was impressed with the entire business and would encourage any greenhorn like me to stop by one and give it a closer look.  Pull well over on the shoulder though, as I'm sure it takes a lot of road to slow one of those loaded tankers down.  
A bit off topic, but we bicyclists really were impressed by both the various oil field trucks and local resident traffic who were absolutely wonderful in seeing a bunch of dumb bikers and pulling way over in the other lane, usually further over than they would have to for safety, and maintaining their collective cool with us cluttering up the road  and passing along the ND wave while they passed.    A great bunch of drivers and people!   Thank you!  As an out of stater remarked "Only in ND!"  
Re: Question for you oil guys
by beedoggs1 on 06/22/2010 08:06 AM | Reply #1 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
beedoggs1
Joined: 12/11/2008
Location: ND
First off bobkat, crude is transported from the wellhead by either truck or pipeline, depending on the location of the well, if the operator has been able to get a line to the location yet or not. They might also be hauling salt water off. I am not sure of the buildings you are referring to about 4 times the size of a porta-crapper, but it sounds like a frac tank, but they are much larger than that. They are used to hold fresh water or sand or other frac ingredients used in the fracture stimulation process.
 

As far as the space between rigs, there is no technical reason for this, it's just how the rig schedule falls. Rig locations for a lot of companies currently are dictated by lease expiration dates. They are drilling the wells that have to be drilled before the lease expires, or else they lose the lease and have to re-lease it, usually for much much more money than it was first leased.

The reason for the locations in the hard to reach areas is that the wells have to be within a certain area, i.e. with a spacing unit, usually 1-2 sections, referred to as 640 or 1280 acre spacings. The well is optimally spaced as close to the set back of the section lines as possible, in order that more lateral wellbore can be placed in the target horizon.

If I am as clear as mud on some of this, let me know and i'll do what i can to explain it better. Hope this helps.
Re: Question for you oil guys
by ggenthusiast on 06/22/2010 08:11 AM | Reply #2 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
ggenthusiast
Joined: 09/11/2002
Location: ND

Some companies have oil sales pipelines, some do not.  Nearly all the salt water is hauled via truck though.  I believe they have one year to take gas from a new well off of flare and into a pipeline.  Don't know what you were looking at with the small trailers though....maybe separator or heater treater buildings.  Each well has one to measure oil, gas, and salt water.

I say to hell with that pot o' gold.
Re: Question for you oil guys
by Tim Sandstrom on 06/22/2010 08:25 AM | Reply #3 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
Tim Sandstrom
Joined: 07/14/2003
Location: ND
You must have found a rig or well on a good road?  I wouldn't want to ride bike on some of those roads, let alone drive a pickup on them.

Pipeline in the Bakken (if I am not mistaken) is very limited.  Hardly any gas is being collected in the grand scheme of things.  Many people's natural gas royalties or whatever want to call them are burning up in smoke.  Yeah, a year.  Well, we are going on two or three.  They just choke down the well a ton.

Most oil is tanked (trucked) in the Bakken.

Yes, most trucks you are seeing is waste water (salt).  Yep, the big blue tanks are full of the goodies for fracturing.

Spacing is described by beedogs.  I imagine we might see 320 spacing before it is all said and done.  With the first couple years of drilling no one tapped the Three Forks.  My guess is in those areas they might come in and do 320 spacings.  That's a lot of oil wells and roads sitting around.  Gotta love the dinky payment they give surface owners for the loss of land, a road network everywhere, the traffic and of course, the beautiful roads we get to drive on.

And yes, for the most part, the oil traffic is pretty decent at driving.  They have to be as if they get one complaint they usually end up fired on the spot (as long as the complaint is legitimate).  The exception is the boys on shift change.  At about 6 pm look out, the roads come alive with pickups with monster grill guards driving at mock 10.

Although, I wonder what the traffic would be like if the roads weren't so beat up.  No one, including the oil boys like bouncing the life out of themselves.  I think by nature (road conditions) most drive slow. 

In closing, I drive by wells all the time.  I stare at them and say, "Oh Lord, why not me."

