Surge In Crude Oil Production In Two Oil Fields In North Dakota -- December 15, 2016

In North Dakota, crude oil production for the month of October, 2016, went above the 1 million bopd threshold again.

Two oil fields that saw a healthy surge in production were Twin Valley and Eagle Nest.

For an explanation of this spreadsheet, see this post:

	Sept 2016 Production	Sept Wells	Sept Oil / Well / Month	Percent Change Aug - to- Sept	Oct 2016 Production	Oct Wells	Oct Oil / Well / Month	Percent Change  Sept-to-Oct
Twin Valley	24,695	18	1,372	484.77%	153,902	18	8,550	523.21%
Eagle Nest	290,515	84	3,459	-7.85%	693,733	93	7,459	138.79%

As noted previously, the 523% increase in Twin Valley was due to Whiting shutting in all its wells in Twin Valley in September and then bringing them back on line in October.

The 139% increase in production in Eagle Nest can be explained by the phenomenal new wells that Halcon has been reporting. Eagle Nest oil field has been updated.

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

Bury Their Future At Standing Rock 

A big "thank you" from a reader for sending me this link.

From Commentary Magazine.

The article provides a lengthy, in-depth history of the DAPL.

From the article:

Even [tribal leader] Archambault acknowledged to a crowd gathered after his victory:

“That pipeline had every right to go through, but because of the support that we have and the people who gather and are a part of this, we are able to build enough noise to help America understand.”

The article provides an overview of other issues regarding Native Americans.

Bottom line: the Native Americans, with the help of the Obama administration, buried their future at Standing Rock.

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

Nice Work If You Can Get It

According to a friend of a friend of a friend who said something to a reader who sent me a note, apparently the going rate for DAPL protesting is:

• $19/hour protesting
• $1,000 up-front
• round trip plane ticket to Bismarck 

Actually, the correspondence is much shorter: protestor to non-protestor to reader to me. $19/hour is well above the $15/hour minimum wage some folks are advocating. The Bakken continues to be a great place to work. 

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

The Literature - Political Page

Spanish Civil War

Syrian Civil War (think Aleppo)

I mentioned recently that I read an advance copy of Adam Hochschild's new book, SPain In Our Hearts: Aericans in the Spanish Civie War, 1936 - 1939, c. 2016.

I am in the process of transcribing my handwritten notes to my literature blog.

The parallels between the Spanish Civil War and the Syrian Civil War are interesting.

These are my initial notes, just from the introduction, early chapters. The notes may be difficult ot understand because they are as I originally wrote them, unedited:

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

Importance of names

The Republic: democratically elected government but Popular Front wins parliament

• Republicans: liberals, socialists, communists
• but "Republicans" because elected to "Republic" -- a democratic govt

Military rebels: self-named the Nationalists

• military generals -- concerned that the Popular Front is the Spanish version (or will become the Spanish version) of the Russian revolution
• far-right fascists -- much strong connotations than generally used in English (I have to re-read that; I don't understand that note now)

The other problem: Nationalists -- military generals -- extreme atrocities.

 

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

The reason the Spanish Civil war is so hard to understand:

1) hard to understand European situation in the 1930s
2) the names of the adversaries were confusing

The author got it exactly right, p. 41: "The conflict in Spain, remarkably, was at the same time, both a right-wing military coup and a left-wing social revolution."

p. 47: Stalin / Russia -- anxiety, concern about helping the Republic. The Spanish Civil War was probably confusing to Stalin / Russia, also.

p. 48 - 49: The Non-Intervention Committee in London, a sham (correlates with the Obama doctrine in the Mideast)

England pre-occupied with shocking romance between King Edward VIII and svelt American socialite Wallis Simpson

Franco: lower-ranking general

• great planner
• opportuniistic
• when higher ranking generals killed, he took lead -- waited until he saw whether revolution would have chance to succeed

No country willing to help Republic except Stalin/Russia.

Franco: Hitler / Mussolini competed to provide most support

• Mussolini: took Ethiopia -- wanted to enlarge circle of influence

p. 47: quick, nice summary of Stalin's concerns, anxiety (see above.

Hitler: saw advantages

• training for war
• U-boat base on Atlantic Coast
• Spain: crucial source of raw materials -- copper, iron ore, sulfur, etc.

Stalin saw all of this; he waited in vain for Britain or France to aid the Republic; never happended -- p. 49

Finally Russia sends aid. 

In Syria, "they" were waiting for US, EU, or Great Britain to act. No one acts. Obama actualy withdraws troops from Iraq. Vacuum leads to ISIS. Finally, Russia intervenes.