The Closer, T+24, February 13, 2017

Out of step? While the rest of the country (and the world to some extent) seem to face a glut of natural gas, California is asking its residents to conserve natural gas due to a "shortage." A reader sent me a copy of this insert in Californians' monthly utility bills:

SoCalGas has developed a voluntary call to consumers called a SoCalGas Advisory.

Every winter the demand for natural gas increases as we heat our homes and businesses.

This winter, we are facing limited availability of natural gas locally. That's why SoCalGas is asking all Southern Californians to work together to help conserve natural gas on certain days. When a SoCalGas Advisory is called, you can help Southern California conserve natural gas by:

• lowering your thermostat to 68 degrees
• waiting a day to use major natural gas appliances
• washing with cold water, when possible
• wearing cardigans on cold evenings

Okay, I made up that last one, the one about wearing cardigans.

Whatever happened to all that solar and wind energy that California has spent so much money on?

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Shale production down, but estimates revised upward, from Twitter tonight:

EIA's DPR comes again with some upward revisions in Feb estimates: e.g. Eagle Ford and Bakken production estimates are revised higher. The report is available at this site.

OPEC cuts holding, from Twitter tonight:

Saudi reports big January oil supply cut. Also 2017 non-OPEC supply forecast raised.

Shale oil, from Twitter tonight:

Investor honeymoon with OPEC falters as shale drilling booms.

Futures mean squat, but:

• after another huge day in the market, futures tonight are pretty much flat, down maybe 7 points for the Dow Jones Industrials (7:31 p.m. Central Time)
• wow, at 9:09 p.m. Central Time, Dow futures have turned green, up 2 points

Whiners: losers unhappy Adele won. Again.

• maybe if everyone got a "participation award" instead of awards "for winning," everyone would be happy
• probably not

Oroville Dam:

• state government was warned 12 years ago of potential dam disaster; did nothing
• state wants to be sanctuary state; wants to defy Federal immigration laws
• state wants Federal government to pay for Oroville Dam debacle

Confirmed: Steven Mnuchin, Secretary of the Treasury

• successful businessman with history of paying his income taxes 
• 53 - 47; one Democrat voted for him; must not have gotten the Schumer memo

Confirmed: David Shulking, Secretary of Veterans Affairs

• then: part of the problem
• now: part of the solution

Roots: returning to -- Playboy

Like father, like son: Jerry Sandusky's son arrested on child sex charges