Off Confidential; Baytex Some of Their Best Wells Ever; XTO With a Very Nice Well

Wells coming off confidential list on Wednesday:

• 21526, 854, Hess, BW-Erler 149-99-1522H-1, Cherry Creek, t9/12; cum 32K 9/12;
• 21910, 842, Baytex, Lokken 1-12-161-98H 1BP, Whiteaker, t5/12; cum 42K 9/12;
• 21911, 436, Baytex, Lokken 36-25-162-98H 1XB, Whiteaker, t5/12; cum 35K 9/12;
• 21948, 56, Baytex, Bentson 25-36-161-98H 1AP, Moraine, t5/12; cum 12K 9/12;
• 22124, 342, Baytex, Bentson 24-13-161-98H 1XB, Whiteaker, t5/12; cum 22K 9/12;
• 22681, 2,298, XTO, Roxy 21X-6B, West Capa, t8/12; cum 37K 9/12;
• 22811, 457, CLR, Sefolosha 1-14H, Epping, t7/12; cum 36K 9/12;

For the Hess well, "BW" = Buffalo Wallow, central McKenzie County.

XTO's Roxy well:

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
BAKKEN	9-2012	30	12486	12396	2750	15551	374	15177
BAKKEN	8-2012	30	24988	24825	13655	30354	4146	26150
BAKKEN	7-2012	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Twelve (12) New Permits; Zavanna Has a Huge Well

Bakken Operations

Active Rigs: 191 (steady, at high end)

Twelve (12) new permits

• Operators: Hess (4), BEXP (4), Oasis (2), KOG (2),
• Fields: Truax (Williams), Blue Buttes (McKenzie), Banks (McKenzie), Alger (Mountrail)
• Comments: No Newfield or OXY USA permits

Wells that came off the confidential list were reported earlier; see sidebar at the right.

Two producing wells completed:

• 20085, 825, Zavanna, Nelson 3-10 1H, Long Creek, t8/12; cum 38K 9/12;
• 22011, 212, Petro-Hunt, Wold 160-94-32A-5-3H, North Tioga; t11/12; cum --

This is kind of nice to see.

Zavanna's Nelson well:

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
BAKKEN	9-2012	30	22106	22113	10812	29938	2058	27880
BAKKEN	8-2012	12	15835	14642	22295	16927	0	16927

Coolest Link of The Week -- Yes, It's a Bakken Link

Link here to a BNSF PDF sent in by a reader. Again, it's a PDF link so it may take a few moments to download.

No comments necessary, but please take the time to look at it if you are at all interested in the Bakken.

Europe Is No Longer Worried About Global Warming: Switching To Coal In Lieu Of Natural Gas

This is a most interesting article. Industry leaders are focused on investment opportunities, in this case, coal vs natural gas. But the Oil and Gas Journal editors missed the bigger story; perhaps they will reference it in an editorial.

Faux environmentalists in the US are focused on global warming, and missing these stories, like the one linked above. This is from Europe; the article suggests it is not as bad in Asia, but my hunch is that it is still an issue --> a switch to cheap coal.

This is a hard article to read; I doubt faux environmentalists will get through to the end of the article.

Expensive, oil-indexed-priced natural gas in Europe is struggling to compete with plentiful coal and subsidized renewables.
....  Europe in 2011 was alone among the world’s gas-market regions in seeing a decline in natural gas demand. .... in fact it was lower than in 2009, the year following the start of the global financial crisis.

That drop in 2011 was due not only to milder winter weather but also to high commodity prices and lower regional gross domestic product. Removing weather from the equation, she called the last 10 years in European gas demand a “lost decade.”

And 2012 is looking no better: Natural gas demand for the first 7 months of 2012 fell by 3%. Since 2011, she said, high-priced gas can no longer compete with coal, especially increased cheap supplies from the US. Those supplies in turn are being driven out by record-low US gas prices.

Wow, in Europe, "high-priced gas can no longer compete with coal." I'm not sure what is meant in the last linked paragraph above "... especially increased cheap supplies from the US." What cheap supplies, coal or natural gas? I assume coal.

Regardless, the financial crisis has trumped ideology: Europe is no longer focused on global warming.

The US is going to go it alone. Trying to turn back the global warming clock on its own. 

[Note: this use of "lost decade" is different than my use of "Lost Decade," but that's a different post for a different time. See tag at bottom of blog for "Lost Decade" and "Second Lost Decade."]

Two More Montana Permits Targeting The Heath

Link here to Fairfield Sun Times.

Pretty much for archival purposes only. 

North Dakota Sets New Production; Providing Twelve Percent of Nation's Output

Link here to the Dickinson Press.

North Dakota has set an oil production record for the fifth consecutive year.

.... crude production through September totaled more than 173.9 million barrels. That's up from the record 152.9 million barrels set last year.

....... on pace to surpass 200 million barrels in 2012.

.......crude from western North Dakota's oil patch is fueling refineries across the country.
North Dakota is the nation's No. 2 oil producer, behind Texas.

......North Dakota accounts for about 12 percent of total U.S. crude production. That's up from 1 percent less than five years ago.

That last bullet is incredible. Twelve percent is not trivial. 

Hofmeister Interview: How EPA Could Affect Oil and Gas Industry -- Hofmeister

At the link, scroll to the bottom to see the interview with Mr Hofmeister and how the EPA could affect the oil and gas industry with regard to fracking rules and regulations.

Wells Coming Off Confidential List This Long Weekend Posted

Link here.

Also, energy links and links from today's WSJ -- the nation's newspaper, based on circulation -- is also posted.

Weather in Boston: overcast now; rain threatening; earlier with short-lived torrential downpour; I had just biked to newly renovated Starbucks; I do not notice much new at the "newly renovated" Starbucks. They have Christmas decorations up (and they are "CHRISTMAS" decorations as opposed  to "holiday decorations" though it's probably in the eye of the beholder). It appears all the heavy wood chairs were replaced with lighter wood chairs, much easier to move around. Again, I am impressed with Starbucks folks always looking at their operation from the customers points of view. The chairs were a very, very minor irritation -- they were so heavy -- but to spend the money to bring in new chairs speaks volumes. It appears the tables are still the same. At my table where six (or eight, if everyone squeezed together) can sit, there are four folks. Two have the MacBook Pro; one has the MacBook Air; and one has an Apple iPad. Just saying. There are some non-Apple computers being used.

Random photo of the oil patch in the Bakken, taken by a reader, in October, 2012. 

The Long-Running Mini-Series on the Keystone XL Comes To An End On MDW; Replaced By The "Shirtless FBI Agent" Story

Updates

March 3, 2015: Petraeus pleads guilty to one count; maximum penalty: one year in jail. Like that will happen. 

January 21, 2013: this will take Lance out of the headlines (he came "sort of clean" on Oprah last week, but not really) -- Petraeus socialite friend Jill Kelley speaks on current events. 

November 29, 2012: using well-chosen words correctly, Petraeus admits he "screwed up royally." He says that "Team Petraeus" (wife and husband) to remain married.

November 20, 2012: now we know. It was Obama's political appointee James Clapper, Director, National Intelligence, who removed the CIA talking points before handing it to Susan Rice to deliver at the UN and all morning talk shows. The link is to a CBS site that broke the story.

November 16, 2012: Paula Broadwell, voted most likely to be remembered, high school yearbook. 

November 16, 2012: the "Tampa Kardashians" had dinner in White House three times in past three months; guest of White House aide. Friends in high places, I guess. 

November 16, 2012: new word to enter the lexicon: criminopolitico -- former CIA head admits it fit talking points to jibe with president's dismissal of the war on terror.  "Criminopolitico: crimes committed for political propaganda. MDW is not the first to use this word, I see; google it.

November 15, 2012: how prescient. I had Kim Kardashian for the Natalie role in the upcoming movie; it turns out that her sister, Jill Kelley, was known as "Tampa Kardashian."

November 15, 2012: the shirtless FBI agent is now identified as Frederick Humphries II.

November 14, 2012: Obama's worst nightmare -- the Mideast is about ready to explode. Petraeus is out; Leon Panetta is in Australia; Hillary is in Australia; Nancy Pelosi is not going anywhere.  Thomas Friedman in the NY Times.

November 14, 2012: both Panetta and Hillary are in Australia; Hillary was there first, saying she does not have time to report to the House on Libya; now Panetta joins here, no doubt having the time of his life, reading this soap opera like the rest of us.


Later, 6:28 pm: I'm sure it's just one of those things, but how often does a North Carolina resident lose one's driver's license in a DC park? Yes, Paula Broadwell lost her driver's license in a DC park ..... but it's been found. Most likely, simply dropped while jogging.

