The Most Surprising Story Line About This Link ...

... the story is in The Atlantic.

I was surprised. This is a link from CarpeDiem: the case for shale gas in 5 charts. I didn't even bother going to the story initially. For me, it was a "dog-bites-man" story and held no interest for me. But Don sent me the link and I knew if I didn't check it out, I would not sleep all night, wondering what I was missing.

So, I went to the link. I didn't read much of the story -- I was too surprised to see that it was in The Atlantic and not Oil & Gas Journal or Schlumberger Today or Rigzone. 

I find The Atlantic to be "fair and balanced" and the editor uses graphs and statistics better than most mainstream media, but ever since their article questioning whether the Bakken boom has already ended, skews my view of the editors a bit. (I guess I'm a bit sensitive, a bit defensive when it comes to the Bakken). Be that as it may, this is great to see these graphs in this publication. Enjoy.

**********************

A Note To The Granddaughters

I have neither the time nor the energy to write all I wish I could write about a "fun" little book I am reading. Without notes or index, the book is only 208 pages long, an easy read, which can be read in one sitting, if one were so inclined.

I was sent an advance copy back in 2009 -- "an advance reading copy, not for resale" -- but I didn't get around to reading it until now. I read enough of it and paged through it quickly enough back in 2009 to write a review, but I never really sat down to enjoy the book until now.

The book: Perfect Rigor: A Genius + The Mathematical Breakthrough of the Century, by Masha Gessen, c. 2009. I have a soft cover edition, but I see a hard cover edition is still available.

This is the story about a Russian mathematician, Grigory Perelman, who solved a century-old math problem, and by so doing was awarded a million-dollar prize. He refused the prize; at least to date he has refused it, but the offer is still there. By American standards, he might be described as destitute; if that's too hard a word, then certainly below the poverty line. But he does math for math, and not for money.

This book explains why the Russians are so "good" in mathematics. The author Masha Gessen was a product of that environment, but fortunately for her, she emigrated to the United States some years ago; it sounds like it was when she was in her teens/early 20's.

I had trouble not reading the book to completion every time I picked it up, but when I get a really good book, I like to slow down, read only a few pages, and then giving it a rest, to think about it, before picking it up again the next day. But about page 150, after the "proof emerges," I started to lose interest -- the story had been told; it now seemed anticlimactic. How was the author going to fill out the last 50 pages --

-- and then, page 174, as if a dam burst -- the excitement overflowed again -- unexpectedly the author went a completely different direction and all of a sudden the book is even more exciting than I could have imagined. Yes, it's a nerdy, geeky, science, medical book but for folks interested in that kind of thing, wow, it's worth reading.

One of the things that makes the book so "fun": the author has walked in Perelman's shoes to some extent, as a Russian mathematician. Her writing does not seem all that polished which is one of the reasons that makes the book so enjoyable delightful (I thought of the book, Everything Is Illuminated, by Jonathan Sofran Foer, and the subsequent movie starring Elijah Wood). 

But surprisingly (?) Ms Gessen has written for Slate, the New Republic, Vanity Fair, and The New York Times.

Our older granddaughter was in a math club led by a Russian mathematician when they lived in Boston. Things now make a lot more sense. 

WPX Earnings, Revenue, Press Release, And Transcript

A big "thank you" to a reader for sending me this link; during earnings season I cannot keep up so I always appreciate it when readers send me links. Thank you.

Note that WPX has had some big successes outside the Bakken, namely in New Mexico and the Niobrara.

From the company's press release:

"In the Williston, we're now doing simultaneous operations like we've done in the Piceance, allowing us to both drill and complete wells concurrently on the same pad. This is one way we're driving down drilling days and costs in North Dakota, making it possible to do more drilling and completions this year than originally planned without increasing our rig count and all within our capital guidance range.
"Our continued Williston Basin operational improvements should facilitate seven more wells drilled and 11 additional completions this year for a new total of 46 spuds and 52 completions," Hill said.

