How The Bakken was drilled...

[Sassy]

http://www.northernoil.com/drilling.php

Just thought this was interesting.

[schaaf]

I was talking to a Petroleum Engineer in Eastern Montana/Western North Dakota about the Bakken Formation about 4 years ago and they were thinking the layer was only about 5 or 6 feet thick and a couple thousand feet below the surface.

Pretty amazing to think they can drill to a layer that narrow that far below the surface.

The Bakken has completely revitalized Eastern Montana and Western North Dakota. Can't even find a room to rent right now

[Sassy]

No...housing is an issue...small towns don't want to build and then have those buildings be empty when the rigs/workers move out.

My parents live in Crosby up on the ND/MT/Canadian border...and that town is dealing with those issues...

Restaurants are an issue as well...and they only have one grocery store.

It's a lot of pipeline (expense) for the feet!

[schaaf]

That's what I was saying, you can't even find a room to rent right now. I have some friends who are renting their camper out in Williston. I know a lot of those small towns like Crosby and Stanley are struggling with the restaurants and lack of housing. When I went through Williston last, I never see it more busy.

It's the modern day gold mine

[Sassy]

Exactly!

I also have relatives in Glendive! !

[schaaf]

haha well i'm sure I know them, I've lived here my whole life and so has my entire family

That's crazy though!!

[broncocalijohn]

At least one part of the country is prospering. It does seem like a Gold Rush atmosphere. In those times in the 1800s, breakfast could cost you $10! You didnt have to pan for gold to get rich, just charge as much as they will pay. RV rentals should be through the roof.

[robbieopperude]

Originally Posted by broncocalijohn

At least one part of the country is prospering. It does seem like a Gold Rush atmosphere. In those times in the 1800s, breakfast could cost you $10! You didnt have to pan for gold to get rich, just charge as much as they will pay. RV rentals should be through the roof.

They go for over 1,000 a month in Williston ND. I know of people who pay up to 500 bucks just to live in a basement with other people and get their own bedroom. It is crazy and it isn't slowing down anytime soon.

Also the Bakken shale is typically around 30 feet thick with a ten foot window that produces the best rate of production. There is a formation in Northern SD that does have a 4 foot thick drilling zone. Can't remember what it is called but it isn't the bakken. I think it is the Mission Canyon.

The cool thing about the Bakken is they are taking all the techniques they are learning here in ND and applying it to other horizontal plays like the Niobrara over in Wyoming and the recent horizontal play started in Oklahoma and Texas. Oil is booming right now and I love it.

[robbieopperude]

Originally Posted by schaaf

I was talking to a Petroleum Engineer in Eastern Montana/Western North Dakota about the Bakken Formation about 4 years ago and they were thinking the layer was only about 5 or 6 feet thick and a couple thousand feet below the surface.

Pretty amazing to think they can drill to a layer that narrow that far below the surface.

The Bakken has completely revitalized Eastern Montana and Western North Dakota. Can't even find a room to rent right now

The Bakken is typically around 9800 to 10,000 feet down in the earth and then they drill another 10,000 of vertical section after getting the drill pipe to bend 90 degrees. It is amazing what they can do. The Three Forks is a formation discovered that is another 80 feet or so below the Bakken.

[Sassy]

Originally Posted by robbieopperude

The Bakken is typically around 9800 to 10,000 feet down in the earth and then they drill another 10,000 of vertical section after getting the drill pipe to bend 90 degrees. It is amazing what they can do. The Three Forks is a formation discovered that is another 80 feet or so below the Bakken.

Yep...it's just crazy in that part of the country these days.

[schaaf]

Originally Posted by robbieopperude

The Bakken is typically around 9800 to 10,000 feet down in the earth and then they drill another 10,000 of vertical section after getting the drill pipe to bend 90 degrees. It is amazing what they can do. The Three Forks is a formation discovered that is another 80 feet or so below the Bakken.

That is crazy!

That was 4 or 5 years ago and that was still when they were trying to position it and map it. I'm currently a Geology major and hoping it's still going on!

Maybe I can head thirty miles across the border and get in on some of the pie!

[cutthemdown]

So the risk then is that the cementing fails and the oil seeps into the groundwater area of the rock strata.

Wow what a great little video.

[robbieopperude]

Originally Posted by schaaf

That is crazy!

That was 4 or 5 years ago and that was still when they were trying to position it and map it. I'm currently a Geology major and hoping it's still going on!

Maybe I can head thirty miles across the border and get in on some of the pie!

Depending on what you want to do you shouldn't have a hard time getting a job in your field. I work with guys who are converted car salesman, IT geeks, mechanics, I even just met a guy who was a business professional. If you have the desire they will take you in and train you what to do. I am talking field positions of course. If you want a cushy office job better kick butt in that degree your getting.

[crawdad]

Originally Posted by Sassy

http://www.northernoil.com/drilling.php

Just thought this was interesting.

Very interesting, Sassy! Thank you for sharing!

[Drek]

Originally Posted by schaaf

That is crazy!

