Wells Coming Off Confidential List Approaching 175 Per Month

Last year, the number of wells coming off the confidential each month seemed to be about 145. For the past few months, the number of wells coming off the confidential list is now approaching 175 per month.

In November, 2012, we will see a record of 181 wells coming off the confidential list (the previous record was 166, September, 2012). 

On September 20, 2012, there were 1,872 wells on the confidential list.
Less than a month later, October 11, 2012: there are 2,049 wells on the confidential list.

Confidential Wells By Company, Selected

OXY USA has 34 wells on the confidential list.
Newfield has 39 wells on the confidential list.
CLR has 253 wells on the confidential list. 
Whiting has 65 wells on the confidential list.
KOG has 94 wells on the confidential list. 
Oasis has only 38 wells on the confidential list.
Petro-Hunt, LLC, has 142 wells on the confidential list. 

NDIC Dockets

Early this summer, Newfield was fairly active at the NDIC hearing dockets, but OXY USA has had almost no activity even at the hearings in the past few montsh.

Wells Coming Off Confidential List Today; BR, MRO Each With One Nice Well; SM Energy A Good Well Up In Divide County

Total active rigs: 192 (steady; at the high end)

Coming off confidential, Monday, October 15, 2012:

• 21697, 396, Whiting, Redmond Federal 21-28TFH, Fryburg, t4/12; cum 17K 9/12;
• 21742, 2,832, BR, Amanda 41-14MBH, Haystack Butte, t8/12; cum 5K 9/12;
• 22436, drl, CLR, Gale 3-32H, Cedar Coulee,
• 22471, 785, SM Energy, Gulbranson 2-1H, West Ambrose, t7/12; cum 36K 8/12; 
• 20871, 239, Petro-Hunt, Fort Berthold 148-94-9D-04-2H, Eagle Nest, t7/12; cum 21K 9/12;
• 21247, drl, CLR, Strid 2-26H, Lindahl,
• 20627, no IP yet, Whiting, Lindseth 12-12TFH, Sanish, t; cum 34K 9/12; no IP yet;
• 22261, 1,188, Marathon, Landblom 14-26H, Murphy Creek, t712; cum 22K 9/12;

File Under: Thank Goodness For The Internet -- Global Warming Stopped Sixteen (16) Years Ago; Ocean Levels Are Rising At The Rate of 3 Millimeters/Year -- Really?

Updates

February 17, 2013: For archival purposes. Faux environmentalist are worried about the world's oceans rising 3 - 5 mm/year (see below). Putting that 3 - 5 mm/year, look at the tidal range of the Bay of Fundy:

The Bay of Fundy is known for its high tidal range. The quest for world tidal dominance has led to a rivalry between the Minas Basin in the Bay of Fundy and the Leaf Basin in Ungava Bay, over which body of water lays claim to the highest tides in the world, with supporters in each region claiming the record.

The Canadian Hydrographic Service finally declared it a statistical tie, with measurements of a 16.8 metre (55.1 feet) tidal range in Leaf Basin for Ungava Bay and 17 meters (55.8 feet) at Burntcoat Head for the Bay of Fundy.The highest water level ever recorded in the Bay of Fundy system occurred at the head of the Minas Basin on the night of October 4–5, 1869 during a tropical cyclone named the “Saxby Gale”. The water level of 21.6 meters (70.9 feet) resulted from the combination of high winds, abnormally low atmospheric pressure, and a spring tide.

November 3, 2012: For archival purposes:

Hurricane Sandy barely qualified as a Category 1 storm when it made landfall in the New York area. Irene, which landed a year earlier, had been downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it touched the city.

For comparison, the 1821 Norfolk and Long Island hurricane by current metrics when it laid waste to Lower Manhattan. The 1938 New England hurricane was a Category 3 when it flooded parts of the city and battered Long Island. Hurricane Donna in 1960 was considered a strong Category I when it produced an 11-foot storm surge in New York harbor.

I understand that, at most, the ocean's rise along the east coast is measured in tenths of inches, if not hundredths of inches. From wiki:

Sea levels around the world are rising. Current sea-level rise potentially impacts human populations (e.g., those living in coastal regions and on islands and the natural environment (e.g., marine ecosystems). Global average sea level rose at an average rate of around 1.7 ± 0.3 mm per year from 1950 to 2009 and at a satellite-measured average rate of about 3.3 ± 0.4 mm per year from 1993 to 2009.

3 mm/year -- measurable, reproducible, statistically significant? 3 mm/year. A decade --> 3 cm rise -- measurable, reproducible, statistically significant? There are 2.54 cm in an inch, so we are talking about an inch rise in the ocean over the next decade, assuming the models are even correct. Twelve inches in a foot, 11-foot storm surge, .... for archival purposes only. 

