Still trying to figure out how one finds or sees the timing of a well being placed into or released from Confidential status. I can 't find anywhere on the ND gov site that says anything about any dates for 14 confidential wells I have ownership in. But the site http://themilliondollarway.blogspot.com/ has reports each day about the Confidential wells coming off the list that day, and whether they were producers or not. Where do they get that information? Where can I access that info? (I have the basic subscription to the ND.gov site.)
Morning. There is no information regarding when a well will be placed on Confi status with the operator as that is something they file directly with the NDIC. A list of the wells that are on Confi status and their release date can be found here:
https://www.dmr.nd.gov/oilgas/confidential.asp
Note, operators use and utilize the confidential system very differently. If you want to let me know which operator you are under, I can try and get a better sense of how they use confidential status.
Hi there!
Appreciate the response!
My records show I have 14 confidential wells with Burlington Resources, Conoco Phillips, and Slawson.
I just can’t get any read whatsoever on when confidential status starts, how long it is, and when it ever ends. I can’t seem to find a beginning date for this status on any of them, other than when a permit was filed or refiled it may say confidential status - but what does that mean from a timing perspective?..Is there a limit of six months for that status, or can it go on forever? Does it expire? Does it automatically start over if a drilling permit is refiled?
Thanks for any clarity on this subject!
Continuing the discussion from Confidential status for wells in ND:
Hi David. I read from one of your responses in Dec 2018 that confidential status is granted “after” the well is drilled. Short of flying to Watford City and inspecting the old homestead to see what wells are drilled (which I’m thinking about doing now since it’s not -40F outside), how can I make sense / figure out the status of what is now 24 wells that we have that are listed on the confidential list? So if I have 24 wells on confidential status, all have been “drilled” I’m assuming? Should I assume that does or does not include fracking? Does confidential status infer that the well is drilled, and is or will become a producer? I’ve got 15 wells on confidential status with Slawson, and another 9 with Burlington Resources. Some examples of file numbers on our confidential list are 31210, 33023, 33621, 36359. Just trying to do some financial planning, since if these wells produce royalties like the other 7 wells that we just received division orders on in April of this year, I will have lots and lots of more planning to do…
Hi there,
It varies by operator, but effectively after the well is producing, you can keep it confidential for up to six months. If you file your permit confidentially, you can keep it confidential for as many times as needed to renew the permit, but typically have to remove the confidential status then when the well is completed Operators like Slawson and BR use this strategy of keeping the wells confidential.
Those well numbers posted haven’t yet been drilled. That includes BR Renegade wells, the Gladstones and Slawson Gunslinger Federals. BR has moved their rigs out of this township after drilling and completing those seven wells you are likely paid on. Since these are permits under confidential status, both Slawson and BR can keep them confidential just by renewing the permits and paying $100 per permit each year. I know this can be confusing so let me know if I can answer any questions. Would also be happy to go through how to use the NDIC website to better track your interests. Regards, David Rontal
Thanks so much David for responding! Holy cow this is hard to figure out… Based on your “after drilling” comment I was thinking all were drilled, but now you say the four I listed are not drilled (and likely all the others as well, as they are numbered sequentially following the four examples I gave you). OK - where can I find that they are not drilled yet, as you just apparently did? I must be looking in the wrong area of the ND site… And should I just follow the rig locations in the future - to see if they land in my sections? Also, still trying to figure out where the data on newly producing wells and wells coming off of confidential list on the Million dollar way / bakken oil blog come from…where do they get that data? Thanks again…
Start here: Confidential Well List
This is the wells currently on confidential status. If there is a date in “Information Release Date” column, there is a good chance it has been drilled, completed and likely producing.
Yeah, I check that list often. There has never been a date listed for any of our wells. So without a date listed, I’m assuming one should assume that the well has not been drilled then…? Are there any hints in the well file itself?
That is correct. Safe to assume that without a date next to the well on that confidential list, the well hasn’t yet been spud. You can check the Active Drilling Rigs tab to see if and when a rig moves onto your acreage. Lastly, since the permits you are looking at are under “confidential” status, the well files won’t be available for review.