Ha ha, I guess that's the way life goes.  Other times I stare in pure amazement at some of the flares.  There are a couple down south of New Town that are complete monsters.  Stop a pickup and listen to it just for kicks every now and then.  Could really roast a smore!




 
Kirsch's Outdoor Products | Fargo, ND | 701-261-9017 | koutdoorproducts.com
Risovi Taxidermy Studio | New Rockford, ND | 701-947-2048 | risovitaxidermystudio.com
Jig-em-Up Guide Service | Grand Forks, ND | 701-739-9198 | jig-em-up-guide-service.com

 
Re: Question for you oil guys
by Tim Sandstrom on 06/22/2010 09:48 AM | Reply #4 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
Tim Sandstrom
Joined: 07/14/2003
Location: ND
Hey bobkat,

Thought I'd leave you some links to play with:

https://www.dmr.nd.gov/oilgas/

http://www.ndoil.org/

You can do a bunch of other searches too.  I use to have a bunch of links and you tube clips on the whole sheebang but not sure what happened to them.




 
Kirsch's Outdoor Products | Fargo, ND | 701-261-9017 | koutdoorproducts.com
Risovi Taxidermy Studio | New Rockford, ND | 701-947-2048 | risovitaxidermystudio.com
Jig-em-Up Guide Service | Grand Forks, ND | 701-739-9198 | jig-em-up-guide-service.com

 
Re: Question for you oil guys
by bobkat on 06/22/2010 10:24 AM | Reply #5 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
bobkat
Joined: 12/16/2001
Location: ND
Thanks for the info and the links!    We were in the areas from
Ray to Stanley, Powers Lake area.   Pretty fascinating for an old city slicker ( a farm boy a long time ago)    I never thought of salt water in some trucks.   Those drivers were sure alert and really safe!   
Those little trailer things looked too small for housing, about the size of a 2 horse trailer and looked mostly alike.   Maybe housed generators or something.
Thanks for the info
Re: Question for you oil guys
by Allen on 06/22/2010 10:47 AM | Reply #6 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
Allen
Joined: 01/09/2002
Location: ND
Some of those small trailers on site could be for anything, safety equipment is just one thing that comes to mind. 

The roads in the New Town area are unbelievably bad at this point.  I went down a couple last weekend that absolutely just shocked me.  3 yrs ago a person could have driven those roads relatively safely at 75 mph (not that I would ever do that) but last weekend I was doing 25 mph and was seriously considering taking my truck in to get a front end alignment after all the beating on it.

The state permits X amount of natural gas to be flared from a well.  Other than that and they have to put the well on a natural gas pipeline.  I suspect there is more of this north of New Town than down in Tim's area as a gas plant has been built to collect it for sale.  The oil and saltwater is all a mix of trucking and pipeline.  Lots of pipe has been laid in the areas that are nearly fully developed at this point. 

As far as the spacing and location of wells, that is pretty much a company specific and lease specific arrangement.  It is not common to see a well location in one spacing unit that is drilled to produce from an adjoining spacing unit.  A spacing unit is the surface designation of which land the oil is being produced from and ranges in the Bakken from 640 to 2560 acres.  Most common are the 640 near Parshall in the EOG run areas with Whiting being more of a 1280 operator.  Then the "fill in" wells are joining two spacing units together and that's how there are 2560 acre spacing units.

I know one thing, not everyone is happy with all the oil activity.  It has sure changed the countryside up there with all the flares, locations, rigs, traffic, crappy roads, and activity.
“Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it.” ~ Mark Twain
Re: Question for you oil guys
by mauserG33-40 on 06/22/2010 10:57 AM | Reply #7 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
mauserG33-40
Joined: 05/24/2008
Location: Mo
There are two people I know very well here at the lake moved to Williston,one a year ago and the other 6 monhs ago to work in a shop as welders and and think it is a great place to work. 

Thier fellow workers at this welding shop helped both families find houseng invited them to attend thier church and made them fell very welcome. 
 
