Oil activity to increase
By STU MERRY
Forty additional oil wells are being planned in extreme northwest McLean County. The number will nearly double the amount of wells in the county. Presently, there are 58 oil sites. Of those, as of May, 49 are producing wells.
At their Tuesday meeting, county commissioners reviewed a letter from KLJ Engineering, telling what is planned. The proposed 40 wells would be placed on three pads.
The letter from KLJ is on behalf of Spotted Hawk Development, LLC, McLean, Va. KLJ officials are conducting an environmental assessment of the site area.
The multi-well pads and facilities pad would be in Sections 30 and 31, Township 150 North, Range 90 West a stone’s throw from Lake Sakakawea.
The letter goes on to say that the pads and facilities have been positioned to utilize existing roadways. Spotted Hawk plans to use a closed loop system during the drilling process. All construction is scheduled to begin in 2015.
Included in the infrastructure are communications towers, electrical, lights, and oil, gas or water gathering pipelines.
