How 'Bout Them Cowboys? January 8, 2022

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The Road to New England

This is pretty amazing. Low electricity demand in New England and yet the utility's supply comes from 6% oil and 4% coal, combined = 10%, about what renewable energy is providing. 

Something tells me there is a relative shortage of natural gas. 

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Just The Right Amount Of Cowbell 

I'm heading to bed, but will leave y'all with this -- just one more look:

Just One Look, Linda Ronstadt

Live at Television Center Studios, Hollywood, CA 4/24/1980

What A Great Country -- Nothing About The Bakken -- January 8, 2022

What a great Saturday night:

• Perry Mason re-runs on Hulu / Amazon Firestick;
• John Fogerty -- "Centerfield" on headphones;
• See's chocolates and Jameson whiskey (yes, with an "e") for dinner;
• looking at YouTube recipes using "the smoking gun; and, then this link from a reader:
• https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2022/01/08/report-californians-leaving-for-texas-so-rapidly-u-haul-ran-out-of-trucks/
• Californians leaving for Texas so rapidly, U-Haul ran out of trucks

I read the article, and then replied to the reader:

That's pretty funny. 

We have a small U-Haul storage unit just a five-minute bicycle ride from where we live.  I vowed some years ago to never rent storage space again, but it's turned out to be quite nice. 

I could pay for the rental on line, but I love to ride my bike down to U-Haul once monthly to talk to the folks and pay my bill. 

They said the same thing: they ran out of space to park trucks -- too many trucks coming in from California. 

They go through periods when they refuse to take new U-Hauls and folks bringing U-Hauls into this area have to find another U-Haul location. Amazing. 

I also learned this: U-Haul changes their rates based on demand. Rates have gone way up to rent U-Hauls from California to Texas.

I think I posted a blog about my sister in Portland, OR. When they moved out to Montana they were unable to find a U-Haul rental in Portland, OR. Too many folks moving out. They finally rented in Montana and drove empty all the way to Portland to get their stuff and bring it back to Montana. 

From the linked article:

A recent report from U-Haul revealed migration to southern states has continued and Texas was the top destination for those moving.

“California and Illinois ranked as the states with the greatest one-way net loss of U-Haul trucks, and most of that traffic appears to have gone to Texas and Florida.”

Texas was at the top of the list prior to the pandemic in 2016 and 2018, but fell to Florida in 2019 and Tennessee the next year. Now, it has retaken top place.

California’s net loss was not as bad as in 2020, but U-Haul said that was partly because the company “simply ran out of inventory to meet customer demand for outbound equipment.”

U-Haul noted in a recent press release:

Texas’s growth is statewide, although some of its biggest gains occurred in the suburbs around the DFW Metroplex. [We live in one of those suburbs; north of Ft Worth; northwest of Dallas.]

Overall moving traffic across Texas increased in 2021, as it did in most states. Arrivals of one-way U-Haul trucks jumped 19% while departures rose 18% over 2020. Arrivals made up 50.2% of all one-way U-Haul traffic last year in Texas.

“The Texas economy is growing fast,” Kristina Ramos, U-Haul Company of South Austin president, commented. “With a strong job market and low cost of living, it’s a no brainer. Texas doesn’t have an income tax, so families get more for their money.”

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Walk of Life, What A Great Country

Walk of Life, Dire StraitsWow, talk about sounding a lot like Bruce Springsteen.

Are you lonely tonight?

Are You Lonely Tonight, Sam Kinison

This Is Exciting -- Three Nelsen State Wells Off Line -- Means Only One Thing -- January 8, 2022

The wells on this pad just went off line:

• 23762, 1,246, XTO, Nelsen State 24X-33A, Indian Hill, t2/13; cum 253K 8/21; off line 9/21;
  
• 23761, 825, XTO Nelsen State 24X-33F, Indian Hill, t2/13; cum 113K 7/2; off line 8/21;
  
• 20971,1,087, XTO, Nelsen State 24X-33R, Indian Hill, t9/11; cum 204K 11/21; just came back on line after being off line for five months;
  

The NDIC map is not current, but this means that something is going on with these wells or pads:
Continental's Tallahassee FIU pad -- and there it is,

• 38185, drl/NC, 8 days of production, 11/21;

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
BAKKEN	11-2021	8	1102	1102	2767	1753	0	175

Or,

• 38169, rig on site/conf, CLR, LCU Foster FIU 6-28H1, Long Creek, no production data,

And, the CLR Harrisburg pad, for example, this well:

• 37660, loc/A, CLR, Harrisburg 3-27H, Indian Hill, first production, 11/21; t--; cum --;

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
BAKKEN	11-2021	26	20759	20538	35181	14849	14573	0
BAKKEN	10-2021	1	0	0	998	27	0	20

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A Musical Interlude

Holiday Road, Lindsay Buckingham

Another Well: What The Bakken Is All About -- January 8, 2022

This well was drilled back in 2013.  Remember all that talk about the dreaded decline rate?

