[jyl]

The Bakken formation gets mentioned in lots of websites. I've done some reading on it. What is often not mentioned is that the oil there is very difficult to recover. I don't recall the details but basically it is in thin horizontal layers of rock that is not very porous. Formations vary widely in how much of the oil can actually be recovered, in the best ones it is 50% but in many cases it is just a few percent. Apparently in the Bakken formation they have to drill down, then turn and drill horizontally at just the right depth, then inject fluid under pressure to fracture the rock, in order to get enough oil to flow. Wells have been drilled in Bakken with limited results. Still, the formation is being explored, maybe it will amount to something.