Flashback From The Bakken, 2010 -- February 15, 2019

Analysts projected that North Dakota would produce one million bbls of crude oil by 2020.

"We" crossed that milestone some years ago. Just saying. And production is and has been constrained by any number of factors:

• US glut of light oil; US refineries don't need more light oil
• price volatility
• takeaway capacity
• competition from other shale plays (operators in multiple plays move focus from one play to another)
• flaring issues
• asset management

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Starbucks

I have been working from a new Starbucks in the area. It is much closer to home. Unfortunately it has become almost too crowded by the time I get there.

Having said that, I am completely blown away by all the retail construction occurring in this new Texas-style mall. The mall is in the southwest corner of Grapevine, directly west of the DFW airport, along the busiest and main thoroughfare from Ft Worth - south entrance of DFW -- through Grapevine -- north entrance of DFW -- Plano.

There are dozens of new stores, any of which would be anchor stores elsewhere. But instead of two or three "anchor-like" stores, there are at least a dozen. Two years ago there was nothing here except a Target store on the far northeast corner.

A year ago, I would have said that the "mall" was pretty much complete. Wow, was I wrong. I think it's doubled in size since phase 1, as it were, and it looks like this is only phase 2 of a three- or four-phase project. Unless I missed it earlier this year, it looks like Pei Wei is the newest addition. Upscale restaurants throughout the complex.