The Hidden Stories of Well Names

Do you ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes in the oil and gas industry? It turns out that beyond the technicalities and complexities of reservoir engineering, there’s a touch of whimsy and creativity hidden in the names of some wells. 

Recently, I was poking around Novi’s Insight Engine oil well name database and I uncovered a few fascinating well names, each with its own unique story. These are just the beginning of what I hope will be a long and entertaining series of blog posts. Join us as we sprinkle some humor into this typically serious world, one well name at a time!

Unique Well Names of Permian Basin

1. Castle Black

Name: CASTLE BLACK 6 1 B2CD FEDERAL CO #001H

API: 3002550866

What do we know?

In the Delaware Basin, Mewbourne Oil’s “CASTLE BLACK 6 1 B2CD FEDERAL CO #001H” stands out not only for its productivity but also for its intriguing name. Drilled in March of this year, it has proven to be a solid Bone Spring well with a peak rate of approximately 1,000 barrels of oil per day in May.

What’s the inspiration behind it?

The well’s name, “Castle Black”, appears to be a nod to the iconic snowy fortification in the popular TV series “Game of Thrones”.
In the show, Castle Black was a critical outpost guarding the northern boundaries of Westeros, and its towering ice wall provided protection against threats from the north. While the New Mexico drilling site may not have a literal ice wall, the well’s name adds a touch of fantasy to the word of oil drilling.

2. US Energy Development Corporation’s Admirable Tribute

Name: [Various – e.g. “Admiral William Halsey, Jr.”, “Chester Nimitz”, “Ernest King”,”Frank Fletcher”]

What do we know?

The US Energy Development Corporation has a unique tradition of naming its well sites after US Navy Admirals. Among them are admirals like William Halsey, Jr., Chester Nimitz, Ernest King, and Frank Fletcher.

What’s the inspiration behind it?

The choice of naming wells after US Navy Admirals might reflect a bold strategy on the part of the operator. Even a prestigiously-named well can have a casing failure, resulting in the “Admiral William Halsey, Jr.” being drug through the mud on an earnings call. The names may not have led these wells to immense productivity, so hopefully, their namesakes are remembered more for their successful individual WW2 contributions than oil production.

3. Animal Kingdom 44

Name: Animal Kingdom 44

What do we know?

Cimarex Energy (and later Coterra) has a whole pad in Delaware called “Animal Kingdom 44” from 2018 (and later in 2022). About 16 wells total, all landed in the Wolfcamp A & B. 

What’s the inspiration behind it?

This is a good example of a development name that’s likely got more meaning than it appears, however the origin stories of these names can tend to be a bit apocryphal.  It’s tempting to speculate that the pad’s name could be connected to a memorable visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park.  Nevertheless, the actual tale behind this quirky name might be a hidden treasure within the minds of one of our witty readers. If you’re the lucky holder of this knowledge, don’t keep us in suspense – enlighten us with your wisdom in the comments!

4. Arkenstone 31

Name: Arkenstone 31

What do we know?

Across the Delaware shire, Occidental brings us a J.R.R. Tolkein reference with “Arkenstone 31”. These 12 wells were spud starting in late 2021 with the last wells being started in July 2022. 

What’s the inspiration behind it?

The Arkenstone was a famous dwarven jewel that was the point of contention between the characters in Tolkein’s book “The Hobbit ”, and was also a major plot point in the film series of the same name released between 2012 and 2014. Occidental or otherwise, I have to imagine there are plenty of other Tolkein-inspired references hiding in the Permian.

5. Black & Tan 27

Name: Black & Tan 27

What do we know?

Apache named a site in the Delaware “Black & Tan 27” pad. These 11 wells were drilled between November 2017 and September 2019.

What’s the inspiration behind it?

“Black & Tan” it’s also the name of a famous beer cocktail made by expertly layering a pale beer over a dark beer. Perhaps someone over at Apache was counting down to 5pm on a Friday when they named the Delaware “Black & Tan 27” pad? But whatever the inspiration,  I sure hope they got that drink.

6. Apollo Creed’s Legacy

Name: Apollo Creed

What do we know?

Finally, some names from the Midland, SM Energy has 3 wells from 2021 named “Apollo Creed”. These were all pretty decent wells from an IP standpoint, between 800 and 500 bopd peak rates.

What’s the inspiration behind it?

As you already may have guessed, SM Energy pays homage to the boxing legend Apollo Creed. Maybe someday we’ll discover some “Rocky Balboa” wells to compare them to?

7. Blaster the Burro

Name: Blaster the Burro

What do we know?

Developed in Midland in 2021, Birch Resources’ pad of wells has been quite the performer, with several reaching peak rates of over 1,000 barrels of oil per day.

What’s the inspiration behind it?

This name appears to pay homage to the Colorado School of Mines’ donkey mascot. Go Orediggers!

8. Cerberus Guards the Underworld

Name: Cerberus

What do we know?

Endeavor Energy has a fairly contemporary development called Cerberus.

What’s the inspiration behind it?

“Cerberus” draws inspiration from Greek mythology. The three-headed dog guarding the entrance to the underworld seems fitting for the Midland region. One can only hope that the Field Operators in Midland are giving Cerberus the appropriate amount of “Good boy”s per day, lest they find their output lacking.

But, do they all have a secret meaning?

Of course there are some wells that aren’t really referencing anything and just appear to have fun, distinctive names like Endeavor’s “Chest Thumper 1-5 unit”, also in Midland. Drilled in late July 2023, no results are in the public data for these yet. 

So, whether you’re a seasoned engineer or simply someone who enjoys a bit of whimsy with your wells, these names remind us that even in the most technical of industries, creativity and a touch of fantasy can find their place. Believe me, it’s much easier to tell someone that you’ve got an unresponsive pressure sensor on “Guy Cowden Unit 2” than it is to say the same thing about “Fee BM 1602”. 

Then again, maybe I just like being a little whimsy with my wells. 

Stay connected with us, and as long as the curiosity remains, we’ll keep uncovering fascinating well names and their captivating stories. Don’t forget to subscribe to our weekly newsletter for the latest updates. And if you happen to know any intriguing well names, please share them with us in the comments below, and we’ll dive deep into their unique stories.

Ben Davis

Ben Davis is a Customer Success Advisor at Novi, where he helps customers to solve business problems using Novi’s analytics platform and integrated public/proprietary data. Ben was a Reservoir Engineer at ExxonMobil prior to graduating to Novi.