Anschutz Surpasses Tracker Request

On the heals of Tracker Resource's request last month to add 80 sections to Little Knife Field (later reduced by about a half-dozen sections, and which was approved last Friday), this month Anschutz Expl. of Denver has requested that 84 sections be spaced at 1280 acres and be included in either Russian Creek or St. Anthony Fields in extreme southern Dunn Co., from R95 to 97W, all in T141N.

Previously operating in the area under the Ansbro moniker, Anschutz was one of the earliest drillers in the mid-Bakken in 2005, and had three rigs drilling in this area at one time. After encountering some disappointing results, the company suspended their Bakken drilling over a year ago, and hasn't drilled a Bakken well since. The company has recently permitted several Bakken wells on the south side of Murphy Creek Field about a dozen miles north, but hasn't spudded there yet.

My guess as to how many of these 42 proposed wells that will actually be drilled before the leases expire in the area in about two years or less: probably about a dozen.