DAPL Update -- March 17, 2017

At The Bismark Tribune.

A judge has combined lawsuits filed by four Sioux tribes over the Dakota Access pipeline, streamlining the drawn-out legal battle over the $3.8 billion project to move North Dakota oil to a distribution point in Illinois.

Meanwhile, a federal appeals court could decide this weekend on a tribal request to stop oil from flowing through the pipeline next week.

Both the company and Corps filed court documents Friday opposing the tribal request.

The appeals court will make a decision sometime after Friday evening, the deadline it set for attorneys to submit written arguments.

Nothing will surprise me any more. 

North Dakota Sets Global Warming Record -- March 17, 2017

Sent to me by a reader:

More to follow. McClusky is the closest town to North Dakota's geographical center.

4Q16 Wells Updated -- March 17, 2017

Disclaimer: in a note like this there will be typographical and factual errors. Do not make any investment, financial, job, travel, or relationship decisions based on anything you read here. If this information is important to you, go to the source.

I just updated most of the IPs for 4Q16 wells still on drl or SI/NC status. I didn't keep track of the number of Statoil wells still on SI/NC status, but there were about five of them, and none of them were completed; Statoil has not completed any of its SI/NC wells since the last update (date unknown but probably six months ago) that were reported in 4Q16. Note: the data is through January, 2017; obviously reporting and paperwork lags behind what is happening in the field.

Note the amount of sand EOG uses. And, again, XTO has a non-impressive well for the completion solution (see the same thing 3Q16). 

These are the updates for all the wells I looked at; I went through the entire list. All of these were on SI/NC status.

XTO:

• 32619, 150, XTO, Johnson 31X-6FXG, Siverston, Three Forks, 40 stages, 7.6 million lbs, t10/16; cum — 

WPX:

• 30653, 1,755, WPX, Helena Ruth Grant 33-34HT, Reunion Bay, Three Forks, 41 stages, 6.1 million lbs, t12/16; cum 66K 1/17;
• 29081, 1,830, WPX, Helena Ruth Grant 33-34HW, Reunion Bay, geologist report says Three Forsk; frack says TF, 38 stages, 5.9 million lbs, t12/16; cum 62K 1/17;
• 29082, 2,397, WPX, Helena Ruth Grant 33-34HA, Reunion Bay, 40 stages, 6.1 million lbs, t11/16; cum 83K 1/17;

Petro-Hunt:

• 26974, 1,269, Petro-Hunt, Kostelnak 145-97-29B-32-2H, 50 stages, 4.9 million lbs, t11/16; cum 28K 1/17;

EOG:

• 32140, 854, EOG, Ross 43-0915H, Alger, 46 stages, 14 million lbs, t2/17; cum --
• 32137, 990, EOG, Ross 106-0915H, Alger, 52 stages, 15.66 million lbs, t2/17; cum --
• 32138, 1,352, EOG, Ross 42-0915H, Alger, 45 stages, 11.6 million lbs, t2/17; cum --  

3Q16 Wells Updated -- March 17, 2017

Disclaimer: in a note like this there will be typographical and factual errors. Do not make any investment, financial, job, travel, or relationship decisions based on anything you read here. If this information is important to you, go to the source.

I just updated most of the IPs for 3Q16 wells still on drl or SI/NC status. I didn't keep track of the number of Statoil wells still on SI/NC status, but there were about eight of them, and none of them were completed; Statoil has not completed any of its SI/NC wells since the last update (date unknown but probably six months ago) that were reported in 3Q16. Note: the data is through January, 2017; obviously reporting and paperwork lags behind what is happening in the field.

These are the updates for all the wells I looked at; I went through about 75% of the list. All of these were on SI/NC status (except, of course, the Newfield well).

Note the XTO wells: huge amounts of sand; huge number of stages; lousy IPs' and most were shut in / had no production data two to three months since the wells were completed. It should be noted that many/most of the XTO wells were stimulated in November, 2016, and production data is posted only through January, 2017, right now. There is a lag in paperwork and reporting by at least 60 days. Also, note XTO's #30834, only 10 stages, 2 million lbs. For newbies, the Siverston oil field is an incredibly good oil field for most operators.

