Notes From All Over -- Sunday Night -- September 26, 2021

Companies paying dividends tomorrow, September 27, 2021:

• WMB
• SCHB
• SCHD
• SCHG

Paying dividends, September 30, 2021:

• Hess
• Devon Energy: regular plus variable
• Union Pacific
• Ovintiv

And a gazillion more.

Could be another big day on Wall Street tomorrow. Or not.

But right now, things are looking good. Best of luck to all. 

The Bazhenov

The Bazhenov is tracked here.

• wiki;
• from 2014, from Reuters;

First Mention: Beetaloo Basin -- Meanwhile, Revisiting The Bazenhov -- Nothing Like Two New "Plays" To Make My Day -- September 26, 2021

Wow, I'm glad I started this blog. To paraphrase Dr Seuss: the things I learn from readers.

LOL.

There are some really smart people out there when it comes to oil and natural gas and crude oil, and at the same time, are keeping track of what's going on.

 This is reason #3 why I love to blog.

A reader writes:

Completely unrelated, but of possible interest, development of the Beetaloo Basin shale gas is proceeding briskly.

 

Three separate outfits are in the process of drilling/frac'ing a half dozen wells relying upon American expertise.

 

Amount of gas resource is significant. Minimal oil.

Australia will join the US, Canada, Argentina and Russia in having productive unconventional hydrocarbon output.

The grossly under reported Russian efforts are targeting the Bazenhov with present output of 20,000 barrels oil per day and rapidly growing. Technological sanctions are inhibiting the pace of development.

The Bazenhov will ultimately dwarf the Permian.

I do believe this is the first reference to:

• the Beetaloo Basin; and,
• the Bazhenov
  

Not true. I have blogged about the Bazhenov before and have a link to where I follow it.

More on these later but for the date / time stamp, here they are. 

The Beetaloo:

• Falcon Oil & Gas, press release.
• grave mistake; LOL; predictable; faux environmentalists have boiler plate press releases ready to go at a moment's notice; tiresome. I'll quote Perry Mason later

The Bazenhov:

• wiki;
• from 2014, from Reuters;

The Beetaloo

The Beetaloo:

• Falcon Oil & Gas, press release.
• grave mistake; LOL; predictable; faux environmentalists have boiler plate press releases ready to go at a moment's notice; tiresome. I'll quote Perry Mason late

UK, Europe -- Energy Crisis -- 2021 - 2022

Big things are happening in Europe, UK in response to the crisis. 

Two issues, and they appear completely separate.

Natural gas.

Gasoline.

They are related but we can dispense with the UK gasoline crisis for the moment. This was how it played out:

• natural gas prices were surging
• talk of natural gas prices pulling gasoline prices forward
• among the well-read, folks started keeping their automobiles full of gasoline; their trucks full of diesel
• that exacerbated the situation and rumors worsened
• even the less-well-read were now hearing rumors of fuel shortages
• shortage fed on itself
• then, accurate or not accurate, there were reports of a shortage of truck drivers ...
• but what's the possibility that as service stations (or garages as the Brits called them) anticipated growing demand, started ordering more and in some cases were simply being told, there's plenty of fuel, but there is now a "relative" shortage of drivers (same number of drivers, just more demand); the Brits famously do not like to work overtime;
  
• and, the rest is history as petrol stations started to run out of fuel
• mostly due to panic buying
• but this is what is not being said: the Brits, regardless of what the politicians have said, had moved on; they had enough with Covid; they were getting back to normal; demand for fuel exceeded prognostications when the Delta virus hit
• could this happen in the US? Nope.

Okay, now natural gas. This is a bigger problem for the Brits and even with a warm winter, the UK could be in big, big trouble. One would hope BoJo is coordinating with JoBid to get LNG shipments prioritized to the UK, not Asia. [There are reports saying that will not happen.]

This is not a story about Russia. Wow, that gets tiresome. 