Later, 12:21 pm: not to be lost in all of this, there is more.

Lockheed Martin Corp. has ousted its president and future CEO over a relationship with a subordinate.

The defense company said Friday that its board of directors asked for and received the resignation of Christopher Kubasik from his role as vice chairman, president and chief operating officer.

Kubasik, 51, was scheduled to become CEO in January.

Where is Shakespeare, now, when we need him? Much ado about nothing. But fascinating nonetheless.

Later, 10:54 am: this is clearly going to be the story of 2012, overshadowing the presidential election which was a foregone conclusion (first clue: not one secretary or high-ranking official departed the administration this past summer with the excuse of spending more time with his/her family).  Drudge calls it a "Four-Star Circus" and rightly so. My hunch is that the military elite in Tampa, FL, are busy trying to distance themselves from some fancy parties where liquor flowed and photographs were taken. First American ambassador in 33 years killed, in Libya no less, that can trace terrorism back to Lockerbie; CIA fails to respond; POTUS ignores; sex; women scorned; lovers married to physicians; DOD, CIA, FBI, SEX, POTUS, E-MAIL, FLORIDA; this story, as they say, has legs, and with the election over, not much to compete with it. Need I say more? Some are even suggesting that the nation's very survival hangs in the balance because of the Petraeus debacle. Americans cannot blame Congress or the president when we go over the fiscal cliff. It's all Petraeus' fault. Wow. As noted above: this is clearly going to be the story of 2012 ... and 2013.

Original Post

FBI agent in Petraeus case under scrutiny. This is the scorecard so far.

• FBI agent #1, Frederick Humphries II, the FBI agent who started the case against Petraeus had an e-mail relationship with Jill Kelley, woman #2; he sent her photographs of him shirtless
• Jill Kelley, woman #2, aka "Tampa Kardashian," is an unpaid social liaison director at Florida headquarters for Central Command; Jill Kelley had e-mail relationship with general #2, the current commander in Afghanistan; specializes in hosting parties for the military elite at her million-dollar mansion; "honorary consul" for South Korea;
• general #2 is General John Allen, the current commander in Afghanistan and nominated for new command, US European Command; that nomination has now been put on hold
• general #1, General David Petraeus, now a civilian, Director of the CIA, who has said the relationship began after he retired, is said to be shocked by e-mails sent by woman #1 to woman #2
• woman #1, Paula Broadhouse, valedictorian, Bismarck (North Dakota) Century High School, is said to have had an affair with general #1. Lieutenant Colonel in US Army Reserve;
• woman #3, Natalie Khawam, is the twin sister of woman #2; health care attorney; described by a judge in a child custody battle as mentally unstable; visitation rights with her child were restricted;
• doctor #2, a surgeon married to woman #2; specializes in curing esophageal cancer with minimally invasive cancer;
• doctor #1, a radiologist married to woman #1
• Senator #1: John Kerry now linked to story; 
• US Ambassador Susan Rice: accused of misleading Congress on Benghazi

Everybody Knows, Leonard Cohen  

Movie rumors:

• President Obama: Denzel Washington
• Vice-president Biden: Will Ferrell
• Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: Meryl Streep
• Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta: Leonard Nimoy*
• General Petraeus: Jack Nicholson
• Director of the FBI: Daniel Craig
• Frederick Humphries II, shirtless FBI agent: Tom Cruise
• General Allen: Val Kilmer
• Paula: Madonna or Lady GaGa
• Jill: Madonna or Lady GaGa
• Natalie: Kim Kardashian 
• Senator John Kerry: himself 
• US Ambassador Susan Rice: Susan Sarandon
• Surgeon: Dr House
• Radiologist: Michael J. Fox
• Director: Alan Alda
• Producer: Oliver Stone
• Musical score: Leonard Cohen

*This may be giving Leon Panetta too much gravitas; to Leonard Nimoy's Titan; Leon Panetta is a plebe.

Closing credits:

You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet, Bachman Turner Overdrive
Bits and pieces:

• from a comment sent in by a Willistonite to a British tabloid:

To paraphrase Vonnegut, it's scary to wake up one day and realize your government is run by a bunch of high schoolers!

- sunbury grl, Williston, United States, 13/11/2012 10:46

•  Senator John Kerry, the next SecDef, is dragged into this:

And in court documents filed by Kelley's sister Natalie Khawam, she name-drops both Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island -- who both have ties to a Providence, RI, lawyer/lobbyist who loaned a whopping $300,000 to Khawam.

