Eight (8) New Permits -- The Williston Basin, North Dakota, USA

Price of oil at the crawler: $102.18

Increased dividends: National Oilwell Varco, from 26 cents to 46 cents/share; ups dividend by 77%; share price up over 1%. From Zack's:

National Oilwell’s management stated that this increase reflects the company’s confidence in its financial condition and future cash flow growth. As of Mar 31, 2014, the company had $3.7 billion in cash. Management believes that this strong cash flow position enabled it to declare the latest increase in payout. 

Notably, this is the second major dividend hike by the company. Last year, National Oilwell had doubled its payout to 26 cents. Such increases, if continued, would make National Oilwell a lucrative choice for value investors.

NOV has a huge complex west of Williston along US Highway 2.

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Active rigs:

	5/16/2014	05/16/2013	05/16/2012	05/16/2011	05/16/2010
Active Rigs	190	190	211	172	114

Eight (8) new permits --

• Operators: EOG (4), Whiting (2), Enduro, CLR
• Fields: Parshall (Mountrail), Lonesome (McKenzie), Mouse River Park (Renville), Indian Hill (McKenzie
• Comments:

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

 SM Energy plugged two Madison/Duperow wells in the Grassy Butte that had been drilled back in 1986.