California Bullet Train Update -- Too Big To Fail -- Needs Another $7 By Next Summer -- April 28, 2025

Locator: 48539TRAIN.

Bullet train updates:

https://www.fresnobee.com/news/california/article304879886.html

https://www.kcra.com/article/california-high-speed-rail-project-needs-7-billion/64302207

 

Amid mounting uncertainties about its future, the new leader of the California High-Speed Rail Authority says the project is close to reaching a significant milestone: the first Central Valley tracks will be laid next year.

Ian Choudri, who became the authority’s CEO in August, said Tuesday at a Fresnoland panel that the long-delayed bullet train project is too far deep into construction to look backward. [In other words, "too big to fail."]

“We are purchasing rail materials this year, we are laying tracks next year,”

Choudri said. “I don’t see any point where we have to say, ‘Oh, we can’t do it.’”

Previously, he said, plans were to purchase rail materials — including tens of thousands of concrete rail ties, electric poles and ballast — in 2026 or 2027. But the faster timeline, Choudri said, is a result of a reevaluation of the project that the authority launched in October to save costs and tighten the construction schedule.

Oasis With Four New Permits -- April 28, 2025

Locator: 48538B.

WTI: $61.92.

Active rigs: 28.

Four permits, #41852 - #41855, inclusive:

• Operator: Oasis
• Field: Cottonwood
• Comments:
• Oasis has permits for four Spyglass Federal wells, SENE 13-157-93, 
• to be sited 2407 / 2478 FNL and 745 / 856 FEL.

Hearing Dockets -- Posted -- NDIC -- May, 2025

Locator: 48537DOCKETS.

Link here.

May, 2025, hearing dockets.  

Thursday, May 29, 2025. Fourteen pages.

Wednesday, May 28, 2025. Thirteen pages.

The NDIC hearing dockets are tracked here.

As usual this is done very quickly and using shorthand for my benefit. There will be factual and typographical errors on this page. Do not quote me on any of this. It's for my personal use to help me better understand the Bakken. Do not read it. If you do happen to read it, do not make any investment, financial, job, relationship, or travel plans based on anything you read here or think you may have read here. If this stuff is important to you, and I doubt that it is, but if it is, go to the source. These are cases, not permits.

Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Link here.
Thirteen pages.

These are cases, not permits.

• 31708, Kraken, Blue Ridge and/or Green Lake-Bakken. one well, Williams County
• 31709, Hess, ament, Manitou-Bakken; establish an overlapping 2560 acre unit; five wells; establish an overlapping 5120-acre unit; one well; Mountrail County;
• 31710, Hess, amend, Tioga-Bakken, establish an overlapping standup 2560-acre unit, two wells; Mountrail County;
  
• 31711, Hess, amend, Antelope-Sanish, establish an overlapping standup 2560-acre unit; two wells; McKenzie County.
• 31712, Hess, amend, Truax-Bakken, establish an overlapping standup 2560-acre unit; one well; Williams County.
• 31713, Devon, amend, Siverston and/or Tobacco Garden-Bakken, establish two overlapping 2560-acre units; one well on each unit; McKenzie County;
• 31714, Petro-Hunt, amend, Little Knife-Bakken, establish an overlapping 2560-acre unit, one well; Dunn County;
• 31715, Petro-Hunt, amend, Crooked Creek-Bakken, establish an overlapping 2560-acre unit; one well; Dunn County;
• 31716, True Oil, amend, Bowline-Bakken; establish an overlapping 1920-acre unit, seven wells, McKenzie County;
• 31718, Whiting, amend, Randolph-Bakken; establish two overlappoing standup 1920-acre units; four wells on each unit; McKenzie County;
• 31719, Five States Operating, to establish eight standup 320-acre units, one well on each; Golden Valley County.
• 31720, MRO, an order permitting a "fracking bore" to be placed between two specific well pads; to be discussed later, Bailey Field, Georgia well (#41345), the Bjorge well (#41302), and the Sunell wells (#41301). Dunn County.
• 31721, BR, amend, Murphy Creek-Bakken, establish two overlapping 1920-acre unit; nine wells on each of the two units, Dunn County;
• 31722, BR, amend, Murphy Creek-Bakken, establish an overlapping 3840-acre unit; one well; Dunn County;
• 31723, BR, amend, Bennett Creek-Bakken, establish two overlapping laydown 2560-acre units; four wells on each; McKenzie County.
• 31723, BR, amend, Bennett Creek-Bakken, establish two overlapping laydown 2560-acre spacing units; four wells on each unit; McKenzie County.
• 31724, Phoenix Operating, amend, Ranch Creek and/or Bennett Creek-Bakken; establish a standup 5120-acre unit; one well; McKenzie County;
• 31725, Phoenix Operating, Ranch Creek and/or Bennett Creek-Bakken; establish a standup 2560-acre unit; four wells; McKenzie County;
• 31726, Phoenix Operating, amend, Ranch Creek and/or Bennett Creek and/or Lone Butte-Bakken, amend, establish a standup 5120-acre unit, one well; McKenzie County;
• 31727, BR, pooling;
• 31728, BR, pooling;
• 31729, BR, pooling;
• 31730, BR, pooling;
• 31731, BR, pooling;
• 31732, Kraken, pooling;
• 31733, Kraken, commingling;
• 31734, Hess, pooling;
• 31735, Hess, pooling;
• 31736, Hess, pooling;
• 31737, Hess, pooling;
• 31738, Hess, pooling;
• 31739, Hess, pooling;
• 31740, Hess, commingling;
• 31741, Hess, commingling;
• 31742, Hess, commingling;
• 31743, Devon, pooling; 
• 31744, Devon, pooling; 
• 31745, True Oil, pooling;
• 31746, True Oil, amend, North Branch-Bakken; authorize seven wells on a 1280-acre unit, sections 25 / 36 -148 - 102; McKenzie County;
• 31747, MRO, commingling;
• 31748, Whiting, pooling;
• 31749, Whiting, pooling;
• 31750, Whiting, pooling;
• 31751, Whiting, pooling;
• 31752, Whiting, pooling.
  

