Saturday, July 14, 2018

PetroShale Paying Permian Prices For Bakken Acreage -- July 14, 2018

An alert reader caught this story; I would have missed it. It's a big story on many levels.

PetroShale will pay $55 million for 1,981 net acres in the Bakken:
  • 100% operatorship and held by production
  • 19 gross (14.3 net) high quality drilling locations
  • will mean a 24% increase in PetroShale's net drilling locations (from 59.5 to 73.8 locations)
  • 1,981 net acres of land; represents a 34% increase in company's existing acreage
  • average royalty rate: 14%; generally, PetroShale's corporate average is 20%
  • includes 550 boepd of low decline, producing assets
  • includes undeveloped acreage 
  • new acreage located in the core of PetroShale's existing focus area in North Dakota
Permian price paid:
  • $55 million / 1,981 net acres = almost $30,000 / acre 
Seller: an independent oil and gas company, not identified in the linked article

PetroShale's current focus: the Mandaree and Antelope oil fields

Bakken operators: that page has been updated to reflect this news;

Existing permits (from "well search," NDIC):


Note: at the sidebar at the right, I do have a link to "Williston Basin Deals."

Operators in the Antelope oil field that I think might be private (not publicly traded):
  • White Butte Oil Operations, LLC -- two permits
  • Bruin E&P Operating, LLC -- forty-nine permits
Operators in the Mandaree oil field that I think might be private (not publicly traded):
  • Rimrock Oil & Gas -- ten permits 
NOTE: see this post, dated July 11, 2017:
  • Bruin bought Halcon ...
  • 104,000 net acres
  • $1.4 billion 
  • that works out to $13,500 / acre
  • if it was Bruin, they flipped 1,981 acres for almost $30,000 / acre

Week 28: July 8, 2018 -- July 14, 2018

North Dakota sets three new all-time production records (this link):
  • crude oil production
  • natural gas production
  • boe (crude oil + natural gas) production
Another record:
  • number of producing wells: 14,755 (previous month: 14,583)
Not a record, but, (this link)
  • DUCs increased
  • number of inactive wells increased
Operations
Apparently the Lodgepole well being drilled southwest of Dickinson was dry
Oasis Ceynar wells should be coming off confidential list soon
Huge production for an MRO Ross well

Flaring
Trending in the wrong direction on the reservation

Fracking
Update on sand
Random update of an incredible re-fracked MRO well

Refinery:
Update on "Delta refinery" in Pennsylvania 

Bakken economy
North Dakota tax receipts increased well beyond forecasts; and here, 72% higher than projected;
Williston airport receives another federal financial installment

Miscellaneous
US gasoline demand is down 
Huge drop in US crude oil reserves 
US crude oil exports hits 3 million bopd

Update On Fracking Sand -- July 14, 2018

Disclaimer: this is not an investment site. I do not know if the linked article is a "sponsored" article over at Yahoo!Financial.

It comes from FreighTech / FreightWaves / Benzinga: an industry shift -- an update regarding fracking sand and ceramics. Some interesting data points:
  • railroads shipping crushed stone, sand, and gravel, in 2018, so far in 2018, year-over-year comparison:
    • UNP: up over 14%
    • BNSF: up almost 12%
    • Canadian Pacific: an incredible 20% (actually almost 21%)
    • but, UNP giving guidance that this may not continue; many operators now switching to "brown sand" found nearer the oil fields
  • US Silica: suggests that 2018 frack sand demand will hit 100 million tons, up from 66 million tons in 2017; and, 33 million tons in 2016
  • US Silica: operators will move to regional ("brown sand") to reduce costs
  • Hi-Crush: "Permian Pearl" sand --produced at the Hi-Crush Kermit facility will begin displacing lower quality regional brown sand by next year; Hi-Crush Kermit production: 3 million tons/year
  • others suggest that oversupply of frack sand will send frack sand prices plunging
  • "supplies are tight now" and "pricing is high but that could change quickly" -- some suggest as soon as later this year
  • it appears the only major unconventional play not with no "regional mines" is the Bakken (see the linked article)

In Case You Missed It -- "Clock Boy's" Fifteen Minutes Of Fame Running Out -- July 14, 2018 -- Two Stories Carried Over From The Obama Administration

I don't think the article at the link mentioned that the "clock boy" family has moved back to the states. It was reported that after some time (about three days) in their adopted home of Qatar, they returned to the states, I forget where. I do not know in which state, country, or universe they are living in now.
"Clock Boy" defamation lawsuit bombs in court -- teen's case dismissed against pundit who ridiculed the student.

