Week 31: July 29, 2018 - August 4, 2018

This was the week that Apple hit a market cap of $1 trillion.

Without question, the data point of the week, if not the year?

The pipeline bottlenecks in North America are really causing a problem for western Canada and west Texas (the Permian). The largest crude oil producer in Canada has had to curtail production in Alberta because of the pipeline constraints. COP has temporarily exited the Permian. EOG, at the end of the week, said it would be cutting back on efforts in the Permian. Remember: it was the former CEO of EOG who suggested the Bakken play is coming to an end, as far as excitement / growth is concerned.

It's probably not a surprise that "pipelines" are "beating estimates." Link here.

It's hard to believe, it didn't feel like it, but apparently Brent crude had its biggest monthly drop in two years.

I think there were not less than three graphics that will compete for "graphic of the year":

• natural gas fill breaks through 5-year minimum
• the "Tesla" graph
• the "Saudi" graph

Operations
Bruin reports a record 30-day IP; also linked above

MRO reports another "record" IP
Update of CLR's incredible Whitman wells in Oakdale oil field 

Re-fracking
QEP re-fracks MHA wells in Deep Water Creek
QEP begins major refrack program in the Bakken

Pipelines
Could there be another "Bakken" pipeline to the Gulf Coast

Bakken economy
NOG announced its largest acquisition in history 
Whiting buys more Bakken acreage
Northstar Center Center foreclosure

Earnings
EOG

Commentary
The Bakken is looking pretty good;
"Permania" vs "Steady Eddy"
Contenders for top non-operating company in the Bakken, 2018
Contenders for top story of the year, 2018
Running out of locations in the Bakken?
Top ten oil blogs