Locator: 48813B.
BRK: owns more Treasury bills than the Federal Reserve. This is an old story, but has been updated. Link here. If this is how you like to invest, go for it.
Putin: sources suggest Putin will stop fighting if Russia gets "Eastern Ukraine." Before folks get too cynical with regard to this proposal, it's a heck of a better deal than the US got at the "end" of the Vietnam conflict.
Pipelines vs renewable energy: the state of North Dakota is re-directing money planned for renewable energy to natural gas pipelines. That about says it all. A simple search reveals multiple sources:
- Clean Sustainable Energy Authority (CSEA): A state board originally created to fund technologies reducing the environmental impact of North Dakota's energy industries will reportedly have no new funding for the next two years.
- Potential for redirection: Officials have stated that future funding from this authority may go towards projects using natural gas supplied by state-supported pipelines.
- Support for natural gas pipelines: The North Dakota Industrial Commission is actively considering proposals from companies seeking financial backing to build natural gas pipelines, including a potential $500 million guarantee to purchase space on such a pipeline, according to the Grand Forks Herald.
- Justification for redirection: Arguments in favor of prioritizing natural gas include ensuring energy reliability, particularly for industrial users, and managing the natural gas extracted alongside oil in the Bakken region.
- [The real justification: new natural gas pipelines need financial incentives to press forward and ND really, really, really wants these natural gas pipelines -- or the state goes back to flaring!]
Fracking: Mexico is having second thoughts. Now, it's okay to frack. LOL. Link here.
At the close:
AAPL: before closing at $229, Apple hit an intra-day high of $231.
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Back to the Bakken
WTI: $63.88.
Active rigs: 33.
Seven new permits, #42194 - #42200, inclusive:
- Operators: Kraken (4); Hunt Oil (2); Whiting;
- Fields: Big Stone (Williams); Parshall (Mountrail); and, Foreman Butte (McKenzie)
- Comments:
- Whiting has a permit for another Link well, lot 1, section 18-150-101,
- to be sited 394 FNL and 1130 FWL;
- Hunt Oil has permits for an Oakland well and a Severance well, lots 1 and 2, respectively, section 5-135-89,
- to be sited 386 / 416 FNL; and 1300 FEL;
- Kraken has permits for two Apollo wells and two Turbodiesel wells, all in NWNE 19-159-98,
- to be sited 615 FL and 1676 / 1775 FEL.