This started with the "Angela Merkels" years ago when faux environmentalists started shutting down coal plants (2000) and nuclear reactors (Fukishima, 2011). It's ironic how it happened. Shutting down coal plants would not have been a disaster had there been no problem with nuclear plants, but that all changed, for Germany, with Fukishima. For Germany, coal was their Plan A. Nuclear plants, their Plan B.

The UK had no Plan B. One could say the same thing for the UK, except instead of shutting down nuclear reactors in response to Fukishima they simply increased reliance on wind.

And it was the "wind issue" that brought the UK to its knees most recently.

Well, to some extent. I don't believe it was simply the wind. 

A gedankenexperiment:

Imagine what would happen in the US if for whatever reason, Resident Biden shut down the Permian. Just shut it down. Things were reversed in the US. Plan A was oil from Canada via the Keystone XL. There was no Plan B because no Plan B was needed. Oil was more than plentiful in Canada and no one in their right mind ever thought any US president would shut down a simple pipeline.

Fortunately for America, Mark Papa (EOG) and Harold Hamm (CLR) came up with a Plan B before it was even needed; pure serendipity. In fact, Plan B, light oil was not what the refiners along the Gulf coast needed. They were optimized for heavy oil. 

So, with the loss of the Keystone X, Plan A: not a big deal but unpleasant for the oil industry, especially the refiners, and ultimately those who buy gasoline for their automobiles, like you and me.

So, now with the loss of the Keystone XL, imagine Resident Biden shutting down the Permian.

That's exactly what happened in Europe with regard to natural gas. And no one is talking about it. Until today, interestingly enough, and I will provide the link later. Actually there are two links but I can't find one of them now. Not to worry. By the end of the week, there will be many links, many stories.

The US did not shut down the Permian. But the Dutch shut down "the" Groningen, the largest natural gas field in Europe. Made the decision based on risk of earthquakes. Europe's Plan B: like Keystone XL from Canade, Europe's Plan B was Nord Stream 2 from Russia. 

The problem: Americans like Trump did not like Nord Stream 2. I have no idea what drove that: knee-jerk politics, or well-founded national security issues.  

So, whereas Americans did not have a Plan B if the Keystone XL did not materialize, Mark Papa and Harold Hamm pre-empted any serious problems for the US. 

But not the Europeans. It was just the reverse. They closed the Groningen (Plan A) knowing Nord Stream 2 (Plan B) was coming down the pike.

While editing this, a reader wrote to remind that there even more to the story. The reader reminded me that at the time the Groningen decision was being made there is/was another copious energy supply that was stillborn ... the project to frac the Bowland Basin shale.

A company named Cuadrilla not only drilled a horizontal well 3 years ago, they were able to frac about 5 stages.

 

The preposterous restrictions placed upon the company included not exceeding a .5 (point 5) reading on the Richter scale during the fracturing process. (For context, rambunctious football fans regulary produce Richter readings of 2 when stomping their feet. As the Richter scale is algorithmic, that 2 is something like 30/40 times more prominent than the acceptable .5).

Combining both the known Bowland and Weald Basin shale gas resources, the UK possesses about a 80 to 100 year supply of natgas beneath their feet. 

For Cuadrilla, this was just what the DAPL operators experienced: experiencing harassment at the very time recognizing how acute the need for natural gas.

So, in fact, there was a Plan C -- all that natural gas in Great Britain until faux environmentalists shut that project down, also.

But, as usual, there's even more. 

Folks are blaming the Russians. 

Nope, nothing could be farther from the truth.

First, the timing and the geopolitics. Why would Russia risk being exposed to "cheating" at the very time they are trying to get this thing approved by Europe and by the US?

Second, there are many, many indications that Russia itself is reaching the limits of its production. That has been addressed at the blog on number occasions over the past ten years. Russia is facing a very, very cold winter (again, nothing new). 

Link here, but this article appeared after I drafted the above. Cyril Widdershoven is one of my favorite contributors over at Oilprice.com.