The well:

• 22507, 280, Iron Oil / Hunt, Antelope 1-35-26H, Antelope Creek, t2/13; cum 125K 8/19; off line 8/19; remains off line 11/1; cum 199K 11/21; recent production:

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
BAKKEN	11-2021	24	1848	1694	3305	2839	2658	0
BAKKEN	10-2021	31	2253	2430	3865	4151	3935	0
BAKKEN	9-2021	30	2485	2653	4024	4353	4232	0
BAKKEN	8-2021	31	2446	2138	4052	3580	3434	25
BAKKEN	7-2021	24	1954	1813	3483	2592	2016	474
BAKKEN	6-2021	30	2253	2337	3980	3121	2630	373
BAKKEN	5-2021	31	2587	2534	4366	3771	3574	67
BAKKEN	4-2021	30	2748	3001	4755	4182	4037	7
BAKKEN	3-2021	31	2997	3081	4951	4463	4188	0

The CLR Garfield Wells In Banks Oil Field -- January 8, 2022

I'll have to update these wells later but this is what the Bakken is all about. 

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The Smoking Gun

This is where I'm headed next in my culinary journey.

Product review:


This is really funny. My wife and I got the smoking gun specifically for smoking salmon and that's why this professional bought the smoking gun ... for salmon.

Huge Amount Of Activity Southeast Of Williston -- January 8, 2022

The map is not current due to IT problems (since July, 2021, by the way).

However, based on other sources, and based on production reports from wells in these areas, it appears there is a lot of activity by Continental Resources. 

Top Stories For First Week Of New Year Have Been Posted -- January 8, 2022

Link here. 

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Old-Timers Are So Incredibly Blessed

Old-timers all remember long distance telephone calls that cost an arm-and-a-leg, and how we had to limit our time on these calls. We remember geeks like Steve Jobs (?) tricking ATT into free long distance phone calls. Now, we have FaceTime and other video-phone calls, unlimited talk, and all included with basic price of the device and monthly subscription or whatever it is.

I was watching the NDSU-Montana State football game until the start of the third quarter on the big-screen computer and then with a single click connected with my sister in Montana (on Flathead Lake) and then our daughter in Portland, OR, and Sophia got to say "hi" to her cousins there. I think this was one of the first times the twins, about two years old, have spent so much time on the phone with Sophia.

It really is amazing, and old-times really appreciate the technology / advances over the past several decades .

Daimler Truck Group -- January 8, 2022

Daimler-Benz recently split their vehicle manufacturing business into two companies, spinning off the Daimler Truck Group. That closed a few weeks ago. I can't recall; I must have talked about on the blog. Whatever.

It took awhile for the ADRs to appear in US equity markets, but it appears to be there now.

Merrill Lynch had a "spaceholder" for the ticker about ten days ago. ML has now updated that spaceholder to what appears to be the "official" ticker for the Daimler Truck Group ADR: DTGHF.

The other company, the "original/old" company, Daimler A, the ticker symbol remains: DDAIF.

Schwab does not yet show it on their website. Maybe Monday?

A reader writers that Yahoo!Finance now tracks DTGHF. It looks like it began trading on US equity markets, "other OTC," on January 6, 2022. 

Pretty exciting. 

Company-issued cap:

35 - 0 Early In Third Period, NDSU: Game Day: Montana Vs NDUS; National Championship; Frisco, TX; 11:00 A.M. CT; ESPN2

NFL:

Chiefs vs Broncos, this afternoon, 3:30 p.m.

Cowboys vs Eagles, this evening, 7:15 p.m. 

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NDSU - Montana game underway. Frisco, TX. Toyota Stadium. We've been there many times.

Montana State with first drive; turned over to NDSU.

NDSU's first drive: underway. Right now, NDSU is looking good. Penalty brings back a nice run.

