NC -- May 10, 2015

NC: drilled to depth, but not completed.

The AP is reporting:

Oklahoma energy companies are still drilling in spite of low oil prices, but they are putting off costly practices such as hydraulic fracturing until prices recover. Drilled uncompleted wells are a new trend in the oil patch, led both by lower oil prices and the drastic technological and procedural changes the industry has experienced over the past decade.

Continental Resources Inc. CEO Harold Hamm has said completion processes typically represent about 60 percent of the cost of a modern shale well.

It's difficult to track how many wells have been drilled and left uncompleted, in part because states have different reporting requirements. Wood Mackenzie Ltd. and RBC Capital Markets LLC in March estimated that more than 3,000 wells nationwide have been drilled but not completed.

Two interesting data points.

Other sources suggest as many as 4,000 wells waiting to be fracked. 

When I first started blogging, the drilling costs - fracking costs were said to be 50 - 50. Here, Harold Hamm says completion costs may be as much as 60%. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that fracking/completion costs are coming in close to 65 - 70%.

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Deflategate

At least he did not deny his client did not have the footballs deflated; nor did he mention that his client refused to assist in the investigation.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the best the agent for the New England Patriots' quarterback could do was attack the lead investigator by saying the latter had "limited understanding" of football. It sounds like he meant "NFL football" and it sounds like he meant that "everybody knows that deflated footballs are more helpful during inclement weather." People with "limited understanding" of football would not know that.

Interestingly enough, the agent called the whole thing a "sting." Rush Limbaugh was calling it a sting earlier this week. Say what you want about Rush, he often gets things very, very right.

The Patriots won "deflategate" in a lopsided 45 - 7 rout. The deflated footballs were "discovered" during halftime, and although the Patriots scored more points in the second half than the first half (after the deflated balls were discovered), the fact remains the game was over by the end of the first quarter, during which deflated balls were used.

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Note To The Granddaughters

A series of photographs taken by our old granddaughter. I was invited to set up a new Weber grill for Mother's Day at the older daughter / son-in-law's new home.

 The Weber grill and parts are behind me, on the lawn.

Very simple, straightforward. I was under time pressure to get this done. Briquets were lit in the chimney. I was unable to figure out the fancy ash collector; I will do that tomorrow, but perfect for grilling today.

Hamburgers, steaks, assortment of hot dogs; ears of corn for the photo only; the ears were not grilled; much faster and more controlled in the microwave or in boiling water on the stove.

The packing material was used as a makeshift table. Note the Weber ash collector; I have it figured out; will "fix" it tomorrow.

Youngest granddaughter's first Weber grill. Seventy-five years of Weber grilling ahead of her. One can already see the smoke coming from the grill. Start to finish, less than 30 minutes.