Covid-19: Rambling Thoughts -- Not Ready For Prime Time -- September 26, 2021

It does without saying, no one "trusts," no one "believes" the Covid data the CDC is reporting. Likewise, no one "trusts" or "believes" official spokespeople, the politicians, the drug companies. No one has a clue. Everyone of us has our own worldview / myth of Covid-19.

I have flip-flopped on the issue numerous times, as have many folks.

Vaccines: I remember Trump supporters wanted to be first in line for the vaccine. Democratic leadership was clearly "against" Trump's "Operation Warpspeed."

A digression: not to be outdone, Resident Biden had his own "Operation Warpspeed." Does anyone remember the operation? The name of the Biden's operation warpspeed?

Hints:

• phase one lasted one month, compared to Operation Overlord, WWII, just four days short of three months

• phase two: not required in Operation Overlord, WWII; Biden's operation warpspeed: another fifteen days, but apparently, through back channels,  is still going on.

Sorry for the digression.

Oh, that's right. The name of Biden's Operation Warpspeed? Google it.

But I digress.

Where was I?

Oh, yes, Covid-19.

Vaccines:

THEN: Trump supporters wanted to be first in line for the vaccine. Democratic leadership was clearly "against" vaccines coming out of "Operation Warpspeed." 

NOW: Trump supporters have become anti-vaxxers. Meanwhile, President Biden practically seems to be shedding alligator tears imploring Americans to become vaccinated. He seems more upset about the vaccination story than the number of American military killed during the ill-executed (pun intended, sadly) evacuation.

I just went to the CDC site to check up on the percentage of folks vaccinated at the county level. Good, bad, indifferent, I am absolutely amazed at how few folks are being vaccinated in the rural counties of America and how many folks are being vaccinated in cities on the east and west coasts. 

Ivermectin: I have no dog in this fight; don't care one way or the other, but I do find the story fascinating. Let's say it's a draw regarding ivermectin. Let's say there's a scientific committee (modeled after the Fed, with twelve "governors and a "head" -- thirteen altogether) that makes ivermectin recommendations to the president. Behind closed doors, the vote is six to six and the "head" abstains, taking the "draw" recommendation to the president. Why would the president say "no" to ivermectin. Hint: it has nothing to do with money or whether it works or not. And, to some extent, I think he may have made the right decision. Having said that, with regard to ivermectin, Resident Biden has not been able to thread the needle.

Sweden: whether accurate of not, the meme is that Sweden ignored the pandemic and Swedes went on with live as if nothing was happening. Of course, that's not true, but that's the meme.

Norway: whatever the populace thought about the pandemic, as of yesterday, September 25, 2021, Norway has said "enough is enough" and has scrapped all precautions, saying the country needs to "live with the virus."

Americans:

• sports fans, sports teams, sports announcers have moved on:
• fans: 100s of thousands in stands, unmasked
• coaches no longer masked
• announcers: no longer mentioned
• entertainment industry: virtual signaling; wear masks for photo ops, but not while participating
• Hollywood: best example of virtual signaling; 
• only slightly less hypocritical than the folks in DC if that's possible;
  
• DC: finally, Resident Biden is seen not wearing a mask

Do the vaccines work?

• yes,
• but everyone seems surprised that boosters are needed;
• folks seem to forget that boosters are the norm for vaccines
  

Will Big Pharma make money on vaccines?

• historically, vaccines are not a huge money maker for the large, well-established drug companies
• that's why shares in Pfizer, JNJ did not surge with the announcement of vaccines
• they won't take a loss but they won't make the type of money some folks think they will, but it's a good talking point
• if mom-and-pop investors are investing in Pfizer, JNJ based on the vaccine story, they will be sorely disappointed; even if they do well, there were much better alternatives for investing
  

Most perplexing issues, more than one. 

• I don't consider ivermectin a perplexing issue;
• I don't consider the efficacy of the vaccine a perplexing issue.
• I don't consider the administration's focus on the pandemic perplexing.
• I don't consider the "Israeli experience" perplexing.
• I don't consider the reason Dr Fauci is still in charge perplexing.
  
