Week 6: February 3, 2019 -- February 9, 2019

Top story of the week: President Trump's approval rating jumping to 50% after his state of the union address.

Top international energy story of the week: Saudi Arabia, OPEC, Russia entertaining a closer partnership to guarantee minimum floor on price of oil.

4Q18 earnings: major oil companies smash earnings forecasts

Top US energy story this past week: US to be energy exporter by 2020 -- EIA

Geoff Simon's top North Dakota energy stories:

• Extraction tax increase dies in ND House
• Gasoline tax increase dies in NS Senate
• Red Trail Energy pursues carbon capturing and storage
• Pipeline activists tampering with Enbridge Pipeline face felony charges in Minnesota

Bakken operations
Twenty new permits; some large mega-pads being proposed
MRO continues to impress; new MRO well producing at 104K bbls/month;
MRO re-fracking program in Bailey oil field
Bruin reports several nice Berg Trust wells
Four counties in western North Dakota will outproduce Venezuela
Update on incredible re-fracked CLR Rattlesnke Point well;
Something going on with CLR's Hawkinson wells?

Bakken 101
Bakken in graphs and tables
Of recent wells drilled in the Bakken, only 44% of of the EUR has been produced 

Bakken economy
Cobra Gas & Oil acquires Enduro's assets in Williston;
Australian company specializing in honeybees, taps UND drone expertise
Starbucks in Williston?