An XTO Mandal Federal Well With Jump In Production After Returning To Production After A Year Off Line -- December 16, 2020

This well is intriguing:

October 12, 2019: #20140, off line -- it's an XTO well; should be doing better; back on line 10/19; but not doing particularly well; off line 11/19; remains off line 9/20; now IA; 10/20 -- sixteen days, nice production; 

The well:

• 20140, 1,841, XTO, Mandal Federal 41X-29C, Haystack Butte, t10/13; cum 195K 10/20: there's a lot of activity in this area; several wells on drl/NC status and FracFocus does not show any completions. This well appears to have a jump in production after being off line for about a year and not due to any neighboring fracking, but I haven't had a chance to check all the neighboring wells.
  

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
BAKKEN	10-2020	16	2434	1699	2593	448	385	0
BAKKEN	9-2020	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	8-2020	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	7-2020	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	6-2020	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	5-2020	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	4-2020	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	3-2020	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	2-2020	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	1-2020	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	12-2019	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	11-2019	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	10-2019	16	1016	1745	753	3867	1462	2269
BAKKEN	9-2019	11	960	231	693	3195	667	2520
BAKKEN	8-2019	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	7-2019	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	6-2019	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	5-2019	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	4-2019	1	3	265	0	9	0	9
BAKKEN	3-2019	26	962	1244	628	3282	1980	886
BAKKEN	2-2019	28	1171	1322	957	3868	3346	0
BAKKEN	1-2019	31	1400	1479	1189	4364	3479	297
BAKKEN	12-2018	31	1286	1228	1250	4394	3548	354
BAKKEN	11-2018	30	1241	1281	1227	4283	3714	29
BAKKEN	10-2018	31	1412	1352	1469	4967	4364	0
BAKKEN	9-2018	30	1372	1230	1251	4719	3954	413
BAKKEN	8-2018	31	1424	1516	1341	5011	3838	848

US Ports

Updates: see reader's comments explaining what I missed when posting the original post.

Original Post

A most unusual economy.This morning -- or was it yesterday -- there was a report that US retail sales dropped in November.I can't reconcile that report and the headlines below.  Later: see first comment. A reader explained how this could all be reconciled. I feel like an idiot. LOL. Not the first time. But that's the purpose of the blog; to keep learning.

Flow of US imports continues to surge, now at twice the rate of exports, December 16, 2020.

Trade with China roars back as Americans are stuck at home, NY Times, December 14, 2020. 

Boxed out: China's exports pinched by global run on shipping containers, December 14, 2020. 

Port of Long Beach broke another cargo record in November, the fourth straight month is has done so, December 11, 2020.  

Near gridlock at San Pedro Bay port complex amid best month in 114 years for Port of Los Angeles, December 10, 2020.

China's export snag: containers are running short, December 10, 2020.

Port Tracker report highlights another monthly record and a projected annual 2020 increase, December 9, 2020.

China to ease shortage of containers, December 7, 2020.

Trucking, teamsters, and the San Pedro Harbor, December 4, 2020. 

Container shortages the biggest disrupter: where are all the empty boxes? December 1, 2020.

Global container shortage drives spike in shipping rates, but brings windfall for Chinese manufacturers, October 14, 2020.

There aren't enough containers to keep world trade flowing, March 18, 2020.

Amgen -- December 16, 2020

I see that Amgen raised its dividend. 

• prior: $1.60 (link here)
• new: $1.76
• increase: 16 cents / 1.60 = 10% increase
• share price today: $228.44 (down $2.09)
• after-hours: $230.27 (up $1.83)
• $6.40 / $228.44 = 2.8%
• $7.04 / $230.27 = 3.06%
• new dividend:
• record date: 2/15/21
• payable date: 3/8/21

Amgen is an "expensive" stock but one can buy it "by the slice" through most brokers. 

Disclaimer: this is not an investment site.  Do not make any investment, financial, job, career, travel, or relationship decisions based on what you read here or think you may have read here.