• no one should consider the politics of the pandemic perplexing.
  

If issues are not perplexing, right, wrong, indifferent, it generally means I'm no longer interested in discussing those issues any more. I'm minimally interested in reading about those issues to tweak my "model" but I'm not interesting in discussing them, or even reading that much about them.

But back to that issues that remain perplexing:

• if the disease is that terrible, why are so many health care providers -- physicians and nurses on the front lines -- publicly arguing against vaccination and willing to lose those jobs by not being vaccinated? This tells me the disease is nowhere near as bad as Resident Biden and others are making it out to be. If this disease was that terrible -- think Ebola, typhoid, pneumonic plague, or leprosy -- there wouldn't be a nurse in the world not clamoring for a vaccine.
  
• if the original plan was to flatten the curve to give the health care sector a chance to prepare, why is the health care sector still said to be in so much trouble when they've had more than a year to prepare? The overall numbers are lower than the initial surge; we know so much more; the processes should be improved; why is the media reporting that hospitals are still doing so badly.
• the eradication of "seasonal flu" -- much could be written. Something doesn't add up. 
  

And note, it's the media reporting that. I don't believe it. 

This is what one outlet is reporting, two days ago: Alberta's overwhelmed ICUs are near capacity, military support is being deployed. The first question: "they" have had a year to prepare and they can follow the stats as well as anyone. Why were they caught up guard?

And yet, here, at another media outlet, Albert ER doctor says hospital capacity crisis was "created"; has nothing to do with Covid-19. The problem has been going on for six years, the physician said. 

For some reason I believe the ER physician. 

Oh, one last note, there is one bit of irony. If, in fact, Americans were 100% vaccinated, and eagerly accepted a booster for all every four months, and there were still outbreaks, the ivermectin issue would be off the table. 

The Sports Page -- September 26, 2021

Updates

Later, 2:50 p.m. CT: the US will win the Ryder Cup going away. They may, in fact, set a new record.

• only two things left to watch:
  
• the final score; and,
• which American gets the winning point
• the US needs 14 and a half points, so
• the fourteenth point will be huge (who will get it?), but
• the next US player getting a tie or a win, will score the winning point, sort of like the "first man on the moon" phenomenon
• final matches
• match 1: McIlroy, Europe: gets first point, 11 - 6
• match 2: Cantlay, US: gets first US point, 12 - 6
  
• match 3: Scheffler vs Rahm, huge, US: gets second US point, 13 - 6
• match 4: DeChambeau vs Garcia, also huge, US: gets the fourteenth point; not the win but one tie away; this thing is all but over. Morikawa will get the honors
  
• match 5: Morikawa vs Hovland, US: Morikawa is guaranteed a tie after walking off the 17th hole; he should either get the 14 1/2 point -- the win -- or the 15th point. This is really amazing; if Morikawa doesn't get this done, he will lose the "clinching" shot as they are now calling it. 3:51 p.m. here it is .. Morikawa ... needs the putt for a full point ... misses .... ties, get the half point and it's all over. At 3:52 p.m., the fifth "match," the fifth team; it's over. Morikawa goes down as the one with the "clinching shot
• match 6: Dustin Johnson vs Casey: interestingly, simply because how it plays out, Dustin Johnson may be the "win"; on the 17th ... long, long putt .. if he makes it ... nope, not to be ... back to Morikawa ...Johnson guaranteed a half point but by the time he gets the half point or the full point on the 18th, Morikawa will be the "winner" with either a half point or a full point; doesn't matter. [I'm surprised: the Cup continues; I guess I should have known that based on folks "looking to set a record." Morikawa said it best: Americans have won; it was dominant, but we won't know how dominant until the final score.
  
• match 7: Koepka vs Wiesberger: almost got the "clinching" shot ... just in the order of things could have beat out Morikawa but didn't the putt.
  
