Biden ordered a halt to oil and gas permits for federal lands, immediately impacting the industry’s ability to continue work in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A).

See Umiat in the lower right of this plat? Merlin-1 was drilled 10 miles to the Northwest of Umiat....

http://www.north-slope.org/assets/images/uploads/ne_npra_2010_DRAFT_tlv_20100601.jpg

No sir, on land Louisiana, Gulf of Mexico, Indonesia, Malaysia, Italy, Sicily, North Sea, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Nigeria, Cameroon, Angola, Egypt, Saudi Arabia...Drilled and completed Water Wells all over North Louisiana....

ALL DRILLING PERMITS WERE PUT ON HOLD "ALL"

Definitely, but also Bill Armstrong, this is a play he has been wanting to see developed for sometime...but he would buy it cheap from 88 Energy them sell for more to Conoco, from what I see thats the way he does business...can't blame him....

Yes sir they are one world government folks, sadly they know nothing about the world or other countries at all...clueless...oil independence is a VERY wise strategic decision...we were doing very well until the election...

Confirmed commercially viable Oil Saturation in the Two Prospective reservoir Sidewall Core Samples...BOOM...if theres any volume confirmation at all in the reservoir...it's going to be interesting...the last sold similarly was $3 per bbl in the ground....oil was $45 per bbl then...it is $60 now so $4 per bbl if excellent quality condensate 41-44 API $5 per bbl in the ground....

Permit was ready...delayed because a "hold" was put on ALL of them by Biden Executive Order...

Yes sir would be interesting to know what the MRI saw? The Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Tool, would love to see the data from that....

Wished they had ran a Sonic Tool as well and did a little seismic...time consuming, time wasn't on their side...

No sir they can't drill again until Jan 2022 that would be the earliest, they have to make ice roads in December 2021...

The data is what we are all waiting on...

"Delayed 88 Energy started drilling its Merlin 1 exploration well in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska on March 10, but because of delays caused by a Biden executive order, the second Peregrine project well, Harrier 1, is “unlikely” to be drilled this winter, the company said in an operations update."

The main contributing factors to the cost increase are delays associated with the Executive Order regarding the issuance of the Permit to Drill; costs associated with shutdown and re-start whilst clarification was attained regarding the Executive Order; delays associated with cold weather and the subsequent knock on to mobilization costs as a result of expediting activities to meet the operational timetable.

“As part of a standard cost review, 88E’s share of the cost of Merlin 1 has been revised to US$4m (increased from US$1.4m).

https://www.petroleumnews.com/pntruncate/297766191.shtml

They will be able to see the "lay" of the reservoirs, they usually are not flat, they run down dip (downward) or up dip (upward slant)...oil and water will be down dip with oil being on top of the water....they'll be able to pinpoint the highest oil saturated formation easier....

Also the samples that were low in oil saturation...the oil WILL BE down dip from where those samples were taken, they can map the reservoir and then drill into the down dip leg locating the high content oil saturated areas...

https://www.slb.com/resource-library/oilfield-review/defining-series/defining-log-interpretation

Yes sir, they could have used a Straddle Packer set-up as oppose to the Conventional probe and performed the pump-outs and recovered samples in damaged formation or washed out hole, but sometimes even the inflatable packers on the straddle pkr formation tester is unable to seal on bad hole....

I also think the wiper trip with poor mud rheology caused enough formation "skin" damage that it prevented them from getting additional samples...I wasn't there and I don't have the reports to review, but just my educated experienced guess....

They probably did not even have a Straddle Packer Formation tester on location, but it would have been advantageous in this case....

This drilling season is over in Alaska....

The Sidewall Core Sample results and updated well data results will be next two catalyst,I think they will be game changers....for sure...

Much quicker and cheaper that's why Dave Wall mentioned it...but with the Wireline Logging Data and existing Seismic data they can perform a thorough review.