"We expect this to increase the year-end exit rate for our Williston oil production by more than 2,000 barrels per day - or 15 percent - to a new total of 15,000 barrels of oil per day. For 2014, this additional activity should increase our Williston production by 8 percent. Our oil production growth rate in the Williston has been impressive - up 30 percent in the second quarter compared with a year ago.

If I read this correctly, I've learned something: I thought operators would not drill AND frack simultaneously on the same pad; it sounds like WPX is doing just that.

Although company's earning missed by 4 cents, revenues beat expectations. SeekingAlpha transcript.

Disclaimer: this is not an investment site. Do not make any investment decisions based on anything you read here or think you may have read here.

CarboCeramics Corporate Presentation

With the recent interest in ceramics/fracking, Don sent me the link to CarboCeramics corporate presentation for June, 2013. Of course, this is a dynamic link and the June presentation will probably be there until the company posts a new presentation.

It certainly appears the jury is still out with regard to sand, ceramics, resin-coated proppants. It will be interesting to watch.

Also, note the references to "slick water," something that was mentioned/discussed on the blog a long, long time ago. The blog's search engine should be able to find posts mentioning "slick water."

Waste Mangement Acquires Two Williston-Based Energy Service Companies -- Huge Story For Williston And For The Bakken

I don't know how familiar folks in North Dakota, or more specifically, Williston, are with regard to Waste Management but that's the company with the huge green waste hauling trucks. They are a huge company in the east.

A reader (thank you very much) sends me a link to Waste Management's webpage in which the company announces the acquisition of two Williston-based companies. This is a huge, huge deal for Williston:

Waste Management, Inc. today announced that it has acquired Summit Energy Services and Liquid Logistics, two Williston, North Dakota energy services companies. The acquisitions will enhance Waste Management’s environmental service offerings to oil and gas industry customers working in the Bakken Shale formation.

“While we work with oil and gas customers around the country, these acquisitions give us access to an element we haven’t previously served,” said Harry Lamberton, vice president of energy and environmental services for Waste Management. “They also add expertise that we will use in the other North American regions where we provide environmental services to oil and gas customers.”

Lamberton said the addition of 140 employees from the two companies would add skills and services including roustabout and oil well-site maintenance, road and well-site pad construction, storm water and erosion control management, aggregate crushing and sales, well monitoring pumping and more.

Lamberton added that WM eventually will add offerings such as rig maintenance and tank cleaning, drill cuttings solidification and disposal, based on customers’ needs.

This is another big story for Williston and the Bakken. 

Saturday Morning Links, News, And Views

I have posted several notes already this morning, including the summary of NDIC's August dockets -- scroll down. I have also updated two polls, and added a new link to a new Mike Filloon essay on ceramics vs sand.

[Odds and ends: Platts has an interesting article -- the western Canadian oil is going to displace Canadian's east coast offshore oil --

All the proposed pipelines across eastern Canada are capturing headlines, but are leaving three crudes out in the cold, literally.
Hibernia, Terra Nova and White Rose, the three grades produced from fields offshore Newfoundland and Labrador, have long been a part of the local market for refineries along the North American East Coast and eastern Canada.

Now, with the TransCanada announcing it will proceed on its Energy East pipeline project and Enbridge reversing the flow of its Line 9 pipeline, the three offshore grades are likely to be pushed out of those markets.

If and when these pipelines are completed (likely sometime around 2018), eastern Canada will be flooded with just under 2 million b/d of crudes from the fields in western Alberta. Since the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers expects production from this region to reach 4.61 million b/d by 2020, there should be plenty of oil to go around.

Imperial Oil, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, is converting its 88,000 b/d Dartmouth refinery in Nova Scotia into a products terminal at the end of this year. It was one of the main buyers for Hibernia crude, cutting out demand for that grade.

Even if demand remained steady, however, the logistics of providing east coast crudes to area refineries is changing. The east coast crude operators use the 236-mile Portland-Montreal Pipeline to get their supply into the local market. But refiners have essentially stopped using the line in anticipation that it will be reversed along with Enbridge’s Line 9.]