Statoil: for 3Q16 SI/NC wells, no change

XTO (these five XTO wells updated here):

• 30834, 326, XTO, TAT State Federal 14X-36D,  Bear Creek, 10 stages, 2 million lbs, t12/16; cum 3K 1/17;
• 31596, 287, XTO, Johnson 31X-6CXD, Siverston, t11/16; cum --; stimulated 8/13/16; 60 stages, 17.76 million lbs;
• 31609, 156, XTO, Johnson 31X-6G, Siverston, 40 stages; 7.3 million lbs, t11/16; cum —
• 31597, 122, XTO, Johnson 31X-6D, Siverston, 40 stages; 7.7 million lbs, t11/16; cum —
• 32151, 186, XTO, Johnson 31X-6HXE, Siverston, t11/16; cum 6K 1/17; 60 stages; 17 million lbs; stimulated 9/7/16;

BR:

• 30280, 3,327, BR, Merton 21-15TFH, North Fork, 26 stages, 12 million lbs; t9/16; cum 73K 1/17;

WPX:

• 30918, 1,520, WPX, North Segment 6-5-4HA, Van Hook, 61 stages, 9.3 million lbs, t1/17; cum 41K after 47 days;
• 30920, 1,202, WPX, North Segment 6-5-4 HB, Van Hook, 61 stages, 9.3 million lbs; t12/16; cum 28K 1/17;
• 30921, 1,629, WPX, North Segment 6-5-4 HY, Van Hook, 61 stages, 9.1 million lbs; t12/16; cum 46K after 58 days;

Newfield:

• 29858, dry, Newfield, Jorgenson Federal 148-96-10-15-2H, Lost Bridge, (original name of this well was Jorgenson Federal 148-96-10-15-11H; target was changed from Three Forks B1 to middle Bakken; I did not find a sundry form explaining reason to plug hole (usually due to casing or similar issue)

The Political Page, T+56 -- March 17, 2017

Dissing Obama, backing Trump: EU overwhelmingly defeats proposal to ban oil exploration in the Arctic. If the US and the EU banned exploration of oil in the Arctic, that would leave the Arctic for Russia/Putin. Is anyone paying attention?

"Icy" water exploration: Norway plans as many as 12 oil and gas projects this year.

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Health Care Insurance in Tennessee: 

Only One Insurer In Half-The-State; No Insurer In Rest Of State 

-- President Trump -- live television -- 9:33 a.m. Central Time

Fact check. From ObamaCare healthcare exchange in Tennessee.

2017 rates and carriers

Four carriers offer exchange plans in 2016, but UnitedHealthcare is exiting the exchange at the end of 2016. That leaves three carriers offering plans in the exchange for 2017, but Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee is no longer offering coverage in the metro areas of Knoxville, Nashville, and Memphis, which are the three largest metropolitan areas in the state.

BCBST is not offering individual market plans (on or off-exchange) in 30 counties in those metro areas in 2017, although by remaining in some areas of the state, they’ve avoided a full market exit and left the door open for a possible return to state-wide coverage in 2018.

For 2017 coverage, BCBSTN will not pay broker commissions for exchange enrollments in the Tennessee counties where they will continue to offer plans, which means there will be fewer enrollment assisters available to help consumers.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee had the lion’s share of the exchange market in 2016, covering almost 69 percent of the enrollees. The carrier says that from 2014 to 2016, they expect to incur half a billion dollars in individual market losses. And although they’ve said they’ll consider re-entering the exchange statewide in 2018 or later, the market would have to stabilize first.

Because of BCBST’s exit from the three metropolitan areas, approximately 52,000 people in Nashville, 31,000 people in Knoxville, and 29,000 in Memphis must switch to a different plan for 2017 (the exchange will map them to a new plan via auto re-enrollment if they don’t pick their own).

