Week 13: March 22, 2020 -- March 28, 2020

Video of the day:

• Sophia: first solo bike ride;

Top international non-energy story:

• Tom Hanks and wife "recover" from Wuhan flu
• Boris Johnson; and, Prince of Wales (the old guy), both test positive; Queen apparently "safe"; 
• Trump's wall: now the Mexicans want it;
• NYC will surpass all of China in number of folks testing positive for Wuhan flu;

Top international energy story:

• Oil price meltdown
• Canada-US talking North American cartel;
• House of Saud in fight for its very survival; here; and, here;

Top national non-energy story:

• First time unemployment claims: 3.3 million; previous record, less than 700,000; five-fold jump;
• CDC declares "seasonal flu" a US epidemic; and, here;
• US passes largest "money" bill of any kind in history;

Top national energy story:

• Oil price meltdown
• EPA suspends enforcement activities; 
• Gasoline demand begins to plunge;
• Gasoline at 99 cents/gallon;

Top North Dakota non-energy:

• North Dakota records its first Wuhan flu death;
• All those new schools probably won't be needed in western North Dakota;

Top North Dakota energy story:

• Federal judge puts DAPL in limbo
• Bakken light sweet oil down to $12/bbl;

Geoff Simon's top North Dakota stories:

• DAPL in limbo
• Coronavirus
• Tax filing deadline (ND) extended to July 15, 2020
• State lifts highway weight restrictions; extends mileage allowed on state roads
• ND reviving waivers to extend idled wells amid low prices
• ND governor: school districts have until April 1 to launch new learning platforms
• ND receives Medicaid waiver to streamline process during pandemic
• Unemployment numbers in state at record high levels
• Working at home putting strain on computer networks
• SAT and ACT testing canceled due to COVID-19
• Student load debt through Bank of ND deferred six months
• Grand Williston to close (movie theater)
• Minot's Norsk Hostfest canceled (I wish NOLA had canceled Mardi Gras)
• Southwest Water Authority (Dickinson) awarded for best tasting tap water, 5th in nation
• COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the importance of plastics from oil 

Operators:

Operations:

• North Dakota rig count finishes at 45 for the week; 
• An overlapping 640?

Fracking:

• Completion strategies during a global glut; 
• Highly successful Equinor re-frack;

Bakken 4.0:

• Tracking wells that don't report an IP in Bakken 4.0; 
• Completion strategies;

Commentary:

• Crude oil reserves; 
• OPEC+ vs US frackers: not over yet; 
• How Hillary and the DNC could yet derail Biden's nomination;
• Why an anti-malarial drug might work (at least to some extent);

Global warming:

• Antarctica set its coldest ever March temperature (-103.5°F);
• Lake Mead at recent record high levels;
• St Greta is "pretty sure" she has coronavirus; I'm pretty sure she is on the "continuum";