Stetson Completes First Flow Test at North Dakota Bakken Well

Stetson Oil & Gas has completed the initial flow back test from the well Stetson MHA 1-11H-148-90. A mechanically successful eleven stage fracture stimulation was performed on the horizontal wellbore utilizing approximately 34,000 barrels of load water. The well began flow-back on October 5 and has flowed for ten days through production testing facilities. Recovery to date has been 9,600 barrels of load water. No oil or gas has been recovered during this test. Stetson and its partner Red Willow Great Plains LLC believe that it is unlikely the middle Bakken zone will produce economic oil in this well and the operation has now been suspended.

The Stetson MHA 1-11H-148-90 well was initially drilled vertically and well logs were run to evaluate the Bakken and Three Forks intervals. The middle Bakken zone was encountered at an expected structural elevation and measured 32 feet thick. Bottomhole temperature readings indicated that the Bakken shales were thermally mature. It is believed that insufficient primary permeability has prevented oil from being trapped in the middle Bakken at this location. Encouraging oil and gas shows were encountered in the Bakken shales and in other zones during the drilling of the vertical pilot hole and the build section of the well. Stetson and Red Willow will now proceed to re-complete and test other zones based on oil and gas shows and will report on these operations as results are obtained.

Stetson and Red Willow continue to believe that their landholdings are situated within the Bakken oil system. Stetson President Bill Ward stated "valuable information has been gained from the drilling of our first well and we are optimistic that further technical work, including acquisition of seismic data, will result in further drilling on our lands".
 


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