Tuesday Morning Links

Wells coming off confidential list today will be updated on a stand-alone post below as soon as they become available -- most are now posted.

GE, CLNE, and liquefied natural gas at Reuters:

General Electric Co reached a deal to sell equipment to Clean Energy Fuels Corp, which is building out a series of liquefied natural gas fueling stations for U.S. truckers.

GE -- the largest U.S. conglomerate -- sees liquefied natural gas equipment as becoming a $1 billion market over the next five years, said Mike Hosford, general manager of unconventional resources for GE Oil & Gas.

Clean Energy, which counts T. Boone Pickens as its largest investor, agreed to buy two GE-made MicroLNG plants to provide liquefied natural gas for a network of 70 natural gas fueling stations it is opening at truck stops along U.S. interstate highways this year, the company said in a statement released on Tuesday.

These are the micro-LNG systems that GE sold to CLNE. (Thank you to Don.)

Economic development, Dickinson: Idaho-based Quality Electric Distribution opened in Dickinson this past May and is now getting ready for its first North Dakota winter.  Link at Dickinson Press.

At WSJ, US redraws world oil map.  Front page. Top story.

Page A3 (we've talked about this page before): demise of the dairy industry in California; the photo shows starved cattle; where it PETA?

RBN Energy: Another pipeline reversal, the Ho-Ho, and how it will affect the Bakken.

At the WSJ, headline/teaser at front page, section D, story at D6: NASCAR's leaky fuel tank. Huge photos note that JJ is 20 points behind, K+9 is favored to win the championship.

"Number 2" man at Microsoft is out. Steven Sinofsky leaving MSFT raises questions about success of Windows 8, one of the first operating systems in the modern era of computing that requires training.

And then this (how did I miss this story that's been going on for the past year), again from the WSJ: hostess shuts three plants and may simply liquidate. Fed up with labor groups. There go the deep-fried Twinkies. [Update, November 15, 2012: CEO gives striking union an ultimatum -- return to work by COB today or the company will liquidate. One would think health-conscious Michelle Obama and Mayor Bloomberg would be thrilled.]

Sex, Lies and Gmail.

Earth to GOP: get a grip. Conservatives should demand IQ tests of Republican candidates.

And though I have my anxieties about the president's next term, I also have a hunch the GOP dodged a bullet with Mr. Romney's loss.

It dodged a bullet because a Romney victory would have obscured deeper trends in American politics the GOP must take into account. A Romney administration would also have been politically cautious and ideologically defensive in a way that rarely serves the party well.

Finally, the GOP dodged ownership of the second great recession, which will inevitably hit when the Federal Reserve can no longer float the economy in pools of free money. When that happens, Barack Obama won't have George W. Bush to kick around.

My sentiments exactly, about Romney and dodging a bullet. More importantly, it appears that Romney has become the new Bush (folks who used to blame Bush for everything "bad," now point to Romney as the face of the new GOP. In fact, Romney will fade away faster than sand along a rising ocean level.

Book review, novelistic intelligence -- Sweet Tooth, Ian McEwan. I generally don't read spy novels, but I love the review, and particularly the first couple of paragraphs:

There are enough precedents to suggest a synergy between espionage and fiction writing. W. Somerset Maugham worked for British intelligence during World War I. Graham Greene did the same during World War II, serving under the traitor Kim Philby. John le Carré was a career officer of MI6, Great Britain's foreign intelligence service, and his novels show that the writer and the agent possess not only an aptitude for lying but the endurance to sit alone at a desk for imponderably long stretches.

Ian McEwan has never been a spy (or, if he has, that fact remains classified), but of today's novelists he may be the most uniquely suited to the profession. He has a scientific, technical mind drawn to structural ploys and complicated scene engineering. The hot-air balloon accident that begins "Enduring Love" (1997) reads like a simulation of a physics problem. "Amsterdam" (1998) rigs things so that two characters simultaneously poison each other. Even his dazzling 2001 novel "Atonement," which joins the pleasures of a drawing-room miniature with an expansive war drama, concludes with a brazen stroke of narrative legerdemain. Mr. McEwan likes manipulating readers as much as plots.

In light of the Petraeus affair, everyone should read the 3-volume biography of Graham Greene. Fascinating.