Saturday, May 26, 2018

North Dakota Crude Oil Production "Will" Set New Record This Summer -- Lynn Helms -- Saturday, May 26, 2018

Lynn Helms: suggests ND will set a new oil production record in June, 2018;
Ka-ching: ND Legacy Fund earnings exceed $1 billion since inception. From Inforum --
  • total net earnings (not deposits): have exceeded $1 billion
  • a $62 million deposit deposit Monday brought the state's Budget Stabilization Fund to about $100 million
  • Monday's deposit to the Budget Stabilization Fund wasn't to occur until July; better than expected oil production and revenue helped the bump
  • average daily oil production from biennium-to-date is 23 percent ahead of forecast, while average oil price per barrel from biennium-to-date is 6 percent ahead of forecast
  • the Legacy Fund has received monthly deposits in excess of $50 million for most months this calendar year—a number not seen since August 2015
  • more from the article:
Kempenich said the earnings milestone was unexpected from the fund's early years, before a new investment strategy for asset allocation in 2013.
"I remember in committees when these were being tossed around, they were hoping that we'd would have $1 billion in principal by 2017 and that we might have earned $100 million in it, and it's quite a bit better than that," he said. "But the oil has done well and the earnings have done a lot better than what we've had."
Bakken talk: major issue in western North Dakota right now -- jobs go begging; workforce not meeting needs

Bakken roads: from Minot west to Williston, and then south to Watford City, it's pretty much a four-lane divided highway -- by any other name, an interstate highway --
  • ... and now ND DOT gathering input on making the highway -- US 85 -- a four-lane divided highway
  • call me crazy but I don't think "they" would be doing this if they thought the Bakken was going to go away
Not naming names: I see there's a new book available for sale in the Bakken --
  •  ... an anti-oil environmentalist inherited Bakken mineral rights; the author used the money to write a book about the "downside" oil; while writing the book and gathering data for the book, the author spent weeks touring the state and interviewing "locals" while driving around in a big SUV
  • no mention by the author whether she will "give back" her mineral rights to the state
  • I know if I was an anti-oil environmentalist I couldn't live with myself if I inherited mineral rights and kept the money
  • but, then again, that's just me
  • disclaimer: I paged through the book; read very little of the book; I may have some "facts" wrong
The Bakken: some quick links while traveling. A huge "thank you" to a reader for sending me the links -- saves me a lot of time.
  • Growth -- US News
    • most of North Dakota's biggest cities get bigger in 2017 
    • Fargo: grew nearly 1.7%
    • Bismarck: grew 0.7%
    • Grand Forks: up 0.4%
    • Minot: population dipped for the second straight year; about a 2% decrease from previous year
    • again, a reminder, this is data for 2017; we may see a change in 2018
    • Dickinson: declined 2.3%
    • Williston: declined 2.7%
    • housing unit growth, ND showed the largest growth since 2010, at 18%
  • Production: CLR's Bakken well returns double in year's time -- fortunately, not hedged -- NGI
    • repeating, for those who missed it: CLR's Bakken production returns double in year's time
  • Water disposal: will continue to be a challenge as the Bakken sets new records -- NGI
  • Economy: North Dakota oil, gas revenue up 25% -- US News 
    • and this is just the beginning
    • much more than expected
    • a report by the Legislature's research arm shows North Dakota's oil and gas revenue is $1.6 billion for the state's current two-year budget cycle that began in July
    • that's $323 million more than initial estimates
  • Wind: new lighting technology required for ND wind farms, not yet approved by FAA -- Bismarck Tribune
    • North Dakota legislators last year directed the Public Service Commission to adopt rules that require light-mitigating technology for wind turbines
    • pending legislation: new night lighting on wind towers must spell out O-I-L

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