Abandoned wells may become a source of future income under HB 1272
Kristen Jones
Farmer Staff Writer
District 26 lawmakers worked together to pass a bill through the North Dakota House of Representatives that could have a huge impact on the future of oil production in western North Dakota. Jeremy Olson and Kelby Timmons, District 26 Republican representatives, and Republican Senator Dale Patton (R-McKenzie County) were three of the sponsors of HB 1272, which would pave the way for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) to be an option for wells that were considered abandoned wells.
EOR is a process of oil extraction that aims to extract the remaining 30-60 percent of existing crude oil from deposits after the first and second stages of extraction are completed, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Many of the wells in the Bakken Formation have completed, or are nearing the completion of the first and second stage of oil recovery.
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