Three-Dimensional Geologic Model of Northwestern North Dakota

Timothy O. Nesheim and Stephan H. Nordeng

2,500 ft. –

0 ft. (Sea Lvl) –

-2,500 ft. –

-5,000 ft. –

-7,500 ft. –

-10,000 ft. –

-12,500 ft. –
Three-Dimensional Geologic Model of Northwestern North Dakota

-The primary purpose of this document is to illustrate the three-dimensional shape

of several significant geologic units within the Williston Basin of North Dakota.

-The geologic intervals depicted in this document were modeled using geophysical log tops
(from oil & gas wells) within the computer program Petra.

-Some of the geologic surfaces were generated from several thousand data points (e.g.
Spearfish Formation) while other were generated by only a few hundred data points or less
(e.g. Red River Formation). Questionable data points (geophysical log tops) were removed.

-Vertical exaggeration is used throughout most of this document to help viewers see subtle
features within the Williston Basin of North Dakota.

-The surface topography of North Dakota, as well as the extent of water bodies such as Lake
Sakakawea and the Missouri River, are only schematic.

-While production statistics only show oil production through 2009, significant natural gas has
also been produced and sold from North Dakota.
>19,000 Oil & Gas wells have been drilled in North Dakota

-Black dots show the location of oil and gas wells drilled in North Dakota
Area of 3-D Model

Stanley
Williston
Minot

New Town

Killdeer

Dickinson
Bismarck
 North

~135 miles

Stanley

~135 miles
Williston
West East
New Town

Killdeer

South
 North

Stanley
Williston
West East
New Town

Killdeer

South
 Stanley
Williston

New Town

West East
Killdeer
 Williston Stanley
New Town

Killdeer

West East
 Killdeer New Town
Williston
Stanley

West East
 50:1 Vertical Exaggeration

~3 miles

West East

~135 miles
 30:1 Vertical Exaggeration

~3 miles

West East

~135 miles
 10:1 Vertical Exaggeration

~3 miles

West East
~135 miles
 1:1, No Vertical Exaggeration

~3 miles

West ~135 miles East

 10:1 Vertical Exaggeration

~3 miles

West East
~135 miles
 30:1 Vertical Exaggeration

~3 miles

West East

~135 miles
 50:1 Vertical Exaggeration

~3 miles

West East

~135 miles
Three-Dimensional Geologic Model of Northwestern North Dakota
2,500 ft. –

Uranium/Coal
Fresh Water Zone
Shallow Gas
Frac Propant 0 ft. (Sea Level) –
Geothermal Shallow Gas Zone

Dakota Group
Salt-Water Disposal -2,500 ft. –
Spearfish Formation
Oil & Gas Tyler Formation
Mission Canyon Formation
Oil & Gas -5,000 ft. –
Bakken-Three Forks
Oil & Gas Prairie Formation
Oil & Gas
-7,500 ft. –
Potash Red River Formation
Deep Oil & Gas
-10,000 ft. –

Precambrian Basement

-12,500 ft. –
Shallow Gas Prospects
-Pierre Fm.
-Niobrara Fm.
-Carlile Fm.
-Greenhorn Fm.
Shallow Gas Prospects
-Pierre Fm.
-Niobrara Fm.
-Carlile Fm.
-Greenhorn Fm.
Shallow Gas Prospects
-Pierre Fm. Carlile Fm.
-Niobrara Fm. Nesson Anticline
Grey shale

-Carlile Fm.
-Greenhorn Fm.
Pierre Fm.
Grey silty shale

Greenhorn Fm.

Niobrara Fm.
Greyish-brown
chalky shale
Dakota Group
-New Castle Fm.
-Skull Creek Fm.
-Inyan Kara Fm.
Dakota Group
-New Castle Fm.
-Skull Creek Fm.
-Inyan Kara Fm.
Dakota Group
-New Castle Fm.
-Skull Creek Fm.
-Inyan Kara Fm.
Dakota Group
-New Castle Fm. Williston
-Skull Creek Fm. Nesson Anticline
-Inyan Kara Fm.

Red Wing Creek Structure

Antelope Anticline
Inyan Kara Fm.
Silty to sandy shale
Spearfish Formation
Spearfish Formation
Spearfish Formation
Spearfish
Rock Types
Nesson Anticline
Red-brown
dolomitic siltstone

Red-brown
anhydritic
sandstone
N

W E

Cum. Oil Production: >50,000,000 BBLS

2009 Production: 389,192 BBLS
Tyler Formation

W E

S
Tyler Formation
Tyler Formation
Tyler Formation
 Partial Tyler
Tyler Formation Kibbey & Charles Formations,
Core Sequence

added to depict the northern Red mudstone

extent of the Tyler Formation

Northern boundary Tyler Absent

Black shale

Nesson Anticline Organic-rich

limestone

Thin coal

Cum. Oil Production: >83,000,000 BBLS

2009 Production: 572,879 BBLS
Tyler Formation

Three wells have produced oil

from the Tyler Formation within
the area of this diagram, which
is north of the area of current/
traditional Tyler production
Mission Canyon Formation
Mission Canyon Formation
Mission Canyon Formation
Mission Canyon Formation
Mission Canyon Formation Mission Canyon
Core Examples