Before I close down for the day, some quick WSJ Links.

The top story: low pays clouds job growth. 

The U.S. labor market's long, slow recovery slowed further in July—and many of the jobs that were created were in low-wage industries.

Employers added a seasonally adjusted 162,000 jobs in July, the fewest since March, the Labor Department said Friday, and hiring was also weaker in May and June than initially reported. Moreover, more than half the job gains were in the restaurant and retail sectors, both of which pay well under $20 an hour on average. 

"These jobs count as jobs in the jobs reports, but there's very little attention paid to the kind of jobs these are," said Arne Kalleberg, a sociology professor at the University of North Carolina and the author of the book "Good Jobs, Bad Jobs." "They tend to be low-wage jobs, they tend to be in retail and personal-service-type sectors, many of them are part time.

The drop in the unemployment rate is also the result of a job market that remains too weak to draw back workers who have dropped out of the labor force. Some 6.6 million workers say they want a job but don't count as unemployed because they aren't actively looking, a number that has barely budged in the past year. The number of Americans working or looking for work fell by 37,000 in July; as a share of the population, the labor force remains near a three-decade low.

This is really cool; this was just a matter of time -- Prius tricked out as a lowrider!

Many Prius "pimpers" have followed the lead of comedian Tommy Chong. He turned his hybrid into a black lowrider, with its body lowered to the ground, and added red and gray detailing and tinted windows in 2006. Mr. Chong, 75, who came to fame as half of the Cheech & Chong comedy duo, installed hydraulics to lift the car up and down, blacked out the taillights, and added a loud exhaust.

Maybe I need to visit the Sports Bar earlier than expected this afternoon: Tiger Woods is chasing an elusive 59:

Tiger Woods thrilled golf fans Friday by drawing close to golf's magic number: 59.
A birdie-eagle-birdie start at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, followed by birdies on No. 7 and holes 10 through 13, pushed Woods to nine-under-par on the par-70 Firestone Country Club course.

But he missed a short birdie putt on 15, miss hit a wedge from 90 yards on 16, and missed another short birdie on 17—a microcosm, perhaps, of his disappointing final rounds while in contention at this year's U.S. and British Opens.

Woods salvaged par from off the green at 18 for a course record-tying 61 and a seven-stroke lead. Only five players in PGA Tour history have shot 59s. 

NASCAR this evening at 7:00 pm CDT.

Whatever happened to Syria. Mexico, Mali, Cambodia, and Bangladesh with headline stories, but nothing on Syria. Nor Benghazi, for that matter.

More On Fracking: Sand Vs Ceramics -- Filloon

Another great essay from Mike Filloon on proppants.

The poll on ceramics vs sand remains "open."

Mike on sand:

I have seen most operators increasing usage of frac sand per well, and decreasing ceramic proppant. Now CARBO Ceramics will focus on cheap Chinese ceramics hitting the U.S. market and dragging down its sales. I could be wrong, but this is only part of the issue. I believe new completion techniques are not only making it possible to use up to a million pounds of sand per 1000 feet of lateral, but are also to use all sand fracs. My hypothesis may be incorrect (but I would like to hear differing opinions) as deeper source rock is exposed to higher pressures that crush frac sand. This is why many operators use a mix of resin coated sand, or in the Bakken (very deep) ceramic proppant. The idea is simple.

Continuing The Poll Regarding Favorite Operators In The Bakken

The first poll regarding favorite operators in the Bakken:

• CLR: 36%
• WLL: 27%
• EOG: 18%
• BEXP (STO): 11%
• HES: 8%

So, now: This time we will do five new ones, and then if I remember, I will take the top two or three of these and place them against CLR and WLL in the third iteration:

• Slawson:
• OAS:
• KOG:
• BR:
• Halcon:

This New Poll Concerns The Zenergy Announcement This Past Week

First, the results of one of the current polls. I was curious if readers thought we would go below 179 as a new post-boom low of active rigs in North Dakota. Personally, I did not think we would go below 180. I was wrong. We went to 180, and then 179, and then to 178. I was in good company:

• 40% thought we would not hit a new low
• 60% thought we would hit a new low

So, now, the new poll.

