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Home » Bakken Formation Bakken Formation: News, Map, Videos and Information Sources Bakken Formation Throughout history, most of the great oil and gas fields have been discovered. This one will be unlocked through innovation. The Bakken Formation is one of the largest contiguous deposits of oil and natural gas in the United States. It is an interbedded sequence of black shale, siltstone and sandstone that underlies large areas of northwestern North Dakota, northeastern Montana, southern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba. The Bakken was deposited within the Williston Basin and is Late Devonian to Early Mississippian in age. The Bakken Formation consists of a lower shale member, a middle sandstone member and an upper shale member. The shales are organic-rich and of marine origin. They are rich source rocks for oil and natural gas. All three members of the Bakken Formation have been known to yield oil and natural gas. Just a few years ago the Bakken was considered a marginal to submarginal resource because the oil and gas are locked in a rock formation with a low permeability. However, advances in drilling and recovery technology such as horizontal drilling and hydrofracturing have transformed it into a viable resource. The formation is expected to provide a boost to our energy supply and economy. Much of the oil in the Bakken requires additional advances in technology or higher oil prices for profitable recovery. The USGS Assessment for the Bakken Formation estimated mean undiscovered volumes of 3.65 billion barrels of oil, 1.85 trillion cubic feet of associated / dissolved natural gas, and 148 million barrels of natural gas liquids in the United States portion of the Bakken Formation. These resources are contained within both conventional and unconventional reservoirs. The Bakken Formation in Canada contains additional resources and has been called one of the largest oil fields in Canada. In early 2008 only a few wells had been drilled into the Bakken and its viability as a resource was uncertain. However, through late-2008 several successful wells have been drilled with the new technologies and an explosion of interest now surrounds the deposit. Throughout history, most great oil and gas fields have been discovered. This one will be unlocked through innovation. Updated: August, 2008 Oil and Gas Jobs Oil and Gas Job Opportunties:   Multiple shale plays happening across the United States have triggered an enormous demand for skilled workers and trainees. Unconventional Gas Technology:   A "white paper" by Schlumberger, the well service company. Explains how hydraulic fracturing is used to stimulate production in tight gas shale reservoirs. (large .pdf file) Interactive Drill Rig:    Learn about drill rigs and drilling with this interactive presentation by Dale Energy. Gas Lease and Royalty National Association of Royalty Owners:   The only national organization representing, solely and without compromise, oil and gas royalty owners interests. Wellhead Price of Natural Gas:     Current and historical price data from the US Energy Information Administration. Crude Oil Price Data:     Current and historical price data from the US Energy Information Administration. Glossary of Natural Gas Leasing Terms:   Look up definitions to understand your lease or whatever you are reading. Gas Leasing FAQ's:   Some of the best questions answered right here. Ads by Google Bakken Oil Production Oil production from the Bakken Formation in North Dakota has been rising rapidly for three years. Data from: North Dakota Geological Survey. Bakken Formation Videos Bakken Formation Oil:   The Bakken is one of the largest oil finds that the US Geological Survey has ever assessed. Bakken Oil Boom:   The new oil activity is expected to trigger booms in real estate and other economic areas. AP Video. Government Data USGS Bakken Formation Report:     An assessment of undiscovered oil resources in the Devonian-Mississippian Bakken Shale Formation, Williston Basin. Montana Board of Oil and Gas:     Website access to state government reports and data for the Bakken and other oil and gas plays. North Dakota Oil & Gas Division:     Resource reports, pipeline information Bakken Resource Assessment, map server, rig activity, well search and more. North Dakota Oil & Gas Statistics:   Lots of reports and data for production and drilling activity. Historical, by month, year, county. PowerPoint presentations. Bakken Formation Map The Bakken Formation underlies large areas of northwestern North Dakota, northeastern Montana, southern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba. Bakken Drilling The Bakken Formation became a viable resource because of advances in drilling and recovery methods. Horizontal drilling enables wells to have a much longer "pay zone" than a traditional vertical well. Hydrofracturing produces porosity in the rock unit that facilitates movement of oil or gas to the well. Together, these methods allow a single well to drain a much larger volume of rock and more efficiently recover the oil and gas resource. Mineral Rights Information Mineral Rights give a person or an organization the right to explore for and produce mineral resources from a property. Here's a short article that covers the basics. Bakken Stratigraphy Generalized stratigraphy of Paleozoic rocks in the Williston Basin of Montana. From Montana Board of Oil and Gas (source).

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