Dolomite

Nesson Anticline

Limestone

Slightly anhydritic
limestone

Cum. Oil Prod.: >900,000,000 BBLS (Madison Group)

2009 Production: >9,700,000 BBLS
Bakken-Three Forks
-Bakken Fm. (light grey)
-Three Forks Fm. (dark grey)
Bakken-Three Forks
-Bakken Fm. (light grey)
-Three Forks Fm. (dark grey)
Bakken-Three Forks
-Bakken Fm. (light grey)
-Three Forks Fm. (dark grey)
Bakken-Three Forks
-Bakken Fm. (light grey)
-Three Forks Fm. (dark grey)
 Bakken-Three Forks Upper Bakken
Black shale
-Bakken Fm. (light grey)
-Three Forks Fm. (dark grey)

Middle Bakken
Sandy carbonate
Nesson Anticline

Bakken Limit
-Depositional Boundary Lower Bakken
Black shale
Parshall Field

Three Forks
Dolomite

Cum. Oil Production: >120,000,000 BBLS

2009 Oil Production: 49,481,620 BBLS
Prairie Formation
Prairie Formation
Prairie Formation

Thickens & shallows

towards the north

South North
Prairie Formation

Prairie Evaporite
Potash
Nesson Anticline

~50 Billion Tons of Potash in

northwestern North Dakota
Red River Formation
Red River Formation
Red River Formation Red River Rock-
Type Examples
Brownish-grey
dolomite

Nesson Anticline

Grayish-brown
dolomite

Slightly
fossiliferous
limestone

Cum. Oil Production: >215,000,000 BBLS

2009 Oil Production: 14,054,604 BBLS
Precambrian Basement
Precambrian Basement
 Precambrian Basement Precambrian
Rock-Types

Chlorite
schist/gneiss

Newporte Impact Structure

Nesson Anticline Antelope Anticline Mafic granulite

N
Little Knife Anticline
W E Andesitic gneiss
& Billings Nose
S
More than 8,000 Oil & Gas
wells have been drilled in
northwestern North Dakota,
but only 27 wells have
penetrated the Precambrian
basement, making it the least
understood geologic group of
in the Williston Basin.
Map view of Precambrian
Well Locations
The Precambrian surface in
this diagram was generated by
combining the 27 Precambrian
well penetrations with the
structure contour surface of
the Red River Formation.
N

W E

S
Horizontal Wells

Stanley
Williston
Minot

New Town

Killdeer

Dickinson
Bismarck
 North
Horizontal Wells
~135 miles

Stanley

~135 miles
Williston
West East
New Town

Killdeer

South
 North
Horizontal Wells

Stanley
Williston
West East
New Town

Killdeer

South
Horizontal Wells

Stanley
Williston

New Town

West East
Killdeer
Horizontal Wells
Williston Stanley
New Town

Killdeer

West East
Horizontal Wells New Town
Williston Killdeer
Stanley

West East
 Horizontal Wells

The remainder of this document

will focus on showing horizontal Fresh water zone
wells drilled into the Bakken-
Three Forks system.

An interval consisting of the

Kibbey & Charles Formations has
been added, which is colored
dark grey for imaging purposes. Kibbey & Charles Fms.

Bakken-Three Forks Fms.

Precambrian basement

West East
Horizontal Wells
50:1 Vertical Exaggeration
Fresh water zone

Bakken/Three Forks
horizontal wells

Kibbey & Charles Fms.

Bakken-Three Forks Fms.

Precambrian basement

West East
Horizontal Wells
30:1 Vertical Exaggeration

West East
Horizontal Wells
5:1 Vertical Exaggeration

West East

Point of reference
Horizontal Wells

Southwest Northeast

Point of reference
Horizontal Wells

South North

Point of reference
Horizontal Wells

South North

Point of reference
Horizontal Wells

Point of reference

South North
Horizontal Wells

Point of reference

South North
Horizontal Wells East

Point of reference

South North

West
Horizontal Wells

South North
Horizontal Wells

N
S

W
Horizontal Wells
-Sanish Field

N
S

W
Horizontal Wells
-Parshall Field

N
S

W
 Parshall Field

South North
 Parshall Field

South North
 Parshall Field

South Traditionally, oil & gas wells in the Williston Basin were only drilled North
vertically. Currently, Bakken-Three Forks wells are drilled downwards
~2 miles (vertically) and then up to 2 miles horizontally.
 Parshall Field

South North
 Parshall Field

South North
 Parshall Field

South North
Parshall Field
Parshall Field
Sanish Field
Sanish Field
Sanish Field
Sanish Field