Monday Morning Links, Several Nice Wells Coming Off Confidential List, Nothing Spectacular -- August 6, 2012

Permitted for re-entry:

• 16580, CLR, J. H. Skarphol 1-31H, Burke; Stoneview, re-entered the Bakken, 11/12; IP: 544, cum  97K 9/16;

Eleven (11) new permits --

• Operators: Hess (4), Denbury (3), MRO (2), Fidelity, Sinclair
• Fields: Charlson (McKenzie), Blue Buttes (McKenzie), Stanley (Mountrail), Little Knife (Dunn), Bailey (Dunn)

Reporting earnings today: CHK, OAS, VOG. Sneak peek for CHK here.

CHK earnings, a pdf; CHK profit rises on asset sale; from Rigzone: profits soar;
Oasis earnings;

Mike Filloon on:

• KOG: starting to get costs down; 
• EOG: crude-by-rail -- makes the difference; see my note this weekend;

SeekingAlpha: SandRidge -- positive review

Petrobras plunges: breaks 13-year profit streak. I talked about issues with Petrobras some time ago. 

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Wells coming off confidential list today (and from over the weekend)

• 20883, 724, ERF, Hans 20-21H, McGregory Buttes, t4/12; cum 266K 9/16;
• 21020, 286, Hunt, King 2-35-4H 2, Ross, t4/12; cum 234K 9/16;
• 21800, 1,584, Petro-Hunt, Fort Berthold 152-93-9C-10-1H, Four Bears, t11/12; cum 246K 9/16;
• 21856, DRY, Hess, BL-S Ramberg-155-95-0601H-3, Beaver Lodge,
• 21953, 2,790, BEXP, Cvancara 20-17 2TFH, Alger, t9/12; cum 194K 9/16;
• 22021, 1,135, BEXP, Bill 14-23 2TFH, Alexander, t8/12; cum 103K 9/16;
• 22051, dry, Ballard, Backes 23-4, Wildcat, a Madison well; Renville County
• 22100, AB/1,317, Oasis, Achilles 5301 41-12B, Baker, t2/12; cum 185K 12/14;
• 21573, 1,461, MRO, Weninger Cox 44-34TFH, Reunion Bay, t4/12; cum 215K 9/16;
• 21585, 1,210, CLR, Roadrunner 2-15H, Murphy Creek, t7/12; cum 223K 9/16;
• 22242, 2,072, Zenergy, Martin 9-4H, Rosebud, t5/12; cum 159K 9/16;
• 21584, 1,081, CLR, Clover 3-10H, Murphy Creek, t7/12; cum 260K 9/16;
• 21676, 140, Slawson, Ann Nelson Federal 1-31-30H, Ross, t4/12; cum 145K 9/16;
• 21741, 558, Hess, GO-State 157-97-2116H-1, Ray, t6/12; cum 114K 9/16;
• 22043, 332, Hess, MC-Steckler-143-94-0805H-1, t4/12; cum 103K 9/16;
• 22075, 492, CLR, Lieland 1-10H, Viking, t5/12; cum 138K 91/6;
• 22131, 502, WXP, Dakota-3 E&P Company, Van Hook, t10/12; cum 220K 9/16;
• 22231, 751, SM Energy, Torgeson 2-30HNA, West Ambrose, t5/12; cum 204K 9/16;

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Energy links at Independent Stock Analysis
RBN Energy: Value-Rich NGLs, Pricing, Ethane, Part III

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Notes to the Granddaughters

Last night, the granddaughters and I stayed up late watching Curiosity, the Mars rover, land safely on ... drum roll ... Mars.

They turned 6 years old and 9 years old in early July.

They were mesmerized to see the streaming video coming over my very ancient early version, white, Apple MacBook (the model was first released May 16, 2006. It's hard to believe this 6-year-old laptop does all that it does. It reminds me of another workhorse, the C-130. But again, I digress.). I have to say, the landing was very, very exciting. I think everyone, including the NASA engineers, were completely surprised that after eight months traveling through space, not only did it have a perfect landing, the rover immediately started sending back still photos. Wow, were the girls excited to see those fuzzy gray (grey?) photos of Mars. I'm not sure the 6-year-old knew "what" she was looking at, but she knew it was historic, and important, and something to talk about today.

But while watching, it was impossible to compare the Martian landing last night with the first lunar landing in 1969, the year I graduated from high school. I think Peggy Noonan could write a very, very nice article looking back on the changes baby boomers have seen between 1969 and 2009.

Over the weekend I posted a story about North Dakota's oil tax receipts for calendar year 2011: $1.7 billion. I was going to post a note, asking what $1.7 billion would buy in 2012. Here's the answer: NASA's Mars program.

NASA just released its presidential budget request for 2013 and, as expected, the space agency’s planetary science program takes a big hit. The budget document (summary pdf) is merely the first volley in an often drawn-out exchange between the White House and Congress, but still sets the general direction for the space program. Although the Obama administration’s proposal would slice less than 1 percent from NASA’s current budget, it proposes some major shifts of funds within the agency.

The planetary science program, which received $1.5 billion for 2012, would take a 20 percent cut. NASA would still fly the Mars MAVEN atmospheric mission in 2013 but would back away from two joint missions with the European Space Agency:

NASA is terminating further activity on the formulation activity for the NASA/ ESA ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter 2016 (EMTGO) mission and planning for the previous NASA/ESA Mars 2018 mission concept.

The latter mission would have included the first direct search for life on Mars since the Viking landers of the 1970s. With NASA bailing out, ESA is now casting around for another partner.

There are a lot of articles written about the decline of American education. Many of the articles note the paucity of engineering students, and challenges with science and math programs. It appears "we" have nothing to worry about. It appears the US will need fewer engineers going forward. At least in rocket science. But I digress.

The granddaughters were enthralled. But the most interesting observation: they carried the laptop around from room to room watching the streaming. It did not seem "magic" to them; they've grown up with wi-fi, streaming, no wires, and longer-life batteries that can be charged while they are sleeping. Their children, I assume, if they are still using batteries, will see batteries charged with "near-field charging," not requiring any cables to even charge electronic devices.

So, we'll see.