Marathon Oil Co., still the only company fracking with modern Bakken techniques in the Tyler Formation, appears to have taken a break from drilling at its sites there, a North Dakota Geological Survey geologist said.
“As far as I know, right now, they asked for four permit sites and they basically only drilled on two of them,” Timothy Nesheim said, “and so they still have two more sites but they’ve moved their rig off-site right now.”
The wells are in northeastern Slope County. The first was spudded on Sept. 12 and another Oct. 28. Nesheim said the first well the company drilled "didn’t turn out well," so Marathon “moved the rig over and started again.”
Marathon spokesman John Porretto wouldn’t comment on the status of the drilling. The wells will come off confidential status April 28.
Continental Resources, Whiting Oil and Gas, XTO Energy Inc. and Enerplus Resources have cut sample cores of the Tyler.