President Obama reached out to the Muslim teen on Twitter to praise the boy for his “cool clock” and invite him to the White House as social justice warriors raged over alleged racial profiling and Islamophobia.

Shapiro commented on Fox News that Ahmed’s meeting with Obama at a White House Astronomy Night was “a bit of a downgrade” from the “star-studded event we expected between the president and Ahmed Mohamed where the president was going to knight him, give him the Order of Merit and then declare him the greatest scientist since Isaac Newton,” Twitchy reports.
***********************************
Keystone XL
or, As I Like To Say:
Hope Springs Eternal

On more serious matters, a reader has done a lot of sleuthing to bring us up to date regarding the Keystone XL. The operators are pressing on; they are obtaining bonds to insure against accidental damage to roads and rights-of-way.

Three links:
  • from the Rapid City Journal, SD PUC has bond for Keystone XL on road damage
  • from the Mitchell Republic, TransCanada files bond for Keystone XL as poipeline prepares for 2019 construction; and, finally, 
  • from the Dakota Free Press, July 13, 2018, TransCanada says Keystone XL staging and prep work begins this month; the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Chairman says Keystone XL is not welcome; article fails to mention that the Keystone XL pipeline will not physically touch the CRST reservation -- this reminds me, I have to re-read Don Quixote
This took a lot of sleuthing on the part of the reader. If you would like to set up a "GoFundMe" site for that reader, let me know. Only serious inquiries will be forwarded. How do I know if they are serious? I can tell. LOL.

Wells Off Line For Operational Reasons

Locator: X456B.
Updates: The Raw Data

October, 2023: some data pending:September, 2023: some data pending.

  • completed: 96 (preliminary)
  • inactive:
  • DUCS:
  • total off line for operational reasons: 
  • producing:

September, 2023: some data pending:September, 2023: some data pending.

  • completed: 129 (preliminary)
  • inactive: 1,547
  • DUCS: 367
  • total off line for operational reasons: 1,914
  • producing:18,538

August, 2023: some data pending.

  • completed: 91 (preliminary)
  • inactive: 1,624
  • DUCS: 376
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,000
  • producing: 18,396

July, 2023:

  • completed: 83 (preliminary)
  • inactive: 1,665
  • DUCS: 419
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,084
  • producing:18,179 (preliminary) -- new all-time highh

June, 2023:

  • completed: 85 (preliminary)
  • inactive: 1,693 -- compare with last month
  • DUCS: 433
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,216
  • producing:18,085

May, 2023:

  • completed: 138 (preliminary)
  • inactive: 1,779
  • DUCS: 459
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,238
  • producing: May, 2023: 17,913 (new all-time high)

April, 2023:

  • completed: 51 (preliminary)
  • inactive: 1,899
  • DUCS: 458.
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,357
  • producing: 17,768

March, 2023: some data pending

  • completed: 62 
  • inactive: 1,900.
  • DUCS: 483.
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,383
  • producing:17,656.

February, 2023:

  • completed: 96
  • inactive: 1,900.
  • DUCS: 487.
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,387
  • producing: 17,506

January, 2023:

  • completed: 67 (preliminary)
  • inactive:1,998 (a 24% decrease m/m)
  • DUCS: 469 (a 4% increase)
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,467 (a 19% decrease)
  • producing:17,366 (an increase of 0.7%)

December, 2022:

  • completed: 104
  • inactive: 2,613 (an increase of 15%)
  • DUCS: 450 (a less-than- 1% decrease)
  • total off line for operational reasons: 3,063 (a 13% increase)
  • producing:17,233 (a decrease of 2%)

November, 2022:

  • completed: 58
  • inactive: 2,271 (a decrease of 20%)
  • DUCS: 447 (a 9% decrease)
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,718 (a 14% increase)
  • producing:17,580

October, 2022:

  • completed: 54 (preliminary; a 47% decrease)
  • inactive: 1,886 (a 30% increase)
  • DUCS: 489 (3% increase)
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,375 (a 24% increase)
  • producing:17,791 (revised, final; a new all-time high)

September, 2022:

  • completed: 81 (preliminary; a 22.7% increase)
  • inactive:1,447 (decreased by 267; decreased by 15.5%)
  • DUCS: 474 (decreased by 3; decreased by 0%)
  • total off line for operational reasons: 1,921 (decreased by 12.3%)
  • producing:17,769 (increased by 53, increased by 0.9%)

August, 2022:

  • completed: 66 
  • inactive:1,714 (increased by 49; increased by 2.9%)
  • DUCS: 477 (increased by 12; increased by 2.6%)
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,191 (decreased by 12%)
  • producing:17,616 (increased by 235, increased by 1.4%); revised, 17,632.

