09/11/2008 | Press release | Archived content
WAYZATA, Minn., Sept. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. (Amex: NOG) ("Northern Oil") today announced the company recently participated in the successful drilling and completion of an additional eight oil producing wells in the emerging Bakken trend of North Dakota. The eight wells began producing at an average initial rate of 768 BOPD.
-- The EN-Person-1102H-1 well, located in Mountrail County, ND was operated by Hess Corporation and posted an initial production rate of 950 BOPD. Northern holds a 12.5% working interest in the well.
-- The RS-Agribank-1102H-1 well, located in Mountrail County and operated by Hess Corporation posted an initial production rate of 450 BOPD. Northern holds a 7.5% working interest in the well.
-- The EN-Neset-0706H-1 well, located in Mountrail County and operated by Hess Corporation posted an initial production rate of 550 BOPD. Northern holds a 3.0% working interest in the well.
-- The Pathfinder 1-9H well, located in Mountrail County and operated by Slawson Exploration, posted an initial production rate of 1500 BOPD. Northern holds a 3.0% working interest in the well.
-- The Prowler 1-16H well, also located in Mountrail County and operated by Slawson Exploration, posted an initial production rate of 950 BOPD. Northern holds a 3.5% working interest in the well.
-- The Bonney 34-3H well, located in Dunn County and operated by Burlington Resources (Conoco), posted an initial production rate of 450 BOPD. Northern holds a 3% working interest in the well.
-- The Clive Pelton 34-23H well, located in Dunn County and operated by Marathon Oil Company, posted an initial production rate of 650 BOPD. Northern holds a 3% working interest in the well.
-- The Eckelberg 41-26H well, also located in Dunn County and operated by Marathon, posted an initial production rate of 650 BOPD. Northern holds a 1% working interest in the well.
"Northern continues to make significant progress with its operating partners as we continue to develop our North Dakota acreage position with solid results from the prolific Bakken trend," said Michael Reger, Northern Oil's Chief Executive Officer. "Our recent success in Mountrail and Dunn Counties helps confirm our belief that the North Dakota Bakken trend is present over the entirety of our acreage position. Our strategy to partner with multiple operators allows us to harvest value from our leasehold assets while spreading execution risk across many of the region's most experienced and successful operators."
With the eight recent completions, Northern holds working interest in 21 producing wells.
ADDITIONAL WELLS DRILLING AND COMPLETING
Northern is also a working interest participant in an additional five wells targeting the North Dakota Bakken trend and another five wells targeting the Three Forks/Sanish plays. Given the recent success in the Three Forks/Sanish from other operators in the region, Northern anticipates positive results from this additional horizon. The table below summarizes current North Dakota drilling activity in which Northern is a working interest participant. OPERATOR WELL NAME NOG WI COUNTY LOCATION STATUS OBJECTIVE CONTINENTAL SHONNA RESOURCES 1-15H 15.00% DIVIDE 15-161/95 DRILLING THREE FORKS CONTINENTAL ELVEIDA THREE RESOURCES 1-33H 10.00% DIVIDE 33-161/95 COMPLETING FORKS CONTINENTAL VIOLA RESOURCES 1-7H 7.50% DIVIDE 7-160/95 DRILLING THREE FORKS CONTINENTAL SKACHENKO THREE RESOURCES 1-31H 6.25% DUNN 31-146/95 COMPLETING FORKS CONTINENTAL ARVID THREE RESOURCES 1-34H 6.25% DIVIDE 34-161/95 COMPLETING FORKS EOG WAYZETTA RESOURCES 1-13H 6.25% MOUNTRAIL 13-153/90 COMPLETING BAKKEN EOG AUSTIN RESOURCES 19-30H 5.00% MOUNTRAIL 30-154/90 DRILLING BAKKEN MARATHON MARK SANDSTROM OIL COMPANY 14-32H 5.00% DUNN 32-151/93 DRILLING BAKKEN MARATHON STROMMEN OIL COMPANY 14-8H 3.00% DUNN 8-145/94 COMPLETING BAKKEN HESS BL-BLANCHARD- CORPORATION 155-96 2.50% MOUNTRAIL 15-155/96 COMPLETING BAKKEN
"Northern's exposure to additional Bakken drilling as well as our recent entry into the Three Forks/Sanish trend with Continental Resources as one of our operating partners should help us meet our objective of exiting 2008 with production of approximately 1,100 BOPD," added Reger. "We are encouraged by the success of our accelerated drilling program and growing production profile."
LEASEHOLD ASSET EXPANSION
With recent leasehold acquisitions, Northern's acreage position in the North Dakota Bakken and Three Forks/Sanish plays has grown to approximately 65,000 net acres. "While much of the large acreage positions have been leased, Northern continues to have success acquiring additional leasehold assets through its long-term relationships with many North Dakota land professionals," said Reger. "Our ability to grow our acreage position adjacent to growing production and drilling activity has been a key to Northern's success. We continue to lease in the core areas of the original North Dakota Bakken trend and our leasehold interests have been included in over 100 drilling permits."
ABOUT NORTHERN OIL AND GAS
Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. is an exploration and production company based in Wayzata, Minnesota. Northern's core area of focus is the Williston Basin, specifically the Mountrail County, North Dakota area Bakken and Three Forks/Sanish play where the Company controls approximately 65,000 net mineral acres. Northern Oil's secondary objective is conventional, 3D driven, oil and gas exploration and development throughout the Rocky Mountain region.
More information about Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. can be found at www.NorthernOil.com .
Safe Harbor:
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding future events and our future results that are subject to the safe harbors created under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act") and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"). All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this report regarding our financial position, business strategy, plans and objectives of management for future operations, industry conditions, and indebtedness covenant compliance are forward-looking statements. When used in this report, forward-looking statements are generally accompanied by terms or phrases such as "estimate," "project," "predict," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "target," "plan," "intend," "seek," "goal," "will," "should," "may" or other words and similar expressions that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. Items contemplating or making assumptions about, actual or potential future sales, market size, collaborations, and trends or operating results also constitute such forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and important factors (many of which are beyond our Company's control) that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward- looking statements, including the following, general economic or industry conditions, nationally and/or in the communities in which our Company conducts business, changes in the interest rate environment, legislation or regulatory requirements, conditions of the securities markets, our ability to raise capital, changes in accounting principles, policies or guidelines, financial or political instability, acts of war or terrorism, other economic, competitive, governmental, regulatory and technical factors affecting our Company's operations, products, services and prices.
We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and assumptions about future events. While our management considers these expectations and assumptions to be reasonable, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, regulatory and other risks, contingencies and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control.
Contact: Michael Reger CEO Ryan Gilbertson CFO Phone: 952-476-9800 Fax: 952-476-9801 www.NorthernOil.com
SOURCE Northern Oil and Gas, Inc.
Released September 11, 2008