This particular item caught my interest for two reasons:

• the other day, there was an article that suggested 2021 will be a year for dividend increases and buybacks;
• a 10% increase in a dividend for an "old" company is quite noteworthy;

Chinese Flu-Related Hospitalizations Drop To Lowest Level In Two Months -- December 16, 2020

From social media today:

Two New Oil And Gas Permits -- December 16, 2020

Active rigs:

$47.82	12/16/2020	12/16/2019	12/16/2018	12/16/2017	12/16/2016
Active Rigs	14	53	67	53	40

Three new permits, #38026 - #38028, inclusive, but one is a SWD well;

• 38026, loc, MRO, Goddard USA 41-4TFH, McGregory Buttes, NWNE 4-147-94; 470 FNL 1520 FEL;
• 38027, PD/loc, Koda, Ekin 26-1 SWD, Smoky Butte,
• 38028, conf, Crescent Point, CPEUSC Makowsky 8-31-30-158N_99W-TFH-LL, Dublin, SESW 31-158-99;

Two permits canceled:

• Cobra Oil and Gas: two Neru permits in Billings County;

Two producing wells completed:

• 35762, drl/A, Enerplus, Moss 149-93-21C-22H-LL, Mandaree, t--; cum 66K 10/20;
• 35596, SI/A, Enerplus, Stratus 149-94-33C-28H- TF, Eagle Nest, t--; cum 202K 10/20; the Enerplus Cloudy pad is tracked here; fracked 1/1/20 -- 1/21/20; 6.35 million gallons of water; 58.96% water by mass; another low water frack; see this post;
  

  Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
  BAKKEN	10-2020	31	32815	32599	26037	65933	61722	984
  BAKKEN	9-2020	28	23546	23673	23260	43791	41069	706
  BAKKEN	8-2020	28	27824	27728	23944	41983	39867	835
  BAKKEN	7-2020	31	25509	25487	25745	0	0	0
  BAKKEN	6-2020	17	14137	14103	15330	18709	17696	424
  BAKKEN	5-2020	26	18279	18427	23064	21522	20282	548
  BAKKEN	4-2020	30	24011	23883	27135	26175	25063	720
  BAKKEN	3-2020	29	31208	31093	34230	31208	29726	1358
  BAKKEN	2-2020	5	4194	4112	7420	4195	3746	438

Twelve Wells From Late September, 2020, Now Completed And Reporting; Some Operators In The Bakken Remain Very Busy -- December 16, 2020

Back on September 22, 2020, none of these wells had posted any production. Now:

September 22, 2020:

• 35916, SI/A, WPX, Badger 22-21HY, Squaw Creek, t--; cum 110K in six months; cum 162K 10/20;
  
• 35917, SI/A, WPX, Badger 22-21HA, Squaw Creek, t--; cum 150K 10/20;
  
• 35262, drl/A, CLR, Sefolosha Federal 10-23H1, Epping, t--; cum 48K 10/20;
  
• 35263, drl/A, CLR, Sefolosha Federal 9-23H, Epping, t--; cum 84K 10/20;
  
• 35264, drl/A, CLR, Sefolosha Federal 8-23H1, Epping, t--; cum 66K 10/20;
  
• 35265, drl/A, CLR, Sefolosha Federal 7-23H, Epping, t--; cum 89K 10/20;
  
• 35266, drl/A, CLR, Sefolosha Federal 6-23H1, Epping, t--; cum 62K 10/20;
  
• 36485, SI/A, CLR, Sefolosha Federal 3-23H1, Epping, t--; cum 52K 10/20;
  
• 36487, SI/A, CLR, Sefolosha Federal 5-23H1, Epping, t--; cum 38K 10/20;
  
• 36720, drl/A, CLR, Vardon 11-14H2, Siverston, t--; cum 55K 10/20;
  
• 36722, drl/A, CLR, Vardon 11-14H, Siverston, t--; cum 68K 10/20;
  