In 2016, United and BCBST both offered plans state-wide in Tennessee. United is exiting altogether, and BCBST is leaving the metropolitan areas. As a result, residents in 73 of Tennessee’s 95 counties will only have one carrier option in the exchange.

The Market And Energy Page, T+56 -- March 17, 2017

Low-Cost Flights

From quartz:

An airfare war is raging over the Atlantic, and the owner of British Airways has just fired a new weapon.

International Consolidated Airlines Group, BA’s parent company, said Friday (March 17) that it’s launching a low-cost carrier called Level that will offer no-frills service from Spain to two airports in California and two in Latin America, beginning in June.

One-way fares start at €99 ($106) from Europe and $149 from the US, the company said. (The US destinations: Los Angeles [southern CA] and Oakland [northern CA]).

Mid-Afternoon Trading

Crude oi: flat, at $48.78

Dow 30: unremarkable, up 20 points

Penny's: releases its list of 138 store closures; includes three stores in ND -- Dickinson (Prairie Hills Mall), Jamestown (Buffalo Mall), and Wahpeton (downtown)

Rigs

From John Kemp, via twitter, change in rigs this past week, down in Permian; up everywhere else:

• Permian, down 1
• Everywhere else, rigs increased:
• Williston Basin: up 4!
• Mississippian: up 3
• Arkoma-Woodford: up 3
• Eagle Ford: up 2

Propane

Do you remember the severe propane shortage back in 2014? See this post.  From the EIA this week:

Saudi

Saudi: if crude oil stockpiles remain above the five-year average, OPEC will extend production cuts beyond June when the cuts are due to expire. His statement allowed plenty of wiggle room but it's pretty clear what he was saying.   

Iraq: will increase crude oil production and exports this year -- Bloomberg. Data points:

• February: produced 4.57 million bopd
• by end of 2017: 5.0 million bopd
• apparently Saudi will absorb the difference -- LOL

Futures

The market: green.

WTI: green, but still below $50

Two Wind Farms Proposed For North Dakota -- Xcel -- March 17, 2017

Active rigs:

	3/17/2017	03/17/2016	03/17/2015	03/17/2014	03/17/2013
Active Rigs	47	31	110	191	185

RBN Energy: the series continues -- is more pipeline capacity needed to serve natural gas exports via south Texas?

Scott Adams: photos don't lie.

Home of alma mater, undergraduate: Sioux Falls -- in The Wall Street Journal.

Tesla: will burn through cash launching Model 3 -- in Business Insider.

Wind: Xcel plans seven new wind farms, two in North Dakota -- in The Dickinson Press. In South Dakota, from Penn Energy:

Xcel's planned Crowned Ridge Wind operation in eastern South Dakota would have a capacity of 600 megawatts. The company's president for Minnesota and the Dakotas, Chris Clark, tells the Star Tribune (http://strib.mn/2nwlOnZ ) it will be Xcel's largest-ever wind investment in the upper Midwest.

In the Star Tribune link:

Xcel, already the nation’s largest wind-producing utility, has been on a wind spree of late, taking full advantage of federal tax credits for wind power before they are phased out.

“This is some of the best priced wind power, and it’s a great value for our customers,” Clark said. Xcel’s new wind installations would produce energy at a cost of 1.5 to 2.5 cents per kilowatt hour, which compares favorably to the 2.3 to 2.4 cents per-kilowatt-hour costs of Xcel’s Sherco coal generators, Clark said.

Xcel’s announcement Thursday includes a 100 megawatt project in North Dakota’s Mercer and Morton counties and a new 100 megawatt wind farm near Lake Benton, MN, which will replace an aging facility there. That new wind plant will have bigger turbines, which can produce more power.

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Notes To the Granddaughters

I would have to say that of all the "things" that impress Sophia the most, it is "the airplane." She has flown a number of times but never without her sisters. She is always looking for them when we go to the park, and being near DFW airport, she sees a lot of them. This is her first flight ever by herself and her dad. Details to follow.