July, 2022:

  • inactive: 1,655
  • DUCS: 465
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,120
  • producing:17,381

June, 2022: has recovered from the April blizzard

  • inactive: 1,750
  • DUCS: 483
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,233
  • producing: 17,284

May, 2022:

  • inactive: 2,448
  • DUCS: 496
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,944
  • producing: 16,965

April, 2022: huge blizzard shut things down

  • inactive: 1,909
  • DUCS: 494
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,403
  • producing: 16,896

March, 2022:

  • inactive: 1,928
  • DUCS: 451
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,379
  • producing: 16,746

February, 2022:

  • inactive: 1,872
  • DUCS: 463
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,335
  • producing: 16,746

January, 2022: 

  • inactive: 2,420
  • DUCS: 449
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,869
  • producing: 16,865 (final)

December, 2021: 

  • inactive: 1,975
  • DUCS: 475
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,450
  • producing: 17,200 (revised -- new all-time high)

November, 2021: 

  • inactive: 1,957
  • DUCS: 416
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,373
  • producing: 17,245 (new all-time high)

October, 2021: 

  • inactive: 1,881
  • DUCS: 457
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,338
  • producing: 17,163 (preliminary -- new all-time high)

September, 2021: 

  • inactive: 1,696 
  • DUCS: 503
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,199 
  • producing: 17,51 (final-- new all-time high)
August, 2021:
  • inactive: 1,672
  • DUCs:  521
  • total off line for operational reasons:  2,193
  • producing: 16,956 (looks like a new all-time high)

July, 2021:

  • inactive: 2,082
  • DUCs: 521
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,603
  • producing: 16,844 (preliminary; all-time high, last month, June, 2021, with 16,844)

June, 2021 (final):

  • inactive: 1,839
  • DUCs: 680
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,519
  • producing: 16,844 (all-time high)

May, 2021:

  • inactive: 2,348
  • DUCs:  677
  • total off line for operational reasons: 3,025
  • producing: 16,623

April, 2021:

  • inactive: 2,088
  • DUCs: 731 (note: this is an increase from the month before)
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,819
  • producing: 16,374 (preliminary)

March, 2021:

  • inactive: 2,351
  • DUCs: 628
  • total off line for operational reasons: 2,979
  • producing: 16,212 (final)

February, 2021:

  • DUCs: 662
  • inactive: 2,568
  • total off line for operational reasons: 3,230
  • producing: 15,773 (preliminary)

January, 2021:

  • DUCs: 661
  • inactive: 2,597
  • total off line for operational reasons: 3,258
  • producing: 15,798 (preliminary)

December:

  • DUCs: 668
  • inactive: 2,687
  • total off line for operational reasons: 3,355 
  • producing: 15,798 (preliminary) 

November:

  • DUCs: 710
  • inactive: 2,870
  • total off line for operational reasons: 3,580 
  • producing: 15,601 (preliminary); 15,620 (revised)

October:

  • DUCs: 724
  • inactive: 2,934
  • total off line for operational reasons: 3,658  
  • producing: 15,512 (preliminary); 15,601 (revised)

September:

  • DUCs: 793
  • total off line for operational reasons: 4,542 
  • producing: 15,377 (preliminary) --> 15,389 (final)

August, 2020:

  • DUCs: 846
  • inactive well count: 2,719
  • total off line for operational reasons: 3,565

July, 2020:

  • DUCs: 878
  • inactive well count: 3,762
  • total off line for operational reasons: 4,640

June, 2020:

  • DUCs: 899
  • inactive well count: 4,214
  • total off line for operational reasons: 5,113

May, 2020:

  • DUCs: 962
  • inactive well count: 6,108
  • total off line for operational reasons: 7,070

April, 2020:

