Monday, April 30, 2018

Quick takes:

• Nobel: SoKo's Moon says Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. The three that will share it -- Kim-Xi Moon. Pies.

• Korean summit: listening to NPR this morning, it's very clear the left (not just the alt-left) in our country will do what they can to derail the summit; scuttle success. It will be interesting if Scott Adams picks up on this.
• Mideast: everyone is focused on Iran. The story being missed: Palestinians. Trump, Israel and Saudi Arabia seem to be on same page. 
• Price of oil: forecasts all over the place -- some now saying oil will easily hit $100; could hit $300 (that tweet has been deleted, but a screenshot captured it). Others says price could collapse. 
• Oil supply / demand; the story for months -- too much supply; now, the story has changed -- too much demand; investors being played by the chatter.
• WHCD: will it play in Peoria? Nope. WHCD dead. Lack of civility -- reached new depths. It will be interesting if Scott Adams picks up on this. This is not how you persuade middle-of-the-roaders looking for reasons to vote against Trump. 
• Auto: environment changing fast. Ford, GM shutting down entire lines of sedans. Tesla is pretty much limited to sedans right now. 
• Most expensive driving season -- ever? Some are saying so. That may or may not be, but it will be close, and certainly makes no sense. All of a sudden folks are concerned about $68 oil when a) under previous administrations, oil hit $140/bbl or thereabouts; and, b) at one time, it was said that US shale couldn't survive on anything less than $70-oil.

******************************** 

Back to the Bakken

Where Fracking Is Always In Fashion

Active rigs:

$67.34↓	4/30/2018	04/30/2017	04/30/2016	04/30/2015	04/30/2014
Active Rigs	62	49	29	86	187

RBN Energy: everything is UP! Crude oil prices up; crude oil and natural gas production up; but more midstream infrastructure needed.

Seems like just about everything to do with energy markets is up these days.  Crude oil prices are back to the levels of late 2014.  Crude production hit a 10.6 MMb/d record volume last week, while lower-48 natural gas has been bouncing around an 80 Bcf/d record level. Exports of crude, gas and NGLs are at all-time highs.  But all those hydrocarbon molecules must find their way from the wellhead to market.