Zenergy has announced they are looking to sell their Bakken assets. It has been suggested the deal could be a $1 billion deal.

At $5,000/acre = 200,000 acres
At $10,000/acre = 100,000 acres

Yes, I know there will be more than "just mineral acres." There will be producing wells, and possibly some other assets as well. Zenergy is a closely held company and to the best of my knowledge, it is not common knowledge how much acreage the company has in the Bakken. Oasis has about 300,000 acres; KOG has about 200,000 acres. Continental Resources has about 1.1 million acres.

So, the question: when the Zenergy Bakken deal is announced, will it be:

a) 50,000 acres
b) 100,000 acres
c) 250,000 acres
d) 500,000 acres

Week 31: July 28, 2013 -- August 3, 2013

Biggest story of the week:
Zenergy to sell Bakken assets; estimated at $1 billion

Second biggest story of the week:
The number of active rigs in North Dakota hits a new post-boom low: 178

Third biggest story of the week:
Future of ceramics in the Bakken could be history

Bakken
Bakken acreage going for about $4,000/acre in Williams County
Three huge Slawson wells
Bakken fracking is safe -- UND geology professor
Recovery rates in the Bakken

Flaring
Is economic value of Bakken natural gas four times greater than forecast?

Non-Bakken Operations
Twelve (12) wells on one 320-acre spacing unit
Recovery rates in the Spearfish

Refining
Tesoro moves into the big leagues

Economy
Groundbreaking held at North Hill Luxury Complex, Minot
Williston housing needs continue to increase
Burlington, ND, feeling affects of the Bakken boom

Miscellaneous
It's official -- Williston aka "Boomtown, USA"
US crude oil reserves sets record, 2011
One of the longest stretches for NYMEX oil  > $100/bbl
OXY USA could spin off California assets
Life is what you make of it

OMG! Fracking Off-Shore! Regulators Looking Into This! Has Been Going On For Maybe 20 Years! Pumping Salt Water Into The Ocean Floor

The AP is reporting:

Companies prospecting for oil off California's coast have used hydraulic fracturing on at least a dozen occasions to force open cracks beneath the seabed, and now regulators are investigating whether the practice should require a separate permit and be subject to stricter environmental review.

While debate has raged over fracking on land, prompting efforts to ban or severely restrict it, offshore fracking has occurred with little attention in sensitive coastal waters where for decades new oil leases have been prohibited.

Hundreds of pages of federal documents released by the government to The Associated Press and advocacy groups through the Freedom of Information Act show regulators have permitted fracking in the Pacific Ocean at least 12 times since the late 1990s, and have recently approved a new project.

The targets are the vast oil fields in the Santa Barbara Channel, site of a 1969 spill that spewed more than 3 million gallons of crude oil into the ocean, spoiled miles of beaches and killed thousands of birds and other wildlife. The disaster prompted a moratorium on new drill leases and inspired federal clean water laws and the modern environmental movement.

Companies are doing the offshore fracking — which involves pumping hundreds of thousands of gallons of salt water, sand and chemicals into undersea shale and sand formations — to stimulate old existing wells into new oil production.

I thought they used fresh water in on-shore fracking. It is interesting that they use salt water for fracking off-shore.

NDIC Hearing Dockets: August, 2013 -- Pad Drilling, Risk Penalties

Highlights from the cases here. 