  • DUCs: 944 (down 28 from the 972 in March)
  • inactive well count: 2,168 (up 7 from 2,161 in March)
  • total off line for operational reasons: 3,112
March, 2020:
  • DUCs: 972 (down 55 from the 1,027 in February)
  • inactive well count: 2,161 (up 72 from 2,091 in January )
  • March: it makes sense that inactive wells are up; DUCs are down; when DUCs are completed, neighboring wells are shut in to protect them; 
  • total off line for operational reasons: 3,133
February, 2020:
  • DUCs: 1,054 (up 30 from the 1,024 in January)
  • inactive well count: 2,091 (down 516 from 2,607 in January )
  • if I recall correctly, December, 2019, was a fairly "mild" winter by North Dakota standards;
  • January: huge jump in DUCs and inactive wells; 
  • February, 2020, was a fairly mild month, as I recall;
January, 2020:
  • DUCs: 1,024 (up 66 from the 958 in December)
  • inactive well count: 2,608 (up 687 from 1,920 in December -- a huge increase)
  • totals, wells off line for operational reasons: 3,631 -- up significantly month-over-month -- an increase of 753 or up an astounding 26% from the previous month;
  • this sets a new record of the the number of wells off line for operational reasons; the previous record was September, 2019, (3,020)
December, 2019:
  • DUCs: 958 (up 39 from the 919 in November)
  • inactive well count: 1,920 (up 194 from 1,726 in November)
  • totals, wells off line for operational reasons: 2,878 -- up significantly month-over-month -- an increase of 233 or about 8.8% from the previous month;
  • the number of wells off line for operational reasons in September, 2019, (3,020) sets a new record 
November, 2019:
  • DUCs: 919 (up 34 from the 885 in October)
  • inactive well count: 1,726 (up 43 from 1,683 in October)
  • totals, wells off line for operational reasons: 2,645 -- about average for the Bakken -- but up 77 or about 3% from the previous month;
October, 2019:
  • DUCs: 885 (down 31 from the 916 in September)
  • inactive well count: 1,683 (down 421 from 2,104 in September)
  • totals, wells off line for operational reasons: 2,568 -- about average for the Bakken
September, 2019
  • awaiting completion (DUCs), 916 (the November Director's Cut said the number of DUCs in August, 2019, was 930 which is different than that initially reported a month ago (see below)
  • inactive well count; 2,104 ((the November Director's Cut said the inactive well count in August, 2019, was 1,675 which is different than that initially reported a month ago (see below)
  • total: 3,020
  • if this is accurate, the number of wells off line for operational reasons in September, 2019, (3,020) sets a new record
  • it looks like 2,665, wells off-line for operational reasons back in March, 2019, is now the 2nd highest number of wells off-line for operational reasons
August, 2019
  • awaiting completion (DUCs), down 14, to 916
  • inactive well count; down 62 to 1,613
  • total: 2,529  
  • it looks like 2,665, wells off-line for operational reasons is still the all-time high (March, 2019)
July, 2019 
  • awaiting completion (DUCs): down 53, to 930
  • inactive well count: up 122, to 1,675
  • total: 2,605 (up from 2,536 last month) or an increase of 2.7% this represents about 1,000 more wells than will be drilled this calendar year; 2,536 wells is about the number of wells North Dakota will complete every three years
  • it looks like 2,665, wells off-line for operational reasons is still the all-time high (March, 2019)
  • scroll down to original post to see 2018 data and note how historically high the current number of inactive well is -- stunning
June, 2019:
  • awaiting completion (DUCs): down by 2 to 983
  • estimated inactive well count: down 3, to 1,553
  • total: 2,536 (down from 2,541 last month) -- this represents about 1,000 more wells than will be drilled this calendar year; 2,536 wells is about the number of wells North Dakota will complete every three years
  • it looks like 2,665, wells off-line for operational reasons is still the all-time high (March, 2019)
May, 2019:
  • awaiting completion (DUCs): up by 23 to 985
  • estimated inactive well count: down 69, to 1,556
  • total: 2,541 (down from 2,587 last month) -- this represents about 1,000 more wells than will be drilled this calendar year; 2,561 is about the number of wells North Dakota will complete every three years
  • it looks like 2,665, wells off-line for operational reasons is still the all-time high (March, 2019)
April, 2019:
  • DUCs: 962 (down 6 from last report)
  • inactive: 1,625 (down 72 from last report)
  • total: 2,587 (down from 2665 last month; this represents about 1,000 more wells than will be drilled this calendar year; 2,561 is about the number of wells North Dakota will complete every three years)
  • WTI was about $2/bbl higher in April, 2019, compared to March, 2019
  • 2,665 last month was probably an all-time high