Then a revision to confirm if Merlin-1 Sidetrack is the best option or a "Merlin-2" Well placed in a more optimal location to intercept the reservoirs where oil saturation is excellent in ALL of the reservoirs, this would of course be the dream....

Excellent read thank you....wished Dave had written the Memo like this, he should have called this journalist for help!!!!!

Biden put a hold on ALL drilling permits by executive order...

Drilling Delay cost 88 Energy millions

https://themarketherald.com.au/merlin-delays-bump-up-costs-for-88-energy-asx88e-2021-03-11/

Thank you, it's a challenge to figure some of these things out, but the light is bound to come on sooner or later...

Should have never happen during the drilling season brother, it was a foolish, unwise, unthought out, misinformed, poor knee jerk decision...

https://www.adn.com/business-economy/energy/2021/01/31/president-biden-is-swiftly-reining-in-oil-drilling-to-protect-the-climate-will-the-transition-leave-alaska-behind/

https://www.adn.com/business-economy/energy/2021/01/20/biden-plans-to-block-drilling-in-arctic-refuge-shortly-after-taking-office/

Believe it or not I came through DC on January 15 headed to Saudi Arabia...it looked very quite and somber to me...

I am a USA fan...first and foremost brother, I want to see our country do good, and our Leaders use wisdom, use knowledge, use intellectual strength to make informed decisions...

I really don't care who is President....I want our people to do well as a whole...

Yes sir, BUT

If they revise the Seismic from the review of the Merlin-1 Wireline Logs and get confirmation that a larger oil deposit lies nearby and a more advantageous amd optimal well location or well path is observed in this review and revision, then re-entering Merlin-1 should be put on the "back burner" and the new optimal well location drilled...all options should be "on the table" until the review of all data is complete....

In the search for oil, we must continually look for the best option of obtaining results, I would expect no less from 88 Energy....

Agreed at least use some wisdom when making decisions about our country, I don't care WHO you are Democrat, Republican, Independent...for the sake of the USA use Wisdom, Knowledge, and Intellectual Strength...

Agree with todd, but the oil saturation in the Sidewall Cores will be the bomb...

Took 4 months to get an update on Charlie-1, lets hope it doesn't take that long on Merlin-1...

Wasn't them to be honest Biden cost them the time they required to get the samples, they may have actually had the Tubing Conveyed Logging tools on location, but it takes longer then normal wireline logging, they ran out of season due to Bird Brain Biden, sorry he is bird brain and not very wise at all...he shut down many things that are important to our country just because they were put in place by Trump, AT MINIMUM he could have waited and evaluated what trump had in place then made an informed decision...he didn't he screwed us and 88 Energy...out of millions....

It amounts to formation damage and washed out hole those are the terms we use...

The Logging Tool they are using has a Probe (Hollow Tube) and a Pad (Rubber Seal)

The Probe is inserted into the formation by pressure from the logging tool and then the Pad seals off the wall of the hole around the Probe to keep the Drilling Fluid (Mud) from entering the probe and contaminating the sample, the tool can then recover the ACTUAL formation sample without contamination from the wellbore fluid

IF the wall of the hole is washed, ragged, damaged, grooved, deteriorated, deformed, then the PAD cannot seal off and the Probe will get plugged with Drilling Mud, this is probably why they did not get the sample in all honesty...

See Page 4:
https://www.slb.com/-/media/files/fe/brochure/mdt-br.ashx

It was probably a cost over quality choice...in all honesty

Completely agree I have said all along they made the right call, if they had gotten that rig standing by out there for the season, it would have sunk 88 Energy for sure....Biden already coast them a fortune in delays....

2-4 million complete...2 million should cover it easily with good planning...

Yes, from this statement:

"after communication was established with the reservoir in the deepest zone of interest. Slugging of hydrocarbon and water then occurred, which is often a precursor to hydrocarbon flow from
the reservoir"

The water they observed here was from the mud that they drilled the hole with (Mud Engineering terms:"water loss")...this zone is pure hydrocarbon from all indications here...the mud system they were using was "lacking" and inadequate...it should have had more bridging agents in it even if they had to fly them in by chopper from UMIAT - There are supplies sitting at UMIAT Air Strip

Issues they had from my experience and personal POV:

1) Initially Electrical (Logging Company issue probably the Cable Head)

2) They ran a "Wiper Trip" to wipe the hole and condition the drilling mud prior to running wireline logs again - MOST likely they washed the hole LARGER in the area where the wireline was trying to recover samples, this could be easily determine from the drilling report and mud report

3) The mud was losing water to the formation the whole time they were doing the Wiper Trip, this pushes the oil further away from the wall of the hole making it difficult to recover a sample, it takes MUCH LONGER with a tiny pump inside the tool, and this is when they got stuck from staying on station too long trying to recover a sample....

4) They used an inferior Wireline Logging Company possibly

5) They should have displaced the well to Oil Based Mud after initial logs and Side Wall Cores

6) They should have had contingency to run logs on Drill Pipe

Definitely YES, no questions asked....

No sir, they need to re-enter Merlin-1, sidetrack and displace the sidetrack at least 30 ft away from the original well bore and use a better mud system so they don't wash-out the hole (create and oversized hole due to mud hydraulics washing the formation away)

A nice clean new nominal sized hole with an excellent mud system that will allow evaluation by wire line...

This would require less then a week to achieve.....

I fully understand as an Oil Field hand why David stated it this way, it is something we do out of "over honest thought process", he actually ruined it by tryin to coat it with the challenges they had...

As an Oil Filed Professional I have made this mistake, Dave did, and should have slept on the DRAFT prior to releasing it even if it meant keeping everyone waiting another day and listening to all the whinging...

He should have also had several colleagues read it and then revise it accordingly, I CAN ABSOLUTELY guarantee it would have been edited and presented in a more positive light, with everyones' integrity still intact....

Not defending Dave, I just been in this business long enough to see his mistake, due to my own experience....

We make MILLION Dollar calls in minutes at times, it isn't like on TV where a script is provided....

It's like the old bull and the young bull....

The old bull and the young bull were standing at the top of the hill overlooking a paddock of many gorgeous young heifers. The young bull said, "Let's charge down the hill, knock over that fence and service one of those heifers each". The old bull wisely replied, "Why don't we saunter down the hill, open the gate, take a sip at the water trough and then service ALL of those heifers?"

The lesson to be learned here is that instead of being young, immature and stupid, quickly ruining any shot you have, you should play your game slowly and with much thought. Only by this method will you have your best shot at getting paid. We did and will continue....

Congrats to all those who stayed the course...it was a good day...once those sidewall cores confirm oil saturation, this stock will really gain steam...

Not if you publicly ask for it, some of the data MUST/SHALL/WILL be filed with the state, that data will be available publicly, have gotten logs before this way....

Yes, in Louisiana for sure they have to file them with the State and they are publicly available, but a pain in the ar$e, because you have to go in person to recover a copy....Merlin-1 will take some time to be filed, but I want to see if they actually are required to do that in Alaska....and if the logs are available for general public...

LOL, will do...if I get my hands on anything I will definitely share UNLESS they instruct me not to share it specifically...I.E. it is confidential info...can't see them sharing that with a Saudi Aramco employee anyway...but you never know about "birds of a feather"....

My take exactly...Tony did a great job compiling this...

No idea brother, I'll review it a bit more, I'm MUCH more interested in the logs, cores, and data from Merlin-1...trying to get my hands on it as we speak....

You hit the nail on the head!...glad to help folks, and let me know if there is something specific anyone wants to know about drilling, completion, workover, there is so much to learn doing this job and drilling wells, and that's why I chose it...61 years young and I still love this job, although I have been up all night fighting to get casing to bottom in a horizontal well and then cementing it as well...so a busy, but successful night, I'm sure everyone thought I was at easymoney.com, this job is far from it long hours and challenging conditions to say the least....