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

20712, Slawson, Whiting, Pleasant Hill-Bakken, proper spacing, McKenzie County
20713, Whiting, Pleasant Hill, Ellsworth, and/or Juniper-Bakken, 9 over overlapping 2560-acre spacing units, 1 well each, McKenzie
20714, Whiting, Fryburg-Bakken, redefine field limits, rules, Billings
20715, Whiting, Sioux-Bakken and/or Lonesome-Bakken, 1 overlapping 2560-acre units; 1 well, McKenzie
20716, Whiting, Timber Creek and/or Arnegard-Bakken, 1 overlapping 2560-acre unit, 1 well, McKenzie
20717, Whiting, establish a 320-acre unit, one vertical well; Golden Valley
20718, Whiting, establish a 320-acre unit, one vertical well; Golden Valley
20719, Petro Harvester, amend Portal-Madison, establish a 320-acre unit, one well, Burke
20720, QEP, amend Grail-Bakken; i) establish an overlapping 1280-acre unit, 1 well; ii) up to 8 wells on a 640-acre unit; iii) up to 10 wells on six 1280-acre units (I believe that is 10 wells on each of the 1280-acre units), McKenzie;
20607, cont'd
20721, Hess, amend Manitou and/or Big Butte-Bakken; establish an overlapping 2560-acre unit; 4 wells; Mountrail
20722, Hess, amend Robinson Lake-Bakken, establish 2 overlapping 2560-acre units; 1+ wells between the existing spacing units; Mountrail
20723, Hess, amend Antelope-Sanish, establish an overlapping 2560-acre unit, 1+ wells, McKenzie
20724, Hess, amend Antelope-Sanish, establish 4 overlapping 2560-acre units, 3 wells each; McKenzie
20588, cont'd
20725, Hess, amend Hawkeye-Bakken and Antelope-Sanish, establish 5 overlapping 2560-acre units; 3 wells each, McKenzie
20726, Hess, amend Hawkeye, Union Center, and/or Clear Creek-Bakken, establish an overlapping 2560-acre unit, 3 wells, McKenzie
20727, Hess, amend blue Buttes-Bakken, establish an overlapping 2240-acre unit, 1+ wells, McKenzie
20728, Hess, amend Blue Buttes-Bakken, establish 9 overlapping 2560-acre units, 3 wells each, McKenzie
20729, Hess, amend Blue Buttes and/or Spotted Horn-Bakken, establish an overlapping 3840-acre unit, 1 well; McKenzie;
20589, cont'd
20730, Hess, amend Baskin-Bakken, unrestricted production and flaring, Mountrail
20731, Hess, amend Blue Buttes-Bakken, unrestricted production and flaring, McKenzie
20732, Hess, amend Hawkeye-Bakken, unrestricted production and flaring, McKenzie
20733, Hess, amend Robinson Lake-Bakken, unrestricted production and flaring, Mountrail
20734, Hess, amend Sather Lake-Bakken, unrestricted production and flaring, McKenzie
20735, Hess, amend field rules for EN Sorenson A 154-94-0211 H-6, Mountrail
20419, cont'd
20736, SM Energy, amend Ambrose-Bakken, unrestricted production and flaring, Divide
20737, SM Energy, amend Colgan-Bakken, unrestricted production and flaring, Divide
20738, SM Energy, amend West Ambrose-Bakken, unrestricted production and flaring, Divide
20739, OXY USA, amend rules regarding water production at certain wells; Dunn
20740, OXY USA, amend rules regarding water production at certain wells; Dunn
20741, OXY USA, amend rules regarding water production at certain wells; Dunn
20742, OXY USA, amend rules regarding water production at certain wells; Dunn
20743, OXY USA, amend rules regarding water production at certain wells; Billings
20744, OXY USA, amend rules regarding water production at certain wells; Dunn
20745, OXY USA, amend rules regarding water production at certain wells; Dunn
20746, Marathon, amend Reunion Bay and/or Big Bend-Bakken; establish 9 overlapping spacing units, 1 well each, Mountrail
20747, Marathon, amend Wolf Bay-Bakken, disestablish a 2560-acre unit and re-establish 2 1280-acre units; Dunn
20422, cont'd
20423, cont'd
20424, cont'd
20426, cont'd
20417, cont'd
17358, cont'd
20748, New Frontier, treating plan, McKenzie
20749, Whiting, Sanish-Bakken, CO2 injection, SIRP 31-12, Mountrail; this well is still "confidential"
20750 - 20764, Whiting, pooling
20765, Petro Harvester, pooling
20766, Samson Oil & Gas, pooling
20767, Petro-Hunt, pooling
20768, Petro-Hunt, pooling
20769, Hess, amend Big Butte-Bakken, 8 wells on a 1280-acre unit; Mountrail
20770 - 20774, Hess, pooling
20775, SM Energy, amend Camp-Bakken, 9 wells on three existing 1280-acre units, McKenzie
20776, SM Energy, amend Poe-Bakken, 9 wells on five existing 1280-acre units, McKenzie
20777, OXY USA, pooling
20778, BR, pooling