• match 8: Finau vs Poulter, my favorite match:
• match 9: Justin Thomas vs Hatton:
• match 10: English vs Westwood:
• match 11: Spieth vs Fleetwood, incredibly important for Spieth who played in the Ryder Cup about six times but has never, never, never won 
• match 12: Berger vs Fitzpatrick, both are new to me, but I should know Berger; he's had some impressive wins:
• the US needed three and a half points
  
• Captain Striker, with order of players
• was looking to give the "win" to Dustin Johnson, Koepka, or Finau
• there was always the possibility that DeChambeau could get the "win"; more likely, DeChambeau would not get the "win" but would get the 14th point
• with Spieth's record of appearing to "choke" -- having never won the Ryder despite multiple changes, he placed Spieth in line well after the Cup would have been decided; taking the pressure off Spieth and maybe giving Spieth his first win
  

Original Post

College football yesterday: a lot of upsets. Great football. And all those stadiums filled with unmasked fans.

NFL today: I'm not following (yet) so don't what to watch, but apparently the evening game will be the one to watch. At least that's what NBC says. 

The Ryder Cup:
Lake Michigan in the background looks like an ocean; cannot help but remind folks how incredibly "rich" our nation is; I never had any idea it was that big; and, environmentalists, appropriately, working hard to keep it a "clean" lake.

The depth of the American team is incredible. 

The American team: the old guard has passed the baton -- or the golf club, I guess -- the new guard. The American team is composed of "young" men who will be representing the PGA a long, long time.

Most exciting golfer to watch: no argument on this one. It's so obvious I won't say who it is. 

Hint: he has hit the green on a par 4 hole fifteen times in his professional career. Today, after hitting the green from the tee on a par 4 hole, and with a very, very long putt, he holed it on the second shot, an eagle on a part 4- hole. 

Who's not there: Tiger Woods. How many times was his name mentioned? More than the names of some of the members on the European team.

Who's there: Mickelson. What a mentor! What a cheerleader!

Perfect weather today, it appears. No one has mentioned the wind yet, but the flags are waving briskly.

This is a nice way to play head-to-head: one wins, loses, or ties a hole. The stroke count is not accumulated. One really bad hole does not ruin the round.

NASCAR: tonight. Las Vegas.

ConConchCOP: This Story Has Legs -- September 26, 2021

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. 

Link here to SeekingAlpha. Archived.

The acquisition was brilliant.

Break-even price: $13 / bbl WTI.

• ConocoPhillips' acquisition of Royal Dutch Shell's Permian assets is an impressive acquisition decision that provides the company with billions in additional FCF.
• The headline price of $47,500 / barrel will cost $13 / barrel over the next decade.
• Going forward, we expect the company to use its FCF to generate substantial shareholder rewards making it a valuable long-term investment.

Other posts on the blog regarding this acquisition:

• October 4, 2021: primed for profit in the Permian. 
  
• September 23, 2021.
• September 22, 2021.
• Betting the farm.

If this turns out to be as good as the tea leaves suggest, Warren Buffett can add this to  his short list of worst mistakes: selling his huge position in COP some years ago. 

These are some of the "things" that people forget to mention -- and some things they do -- about the Concho acquisition and the RDShell acquisition:

• proven basins; COP knows exactly what they've got; no guesswork here;
• assets are not in a foreign country, thousands of miles away
• assets are in a free market, capitalistic politically-stable country, not the Mideast, Venezuela, Mexico
• assets are not subject to physical terrorist attacks
• assets are not landlocked; the pipeline infrastructure is already in place
• assets are in an oil-friendly state: Texas -- the metonym for US oil industry
• assets were bought when others were fearful
• near-term, assets were bought when oil and natural gas prices were surging
• long-term, the global shortage of oil / natural gas will make folks re-think fossil fuel and climate change
• with a break-even price of $45 this would have been a great acquisition; but this is a $13-WTI breakeven buy
• the acquisition, apparently, will be "immediately" accretive

For investors:

• does COP have a cash-flow problem with these acquisitions? COP announced it is increasing its dividend, and not be an insignificant amount.

