Top Stories In The Bakken, Week 9: February 28, 2016 -- March 5, 2016; Saturday Morning Ramblings -- Not The Bakken

There were two somewhat related articles -- they both had to do with math and that was about it -- in the WSJ today that caught my eye. Calculus has always fascinated me, mostly because I never understood it while taking the subject in my freshman year in college. The subject has always bothered me and every few years I get back into my calculus phase and read books about it, and re-study Calculus 101.

I've come to the conclusion that calculus is a tool like trigonometry, and that in today's world one needs to know how / why trigonometry / calculus work and what they are good for, but in general, not more than one semester is needed to provide students the basics, except for those planning to devote their lives to theoretical math. I don't know how a refrigerator works and I don't now my MacBook Air works, but as tools they are incredibly nice to have and easy to use.

I finally "get" calculus -- the epiphany occurred some years ago. I can't do much calculus but I "get" it. I understand why it was invented, what it is good for, and why it's indispensable. I never took trig in high school or college; I learned it on my own -- although I learned very little. But I learned enough to get me through calculus 101 in college.

Today, in the WSJ, in the op-ed pages of all things, there is this: calculus is so last century. Training in statistics, linear algebra and algorithmic thinking is more relevant for today’s educated workforce.

Can you remember the last time you did calculus? Unless you are a researcher or engineer, chances are good it was in a high-school or college class you’d rather forget.

For most Americans, solving a calculus problem is not a skill they need to perform well at work.

This is not to say that America’s workforce doesn’t need advanced mathematics—quite the opposite. An extensive 2011 McKinsey Global Institute study found that by 2018 the U.S will face a 1.5 million worker shortfall in analysts and managers who have the mathematical training necessary to deal with analysis of “large data sets,” the bread and butter of the big-data revolution ("quants").

The question is not whether advanced mathematics is needed but rather what kind of advanced mathematics. Calculus is the handmaiden of physics; it was invented by Newton to explain planetary and projectile motion. While its place at the core of math education may have made sense for Cold War adversaries engaged in a missile and space race, Minute-Man and Apollo no longer occupy the same prominent role in national security and continued prosperity that they once did.

The second article was in the "B" section.  Are You Smarter Than a Quant? A "quant" is a quantitative analyst.

The WSJ: posted five (5) questions from the recent MoMath Masters Contest. The 2016 MoMath Masters competition included questions about quadrilaterals, supermodels and Fermat's Sandwich Theorem.  Here's one question:

Let "m" be the smallest integer such that m^2 +7M +89 is divisible by 77. What is M?
a) 8 b) 18 c) 52 d) 73 e) 74.

That gives you an idea of the type of math questions the contest asked.

But this is what caught me eye, this question: who among the following received a scholarship to study Chemical Engineering with Mathematics at Northwestern University:

a) Heidi Klum
b) Kate Moss
c) Brooke Shields
d) Naomi Campbell
e) Cindy Crawford

And with that, I will move on to the Bakken, the top stories of the past week.

Top non-Bakken stories:

I think the top story of the past week was reported Friday with regard to the national jobs numbers/employment numbers, but if I comment on that it will be in a stand-alone post.

It will be interesting to look at murder statistics ten years from now with reports that under the current administration, gun sales are "going through the roof."

Among the oil stories nationally and internationally the top stories include the following: the US hit a new crude oil production record; that US crude oil imports are hitting new records (also here); why this might be occurring; and, how US crude oil imports are affecting Bakken CBR.

Other top energy stories outside the Bakken include: first US overseas ethane exports ready to set sail; US crude oil inventories take a huge jump. On the US economy: Ford posts best February sales in 11 years;

Top Bakken Story
Update on Badlands NGLs, LLC

Operations
CLR with permits for two 6-well pads adjacent to each other in Elm Tree; pad A; pad B  (same link as first link)
A random look at Zavanna's impressive Tomahawk wells in East Fork oil field
Active rigs in North Dakota his post-boom record low: 34
Four reasons why the Bakken scares Saudi Arabia (same link as the one up above)
EOG with ten more permits in one day, for the Hawkeye oil field
A nice Zavanna well with 50 stages

CBR
Update on Bakken CBR to the three coasts 
Rolling storage in the Bakken 

Bakken 101
Cushing is the center of the oil universe

Bakken economy
North Dakota among top ten states with percent of population receiving unemployment benefits  

Commentary
Top commentary of the week, over at Carpe Diem
Saudi Arabia: a failing kingdom; Saudis' sad situation (Business Insider)
Once the price of oil starts moving, it will move quickly 
The death of the Sioux, once and for all
A reader's succinct summary on state of the global oil glut
For US shale, $40 is the new $70

DUCs
Some strange things going on in the Bakken: some DUCs aren't DUCs very long 

Miscellaneous
Aubrey McClendon dies
 
Geico Rock Award
Marco Rubio needs to be added to list of 2016 nominees