Thursday, May 289 2025
Link here.
Fourteen pages.

These are cases, not permits.

• 31753, XTO, amend, Haystack Butte-Bakken, establish an overlapping 2560-acre unit; eight wells, Dunn County. Since this is a request to establish a new unit, this means there are no permits filed for this spacing unit yet, which means that as many as eight more wells could affect four existing sections on which there are already multiple wells; Dunn County. 
• 31754, XTO, amend, Lost Bridge-Bakken, two wells, each one one either side of a common section line between two existing 1920-acre units; Dunn County.
• 37155, Devon, amend, Cow Creek-Bakken, establish an overlapping 2560-acre unit; six wells; Williams County.
• 31757, Silver Hill Energy, amend, Ray-Bakken; establish an overlapping 2560-acre unit; one well near the section line; Williams County.
• 31758, Zavanna, amend, Springbrook, Williston, and/or Stony Creek, establish a overlapping 1280-acre unit; one well; establish an overlapping 2560-acre unit, one well; Williams County;
• 31759, Mercury Resources, amend, Buford-Madison and/or Briar Creek-Madison, establish a 1920-acreunit; to drill a multi-lateral horizontal well; McKenzie and Williams counties.
• 31760, WGO, create two 320-acre units, t139NR104W sections 8 and 9; and sections 16 adn 21; Golden Valley County.
• 31761, CLR, amend, Viking-Bakken and/or North Tioga-Bakken, establish an overlapping 2560-acre unit; two wells; establish two overlapping 5120-acre units; section line wells between the spacing units; Burke County;
• 31762, CLR, amend Frazier-Bakken and/or Upland-Bakken; establish two overlapping 3840-acre unit; one section line well; Divide County;
• 31763, CRL, amend Border-Bakken and/or Stoneview-Bakken; to establish an overlapping 3840-acre unit, section line well; Burke County;
• 31764, CLR, amend, Catwalk-Bakken and/or Last Chance; establish two overlapping 1920-acre units; five wells each; Williams County;
• 31765, CLR, amend Sanish-Bakken ad/or Four Bears-Bakken, amend, establish an overlapping 3200-acre unit; a section line well; McKenzie and Mountrail counties.
• 31766, CLR, Beaver Lodge-Bakken, establish an overlapping 1920-acre unit; five horizontal wells; establish an overlapping 3840-acre unit; section line well; Williams County;
  
• 31767, CLR, Ross-Bakken, amend, establish an overlapping 1920-acre unit; five wells;  establish two overalapping 3840-acre units; one section line well; Mountrail County;
• 31768, KODA Resources, amend, Alkabo-Bakken; establish a 1920-acre unit; five wells; Divide.
• 31769, Phoenix Operating, amend Alkabo-Bakken; establish a 2560-acre unit; five wells; Divide County.
• 31770, Phoenix Operating, legalese to suspend and revoke, Ranch Creek-Bakken, McKenzie County;
• 31771, Phoenix Operating, amend, Ranch Creek/Charlie Bob-Bakken; establish a 1920-acre unit; four wells; McKenzie County
• 31772, Phoenix Operating, amend, Ranch Creek and/or Beicegel Creek-Bakken; establish a standup 2560-acre unit; four wells; McKenzie County;
• 31773, Phoenix Operating, amend, New Home / South Meadow-Bakken, establish an overlapping 2560-acre unit; one well; Williams County;
• 31774, Phoenix Operating, amend, South Meadow-Bakken, establish an overlapping 2560-acre unit; one well; Williams County;
• 31775, Devon, pooling;
• 31776, Devon, pooling;
• 31777, Devon, pooling;
• 31778, Devon, an order authorizing five wells on each of three existing 1920-acre units, Painted Woods-Bakken; Williams.
• 31779, CLR, pooling;
• 31780, CLR, pooling;
• 31781, CLR, pooling;
• 31782, CLR, pooling;
• 31783, CLR, pooling;
• 31784, CLR, pooling;
• 31785, CLR, pooling;
• 31786, CLR, pooling;
• 31787, CLR, pooling;
• 31788, CLR, pooling;
• 31789, CLR, pooling;
• 31790, CLR, pooling;
• 31791, CLR, pooling;
• 31792, CLR, pooling;
• 31793, CLR, pooling;
• 31794, CLR, pooling;
• 31795, CLR, pooling;
• 31796, CLR, commingling;
• 31797, Formentera Operations, SWD
• 31798, Koda Resources, SWD
• 31799, Phoenix Operating, SWD
• 31800, Caliber Midstream, SWD

