Pages

Saturday, December 28, 2019

Top Stories For 2019 -- In Progress

Top stories by month for the year of 2019 are here

As of January 31, 2020.

The Bakken, 2019. Summary. Pending.

Permits in North Dakota, by county, by field, by operator. Posted here.

Comment: this year, 2019, has the feel of a transition year in which the US economy literally broke away from the rest of the field. One gets the feeling that "2019" is setting the stage for the roaring 20's for the US. First decade in which it neither started nor ended with a recession. First time in history that a US president has not gotten embroiled in a "new" war. US reaches energy independence. For all the divisiveness in Washington, DC, the government was still able to pass a bipartisan $1.3 trillion budget to avert a government shutdown.

********************************************

Elevator speech: the stories that dominated the Bakken in 2019:
  • the Bakken roared back in 2019; a boom by any other name is still a boom
  • North Dakota oil production hits new all-time records on almost record low number of active rigs
Transitions:
  • Harold Hamm, the face of the Bakken, steps down as CEO, but isn't going anywhere
  • CLR: damn the torpedoes -- full speed ahead 
  • T. Boone Pickens, dies, age 91
International, non-energy:
  • Boris Johnson, landslide victory; makes Brexit almost a sure thing
  • Perhaps what did not happen is the big story: North Korea becomes a non-story
International, energy 
  • Saudi Aramco IPO 
  • Drone/missile attack on Saudi export terminal
  • Global EV sales decline year-over-year; first time this has happened in history
National, non-energy:
National, energy:
  • US becomes energy independent;
  • US crude oil, condensates, natural gas -- proved reserves -- new all-time record
  • US net exporter of petroleum, petroleum products
  • US becomes the crude oil swing producer
******************************
Top Stories Of 2019
By Category
 
Top Story of The Year:
  • The Articles of Impeachment not forwarded to the US Senate; the Mueller Report does not "indict" President Trump;
Runner-up:
  • The US economy: record low unemployment; longest expansion in history
The world:
  • North Korea becomes a non-story
Most surprising story of 2019:
  • For Art Berman: the Bakken is "back"
The most egregious story to come out of the Bakken:
The top US story:
  • The "fake" impeachment; the Mueller Report  
North Dakota, energy:
  • Multiple production records throughout the year
North Dakota economy:
  • record low unemployment continues
North Dakota, technology:
  • EOR pilot projects
Most exciting small non-operator in the Bakken:
  • NOG -- there really is no competition in this category
Most exciting micro operator in the Bakken

Most exciting small operator in the Bakken:
  • Bruin
Most exciting medium operator in the Bakken:
  • Slawson; 
  • Oasis, runner-up
Most exciting large operator in the Bakken:
  • MRO
  • Hess and CLR close runners-up for different reasons
Biggest deal:
  • OXY buys Anadarko
Most surprising deal:
  • OXY buys Anadarko
Record price per Bakken mineral acre, 2019:
Bakken operations, rigs:
  • Maybe averaged around 60 rigs throughout the year; dwindled to low 50s by end of the year;: 
Bakken operations, production
  • Records, records, and more records
Bakken operations, density:
  • Unitized fields (Hofflund, Grinnell) and high density projects increase (Long Creek Unit)
Top prediction (made in 2019): 

Record initial production:
  • Slawson, Torpedo #10; #31278; 
Biggest story in takeaway capacity:
  • New NGL pipeline
CBR:
  • The year ends with no resolution of Washington State restrictions on CBR
Pipeline:
  • Iowa Supreme Court rules in favor of DAPL
  • The year ends with ND regulators undecided about allowing DAPL to expand
Fracking:
  • Mega-fracks: 94-stage fracking;
Flaring:
  • Flaring on BLM getting worse, not better
Natural gas
  • Production setting all-time records
Refining:
  • Davis refinery near the park is still on-track (or is it?)
Investment story of the year:
  • Plastics plant for western North Dakota -- not! Developer files for bankruptcy
The "other" Williston Basin formations:
  • Almost nothing.
Bakken economy (too many to list):
  • New Williston airport opens on schedule; huge success story
  • Long X Bridge replacement on track
New (or better-understood) oil patch jargon:
  • Advantaged oil
  • Full cycle, half cycle costs
  • Brownfield vs greenfield
Miscellaneous:

Bakken economy -- Williston Economic Development (WED) top ten stories:
  • first flight lands at XWA
  • WED earns Bronze Award from International Economic Development Council
  • Sloulin redevelopment moves forward; Copeland secures 40 acres
  • Shawn Wenko named president of EDND Board
  • Williston leads North Dakota in Flex PACE incentives
  • Busted Knuckle, Hops and Berry, Cold Stone Creamery to open in Williston
  • WED launches Digital Community Gide
  • Shawn Wenko earns Chamber's Western Star Award
  • Williston Works podcast celebrates second season
  • WED employs Gonzaga summer interns

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.