Week 19: May 5, 2019 -- May 11, 2019

Top international story: Venezuela -- North Korea -- Iran on front burner; tea leaves suggest Mexico will be in similar straits in less than two years

Top international energy story: US shale now the second least expensive oil in the world

Top national non-energy story: What fresh hell is this? 

Top national energy story: California running out of gasoline? 

Geoff Simon's top North Dakota energy stories:

• census: oil region to gain legislative seats
• Dickinson: another wealthy community rejects school bond
• bigger wells are resulting in ND production surge
• pipeline capacity shortage begins to re-emerge
• recovery rates near 60% at Weyburn
• Project Tundra gains momentum
• Davis Refinery model to spread to other states as progress in ND continues
• large wind farm on 44,000-acre site northwest of Tioga approved by ND PSC
• pipeline bans make gas transport by rail (NGBR) an economic necessity

Operations:

• Rigs back up to 66 in North Dakota

Bakken 2.5:

• Parent-well-uplift; a reader's take on the "halo" effect; Whiting slides; rate of return, infinite;
• Second production jump for a Whiting well

Fracking:

• Whiting's Gen 5

Pipelines:

• MDU/WBI proposed a pipeline to connect Tioga with Northern Border Pipeline
• Bakken natural gas takeaway

Bakken economy

• increasing talk of a petrochemical plant in North Dakota
• Northstar auction; 
• Legacy Fund deposit holds steady