Thursday, August 29, 2013

20779, Armstrong Operating, amend Moraine-Winnipegosis, establish an additional Zone of spacing to create a 320-acre unit, authorize the re-completionof the Hanish 26-1, Divide
20780, CLR, amend Chimney Butte-Bakken, alter stratigraphic limits, Dunn
20781, CLR, amend Rattlesnake Point-Bakken, alter stratigraphic limits, Dunn
20782, CLR, Medicine Pole Hills, create/establish a 320-acre unit, 1 hz well in Red River "C" and "D" Zones, Bowman
20468, cont'd
20783, Corinthian, amend Souris-Spearfish/Madison; create/establish an overlapping 640-acre unit; 5 wells; Bottineau;
20784, Corinthian, extend Roth-Spearfish/Madison, or in the alternative, establish Spearfish spacing in the Cimbel Field, create/establish a 320-acre unit; 12 wells; Bottineau;
20785, Corinthian, extend Red Rock-Spearfish, or in the alternative, establish Spearfish spacing in the Haram Field; create/establish 19 320-acre units; 12 wells on each spacing unit = 228 wells; Bottineau;
20786, EOG, amend Parshall-Bakken, establish an overlapping 1280-acre unit; create/establish 3 overlapping 1920-acre units; 3 wells on each of those units; Mountrail;
20787, EOG, amend rules for sections 1, 12, 23, 26, and 35 in 159-91, Zone III of Thompson Lake-Bakken, "authorizing rather than requiring the drilling of not more than a total of six wells on each 1920-acre unit, Burke;
20490, cont'd
20493, cont'd
20494, cont'd
20495, cont'd
20788, Hunt, amend Werner-Bakken, create/establish 2 overlapping 2560-acre units, 1 well each; Dunn
20789, Hunt, amend Wolf Bay-Bakken, create/establish an overlapping 2560-acre unit, 1 well, Dunn
20790, Newfield, amend Tobacco Garden-Bakken, create/establish an overlapping 2560-acre unit, 1 wells McKenzie
20791, Newfield, amend Lost Bridge-Bakken, create/establish 2 overlapping 1280-acre units, multiple wells; and authorize multiple wells on existing 640-acre unit, Dunn
20792, Newfield, amend Sandrocks-Bakken; relief from rules regarding drilling schedule, McKenzie
20793, Samson Resources, amend Ambrose-Bakken, create/establish an overlapping 1280-acre unit 7 wells, Divide
20794, Samson Resources, amend Ambrose-Bakken, create/establish an overlapping 5120-acre spacing unit, multiple wells; create/establish an overlapping 1280-acre unit; multiple wells; Divide;
20795, Samson Resources, amend West Ambrose-Bakken, create/establish an overlapping 4160-acre unit; multiple wells, Divide;
20796, Samson Resources, amend Blooming Prairie-Bakken, create/establish 2 overlapping 1280-acre units; multiple wells; Divide
20797, Slawson, Stockyard Creek-Bakken, multiple multi-lateral hz wells with a portion of the vertical section open to the Lodgepole, Williams;
20798, Slawson, amend Big Bend-Bakken, alter stratigraphic limits, Mountrail
20799, Slawson, amend Ross-Bakken, alter stratigraphic limits, Mountrail