• 37192, drl/A, CLR, Wiley 13-25HSL2, Pershing, t--; cum 51K 10/20;

WPX With A Huge Mandaree Warrior Well; Small Frack -- December 16, 2020

The well:

• 36259, drl/A, WPX, Mandaree Warrior 14-11HS, Squaw Creek, t--; cum 242K 10/20; a couple of 36K months; a 41K month; fracked 2/2/20 - 2/17/20; 5.2 million gallons of water; 83.3% water by mass; 

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
BAKKEN	10-2020	31	30786	30756	13347	35619	30981	481
BAKKEN	9-2020	30	40836	40699	17115	48545	43357	0
BAKKEN	8-2020	26	28388	28358	16189	32844	28666	619
BAKKEN	7-2020	31	27501	27657	16151	39436	36089	0
BAKKEN	6-2020	30	35376	35405	20207	43803	39678	0
BAKKEN	5-2020	31	35560	35322	23435	48499	44340	0
BAKKEN	4-2020	30	25285	25294	23929	34718	31674	0
BAKKEN	3-2020	14	17245	17422	17301	19280	7826	9438
BAKKEN	2-2020	28	808	523	48	86	0	0

The Bakken Never Ceases To Amaze Me -- WPX With Huge Omaha Woman Wells -- Squaw Creek -- December 16, 2020

The well:

• 36820, drl/A, WPX, Omaha Woman 24-13-12HC, Squaw Creek, t--; cum 82K over 28 days; fracked 8/1/20 - 8/22/20; 8.9 million gallons of water; 84.6% water by mass;
  

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
BAKKEN	10-2020	28	82318	81951	58511	62518	53575	0
BAKKEN	9-2020	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	8-2020	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

The well:

• 36864, drl/A, WPX, Omaha Woman 24-13-12HD, Squaw Creek, t--; cum 65K over 29 days: fracked 8/1/20 - 8/22/20; 8.8 million gallons of water; 84.6% water by mass;

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
BAKKEN	10-2020	29	64477	64194	58020	69007	61972	0
BAKKEN	9-2020	1	525	520	630	739	625	53
BAKKEN	8-2020	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Mid-Day Market; NASDAQ Hits New All-Time Record -- December 16, 2020

Disclaimer: this is not an investment site.  Do not make any investment, financial, job, career, travel, or relationship decisions based on what you read here or think you may have read here. 

The market: it's likely the three major indices will all end in the green today. Right now, 2:36 p.m. CT:

• the three indices: 
• NASDAQ: up 81 points; hits a new all-time record;
  
• Dow 30: flat, oscillating about the "0" line;
• S&P 500: up about 12 points
• stocks in the news, look at this BNB: up 10% today; up $13;
• DASH: flat; perhaps very slightly negative but the day is not over
• TSLA: down about 1.65%
• AAPL: flat; perhaps very, very slightly green;
• AIV: has fallen another 7% today; on the day the news broke, AIV, trading at $40 fell precipitously, is now trading at $4.69; I still think this is incredibly "wrong" the way this was done; I don't have a dog in the fight (I have never invested in AIV) but talk about manipulating the market at a very high level; the good news: the company is now paying a 43% dividend (annual dividend of $2.03 for share that is trading for $4.70 -- LOL);
• pipelines
• ENB: down 1.3%
• EPD: down 2%
• ET: down 1.2%
• pharm:
• JNJ: flat; down about 0.2%
• PFE: down 2% -- rollout issues; Bell's palsy; allergic reactions being reported;
• oil:
• COP: down 1%
• CVX: down 1%

MDU: acquires Wyoming construction materials business. Just in time to start putting in the infrastructure for Biden's green energy plan. 

Weekly EIA Petroleum Data Posted; Testing Whether Hydrogen Can Be Transported Using Existing Natural Gas Grid -- December 16, 2020

Link here. 

