Libya and Hess

Of the American companies affected by the "kinetic military action" in Libya, Hess may be the most affected.

One has to wonder how that will affect a) Hess activities in North Dakota; and, b) first quarter earnings.

This may become a bigger story before long.

A three-month comparison between Hess and EOG (share price appreciation) is very informative. In the past three months, EOG's share price has appreciated 30 percent; Hess' share price has appreciated 10 percent.

Hess wells in the Bakken continue to be mediocre at best, and January, 2011, weather will significantly affect production quotas for some Bakken companies.