20800, Statoil, amend Briar Creek-Bakken, create/establish 2 1440-acre units; 6 wells on each; McKenzie, Williams
20801, Zenergy, amend Foreman Butte-Bakkekn, create/establish 4 overlapping 2560-acre units; 6 wells each, McKenzie
20654, cont'd
20498, cont'd
20500, cont'd
20501, cont'd
19901, cont'd
20658, cont'd
20517, cont'd
20662, cont'd
20663, cont'd
20802 - 20805, Crescent Point, pooling;
20806, Crescent Point, risk penalty legalese, Williams
20807, Fidelity, risk penalty legalese, Mountrail
20808, Fidelity, risk penalty legalese, Stark
20809, Fidelity, risk penalty legalese, Stark
20810, Fidelity, risk penalty legalese, Stark
20811, Fidelity, risk penalty legalese, Mountrail
20812 - 20814, CLR, poolin
20815, CLR, Rattlesnake Point-Bakken, 14 wells on an existing 2560-acre unit; Dunn;
20816, CLR, Jim Creek-Bakken, 7 wells on an existing 1280-acre unit; Dunn;
20817, CLR, multiple producing wells to be produced in a Central Tank Battery, McKenzie
20818 - 20820, Samson Resources, pooling;
20692, cont'd
20821 - 20824, Enerplus, pooling;
20825, Enerplus, Antelop-Sanish, 10 wells on each of 2 existing 1280-acre units; McKenzie
20826, WPX, pooling
20827, WPX, Van Hook-Bakken, 7 wells on an existing 1280-acre unit; Mountrail
20828, WPX, Antelope-Sanish, 11 wells on each of 2 existing 1280-acre units; McKenzie;
20829, WPX, Spotted Horn, 11 wells on an existing 1280-acre unit, McKenzie, Mountrail;
20830, WPX, Squaw Creek-Bakken, 11 wells on an existing 1280-acre unit, McKenzie,
20831 - 20833, Corinthian, pooling
20834, EOG, pooling
20835, EOG, amend Parshall-Bakken; 3 wells on each of 3 existing 1280-acre units; 3 wells on each of 5 existing 1920-acre units; Mountrail;
20836 - 20837, Slawson, pooling;
20838, Slawson, Stockyard Creek-Bakken, 6 wells on each of 3 existing 640-acre units; Williams;
20839, Slawson, Bully-Bakken, 7 wells on an existing 1280-acre unit; McKenzie
20840, Slawson, East Tioga-Bakken, 7 wells on an existing 1280-acre unit; Mountrail
20841, Triangle, risk penalty legalese, McKenzie
20842, Triangle, risk penalty legalese, McKenzie
20843, Mountain Divide, pooling
20844, Baytex, risk penalty legalese, Divide
20845, Baytex, risk penalty legalese, Divide
20846, Newfield, risk penalty legalese, McKenzie
20847, Newfield, risk penalty legalese, McKenzie
20848, Newfield, risk penalty legalese, McKenzie
20849, Hunt, Wolf Bay-Bakken, 5 wells on an existing 1280-acre unit; Dunn
20850, Hunt, Werner-Bakken, 5 wells on each of 4 existing 1280-acre units; Dunn
20851, Legacy, allowing production from a specific well into an existing tank battery, Bottineau
20852, Legacy, allowing production from a specific well into an existing tank battery, Bottineau

Highlights Of The NDIC Hearing Dockets, August, 2013 -- How About 12 Wells In One 320-Acre Spacing Unit?

