Week 14: April 2, 2017 -- April 8, 2017

This was the week the US launched 60 Tomahawk missiles on a Syrian air base; 59 hit the air base; one went into "the sea." There was almost universal global support for Trump action against Syria; the only dissenters -- Paul Rand, Syria, and Russia.

Brent/WTI moved upward slightly but at the end of the day, essentially flat. The market essentially flat. Bad, bad news for Saudi Arabia.

Mexico is reported to be in dire straits.

To prove the point that Californians don't mind paying taxes, the state will raise state excise taxes and a "variable" tax on gasoline; will increase the sales tax and the excise tax on diesel fuel; and will increase fees on annual vehicle registrations.

A new feature has been added to the blog: Einstein's definition of insanity.

Meanwhile, the economy of north Texas, east Texas, and coastal Texas is in hyperdrive:
UPS to build massive terminal outside Dallas
Dallas: #1 in the small business index; monthly scorecard
Texas energy -- RBN Energy
more energy growth in coastal Texas -- RBN Energy
Boeing's global sales division to be located in Plano, north of Dallas

The jobs reports were the big news. I track these stories here.
US manufacturing jobs hit 8-year record
horrendous jobs report but unemployment rated drops to 4.5%; US at full employment
but, number of Americans working sets record for second consecutive month (same link) 
first-time unemployment claims drop the most in two years
Boom! Jobs jump

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Back To The Bakken

Operations
Random update of a Hess HA-Nelson well in Hawkeye oil field 
Random update of Whiting's fabulous Flatland Federal wells in Twin Valley oil field
CLR's Omlid-Ransom wells in Elidah oil field
BR's CCU Dakotan wells in Corral Creek oil field
WPX's Peterson wells in Van Hook oil field

Pipelines
With DAPL operational (?), update of Bakken takeaway capacity
 
Natural gas
US to add the equivalent of fifty 250-MW natural gas power plants this year (2017)

Miscellaneous
Comparing the Redtail Niobrara with the Bakken