Lovin' The Euphemisms -- Now It's A "Pause" In The Plan To Leave Afghanistan -- March 24, 2015

Active rigs:

	3/24/2015	03/24/2014	03/24/2013	03/24/2012	03/24/2011
Active Rigs	100	197	187	206	171

Seven (7) new permits --

Operators: Whiting (4), EOG (2), Sedalia Energy, LLC
Fields: Stockyard Creek (Williams), Bully, Parshall (Mountrail), Lake Darling
Comments: Sedalia Energy, LLC, has a long history in North Dakota, but this is the first time in a long the company has a new permit -- this one is for a well in Lake Darling, in the southwest corner of Renville County. From SFCPartners site:

In March 2014, SFC Energy Partners II made an equity investment in Sedalia Energy, LLC.  Sedalia is a privately held company based in Denver, Colorado and will be focused on the acquisition and development of oil properties in the Northern Williston Basin of North Dakota.

Wells coming off the confidential list Wednesday:

• 27480, 1,461, WPX, Kale Bad Brave 19-18HX2, Squaw Creek, t2/15; cum 6K 1/15;
• 28142, 1,110, Hess, HA-Swenson-152-95-1819H-7, Hawkeye, 35 stages; 2.4 million lbs; Three Forks, 9 days to reach TD; upper Bakken might have oil here; 100% in the second bench;  t2/15; cum 11K in five days
• 28169, 1,246, Emerald, D Annunzio 5-7-6H, Boxcar Butte, t9/14; cum 28K 1/15;
• 28772, drl, XTO, Ranger 21X-18A, Tobacco Garden, no production data,
• 28926, 110, Legacy, Legacy Et Al Berge 12-31 2H, North Souris, a Spearfish well, t11/14; cum 9K 1/15;
• 29009, 217, CLR, Heyerdahl 1-10H1, Bluffton, t2/15; cum 1K 1/15;
• 29220, drl, BR, CCU Golden creek 4-23MBH, Corral Creek, no production data,

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Elsewhere -- Non-Bakken

Another "red line in the sand" covered with ... sand .. or simply blown away by political hot air. Fox News is reporting:

President Obama announced Tuesday that the U.S. will keep nearly 10,000 troops in Afghanistan through the end of the year, hitting pause on the scheduled drawdown after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani voiced security concerns. 

The president, saying Afghanistan remains a "dangerous place," announced the move in a joint press conference with Ghani. The two met earlier in the Oval Office, during Ghani's first White House visit since being elected president of the war-torn country. 

Obama stressed that his goal of finishing the drawdown by the end of his term has not changed, but said hitting pause this year is "well worth it," as the spring fighting season approaches.

I wonder if the 100 US Special Forces pulled from Yemen -- "never particularly democratic" -- will return to the US via Afghanistan?