20720, QEP, amend Grail-Bakken; i) establish an overlapping 1280-acre unit, 1 well; ii) up to 8 wells on a 640-acre unit; iii) up to 10 wells on six 1280-acre units (I believe that is 10 wells on each of the 1280-acre units), McKenzie;

20728, Hess, amend Blue Buttes-Bakken, establish 9 overlapping 2560-acre units, 3 wells each, McKenzie;

20729, Hess, amend Blue Buttes and/or Spotted Horn-Bakken, establish an overlapping 3840-acre unit, 1 well; McKenzie;

20746, Marathon, amend Reunion Bay and/or Big Bend-Bakken; establish 9 overlapping spacing units, 1 well each, Mountrail;

20775, SM Energy, amend Camp-Bakken, 9 wells on three existing 1280-acre units, McKenzie;

20776, SM Energy, amend Poe-Bakken, 9 wells on five existing 1280-acre units, McKenzie;

20779, Armstrong Operating, amend Moraine-Winnipegosis, establish an additional Zone of spacing to create a 320-acre unit, authorize the re-completionof the Hanish 26-1, Divide;

20783, Corinthian, amend Souris-Spearfish/Madison; create/establish an overlapping 640-acre unit; 5 wells; Bottineau; 

20784, Corinthian, extend Roth-Spearfish/Madison, or in the alternative, establish Spearfish spacing in the Cimbel Field, create/establish a 320-acre unit; 12 wells; Bottineau;

20785, Corinthian, extend Red Rock-Spearfish, or in the alternative, establish Spearfish spacing in the Haram Field; create/establish 19 320-acre units; 12 wells on each spacing unit = 228 wells; Bottineau

20786, EOG, amend Parshall-Bakken, establish an overlapping 1280-acre unit; create/establish 3 overlapping 1920-acre units; 3 wells on each of those units; Mountrail;

20794, Samson Resources, amend Ambrose-Bakken, create/establish an overlapping 5120-acre spacing unit, multiple wells; create/establish an overlapping 1280-acre unit; multiple wells; Divide;

20795, Samson Resources, amend West Ambrose-Bakken, create/establish an overlapping 4160-acre unit; multiple wells, Divide;

20797, Slawson, Stockyard Creek-Bakken, multiple multi-lateral hz wells with a portion of the vertical section open to the Lodgepole, Williams; this is something Slawson has been doing in Montana;

20815, CLR, Rattlesnake Point-Bakken, 14 wells on an existing 2560-acre unit; Dunn;

20825, Enerplus, Antelop-Sanish, 10 wells on each of 2 existing 1280-acre units; McKenzie

20828, WPX, Antelope-Sanish, 11 wells on each of 2 existing 1280-acre units; McKenzie;

20829, WPX, Spotted Horn, 11 wells on an existing 1280-acre unit, McKenzie, Mountrail;

20830, WPX, Squaw Creek-Bakken, 11 wells on an existing 1280-acre unit, McKenzie,

20835, EOG, amend Parshall-Bakken; 3 wells on each of 3 existing 1280-acre units; 3 wells on each of 5 existing 1920-acre units; Mountrail;

20838, Slawson, Stockyard Creek-Bakken, 6 wells on each of 3 existing 640-acre units; Williams;

A Little Slow This Morning

I just can't get started this morning. Sorry. Part of the problem is that I'm the only one in Target/Starbucks this morning and the barista talks almost as much as I do, so I'm not getting anything done.

I was up late last night -- no partying, only soft drinks -- but watching old movies. I don't have internet or cable at home (I'm going to see how long I can last without the former) so I read until about 11: pm and then watched old movies (DVD's). I didn't realize it was 1:38 a.m. until I checked to see what time it was last night (or early this morning). And then I couldn't get to sleep. But I was up at 5:54 a.m.

But I doubt anyone cares. If I finish the story, I will put write it as a "Note To The Granddaughters."

I think the big Bakken story for week was the announcement that Zenergy is planning to see its Bakken assets for about $1 billion.

On top of this I see the NDIC hearing dockets are out for August, 2013. Wow, I have a lot to do this morning. I will probable be here all day.

I think I will do the dockets first and then the "top stories" of the week. Then the links for the day. Then another poll. Wow, it's going to be busy. And I'm not a bit in the mood to be doing this. It's going to be a real grind.