Week 11: March 13, 2022 -- March 19, 2022

Top story of the week:

• Joe Biden is still president.
• Panic sets in: high gasoline prices spook Washington (DC) 
• Two-hour phone call between Joe Biden and China's Xi
• XOM exploring sale of Bakken assets.
• Apple announces its most powerful chip ever. And, here.
  

Top international non-energy story of the week:

• Fourth week of Ukraine-Russian war. No end in sight.
• China shuts down Shenzehn due to Covid concerns. [Turned out to be a non-story; opened back up within a couple of days.]
• Agriculture / fertilizer to be a top story in 2022.
  

Top international energy story of the week:

• Crude oil volatility: spikes to $140; then quickly falls back to $90;
• Mideast not taking Biden phone calls; the myth of spare capacity. And, here.
  
• Panic sets in: Macron says its time to nationalize the oil industry.
• The myth of spare capacity. And, here. And, here.
• Diesel to be one of the big energy stories in 2022.
• Replacing Russian oil.
  

Top national non-energy story of the week:

• Lots of hand-wringing, not much of a story: the Fed raises the "Fed rate" by 0.25%; first raise in years; inflation coming in at 7.9%;
• BRK hits consecutive 52-week highs; due to interest in OXY?
• Tom Brady to return.
• Supply bottlenecks easing?
  

Top national energy story of the week:

• Biden administration set to resume drilling on federal land.
• US SPR down to 33 days of storage.

Top North Dakota non-energy story of the week:

Top North Dakota energy story of the week:

• There may be a reason North Dakota oil production dropped 5% month-over-month.
• Oasis pays first variable dividend of $3.00 / share.

The Energy Chaser: The Williston Herald, Renée Jean;

Geoff Simon's top North Dakota energy stories:

• Quick connects.
  

Operations:

• Lots of work left to be done in the Bakken. And, here.
• U-turn drilling in the Permian.
• The dreaded Bakken decline.

Operators:

Wells:

• The MRO Marion well hits 500K bbls crude oil in about 18 months.
• The spectacular MRO wells in the Antelope-Sanish.
• Updating the incredible WPX Crosby Chase wells.
• CLR reporting huge production in Long Creek.
• A Strobeck well in Alger field is back.
• One of the original Bakken wells goes over 500K bbls crude oil.
• Slawson's original Orca Federal well goes over 500K bbls crude oil.
• The dreaded Bakken decline.
• Hallelujah! Murex reports the Amber Renee!
• Several Whiting Tarpon Federal wells on "AB" list put back into production.

Fracking:

• Do we have a problem?
• The frustration with the lack of fracking spreads.

Natural gas:

Pipelines:

Bakken economy:

Commentary:

• Comment on wells coming off confidential list this next week: fracking.
• Inflation, high gasoline prices? Let them eat cake; take the bus, kill your dog. Bloomberg.
• About those 9,000 permits.
• US set for huge April production jump: EIA.
• International travel: the cost of going around Russia.
• Good and bad oil.