March, 2019:
  • DUCs: 968, up 74 from last report
  • inactive: 1,697, up 30 from last report
  • total: 2,665 (up from 2,561 last month; this represents about 1,000 more wells than will be drilled this calendar year; 2,561 is about what North Dakota will complete every three years)
  • I do believe that this (2,665) represents an all-time high)
February, 2019:
  • DUCs: 894, up 27 from last report
  • inactive: 1,667, up a whopping 150 from last report
  • total: 2,561 (up from 2,332 last month, about 800 more wells than will be drilled this calendar year)
January, 2019:
  • DUCs: 867, up 44 from last report
  • inactive: 1,517, up 8 from last report
  • total: 2,384 (up from 2,332 last month, about 800 more wells than will be drilled this calendar year)
December, 2018:  
  • 823, down 134 from last report -- huge decrease
  • inactive: 1,509, up 128 from last report -- wow, look at that jump in the number of inactive wells 
  • total: 2,332 (down slightly from 2,338 in the last report; but 2,332 wells is still way more than the total number of wells that will be drilled in North Dakota this year)
November, 2018:
  • 957, down 2 from previous report
  • inactive: 1,381, up 18 from previous report
  • total: 2,338
October, 2018:  
  • 959, up 31 from previous report
  • inactive: 1,363, up 23 from previous report
  • total: 2,322
May, 2018:  
  • 955, up 13 from previous report
  • inactive: 1,569, down 48
  • total: 2,524
April, 2018:
  • 942, up 26 from previous report
  • inactive: 1,521, down 13
  • total: 2,463
March, 2018:
  • 916, up 15
  • inactive: 1,653, down 1 
  • total: 2,569
February, 2018:
  •  901, up 48
  • inactive: 1,654, down 100
  • total: 2,555
January, 2018:  
  • 853, down 24
  • inactive: 1,554, up 85
  • total: 2,407
December, 2017:
  • 877, down 6
  • inactive: 1,469, down 23
  • total: 2,346
November, 2017:
  • 883, down 6
  • inactive: 1,492, up 21
  • total: 2,375
October, 2017:  
  • 889, down 36
  • inactive: 1,471, up 27
September, 2017:
  • 853, down 10
  • inactive: 1,444, down 54
August, 2017:  
  • 863, down 26
  • inactive: 1,498, up 20
July, 2017:  
  • 889, up 34
  • inactive: 1,478
June, 2017:  
  • 865, up 35
  • inactive: 1,458, down 53
  • total: 2,323
May, 2017:
  • 830, unchanged
  • inactive: 1,511, up 45
  • total: 2,341
April, 2017:  
  • 830, up 141
  • inactive, 1,466, up 167
  • total: 2,296
March, 2017:
  • 689, down 110
  • inactive: 1,299, down 312 (need to correct typo at that post)
  • total: 1,988
February, 2017:  
  • 799, down 3
  • inactive: 1,611, down 67
  • total: 2,410
January, 2017:  
  • 802, down 5
  • inactive: 1,678, up 105
  • total: 2,480
December, 2016:
  • 807, down 32
  • inactive: 1,573, up 54
  • total: 2,380
  • corrected: 9/9/19
November, 2016:  
  • 839, down 21
  • inactive: 1,519, up 16
  • total: 2,358
  • corrected: 9/9/19
October, 2016:  
  • 860, down one
  • inactive: 1,503, down 11
  • total: 2,363
  • corrected: 9/9/19
September, 2016:  
  • 861, down 27
  • inactive: 1,514, unchanged
  • total: 2,375
  • corrected: 9/9/19 
August, 2016:
  • 888, down 24
  • inactive: 1,514, up 42
  • total: 2,402
  • corrected: 9/9/19
July, 2016:  
  • 912, up 25
  • inactive: 1,472, down 14
  • total: 2,384
  • corrected: 9/9/19
June, 2016:  
  • 887, down 44
  • inactive: 1,486, down 98
  • total: 2,373
  • corrected: 9/9/19
May, 2016:
  • 931, up 39
  • inactive: 1,584, down 6
  • total: 2,515
  • corrected: 9/9/19

Original Post
See Director's Cut, May, 2018, data.

From the June 29, 2018, update, now updated through most recent data, adding data for May, 2018:

From most recent data, May, 2018 - May, 2017, most recent to oldest, which brings us up to date:
  • taken from my posts on the blog. In May, 2017, I started posting DUCs and inactive wells on a regular basis. It's too time consuming to go back and fill in the few months in which I did not post data so I'm not going to fill in that bit of missing data. I think the existing data tells the story
  • data below: month/year, DUCs, inactive wells. All data below, including the up/down change were taken directly from the NDIC Director's Cuts
  • range:
    • an outlier, March, 2017: 689
    • otherwise, a low of 799 in February, 2017
    • a high of 955 in the most recent month, May, 2018
  • not graphed, but the trend for the past four months has been up 
    • January, 2018: 853
    • up 48 in February, 2018, 901
    • up 15 in March, 2018, 916
    • up 26 in April, 2018, 942 
    • up 13 in May, 2018, 955
Inactive wells:
  • in data presented, we have never gone above 1,700 inactive wells
  • number of inactive wells in the past three months are among the highest numbers in the data presented
Disclaimer: in a long note like this and with so many numbers, and no triple-checking and no NYT fact-checker, there will be factual and typographical errors.