Extemely Minor Error At The NDIC Site --

I assume NDIC will fix this typo by the end of the week.

But this will confuse enquiring minds for a day or two. The NDIC "Daily Activity Report Index" has incorrectly identified Monday as December 23rd; Tuesday as December 24th; Wednesday as December 25th; and Thursday, as December 26th. I assume the NDIC will fix these typos by the end of the week.

Nine (9) New Permits -- Williston Basin; KOG With Another Gusher; MRO & DNR With Two Nice Wells

Bakken Operations

Active rigs: 186 (steady)

Nine (9) new permits (Monday, Wednesday) --

• Operators: EOG (4), Oasis, Whiting, Hunt, Fidelity, Emerald
• Fields: Missouri Ridge (Williams), Camel Butte (Golden Valley), Parshall (Mountrail), Frazier (Divide), Sanish (Mountrail), Foreman Butte (McKenzie)
• Comments:This is Emerald's first permit in North Dakota (at least under this name). VOG acquired Emerald earlier this year, and retained the Emerald Oil name and ticker symbol EOX.

Wells coming off confidential list were posted earlier; see sidebar at right.

Wells coming off confidential list tomorrow, Thursday:
20956, 962, BR, Jair 31-28H, Haystack Butte, t10/12; cum 2K 1012;
21608, 1,525, MRO, Henry Charging USA 41-3H, Reunion Bay, t9/12; cum 43K 10/12;
21817, 2.524, KOG/North Plains Energy, Jorgenson 5-14H, Truax, t9/12; cum 40K 10/12;
22712, drl, BEXP, Holm 9-4 4H, Alger,
22828, 84, WPX, Edward Goodbird 9HD, Heart Butte, t8/12; cum25K 10/12;
22862, 1,532, Denbury Onshore, Madson 11-33SWH, Charlson, t10/12; cum 23K 10/12;

Williston To Annex 4,800 Acres North Of Williston

4,800 acres / 640 --> 7.5 sections.

I'm sure the data is out there somewhere, but looking at the NDIC GIS map, the 7.5 sections would most likely be:

• sections 25 - 27/T153N-R101W
• sections 34 - 36/T153N-R101W
• section 6-T154N-R100W
• and section E2 of 1-T154N-R101W

Highway "2&85" pretty much runs up the middle of these sections, with commercial activity already in place along the highway.

Human Interest Story on CNBC Out of the Bakken: Montana Youth Heading to the Oil Patch

Link here to CNBC.

For most high school seniors, a college degree is the surest path to a decent job and a stable future. But here in oil country, some teenagers are choosing the oil fields over universities, forgoing higher education for jobs with salaries that can start at $50,000 a year. 

It is a lucrative but risky decision for any 18-year-old to make, one that could foreclose on his future if the frenzied pace of oil and gas drilling from here to North Dakota to Texas falters and work dries up. But with unemployment at more than 12 percent nationwide for young adults and college tuition soaring, students here on the snow-glazed plains of eastern Montana said they were ready to take their chances. 

"I just figured, the oil field is here and I'd make the money while I could," said Tegan Sivertson, 19, who monitors pipelines for a gas company, sometimes working 15-hour days. "I didn't want to waste the money and go to school when I could make just as much."

A Throwaway Link But The Story Will Get A Lot Of Attention ...

This is a throwaway story, but it will get a lot of attention so will link it now, get it out of the way.

Regular readers know the "back" story to items mentioned in the story.

Fracking searches on "google" are now outpacing searches for "global warming." Hmmm .. as if there's some connection. I assume searches for "Madonna" outpace searches for both.

Results of Wells Coming Off Confidential List Over The Christmas Period Have Been Posted; Photos of the Drovdal Wall; Heart Butte Field Updated; RBN Energy: 2013 Trends in Hydrocarbon

Five days; link here.

KOG has a gusher. Even OXY USA has a couple of nice wells. Zavanna proves that one doesn't need to report a huge IP to have a huge well.

Photos of the well that "blew" last Friday evening, the Drovdal well, have been posted.

Heart Butte oil field is updated, including these QEP producing wells that have now been reported:

• 21405, 1,766, QEP, MHA 4-06-01H-149-92, t2/12; cum 30K 3/12
• 21551, 2,757, QEP, MHA 3-31-25H-150-92, 2,560-acre; t10/12; cum 8K 1/12;
• 21552, 2,351, QEP, MHA 2-31-25H-150-92, 2,560-acre; t10/12; cum 8K 10/12;
• 21553, 2,202, QEP, MHA 4-31-25H-150-92, 2,560-acre; t10/12; cum 8K 10/12;
• 21554, 2,430, QEP, MHA 1-31-30H-150-91, 2,560-acre; t10/12; cum 19K 10/12;
• 21556, 2,376, QEP, MHA 3-31-30H-150-91; 2560-acre, t10/12; cum 8K 10/12;

RBN Energy: 2013 Trends in Hydrocarbon

A Note To the Granddaughters

Winter storm update. More snow for Ohio. This is of interest to me: the granddaughters flew from Boston to Akron, OH, yesterday, and will drive to Lexington, KY later this week. They will be there for a full week. I'm sure they are hoping for lots and lots of snow.

Comments are fun to read:

• Here in central KY, we haven't seen a good snowstorm in over 14 years. Our last snow came in 1998 when we got 19 inches. I haven't seen a single snowfall over 5" at one time, since then. 
• Let it snow, we have been waiting over a year for a good snowstorm in northern Vermont. 
• Your amounts for northeast Ohio are way too low. Everyone elsde including the NWS says 6-12 inches, your map is incorrect. 
• This storm, just after an article saying climate change was causing white Christmas's to go away. 
• They said major snowstorm for Southern New England, Now its a mix or rain. Winter has for sure changed from the 1970s-80s when it snowed and stayed until spring. 
• First time in 80 years we'll have snow on Christmas day in Little Rock.