Abstract: North Dakota's Dickinson Lodgepole Play - An Update

Julie A. Le Fever

North Dakota's Dickinson Lodgepole play began in February 1993 with the drilling and completion of Conoco's #74 Dickinson State well. The serendipitous discovery was found while drilling an in-field wildcat. Production is from a 294-ft-thick "Waulsortian-like" carbonate buildup in the Lodgepole Formation (Mississippian). Conoco estimated the ultimate recovery from this feature to be 7.86 million barrels of oil and 3.7 billion cubic feet of gas at the time of unitization. The field is currently under pressure maintenance by waterflood.

The activity associated with the "mound" was primarily a land acquistion and a seismic play until the second quarter of 1995. Activity in the play accelerated with the discovery of Duncan #1-11 Knopik that tested 2707 BOPD from a new buildup (now Eland Field). This discovery not only increased interest but also increased the number of companies involved in the play.

Currently, five fields are producing from carbonate buildups. Cumulative production through July, 1995 is 1.5 MBO, 835 MMCFG, and 15,990 BW. There is a high potential for this play to expand from the Dickinson area around the perimeter of the Williston Basin.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90952©1996 AAPG Rocky Mountain Section Meeting, Billings, Montana