Week 5: January 31, 2021 -- February, 6, 2021

The most under-reported story: 

• Reparations.
  

Top story of the week:

Top international non-energy story:

• John Kerry takes private jet to Iceland for global warming conference;
• Daimler to split truck division from company;
• Aramco's new stock offering looks doomed from the start;

Top international energy story:

• Brent trending toward $60; WTI hits $57;

Top national non-energy story:

• Ford forced to curtail F-150 production, semiconductor chip shortage;
• Apple could partner with GM;

Top national energy story:

• US crude oil exports hit record high in 2020;
• Shale looking good at $52-WTI;

Top North Dakota non-energy story:

Top North Dakota energy story:

• Number of active rigs jumps to 15;

Geoff Simon's top North Dakota energy stories:

• myriad energy bills working way through legislature;
• compromise reached in royalty dispute; lawmakers advance bill;
• appeals court refuses to stop construction of Line 3 pipeline;
• Hess Corp gas plant expansion to finish in 3Q21;
• bill for in-state Legacy Fund investing gets wide support;

Operators:

• Enerplus putting together its "whale" pad;
• NOG acquires its first position in the Marcellus;
• Chesapeake on verge of emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy;
• Newfield transfers 347 wells to Ovintiv;
• EOG acquires interest in Oman;
• Hess drills an EN-Labar well in record time;

Operations:

Wells:

• The incredible IP reported by the Hess AN-Baohmback well;
• The incredible Maddy Federal wells;
• Enerplus "Thread" well to hit 500K;
• An XTO Bobcat Federal well in Bear Creek goes over 500K in less than eighteen months;
• Irene Kovaloff with jump in production;

Fracking:

• XTO fracks a Maddy Federal with an unheard-of 34 million gallons of water;

Pipelines:

Bakken economy:

• North Dakota leads nation in canola oil;

Commentary: