Continental Resources, Inc. has completed 10 wells in the Bakken Shale play since the beginning of 2010, as well as additional wells in the North Dakota Lodgepole, Michigan's Trenton/Black River and Anadarko Woodford plays.

The Company previously announced the first quarter 2010 completion of the Hawkinson 1-22H (48% WI) in Dunn County, North Dakota with a one-day initial test production rate of 2,338 Boe (barrels of oil equivalent). In the Montana Bakken, Continental also announced the completion of the Rognas 2-22H (95% WI) in Richland County, with a one-day initial test production of 1,014 Boe. Both wells were announced on February 25, 2010.

Today eight additional Company-operated North Dakota Bakken wells were announced with their one-day test production results:

Clover 1-3H (73% WI) in Dunn Co. - 1,897 Boe; Kummer 1-31H (32% WI) in McKenzie Co. - 1,715 Boe; Bice 2-29H (45% WI) in Dunn Co. - 1,429 Boe; Norman 1-9H (46% WI) in McKenzie Co. - 1,366 Boe; Larson 1-28H (44% WI) in Williams Co. - 1,178 Boe; Milton 1-23H (83% WI) in Divide Co. - 1,026 Boe; Obert 1-13H (41% WI) in Williams Co. - 896 Boe; Arvid 2-34H (46% WI) in Divide Co. - 587 Boe.

The average initial production was 1,345 Boe for all 10 Company-operated wells completed thus far in the first quarter of 2010. These volumes were produced through permanent facilities over a 24-hour period, rather than simply flowing through test equipment and extrapolated.

The Bice 2-29H and Arvid 2-34H were Middle Bakken wells, with their horizontal well bores located above and offset approximately 660 feet from existing Three Forks wells that the Company completed in 2008. The Company is in dual-zone development in its core North Dakota acreage.

"The Bice 1-29H was our first Three Forks well completed in May 2008," said Harold Hamm, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "The Bice 2-29H is particularly important because its initial productivity was so much stronger than the 1-29H, which has been producing now for almost two years. Despite almost 83,000 Boe of production from the lower Three Forks zone, there was no pressure depletion in the Middle Bakken zone with the Bice 2-29H."

In its first 21 days of production, the Bice 2-29H produced a cumulative total of 16,318 Boe, 70 percent more than the Bice 1-29H during its first 21 days of production.

The Obert 1-13H was Continental's first test in the westernmost portion of the North Dakota Bakken and was successfully completed in the Three Forks zone.

"The Three Forks is clearly productive in the western part of the play," Mr. Hamm said. "We've just finished drilling a second well nearby in western Williams County, targeting the Middle Bakken zone, which has been very prolific. The Bakken continues to grow to the west of the Nesson Anticline."

Tags: Continental Resources