Bakken crude oil production broke the 800,000-barrels-of-oil-per-day barrier with a record 810,129 barrels of oil per day, more than 10 times production a decade ago.

But Lynn Helms, director of the Department of Mineral Resources for the North Dakota Industrial Commission, said the Bakken in particular is rolling toward even greater stocks: the summer of 2013 is expected to be even more impressive. June, July and August should bring increases of 20,000 barrels per day as companies work through an extensive backlog of wells waiting for hydraulic fracturing.

An estimated 500 wells were waiting on completion services at the end of May, an increase of 10. More than 95% of drilling still targets the Bakken and Three Forks formations.

1 Mountainview Energy Inc. - 06/27/13

Mountainview Energy Inc. has completed a Three Forks exploratory test that initially flowed 574 bbl. of oil equivalent per day. The #35-26-1H Olson is in Section 35-163n-101w of Divide County, N.D. It was tested following a 26-stage plug and perf fracture stimulation in a horizontal Three Forks lateral drilled to 18,416 ft. The Cut Bank, Mont.-based company installed an artificial lift system on the well and placed it on production in April. The peak production day for the initial four-day test on this well was 2,057 bbl. per day of fluid (at 19% oil cut) and 1.09 million cu. ft. of gas per day. During that four-day test the well averaged 1,273 bbl. per day of fluid (at 21% oil cut) and 649,000 cu. ft. of gas per day.

2 Whiting Oil & Gas Corp. - 06/25/13

A remote horizontal Three Forks discovery in Sheridan County, Mont., was announced by Denver-based Whiting Oil & Gas Inc. The #31-25TFH Gronlie Farms is in Section 25-31n-55e and initially flowed 130 bbl. of oil, 119,000 cu. ft. of gas and 291 bbl. of water per day. According to IHS Inc., production is from a fractured horizontal lateral in Three Forks extending from 9,433 ft. southward to 18,802 ft. at a bottomhole location in Section 36-31n-55e. The true vertical depth is 9,194 ft. A vertical pilot hole was drilled to 11,976 ft. It’s the first producer in a lightly-drilled township approximately three miles southwest of Pelican Field, an abandoned Red River oil pool.

3 Sinclair Oil & Gas Co. - 05/31/13

A horizontal Bakken discovery was announced by Sinclair Oil & Gas Co. in the Reserve/Reserve South Field area in Sheridan County, Mont. The #1-3H Chisholm is in Section 3-32n-56e and initially flowed 160 bbl. of oil, 100,000 cu. ft. of gas and 460 bbl. of water per day. Production is from a horizontal lateral in Middle Bakken extending from 9,429 ft. southward to a total depth of 18,700 ft., with a bottomhole in Section 10-32n-56e. After setting 32 swell packers between 9,329 ft. and 18,397 ft. the well was fracture stimulated. The true vertical depth is 8,928 ft. The Reserve/Reserve South Field area generally produces oil from Madison, Winnipegosis and Red River zones. Sinclair’s headquarters are in Salt Lake City.

4 Crescent Point Energy - 05/30/13

Crescent Point Energy completed two horizontal producers to extend the Little Muddy-Bakken pool to the east. The #13-24-158n-101w CPEUSC Suitor initially flowed 407 bbl. of 43.2-degree-gravity oil, 677,000 cu. ft. of gas and 2,397 bbl. of load water per day. This venture is in Section 12-158n-101w, Williams County, N.D. Production at the 19,855-ft. well is from a horizontal lateral in Middle Bakken extending from 9,930 ft. southward at a bottomhole location in Section 24-158n-101w. Gauged on a 32/64-in. choke following 55-stage fracture stimulation, the flowing casing pressure was 620 psi. About one mile to the east, #18-19-158n-100w CPEUSC Clarmont, Section 7-158n-100w in Williams County, initially flowed 137 bbl. of oil, 87,000 cu. ft. of gas and 650 bbl. of load water per day. This well produces from a horizontal Three Forks lateral extending from 8,814 ft. southward to 20,330 ft. at a bottomhole location in Section 19-158n-100w. The true vertical depth is 9,795 ft. Additional details are not yet available from the Calgary-based operator.

5 Hunt Oil Co. - 05/24/13

Two horizontal wildcats were completed by Hunt Oil Co. from a common drillpad in Section 1-160n-101w in Divide County, N.D. The venture produced 233 bbl. of 39.4-degree-gravity crude and 490 bbl. of water per day. The #1-33-28HTF Alexandria produces from a horizontal lateral in Three Forks extending from 9,402 ft. northward to 19,472 ft. at a bottomhole location in Section 28-161n-100w. The true vertical depth is 8,879 ft. and the well was tested following a 25-stage fracturing. The #1-1-12H Sioux Trail is in Section 1-160n-101w and initially pumped 160 bbl. of oil with 75,000 cu. ft. of gas and 445 bbl. of water per day. Production is from a horizontal Middle Bakken lateral extending from 9,153 ft. to 18,498 ft. at a bottomhole location in Section 12-160n-101w. The true vertical depth is 9,041 ft. and was tested following 25-stage fracture stimulation. The well’s vertical pilot hole was drilled to 9,270 ft. Hunt is based in Houston.

6 QEP Energy - 05/22/13

A horizontal Three Forks producer by Denver-based QEP Energy Co. was announced on the southern Nesson Anticline in North Dakota. The #13-17-16H Moberg is in Section 17-149n-95w in McKenzie County, and is “free flowing 1,248 bbl. of oil per day at an unchoked rate,” according to the company. Production is from a fractured Three Forks lateral extending from 11,416 ft. eastward to 20,840 ft. at a bottomhole location in Section 16-149n-95w. The true vertical depth is 11,128 ft. The producer is in the Grail/Croff/Bear Den Field area.

7 Marathon Oil - 05/02/13

According to IHS Inc., Marathon Oil Co. completed an offset to the company’s first horizontal Bakken producer in Sheridan County, Mont., that initially flowed 159 bbl. of oil, 74,000 cu. ft. of gas and 2,507 bbl. of load water per day. The #21-13H Dave Clark is in Section 12-31n-58e. Production is from a fractured horizontal Three Forks interval at 10,240-19,676 ft. True vertical depth is 9,761 ft. The bottomhole location is in Section 24-31n-58e. Marathon’s headquarters are in Houston.