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.

Enerplus Now Reporting All "String Instrument" Wells In The Mandaree Oil Field -- September 26, 2021

Enerplus' "String Instruments" wells, aka "the string wells, are tracked here. 

"They" say the "daughter" wells are "never" as good as the "parent" wells. In this case, it appears that the daughter wells are either "as good as" or "incredibly much better" than the parent wells based on the first few months of production.

The wells:

• 37024, conf, Enerplus, Ukulele 149-94-02C-01H, Mandaree, nice early production:

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
7-2021	28993	33914
6-2021	5	0
4-2021	18115	13204

• 37025, conf, Enerplus, Harp 149-94-02C-01H-TF, Mandaree, nice production:
  

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
7-2021	17472	20406
6-2021	29850	34429
5-2021	29683	32438
4-2021	29122	21227

• 37026, conf, Enerplus, Guitar 149-94-02C-01H, Mandare, first production, 4/21; t--; cum 90K in less than four months:
  

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
7-2021	10	0
6-2021	7	0
4-2021	26697	19460

• 37027, conf, Enerplus, Cello 149-94-02C-01H-TF, Mandaree, first production, 3/21; t--; cum 192K in less than seven months:
  

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
7-2021	24903	29089
6-2021	31676	36529
5-2021	31345	34254
4-2021	39571	28833
3-2021	953	657

• 37029, conf, Enerplus, Fiddle 149-94-02C-01H-TF, Mandaree, a huge well;

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
7-2021	40934	47735
6-2021	50910	58674
5-2021	53268	58213
4-2021	42843	31028
3-2021	17104	11787

• 37028, conf, Enerplus, Mandolin 149-94-02-01H, Mandaree, some nice early production:

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
7-2021	77	0
6-2021	41	0
4-2021	38417	27851
3-2021	12955	8926

Two wells that parallel these new wells and already producing:

• 24962, 1,957, Enerplus, Grassy Knoll 2-11H, Mandaree, t11/15; cum 437K 7/21; went off line 12/20; returned to production, 5/21; first ten months of production:

BAKKEN	8-2016	30	14465	14752	5560	16139	15789	0
BAKKEN	7-2016	28	14160	13415	4841	14160	13427	396
BAKKEN	6-2016	23	10467	10562	3748	12589	11189	0
BAKKEN	5-2016	26	14869	15453	5487	14869	11534	1390
BAKKEN	4-2016	29	18282	17759	7173	18282	15481	487
BAKKEN	3-2016	31	20980	21450	6809	20980	18118	276
BAKKEN	2-2016	29	21661	21719	7822	21686	19095	0
BAKKEN	1-2016	30	27485	26906	11889	27485	21509	2698
BAKKEN	12-2015	31	33757	33712	20718	33757	19614	10146
BAKKEN	11-2015	13	23391	22996	31688	23391	5304	15997

• 24963, 1,936, Enerplus, Banjo 149-94-02B-01H TF, Mandaree, t11/15; cum 434K 7/21; went off line 2/21; returned to production, 5/21; first ten months of production:

BAKKEN	8-2016	30	12063	12190	5260	13336	13048	0
BAKKEN	7-2016	29	9813	10083	4211	10354	10092	0
BAKKEN	6-2016	30	9478	9391	4652	11262	9948	0
BAKKEN	5-2016	31	14227	13899	7039	14227	10374	2054
BAKKEN	4-2016	24	10932	10977	5197	10959	9569	0
BAKKEN	3-2016	31	24618	24648	9607	24618	20820	827
BAKKEN	2-2016	29	22332	22918	8624	25118	22384	0
BAKKEN	1-2016	30	26047	25480	13037	26047	20369	2570
BAKKEN	12-2015	31	34807	35011	20663	34807	20369	10299
BAKKEN	11-2015	13	15916	15272	33475	15916	6262	7213

