Thirty-five students from Montana Technological University, led by petroleum engineering professor Todd Hoffman, SPE, participated in a field trip to the Bakken oil field from 7 to 9 March to gain firsthand experience in energy production. The group included students from Hoffman’s intro to petroleum engineering class, along with geological and mechanical engineering students interested in the petroleum industry.
The trip began on 7 March when they arrived in Sidney, Montana. The next morning, they visited a drilling site operated by Kraken Resources in North Dakota, where they learned about horizontal drilling techniques and the mathematical precision required to stay within the target formation.
“They gave a great tour, and explained to us how they are able to horizontally drill the well, and the math needed to make sure to stay in the formation,” Hoffman said.
Later, they toured a hydraulic fracturing operation run by Liberty Energy, where the company paused its operations for nearly an hour to explain key processes such as sand and fluid mixing, pumping, and wireline operations.
On 8 March, the students attended an alumni reception and dinner in Sidney, where they connected with 10 university alumni. The following morning, they visited Continental Resources' shop in Sidney for breakfast before heading into the field to examine various production equipment, including pump jacks, separators, heater treaters, and a newly installed jet pump.
“They took us out to the field to a couple different locations to see production equipment: pump jacks, separators, heater treaters, and a brand new jet pump,” Hoffman said. “Then Continental took us to another drilling rig where we got to watch them run and set 7-in. casing in the well.”
“All in all, it was a great trip,” Hoffman said.