Another Diesel Topping Refinery Proposed For Southwestern North Dakota -- December 29, 2015

The Dickinson Press is reporting that California-based Meridian Energy Group, Inc., plans to build a new refinery west of Belfield, in southwestern North Dakota:

The Davis Refinery, if built, would be the nation’s second greenfield refinery constructed in the county — and the United States — since 1976 following the opening of the Dakota Prairie Refinery outside of Dickinson, which began operating in April after a March 2013 groundbreaking.

According to an article released Wednesday by the Oil & Gas Journal, the Davis Refinery would begin with a 20,000 barrel a day processing plant and eventually convert around 55,000 barrels per stream day into refined products. By comparison, Dakota Prairie Refining refines an estimated 20,000 barrels a day into diesel fuel, naphtha and other products.  

This link will take you to the Meridian Energy press release earlier this year. At the link there are two nice graphics.

What the area looks like today (clicking on the image will enlarge it):

By the way, if regulators approve the deal, Tesoro will be owners of the Fryburg CBR terminal. If that link is broken, you can read about the details here.

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Oil Prices Trend Higher With Prospect Of Exporting US Crude Oil

The Wall Street Journal is reporting:

Crude prices were up Tuesday with the U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate moving higher than its global counterpart Brent because of the prospect of the first shipment of crude being exported from the Gulf Coast in January.

Brent was up 0.38% at $36.76 a barrel on London’s ICE Futures Europe while WTI jumped 0.41% at $36.96 for February deliveries.

Switzerland is expected to be the first destination for a shipment of U.S. crude oil from the Eagle Ford shale oil formation in Texas. Geneva-based oil trader Vitol is the customer for the cargo, and the swift resumption of U.S. oil exports after the lifting of a 40-year ban is the reason for WTI’s recent rally.

Brent is still skirting close to 11-year lows with several bearish factors weighing heavily on the benchmark.

Regular readers are aware of the Vitol story.

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And The Kennedy Clan Is Off To New Mexico

Updates

December 30, 2015: New Mexico begins to dig out of record snowfall.

Crews worked to clear snow-covered roads Tuesday after a record winter storm trapped a New Mexico couple in a 12-foot snow drift for almost 20 hours, forced four newspapers to suspend publication and prompted authorities to deliver a baby in a snowbound Texas home.

The cleanup continued throughout southeastern New Mexico two days after the region saw more than a foot of snow.

 Global warming in action.

Original Post

 

According to IceAgeNow:

Parts of Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico could expect 8-20 inches (20-50 cm) of snow.

Snow and ice brought whiteout conditions in New Mexico, where the “dire situation” prompted Gov. Susana Martinez to declare a state of emergency.

Roswell, NM, picked up 12.4 inches (31 cm) of snow on Sunday, it’s snowiest day ever recorded.

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Boy Scout Motto: Be Prepared

New Year's Eve is less than five martinis away, for those who drink a daily martini. I had never had a martini in my life until 2011 or thereabouts. I forget the exact date. But I do remember the location. The Mews in Provincetown, tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Or was it Bayside Betsy's? It was one or the other. No, it was Bayside Betsy's.

Since then I might have a martini perhaps once every two months when we go out for sushi at Kabeya, Southlake, TX. I would have to say the martini is the perfect drink with sushi -- excepting sake perhaps at Cow Town Sushi, also in Southlake. [I watched Lost In Translation for the 100th time last night and was reminded that scotch and sushi are perhaps a perfect match when having sushi at home. I never order scotch at a restaurant.]

It is amazing that so much can be written about something so incredibly simple as a martini. And yet, I've found it difficult to replicate a great martini at home. It is very interesting, but I think I'm starting to sort it out. [There is certainly a snobbish side to martinis with all the inside jargon (as bad as the oil and gas industry) and emphasis on all the "tools" needed to prepare a martini.]

There are three things one needs to remember when making a martini:

• it is a very cold drink, a very cold drink; lots of ice; chilled stem-glass;
• the ratio; and, 
• dilution.

I'm reminded of all this because in today's WSJ there is yet another article on how to perfect your martini. I haven't read it yet, so let's read it together.

Data points:

• the revived interest in martinis stems from the hundreds of new gins that have entered the market
• new pairings; bartenders rushing to try new pairings of gin and vermouth
• the ratio varies from 3.7:1 to 2:1 and even, if you can believe this, 1:1
• the 1:1 suggestion comes from Washington, DC, Columbia Room (soon to re-open) with Plymouth gin and Dolin dry vermouth
• there's a lot of talk about olive juice (the dirty martini) and with olive juice/onion (the dirty Gibson); olives may be classic, but lemon twists are refreshing
• then a paragraph on such craziness I'm not going to go there (oyster shells, and such)
• it ends with the classic: Beefeater and Noilly Prat
• it appears of all the gins, I see Plymouth Gin pop up most often
• I can't believe they included vodka choices
• among the vermouths (fortified wine), Dolin Dry has become a standard; Noilly Prat Extra Dry remains the old standby
• I can't believe they make a big deal out of a lemon twist; takes 30 seconds
• no "teardrop barspoon"? I use a long chopstick
• strainer? I use a sink strainer. Seriously.
• mixing glass? now the article is getting crazy

I never make a martini in the classic V-shaped stem glass. I prefer something similar to a Anchor Hocking (I have no idea where the "thing" I use came from). Many professionals prefer a champagne coupe.

But after all is said and done, it's all about a) lots of ice; b) the ratio; and, c) dilution.

It turns out the third component, dilution, is too-often over-looked. All things being equal, dilution may be the most important factor. Water is the third ingredient of a martini.