We all know that drilling for oil has made the U.S. energy-independent, but so much goes into drilling that the process and the terms are like a foreign language to us. While in Williston, we got to see where miles of drilling is happening and then found a brochure that explained the process to us in easy-to-understand terms. So here we go.
The Bakken Formation is a rock unit from some 375 million years ago. It covers about 200,000 square miles under the surface of the Williston Basin that includes parts of Montana, North Dakota, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. No surface outcrop is part of this formation. It’s named after Henry Bakken, a farmer in Tioga, ND, who owned the land where the formation was initially discovered in 1951 while he was drilling for oil. (Tioga is about 36 miles northeast of Williston.)
The use of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling technologies has caused a boom in Bakken oil production since 2000 because of the reservoirs that could be created. By the end of 2010, oil production rates had reached 458,000 barrels per day, outstripping the pipeline’s capacity to ship oil out of the Bakken.
6 steps in the drilling process
1 – permit to drill: Before drilling, a company must receive a permit from the ND Dept. of Mineral Resources to ensure safe drilling and reduce environmental impact.
2 – site construction: First a 6-7 acre site is prepared by leveling the land, locating an access road, and improving infrastructure. Before production begins, the site must meet environmental regulations and create multiple levels of protection from effects of oil and natural gas.
bottom: a rig for working over the site
3 – drilling: The first step for drilling is to construct a rig around the drilling site. The rig pushes a drill bit into the earth over 10,000 feet to create the well’s main hole. After the drill is removed, a casing is inserted into the main hole to protect the surrounding natural material from the oil production process. Once this casing is cemented in place, production can begin.
4 – hydraulic fracturing: Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracing,” occurs to allow oil and gas to easily flow through rock deposits. Fracing creates reservoirs from which oil can be extracted.
5 – production: When drilling is completed, the rig can be removed and a pumping unit can be put in its place. This unit brings the oil to the surface for collection. With the pumping unit in place, a well can produce oil for over 40 years.
bottom: a natural gas flare that can dispose of large amounts of unwanted petroleum gas, possibly throughout the life of an oil well
step 6 – transport & refinement: Oil is collected and transported by train, truck, pipeline to refineries and factories around the country.
timeline of oil production in ND
- 1953 – oil production began near Tiogo, ND
- 1953 to 1980 – steady growth in production and drilling technology
- 1980 – oil production reaches a peak high, and prices soar to $40 a barrel
- 1984 – prices drop and production slows
- 1984 to 2008 – oil industry goes bust and thousands leave the area
- 2008 – hydraulic fracturing makes billions of previously unreachable barrels of oil in the Bakken Formation available for production
- 2012 – all-time high rig count of 218
- 2014 – ND surpasses 1 billion barrels of daily oil production
oil industry buzz words
- Bakken Formation – a 200,000 square mile rock deposit that was discovered in 1953 on the land owned by Henry Bakken. It sits below ND, Montana, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
- barrel – A barrel of oil is equal to 35 gallons.
- fracing – Hydraulic fracturing, or fracing, uses water to add pressure to a rock formation over a mile below the Earth’s surface, creating an oil reservoir for easier collection of oil and natural gas.
- horizontal drilling – Deep below the Earth’s surface, wells are drilled horizontally to allow for greater access to oil from a smaller area on the surface.
- oil shale – Sedimentary rock that is found in deposits through the Bakken Formation. Oil is collected from within these deposits.
We sure have learned more about drilling for oil here in the U.S., and we’re sure we’ll learn more as we continue our travels. Hope this information helps you to understand this industry that employs thousands of our fellow citizens.
Next we’ll be going back in time again to see how this area added to the nation’s history.