Weekly EIA petroleum data:

• US crude oil in storage decreased by 3.1 million bbls from the previous week;
• US crude oil in storage now stands at 500.1 million bbls, about 10% above the
• already fat five-year average;
• crude oil imports averaged 5.4 million bbls per day, about 1.1 million bbls per day less than the previous week;
• distillate fuel inventories increased by 0.2 million bbls; distillate fuel in storage remains about 11% above the already fat five-year average;
• jet fuel product supplied was down 36% compared with the same four-week period last year;

********************************
Sempra And Hydrogen

Sempra testing whether it can transport hydrogen by pipeline.

• Sempra Energy's Southern California Gas says it will field test a new technology which might allow hydrogen to be easily and affordably transported over a natural gas pipeline. 
• The company says the technology would simultaneously separate and compress hydrogen from a blend of hydrogen and natural gas, transport the hydrogen via the natural gas pipeline system, then extract and compress the hydrogen at fueling stations that service fuel cell electric vehicles. 
•  "This innovative technology could be a game-changer, allowing hydrogen to be distributed to wherever it is needed using the [existing] natural gas grid," says SoCalGas VP of clean energy innovations Neil Navin. 
• The field test is scheduled to begin in March at SoCalGas' Engineering Analysis Center in Pico Rivera, California, with completion expected in 3Q21.
  
• Sempra "has become a leading LNG exporter and developer while adding a high-growth Texas operation to its significant Mexican presence," Laura Starks writes in a bullish analysis posted recently on Seeking Alpha.

Also: think Oneok. 

Disclaimer: this is not an investment site.  Do not make any investment, financial, job, career, travel, or relationship decisions based on what you read here or think you may have read here. 

****************************
AAPL

On a down day for the market -- very "mildly" down, I might add -- AAPL has just turned green -- 1:59 p.m. CT, December 16, 2020. This was shortly after the Fed released their minutes, stating what was expected: no change in the "Fed rate."

Awaiting The Big Storm -- December 16, 2020

Even before the big storm this weekend, renewables cannot keep up in New England which is now burning both oil and coal to meet demand.

Link here. 

Meanwhile, Long Island is up to $71.

Number Of DUCs Not Decreasing In The Bakken, Permian -- December 16, 2020

Note: the numbers in the spreadsheet below were transcribed from another source. It was difficult to read the chart and some of my numbers may be incorrect. I believe the most important columns ( the number of DUCs for the Bakken and the Permian) are accurate.

One of the most common memes regarding DUCs this past year was that the oil companies were making a major effort to complete DUCs to maintain production. 

The reader and I did not see that in either the Bakken or the Permian. Note the first column, month/year. 

Since January, 2020:

• DUCs in the Bakken:
• relatively stable, but did decrease from 843 (January, 2020) to 806 (November, 2020);
• it matters which months you compare: from January, 2020, to July, 2020, the number of DUCs actually increased
• DUCs in the Permian:
• relatively stable, but DUCs actually increased from 3,409 (January, 2020) to 3,516 (November, 2020)

Bakken	Drilled	Completed	DUCs	Permian	Drilled	Completed	DUCs
Jan 14	178	143	605	Jan 14	581	590	650
Dec 14	224	194	732	Dec 14	634	577	1041
Jan 17	62	52	781	Jan 17	352	259	1297
Dec 17	77	65	733	Dec 17	473	382	2034
Jan 18	107	72	768	Jan 18	487	403	2118
Dec 18	108	70	741	Dec 18	537	416	2937
Jan 19	120	71	838	Jan 19	585	476	3046
Dec 19	94	86	884	Dec 19	449	453	3417
Jan 20	99	94	843	Jan 20	448	438	3409
Mar 20	94	108	824	Mar 20	460	442	3447
Jul 20	18	25	860	Jul 20	149	101	3562
Oct 20	19	32	818	Oct 20	141	156	3536
Nov 20	20	32	806	Nov 20	148	168	3516