Wednesday - The Day After Putin Blinked And The Market Surged

Active rigs:

	3/5/2014	03/05/2013	03/05/2012	03/05/2011	03/05/2010
Active Rigs	192	186	206	172	99

RBN Energy: natural gas and manufacturing in the US, part 2, a revolution.

Consistent lower natural gas prices resulting from the boom in shale production are expected to fuel a major increase in industrial demand over the coming years. RBN expects that sector’s demand to increase by 5 Bcf/d from 19 Bcf/d in 2013 to 24 Bcf/d in 2025. There have been numerous announcements of new plant builds and expanded capacity projects in primary industries. Less well documented are the wider ramifications of abundant shale natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGL) supplies for US manufacturing industry as a whole. Today in the first of a two part series Taylor Robinson from PLG Consulting outlines the changes underpinning a new industrial renaissance.

ObamaCare delayed for a full two years. That was easy. That's pretty much the end of ObamaCare as we know it. There will be a few unintended consequences, but this will work out perfectly for Big Business, not necessarily for Big Health.

Didn't Mike say this a year ago: the price of frack sand could go parabolic in 3Q14? The article is dated March 4, 2014,  but I know I saw this same article a year ago, or thereabouts.

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.

At least one analyst has raised its EOG price target from $190 to $214.

Stock market. Ratio of new highs to new lows -- 14:1.

Exxon Mobil to start production at record number of new oil and gas projects in 2014; 10 major projects to add new capacity of 300,000 net oil equivalent barrels per day this year: Co announces it expects to start production at a record 10 major projects in 2014, adding new capacity of ~300,000 net oil equivalent barrels per day and contributing to profitable production growth.

Price of oil fell quite a bit after Putin's quiet invasion of the Ukraine has evolved into a diplomatic spat, something that Mr Obama is very comfortable with. Putin has obviously studied Sun Tzu; Obama, not so much (probably never). Speaking of which I was unaware that then-Senator Obama led the fight to de-arm the Ukraine, and then re-affirmed his position as president. I had forgotten why the Ukraine had no will to fight. The army had no means. Now, the president is getting ready to cut the US Army to numbers not seen since before WWII.

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A Note to the Granddaughters

I left North Dakota earlier this morning and have just gotten to Chadron, Nebraska. I love cross-country driving, but I have to admit, my least favorite stretch between the Rio Grande and the Missouri-Yellowstone confluence is eastern Nebraska. It's too bad they aren't laying the Keystone XL; it would have been something to watch.

Having said that, I love cross-country driving. It is a paradox, but the trip seems to go by much more quickly the slower I drive. I try to keep the speedometer at 59 so I can watch the scenery. Periodically, I look down and see that my speed has crept well above 59. I don't like to go to cruise control on rolling hills; cruise control is perfect on I-94, I-90, and I-84 through the Great Plains but that's about it.

For the past hour or so I've been listing to "The Range," 95.3, I think. Not sure. Just before I stopped for a rest:

Sweet Dreams, Patsy Cline, Jessica Lange