Wednesday, July 25, 2012

When the Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going -- Something Is Happening, and You Don't Know What It Is

When I pulled up today's NDIC daily activity report and I saw twelve new permits with BEXP and KOG at the top of the list, the first thought that flashed across my mind: "when the going gets tough, the tough get going."

There's been a lot of hand-wringing lately over price of oil (now below $90) and the cost of completing a Bakken well. And then we see another day with double-digit new permits led by Bakken stalwarts. (And, giving credit where credit is due), we saw similar examples with WPX, CLR, QEP,  in the last week or so.)

And then I think: something is happening, and I don't know what it is ...

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The Ballad of the Thin Man, Bob Dylan
 
I don't know what it is about Bob Dylan. There are times when I really don't appreciate him, but then, every once in awhile, I hear another Dylan song that reminds me what a great poet he really is/was.  I never paid much attention to "The Ballad of A Thin Man" until I heard the cover by Ben Weaver on a Mojo tribute that I picked up a long, long time ago.

4 comments:

  1. Bruce,

    With the hedges some of these companies have in place, don't they need to keep drilling?

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    1. I don't have a business degree, so I can't comment. Smile.

      The point I was trying to make was that -- well, I guess two points -- first, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. We keep seeing the same names pushing the envelope despite the challenges. I remember selling dictionaries door-to-door in another life: our "leader" told us that folks could always find a reason not to sell and/or not to buy. But the tough press on.

      The second point, we'll see which companies in the Bakken are left standing five years from now. Should be a wild ride.

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  2. They can sell the hedge at a profit. No need to have real oil.

    anon 1

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    1. I've always said it's "all about the business." No matter what business one is in, making widgets, or selling oil, it's all how you manage the business.

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