Original Post

Not yet printed by US mainstream media.

The world stopped getting warmer almost 16 years ago, according to new data released last week. 

The figures, which have triggered debate among climate scientists, reveal that from the beginning of 1997 until August 2012, there was no discernible rise in aggregate global temperatures. 

This means that the ‘plateau’ or ‘pause’ in global warming has now lasted for about the same time as the previous period when temperatures rose, 1980 to 1996. Before that, temperatures had been stable or declining for about 40 years.

Published by the UK mainstream media. We now know why the Antarctic is growing, I suppose.

Wow! Seattle Seahawks Defeat New England Patriots

And the NFL refs are back!

What a game!

And then, Monday night --- Denver comes back and smashes San Diego. Four interceptions, Philip Rivers ... and not one reference to Brett Favre. 

For Investors Only: One Company "Ruling" the Bakken -- Motley Fool

Link here to Motley Fool.

The link takes you to a "teaser" that is mostly to take you to advertising.

At the link:

Bakken oil has been significantly lower than WTI because of the area's lack of pipelines and infrastructure necessary for transporting. However, EOG Resources is one company that's been ahead of the curve on this issue and is doing very well in the energy space as a result. EOG has its own transportation system set up and can therefore move its own oil to either Cushing, OK, (where the WTI price is) or to St. James, LA. (for LLS pricing). 

Unless it's in the video, which I didn't watch, EOG has something else of its own: its own sand mines in Wisconsin.  

EOG is not the only one moving Bakken oil by rail. Many others are, including BEXP (now, Statoil).

Disclaimer: this is not an investment site.

File Under: Hunting and Fishing, North Dakota -- Salmon Run

Link here to Minot Daily News.

The annual run of salmon is under way in a narrow stream below the Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery.

The powerful fish surge several yards up the strong current, then find a place to rest behind a rock or slight turn in the creek before continuing their swim up stream. The journey completes the life cycle of the Chinook salmon.

They return upstream to lay their eggs, then die after spawning. Some of the fish never make it all the way. Their carcasses sometimes litter the edges of the creek where they become easy food for predators. The stream was constructed by fish hatchery personnel in 2006 and the salmon took to it immediately. The stream leads from the outdoor ponds at the fish hatchery to the Missouri River, a distance of perhaps a half mile.

The link takes you to a great story. 

Random Update of the Bakken: Oil-Price.net

Link to oil-price.net.

This link takes you to an ad-filled site, but for some folks it might be interesting.

Human Interest Story: Land Too Rocky to Farm: Now Huge Gravel Farm

Link to the Dickinson Press.

Dallas Moore doesn’t have oil wells on his ranch, but that doesn’t mean his land isn’t rich.

His property along U.S. Highway 2 just east of Stanley has a 120-acre gravel mine providing materials for road work and construction projects in northwest North Dakota.

Moore’s land has too much gravel to be suitable for farming, but now that rock is a hot commodity.

The mine opened in 2008 to supply material for a North Dakota Department of Transportation project, said Max Schriock, materials engineer and safety director of Aggregate Construction of Minot, which operates the mine.

Go to the link to read how much this gravel is worth. 

Oil-Price Net May Start Posting Bakken Spot at Clearbrook

A reader sent that information via a comment.

Here's the link to Oil-Price.net.

If this is not already linked at my "Data Links" page, I will link it now.

Kaolin-Rich Clay in Dunn County, Stark County -- October 14, 2012

Updates

October 23, 2012: updates on same story; link to Bismarck Tribune. 

Murphy said ideally, the alumina in the clay — a property that yields a light weight and strength to the ceramic product — is in the mid-30s percentile. Instead, the samplings are finding alumina is closer to 20 percent, but Murphy said chemical additives can make up the difference.

Some clay deposits in the two counties have higher alumina content than others and a map will help companies explore and decide, he said.

“These results are lower than our preliminary results, but we still have a number of sites that (alumina) averages in the mid-20 percent. That’s certainly encouraging enough, based on conversations with the industry,” Murphy said.

Original Post

Link here to The Dickinson Press.

Could a certain type of clay prominent in western North Dakota make the hydraulic fracturing process easier for energy companies while simultaneously providing even more of an economic boost to the Oil Patch? 

The foremost geologist in the state thinks both scenarios could become reality. “We’ve estimated that there are 1.7 billion tons of economically mineable kaolin in western North Dakota,” said state geologist Edward Murphy.

“This is something that could potentially be a boon for energy companies and for the state of North Dakota.”

1.7 billion tons x 2,000 lbs/ton --> huge number
huge number / 5 million lbs ceramic per well --> enough clay for 680,000 wells
unknown: how much ceramic does each ton of raw kaolin/clay yield?

By the way, this is the lead story at the on-line Dickinson Press.