North Dakota has two special rigs drilling in the Bakken Shale not included in the 10 reported in the July count that are exploring the potential for carbon capture and storage (CCS), as well as slurry fracture injections.

ND TNORM

A rig in Center is drilling a well to explore CCS prospects. Another rig in Johnsons Corner is said to be the first in the Bakken specifically drilled for slurry fracture injections.

“There has been slurry fracture injection in Texas and Alaska but never in the Williston Basin,” said Department of Mineral Resources director Lynn Helms. 

Disposing of oilfield waste can be expensive, particularly for technically enhanced radioactive material, aka TNORM. 

The pump slurry well underway has about 20% solid waste, which would be injected into the Broom...