That was 4 or 5 years ago and that was still when they were trying to position it and map it. I'm currently a Geology major and hoping it's still going on!

Maybe I can head thirty miles across the border and get in on some of the pie!

You still in undergrad? Best way to get a leg up in the oil industry is to get your M.S..

Jobs with a geo degree aren't hard period though. The economic and petroleum industries failed to hire for much of the last 30 years and now they've got large portions of staff retiring. This while the environmental compliance/services industry is growing at a rapid rate as well.

If you aren't afraid of field work and getting dirty (in a mine, on a rig, or digging haz) its not hard at all to find good work.

[schaaf]

Originally Posted by Drek

You still in undergrad? Best way to get a leg up in the oil industry is to get your M.S..

Jobs with a geo degree aren't hard period though. The economic and petroleum industries failed to hire for much of the last 30 years and now they've got large portions of staff retiring. This while the environmental compliance/services industry is growing at a rapid rate as well.

If you aren't afraid of field work and getting dirty (in a mine, on a rig, or digging haz) its not hard at all to find good work.

Yep, I'm still an undergrad and my plan is to get my Masters immediately after graduation. My problem is, I don't know if I want to go into HydroGeology or Petroleum Geology. I think you can make a little more in the Oil but like all things associated with oil, your job is a little more of a risk.

[bendog]

Oh, I thought this was a porn thread. Nevermind.

[Drek]

Originally Posted by schaaf

Yep, I'm still an undergrad and my plan is to get my Masters immediately after graduation. My problem is, I don't know if I want to go into HydroGeology or Petroleum Geology. I think you can make a little more in the Oil but like all things associated with oil, your job is a little more of a risk.

All depends what you consider a risk. I went environmental and have worked some of the worst haz sites in the mid-west. Ground water that is half benzene (acute exposure can result in leukemia within 5 years) and the other half a 1.3 pH acid. I've been elbow deep in coal tar and have wore class A haz suits while overseeing the removal of high concentrations of dioxin.

None of it bothers me because I know the safety regs, know that they're overly conservative, and still follow them to the letter.

In the oil and mining industries safety does take a bit more of a back seat since the need for it isn't as in your face as strapping on a respirator, but its still a safety first industry if you're with the right company working with the right crew. Its all about the standard set by the company.

If you want to go hydro bone up on your math, primarily statistics, get some geochemistry classes in as well and learn how to operate a database because the most frequent profession you'll find is in the environmental field.

If you want to go petrol bone up on my math but focus more of it towards 3D mathematics (multi-variable calc and the like), focus on your geophysics and structural coursework, and get a feel for 3D modeling programs.

[schaaf]

Thanks man! right now I'm in Calculus II, and am the Highest Geo class i'm in is a Paleoclimate Geology, I'm Taking Calc-based physics next year along with two classes of Chemistry. But I'm still pretty young so haven't gotten up to multi-variable calc yet and I think I'll be taking Structural Geology next year!

I have a friend who's dad is a HydroGeologist in Denver and I think he pretty much deals with contaminated ground water right around Denver.

[Drek]

Originally Posted by schaaf

Thanks man! right now I'm in Calculus II, and am the Highest Geo class i'm in is a Paleoclimate Geology, I'm Taking Calc-based physics next year along with two classes of Chemistry. But I'm still pretty young so haven't gotten up to multi-variable calc yet and I think I'll be taking Structural Geology next year!

I have a friend who's dad is a HydroGeologist in Denver and I think he pretty much deals with contaminated ground water right around Denver.

Yep, thats the environmental side and unless you wind up working for a hydro dam or in a large municipality relying on tricky sources of groundwater (Las Vegas for example) you won't find much work for a hydro in the other fields.

If you're considering that route a masters is a feather in the cap, but not a huge one. The biggest thing you'll need to do is pass the ASBOG if you're planning to work in or near an ASBOG state. My university profs knew nothing of it because none of them did much real work but I strongly suggest you look into it for around the middle to end of your senior year, since its two parts (fundamentals and practical) with the first part being "trivial pursuit" geology facts that you'll do much better on fresh out of undergrad.

Should you decide to go down that route make sure to bone up on your chemistry, primarily organic, and a few intro soil sciences wouldn't hurt at all. And like I said, the M.S. doesn't matter nearly as much in that field as it does in the petrol industry.

[~Crash~]

To the guy that has the balls to say cows are dieing because of drilling lol sure they are.. yep in Arkansas I see plenty cows like this it is called be a lame ass farmer ! I seen the same thing in Idaho . If you suck at farming plan on doing a suck ass job all the time ! the **** ass farmer I had beside my place killed every thing he touched . now I got someone next to me that cares guess what his Cows are healthy !@ wow ain't that amassing?

[schaaf]

That video was full of ****.

My favorite place to hunt is along an Anticline in Eastern Montana that has been one of the best Oil Drilling spots in all of Eastern Montana. There are more deer and animals there than any other place that I hunt. The ranchers have cows and sheep also.

And this is all in a place with Oil Wells and Workover rigs all over the land. Drilling is really hurting them