Top Bakken Stories Of 2017

Top stories by month for the year, 2017 are linked here.

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Elevator speech: there were two stories that dominated the Bakken in 2017:

• the successful opening of the DAPL
• North Dakota crude oil production maintained greater than one million bopd against all forecasts

Internationally, two big energy stories impacting the Bakken in 2017:

• Re-balancing
• OPEC is successful in holding the line; by the end of the year, re-balancing was down to 30 weeks
• surge in US crude oil exports

Nationally, the biggest story to affect the oil patch: pending

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Top Stories Of 2017
By Category

 

Top Story of The Year: President Trump takes office

Runner-up: The Bakken strikes back, version 2

The world: "global synchronized economy" becomes the go-to phrase for "Trump rally" (stock markets surged in 2017)

Most surprising story of 2017: despite all the hysteria, war did not break out on the Korean peninsula, nor in the Mideast; global economies surged (well, sort of)

The most egregious story to come out of the Bakken: North Dakota State wants a "stay" on the mineral rights case. This was the case:

The state legislature, in an attempt to resolve disputed mineral rights that are hampering development of minerals in the Lake Sakakawea area, had commissioned a study of the historical, high water mark of the Missouri River prior to building Garrison Dam, which created Lake Sakakawea. Their legislation would also restrict the state’s mineral rights to that historical ordinary high water mark.

The US: the signing of the GOP tax cut bill, the largest in US history

North Dakota, energy: successful opening of the DAPL

North Dakota, energy, runner-up: USGS says it will re-assess the Bakken

North Dakota, technology: EERC and CO2 re-capture initiatives

Most exciting small non-operator in the Bakken: NOG

Most exciting micro operator in the Bakken: White Butte

Most exciting small operator in the Bakken: Oasis

Most exciting large operator in the Bakken: MRO

The deals: Oasis sells off some Bakken assets to enter the Permian

Record price per Bakken mineral acre: n/a

Bakken operators, rigs: n/a

Bakken operations, production: North Dakota crude oil production remains over one million bopd

Bakken operations, density: White Butte Jore Federal

Top prediction for 2018: Lynn Helms opines "fast and furious" for 2018

Biggest story in takeaway capacity: DAPL

CBR: disappearing

Pipeline: DAPL

Fracking: mini-re-fracks; re-fracking

Flaring: reverses direction, trending in the wrong direction

Natural gas: surge in North Dakota natural gas production

Refining: announcement that construction of the Davis refinery (near Belfield) to commmence in early 2018

Investment story of the year: n/a

The "Other" Williston Basin formations: n/a

Bakken economy (too many to list): Williston airport moves long; this is #6 on the Williston Herald's top ten list; link here. Also here, if that link breaks.

History: n/a