Stadium: filled with cowboy hats! More than I've ever seen at a Dallas Cowboys game. 

NDSU just scored first touchdown, mostly running. Nine minutes into first quarter. NDSU, if this keeps up, the game will be over by the end of the first quarter. But Montana surprised a lot of folks getting to this championship game. 

Montana State: teams' second drive.  Ends in failed three-point field goal try from about the 35-yard line.

NDSU's second drive, begins at 3:18 in first quarter. Good running game; nice passing game for NDSU. Third play: long running gain after long pass play (second play). Another eight-yard gain, fourth play. Short run play to get the first down; on the 18-yeard line in the "red zone." Sixth play: eight-yard run. End of first quarter. First play, second quarter, touchdown. 14 - 0 at 14:56 in second quarter. 

Montana State with third possession. Takes "fair catch" -- had the entire field open. Took it on the ten-yard line, but there must have been a penalty or I missed it. Montana starts at 25-yard line. 

Short possession ends with punt to NDSU, early in second quarter. Kobe Johsnon, on a 70-yard run for a touchdown at 10:50 second quarter, now 21 - 0. NDSU with nearly 200 yards rushing early in second quarter. NDSU averages 425 yards per game. 

Montana State with fourth possession. North Dakota has scored a touchdown on each of its three possessions. 

NDSU: eight titles since 2011. 

Will they do it again?

First play for Montana from #12 is intercepted by NDSU. After the interception, unsportsmanlike penalty -- excessive celebration on #2 -- and penalized fifteen yards. Not smart.

NDSU, fourth possession, after an interception. First play, long run; second play, spectacular catch for a short gain. Third play on this drive: failed to make first down. NDSU will punt.

Montana, fifth possession after stopping NDSU at midfield. Announcers wanted NDSU to go for first down on 4th and two.

Reminder: Montana's starting quarterback sustained injury, first play in the game. Now, #12 is the quarterback is T. Rovig. Wow, talk about a lot of different quarterbacks over the past year or so for Montana State. T. Rovig was the starter, a junior for twelve games; then in the playoffs, Mellott or McKay. Mellott, a freshman, fourth string quarterback when the playoffs started (?), is injured in opening play and T. Rovig back to quarterback. 

Fifth possession for Montana State continues. Out to mid-field. Long pass -- would have been a touchdown for Montana State -- broken up by NDSU. Second and ten at midfield. Same play; same results. 3rd and ten from midfield. Defensive interference, comes close, but no call. Montana will punt away for fourth time. 

Five:twenty six, second quarter, NDSU starting on the 15-yard line. Will probably play conservatively through the rest of the second quarter. Critical third down play successful, and out to 25-yard line. Every time it looks like NDUS is in trouble, manage to convert to first down. Now looking at possible targeting by Montana player. I don't see it; it was a hard, hard hit, but not targeting. Tough call for replay official. I think they let it go; no-call. Yes, no targeting. Second down and two yards. Straight-ahead run, first down. Under a minute to go, all time outs left, from the six-yard line, second and two.

Will it be a four-TD game at the half?

Trick  play. Fourth touchdown. Six-yard run. I assume teams do this all the time, but I had not seen it before. Quarterback lines up behind center, and then as call begins, quarterback runs to left, and direct snap to running back about six yards behind quarterback. Running back Hunter Luepke. 

Start of the second half.

NDSU: first possession. Already out to mid-field. Drive continues. Another first down on first-and-ten. Another touchdown, Josh Babicz, 35-yard reception. 12:34 in third quarter. 35 - 0.

Last first half possession by Montana ends with punt to NDSU with six seconds left. 

28 - 0 at the half.  

No shut-out. Montana State, 3-point field goal. 

So, with two-and-a-half quarters gone, the game is over.

Financial Times Interview With Harold Hamm -- January 8, 2022

Direct to FT paywall.

Google Harold Hamm FT Democrat.

DuckDuckGo will get you the paywall.

The link to FT was provided by a reader; huge thanks. The article is more typical of what one might find in Vanity Fair, not FT.

EOG Dividend. What Next? January 8, 2022

Link here.

Will HES Change Its Dividend "Strategy"? -- January 8, 2022

Hess: announces a "meaningful" dividend growth this year (2022) as it start to prioritize returning capital to shareholders over business investments. January 6, 2022. 

Link here.