Ten (10) New Permits -- The Williston Basin, North Dakota, USA; Five (5) Producing Wells Completed; OXY USA With A Nice Well; Wells Coming Off Confidential List Wednesday; Arctic Sea Ice Decline For Month Of May Remains "Average"

Active rigs: 189 (steady, on high side)

Ten (10) new permits --

• Operators: Oasis (4), Enerplus (4), Newfield (2)
• Fields: Gros Ventre (Burke), Siverston (McKenzie), Mandaree (Dunn), Moccasin Creek (Dunn)
• Comments: Enerplus seems to be getting a bit more active; nice to see more Newfield permits
  

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

Five (5) producing wells were completed:

• 23305, 1,480, WPX, Blackhawk 1-12HB, Moccasin Creek, t5/13; cum --
• 23720, 318, Samson, Montclair 0112-2TFH, Ambrose, 4 sections; t5/13; cum
• 23741, 1,794, Statoil, Jerome Anderson 15-10 7TFH, Alger, 2 sections; t4/13; cum --
• 24212, 333, SM Energy, Jeglum 3-29HNB, Colgan, t4/13; cum --
• 24705, 828, OXY USA, Stag 1-35-23H-142-96, Russian Creek, t5/13; cum --

Coming off the confidential list Wednesday:

• 23410, 644, Baytex, Burton Olson 21-16-162-98H 1PB, Blooming Prairie, t12/12; cum 62K 4/13;
• 23467, 1,132,Whiting, Buckman 14-9PH, Bell, t12/12; cum 61K 4/13;
• 23468, 1,244,Whiting, Obrigewitch 11-16PH, Bell, t12/12; cum 51K 4/13;
• 23493, drl, CLR, Simmental Federal 4-16H, Elm Tree, no data,
• 23614, 312, CLR, Lester 1-1H, New Home, t2/13; cum 12K 4/13;
• 24017, dry, Armstrong Operating, Zurcher 1, wildcat, a Madison well, 34 miles NNE of Minot, ND
• 24252, 75, Enduro, MRPSU 19-31, Mouse River Park, a Madison well; t2/13; cum 3K 4/13;
• 24409, drl, Hess, BB-Budahn A 150-95-0403H-4, Blue Buttes

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 23410, see above, Baytex, Burton Olson 21-16-162-98H 1PB, Blooming Prairie:

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2013	7464	0
3-2013	10536	0
2-2013	11790	0
1-2013	11578	0
12-2012	20264	0

 23467, see above,Whiting, Buckman 14-9PH, Bell:

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2013	8847	11052
3-2013	8427	8731
2-2013	8389	11466
1-2013	13548	14559
12-2012	21118	18725

23468, see above,Whiting, Obrigewitch 11-16PH, Bell:

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2013	8804	10501
3-2013	7638	7738
2-2013	5305	6145
1-2013	13062	15727
12-2012	16135	25667

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Arctic ice decline for the month of May:

Arctic sea ice extent declined at a near-average rate through May, but overall it remained below average compared to the 1979 to 2000 average. The Arctic Oscillation (AO) varied through the month between modest positive and negative phases. Slack winds over central Alaska allowed cold air to stay in place and made much of the month unusually cold there. The last part of the month saw much higher temperatures.

Sea ice extent in May 2013 averaged 13.10 million square kilometers (5.06 million square miles). This is 500,000 square kilometers (193,000 square miles) below the 1979 to 2000 average for the month. As has been the case for the past several years, ice extent was below average in the Barents Sea on the Atlantic side of the Arctic. Greater than average ice extent prevailed on the Pacific side of the Arctic in the Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk.

Arctic sea ice extent for May, 2013, is 91% of the average for the two decades, 1979 - 2000; and the decline rate is at the near-average rate.

I will sleep better tonight knowing that.