Re: Question for you oil guys
by Tim Sandstrom on 06/22/2010 11:15 AM | Reply #8 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
Tim Sandstrom
Joined: 07/14/2003
Location: ND

Basically everything south of Highway 23 is burning gas and will continue to burn gas.  A few wells have been piped but there are many without.  I don't know how many up north are hooked up to the plants.  I imagine there's plenty up that way that need it to and have expired the alloted time.  Seems to be not a very big "issue."  Or if it is, there isn't a severe penalty or something. 

Lots of easement folks around so they will be put in the ground sometime eventually.

 




 
Kirsch's Outdoor Products | Fargo, ND | 701-261-9017 | koutdoorproducts.com
Risovi Taxidermy Studio | New Rockford, ND | 701-947-2048 | risovitaxidermystudio.com
Jig-em-Up Guide Service | Grand Forks, ND | 701-739-9198 | jig-em-up-guide-service.com

 
Re: Question for you oil guys
by bandito on 06/22/2010 11:21 AM | Reply #9 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
bandito
Joined: 09/17/2009
Location: nd
Don't want to be rude but I really wish that the bycicles would stay off of 1804 between Williston and New Town.  I am really worried that one of these days one is going to end up on my grill guard.  Had some close calls already.   That road has to many curves and hills to accomidate both bikes and oilfield traffic.
Re: Question for you oil guys
by Tim Sandstrom on 06/22/2010 11:31 AM | Reply #10 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
Tim Sandstrom
Joined: 07/14/2003
Location: ND
Hey bobkat,

Found another neat link.  Finally tracked it down.  Not much for drilling process but it is neat none-the-less.

http://www.dot.nd.gov/conferences/construction/presentations/2009/OilManufacturegrowth.ppt

It is large so you'll probably have to save it to your computer and then view it.




 
Kirsch's Outdoor Products | Fargo, ND | 701-261-9017 | koutdoorproducts.com
Risovi Taxidermy Studio | New Rockford, ND | 701-947-2048 | risovitaxidermystudio.com
Jig-em-Up Guide Service | Grand Forks, ND | 701-739-9198 | jig-em-up-guide-service.com

 
Re: Question for you oil guys
by ggenthusiast on 06/22/2010 6:29 PM | Reply #11 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
ggenthusiast
Joined: 09/11/2002
Location: ND
bandito Said:
Don't want to be rude but I really wish that the bycicles would stay off of 1804 between Williston and New Town.  I am really worried that one of these days one is going to end up on my grill guard.  Had some close calls already.   That road has to many curves and hills to accomidate both bikes and oilfield traffic.
No Sheite.

I say to hell with that pot o' gold.
Re: Question for you oil guys
by murdock1978 on 06/24/2010 06:46 AM | Reply #12 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
murdock1978
Joined: 07/12/2003
Location: ND

Been hauling oil for about 9 months.Haul it to either EOG at Stanley,where it gets put into railcars.Or Beaver lodge lact,4 miles south of Tioga-where it goes into a pipeline and some times i haul west of Fairview to Albin where it also goes into a pipeline.There are getting more wells put into a pipelines which will help cut down on the traffic.Hey bobkat did you notice any inverted looking roughnecks standing around on the rigs.??
12 Replies | Page 1 of 11 | Top of Page | Bottom of Page
Posted By: bobkat
Posted On: 06/22/2010 07:49 AM
1316 Views, 12 Comments

Tags: oil, question, guys, rigs, looked, absolutely, drilling, last, weekend, stopped
More Tags: oil patch last weekend, oil field trucks, Oil witchers, oil, oil rigs, a lot of trucks hauling equipment, oil guys,
Region: Minnesota

Categories: Other > Other Off-Topic
Rate This ForumTopic
  • Currently 1/5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

1/5 (2 votes cast)

Share and Save This ForumTopic

You must be signed in to comment on this topic




Forums Home > Off Topic Discussions
Start a New Topic in "Off Topic Discussions




Total Outdoor Network
TON Sites | Contact | Advertise | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use



North Dakota Fishing and Hunting | Minnesota Fishing and Hunting | Wisconsin Fishing and Hunting | Nebraska Fishing and Hunting | Walleye Fishing | South Dakota Fishing and Hunting | Alaska Fishing and Hunting |

submit feedback / bug report