The graphics:

Initial Production Data For Wells Coming Off The Confidential List This Week -- September 26, 2021

The wells:

• 37025, conf, Enerplus, Harp 149-94-02C-01H-TF, Mandaree, nice production:
  

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
7-2021	17472	20406
6-2021	29850	34429
5-2021	29683	32438
4-2021	29122	21227

• 37026, conf, Enerplus, Guitar 149-94-02C-01H, Mandare, nice early production:
  

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
7-2021	10	0
6-2021	7	0
4-2021	26697	19460

• 35456, conf, QEP, MHA 5-29-30H-150-92, Van Hook, very, very nice production:
  

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
7-2021	25537	13784
6-2021	44939	25490
5-2021	48994	21911
4-2021	1433	221

• 35454, conf, QEP, MHA 5-27-26H-150-92, Van Hook, nice production:
  

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
7-2021	30929	15876
6-2021	41659	23440
5-2021	43436	20100

• 35451, conf, QEP, MHA 4-29-30H-150-92, Van Hook, very nice production:
  

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
7-2021	30929	15876
6-2021	41659	23440
5-2021	43436	20100

• 35449, conf, QEP, MHA 4-27-26H-150-92, Van Hook, nice production:
  

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
7-2021	23293	10762
6-2021	21330	10735
5-2021	30785	11741
4-2021	1393	161

• 37027, conf, Enerplus, Cello 149-94-02C-01H-TF, Mandaree, nice production:
  

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
7-2021	24903	29089
6-2021	31676	36529
5-2021	31345	34254
4-2021	39571	28833
3-2021	953	657

• 30202, conf, Whiting, Klose Federal 21-27-1H, Glass Bluff,

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
7-2021	15574	8976
6-2021	15859	7627
5-2021	11660	10872
4-2021	24603	21330
3-2021	0	407

• 37029, conf, Enerplus, Fiddle 149-94-02C-01H-TF, Mandaree, a huge well;

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
7-2021	40934	47735
6-2021	50910	58674
5-2021	53268	58213
4-2021	42843	31028
3-2021	17104	11787

• 37028, conf, Enerplus, Mandolin 149-94-02-01H, Mandaree, some nice early production:

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
7-2021	77	0
6-2021	41	0
4-2021	38417	27851
3-2021	12955	8926

• 38181, conf, Petro-Hunt, Hurinenko 144-98-2B-11-1HS, Little Knife, some early production:

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
7-2021	1698	1582

• 37245, conf, MRO, Armstrong 14-34H, Bailey, no production data,

Wells Coming Off The Confidential List This Next Week -- September 26, 2021

Monday, October 4, 2021: 5 for the month, 5 for the quarter, 229 for the year:
None.

Sunday, October 3, 2021: 5 for the month, 5 for the quarter, 229 for the year:
37025, conf, Enerplus, Harp 149-94-02C-01H-TF,

Saturday, October 2, 2021: 4 for the month, 4 for the quarter, 228 for the year:
37026, conf, Enerplus, Guitar 149-94-02C-01H,

Friday, October 1, 2021: 4 for the month, 4 for the quarter, 228 for the year:
35456, conf, QEP, MHA 5-29-30H-150-92,
35454, conf, QEP, MHA 5-27-26H-150-92,
35451, conf, QEP, MHA 4-29-30H-150-92,
35449, conf, QEP, MHA 4-27-26H-150-92,

Thursday, September 30, 2021: 33 for the month, 44 for the quarter, 224 for the year:
37027, conf, Enerplus, Cello 149-94-02C-01H-TF,
30202, conf, Whiting, Klose Federal 21-27-1H,

Wednesday, September 29, 2021: 31 for the month, 42 for the quarter, 222 for the year:
None.

Tuesday, September 28, 2021: 31 for the month, 42 for the quarter, 222 for the year:
None.

