Random Note Regarding The Blog

I got two questions today about the blog, suggesting others may also want to know.  Someone asked about where the data sources are for my blog, etc.

This is the unedited reply I sent. This may help new folks to my site.

1. At the sidebar at the right, about 1/3 of the way down is a section called "DATA."  Within this section is "New Wells Reporting" where I post all new wells reporting that day. Some wells have not been completed/not fracked, and they won't report an IP. They will be listed as DRL (for drilling, yet to be completed).

2. Periodically, maybe every three months or so, I go back and update all the DRL wells that have reported IPs, and/or production.

3. The source data is the NDIC website, much of which is free, but to get the production data on a monthly basis requires a $50 annual subscription. Well worth it for anyone serious about the Bakken. At the NDIC website here, go to the sidebar on the left and click on "Basic Services."  Follow the instructions how to fax your information to NDIC, pay the $50 and get the password to production numbers.

4. The GIS map server is free.

5. With regard to WTI and Brent, I have written about it often. At my "Data Links" page I have links for the spot price of various grades of oil. Futures and Commodity links are a little bit down on that page. In my simple mind, Brent oil is oil bought/sold for Europe; WTI oil is oil bought/sold in North America. WTI oil is a hop-skip-jump from the refineries on the Gulf Coast. Bakken oil is a long, long way from the Gulf coast and the transportation costs cut into Bakken oil price. In addition, there is the storage issue at Cushing.