Fifteen Permits Renewed -- September 1, 2017

Before we get started, this EIA site looks new. It may not (be new). I don't know but it looks new to me and looks pretty good. The link has been permanently linked at the "links" page.

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Harvey Re-Start

It is amazing how fast the oil sector is returning to "normal." Remember all that oil the US government was going to release from the SPR? As far as I know, only one refiner was in on the deal, planning to take 500,000 bbls (plant capacity is 250,000 bbls daily; so two days crude oil for this plant) and then raising that to 1 million bbls. Now we learn that Phillips will not take all that was offered. They apparently have plenty of crude oil as things get back to normal. Phillips will take only 700,000 bbls of crude oil -- about three days of crude oil for this plant.

A "triple A" spokesperson said that release of crude oil from the SPR will have a great effect on supply of gasoline -- what a dunderhead. Is dunderhead a word? 

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MASH

In the background, re-runs of MASH. What a great series. On so many levels.

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Wishing everyone a great weekend.

I'm in such a great mood -- seriously -- I'm going to take a break for a few hours. I might blog the daily activity report, but then sit back, reflect a bit on everything, and maybe post later this evening. I don't know. It's been another incredible week.

But I can't resist posting this story, which will probably be re-posted.

My dad was the "president" of the Williams County (Williston) commission when the "original" Lewis and Clark bridge was built. He was on the bridge, giving a speech, when that bridge was opened, for the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Regardless, fast forward several decades, and "we" now have a new Lewis and Clark bridge. From The Williston Herald:

Dozens of dignitaries gathered at the south end of the bridge Thursday afternoon for a ribbon cutting to mark the completion of the $80 million project — the largest single infrastructure project in the history of the North Dakota Department of Transportation. Its completion marks the end of six years of construction to make U.S. Highway 85 four lanes from Watford City to Williston.

Yes, this is a huge, huge story, that will hardly be a footnote in the book on the Bakken revolution.

Huge story.

More from The Williston Herald:

When the old bridge was built (1973), it handled about 1,000 vehicles a day. Now, though, about 10,000 vehicles a day use the structure. The new bridge can also handle larger trucks because of its wider, 12-foot lanes.

Think about that: 1, 000 vehicles / day in 1973. With the Bakken boom, 10,000 vehicles per day. [If that is currently 10,000 vehicles/day, during the Bakken book it would have been much higher -- it's hard to believe that current traffic is 10,000 vehicles/day, but perhaps.]

But now I know why I didn't know much about the "old" bridge. In 1973, I was away from home, in my last year of college.

This is just such an incredible country. 

I'm in such a good mood, I would love to take May out for a really extravagant sushi dinner tonight, but, hey, we can't "burn" gasoline -- not much available in the area, although things are already improving.

What a great country.

By the way: I think the Lewis and Clark bridge story is a huge story and yet it was almost buried at the end of the Williston Wire. That tells me that so much more is happening in the Bakken. It simply doesn't quit.

Meanwhile, Williston celebrates opening of wastewater facility, another huge story. From The Williston Herald, some data points:

• Williston’s population went from 14,716 in 2010 to roughly 27,763 in 2015, and its 2017 population is now estimated at 30,000
• wastewater management was a huge problem during the Bakken boom
• it’s a problem the city won’t have to face again, no matter the ups and downs of oil and gas
• new wastewater project just opened
• $105 million
• will serve 60,000 people
• with some additional construction, up to 120,000 people 
• on time, on budget
• the city continues to have a large debt load on the plant and said they expect the state of North Dakota to back the city throughout the whole repayment plan 
• every effort was made to build the expansion using as little tax money possible, and the city was able to get a dispensation that allowed the city to use a set of rates that did not put the entire boom-related impact on Williston citizens 
• the technical process uses biological and other agents to produce a cake of biosolids that is both safe and nutrient rich — so much so it is potentially valuable for agricultural uses
• the solids left behind, meanwhile, get a separate treatment process to turn them into a Class A biosolid, which is the highest quality level achievable; all pathogens are destroyed; the final product is like an earthy, soil product that is around 18 to 20 percent solids that would be beneficial for reuse for cropland 
• at least initially, it will get used as a topsoil amendment for capping the city’s landfill, which has a shortage of good soil for that purpose

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Daily Activity Report

Daily rigs:

$47.35↑	9/1/2017	09/01/2015	09/01/2014	09/01/2013	09/01/2012
Active Rigs	56	76	194	184	192

One new permit:

• Operator: Petro-Hunt
• Field: Charlson (McKenzie)
• Comments: #33976, USA 153-95-8A-31-4H, NENE 17-153-95

Fifteen permits renewed:

• QEP (7): seven Kirkland permits in McKenzie County
• Petrogulf (4): four Three Tribes permits in McKenzie County
• Whiting (3): two Koppinger permits and one Cymbaluk Federal permit, all in Stark County
• Crescent Point Energy: one CPEUSC Lowe permit in Williams County