Monday, September 27, 2021: 31 for the month, 42 for the quarter, 222 for the year:

• 37029, conf, Enerplus, Fiddle 149-94-02C-01H-TF,
• 37028, conf, Enerplus, Mandolin 149-94-02-01H,

Sunday, September 26, 2021: 29 for the month, 40 for the quarter, 220 for the year:

• 38181, conf, Petro-Hutnt, Hurinenko 144-98-2B-11-1HS,
• 37245, conf, MRO, Armstrong 14-34H,

Saturday, September 25, 2021: 27 for the month, 38 for the quarter, 218 for the year:

• None.
  

Week 38: September 19, 2021 -- September 25, 2021

Top story of the week:

• Joe Biden is still president. 
• Global energy is now the #1 story worldwide. Period. Dot. 
• UK natural gas energy prices surging.
• UK may run out of CO2.
  

Top international non-energy stories:

• Afghanistan was not in the news.
• Global shortages: particularly in China.
  
• Ivermectin: summary of evidence.
• China spooks the equity markets.
  

Top international energy stories:

• Saudi Arabia was not in the news.
• The UK is in the news. And not in a good way.
• Natural gas prices surging in the UK; gasoline is being rationed.

Top national non-energy stories:

• Apple vs Epic: Apple won big. And, here.
• Surging US equity markets. And, here. The US 2021 September swoon. Equity surge. And, here.
• Analysts mis-read Jay Powell's remarks as "hawkish." The market confirms.
• Seasonal flu eradicated.
• Liquor shortage. And, here.

Top national energy stories:

• COP buys Shell's assets in the Permian. And, here. Increases dividend by seven percent.
  
• WTI: $74.00 at close, end of week.
• GM to replace batteries in every Chevy Bolt.
  

Top North Dakota non-energy stories:

• Williston is back! A new building boom.
• Six most popular Badlands destinations.
  

Top North Dakota energy stories:

• EOG is back. But I don't know why.

Geoff Simon's top North Dakota energy stories:

• Quick connects.
  

Operators:

• EOG is back.
• True Oil has a new permit in Red Wing Creek.
• MRO with four more permits in the prolific Bailey oil field.

Operations:

• Active rigs in North Dakota. And, here.
• Random update of an MRO pad starting to report.

Wells:

• Ovintiv Kestrel / Sorenson Federal wells now producing; one goes over 550K bbls crude oil cumulative.
• MRO Stillwell: 400K bbls crude oil in less than a year.
• Random update of CLR's Salers and Salers Federal wells.
• CLR's Candee wells in Chimney Butte.
• Two True Oil Red Wing Creek wells: update. One goes over 3.5 million bbls crude oil and the other goes over 3.3 million bbls crude oil.

Fracking:

Pipelines:

• Update on the second largest pipeline in the Bakken. The story is not over.

Other energy plays:

• The Tuscaloosa Marine Shale is back in the news. And, here.
  

Bakken economy:

• ND no longer #2 but carbon projects help offset the sting.

Commentary:

• Williston is back! A new building boom.
• Legacy Fund deposits increase month-over-month.
• How did this happen so quickly? Literally overnight, it seems.
• The magnitude of natural gas reserves in the US. And, here.

Miscellaneous:

• My favorite graphic. And, here.
• Two best energy editorials this week.

Blogging Is A Bit Delayed Today -- September 26, 2021

I plan to post two commentaries today, one on the energy crisis in the UK and Europe and a more rambling piece on Covid-19.

I'm always excited when I think about the essays I want to write, but when I actually get started, I quickly lose my enthusiasm, so it's hard to say whether I actually follow through. 

So, we'll see. 

I have to complete "top stories" of the week, my least favorite activity regarding the blog. 

And then I have to post the wells that are coming off the confidential list, which used to be my second favorite activity regarding the blog, but it's almost a worthless exercise now that the NDIC has quit reporting most of this information. But, we'll go through the motions.

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A Little Bit Of Art, I Guess