Wow, This Is Huge -- I Was Wondering When GM, Ford Would Face Reality -- April 28, 2025

Locator: 48536EVS.

At the state level, California is the country's biggest auto market. For years, Ford and GM have played along with California.

So, why now? EV credits are disappearing and President Trump is not exactly a huge supporter of EVs / renewable energy -- then take a look at his cabinet. It only gets worse.

Link here. 

My hunch: EV profits are drying up, dying, not enough to cover up their expenses, and GM / Ford vice-presidents no longer want their legacy (ICE) divisions to subsidize a losing EV program. Ford is the only major auto manufacturer that breaks out its financial statement, EV - ICE. I wonder when Ford stops that practice. 

There are only a handful of folks on x worth following, Giovanni is one of them:

Absolutely Not Unexpected -- Spain Is Europe's Poster Child For Solar Energy -- April 28, 2025

Locator: 48535SPAIN.

Spanish oil refineries have shut down in Spain. Oh-oh. And I assume charging stations for Teslas are impacted. Fortunately best pizzas are still fired the old-fashioned way.

Link here.

Whatever a "rapid move in grid frequency" means. 

Google: "rapid move in grid frequency". 

Basically it means "grid failure, cause unknown."

More, link here.

Next question: will this impact the rest of Europe which relies on energy from Spain and France.

This is all it took, link here. 

I still don't know what it means. LOL. But I'm sure all the talking heads on CNN know.

*****************************
The AI Story Is An Energy Story

Link here.

Actually, the sixth industrial revolution runs on electricity which pretty much depends on natural gas.

Silicon? Ubiquitous. Natural gas? Not so much.

Having said that, the three companies above are quasi-monopolies if not outright monopolies.

Of the three ASML has the widest moat, followed by TSMC which, in turn, is followed by Nvidia, although I'm really not sure about the ranking. I don't think it matters. 

If google is deemed to be a monopoly, I wonder when ....

Flash Sale -- It Appears Amazon Has Slashed Prices For Apple Products -- April 28, 2025

Locator: 48534AAPL.

For perspective, I paid about $1,100 for top Apple laptop offered two or three years ago. That's the top price I will pay for an Apple laptop: $1,100. 

I've been looking at the Apple 15-inch M4 MacBook Air but at $1,200 - $1,400 it was out of my price range.

Today, oh boy --

Link here.

Link here. 

With tax season over ...

This is a 15-inch laptop -- the largest MacBook Air Apple offers. Its list price as shown, $1,199.

Amazon it taking a whopping 13% off -- or $150 -- bringing price to $1,099.

256GB solid state storage and 16GB unified memory.

Note: "Amazon's Choice."

Reminder: this is not an investment site and the web host is inappropriately excited about all Apple products. Elsewhere his handle is "FanBoy #3." 

Best chrome book, sponsored ad: link here. I assume these would have to be compared with the MacBook Pro, not the MacBook Air, but except for a very small number of users (and I can't think of any) a MacBook Air is more than enough for literally everybody.

Again: reminder -- the blog author is inappropriately insane about all Apple products, particularly the MacBook Air, and I'm sure one can find even better deals now, and probably even better deals if willing to wait. Personally, I don't think there's any reason to rush out and buy an Apple laptop today, but wow, if you have a senior in high school going to college in five months ... .well, let me know if you have a better graduation gift in mind. LOL.

Okay, so here's the "top of the line" Chrome:

Here's the MacBook Pro:

No matter what you get, these prices are insane. My hunch is even the least expensive Chrome has enough firepower to handle an 11-minute trip into space on Amazon's Blue Origin.

InsiderMonkey On COP -- April 26, 2025

Locator: 48533COP.

Reminder:this is not an investment site. The blog makes no recommendations, implied or otherwise. 

Link here.

Huge Jump In Production -- Old Grayson Wahus State Well -- Westberg Oil Field -- April 28, 2025

Locator: 48532B.

This helps explain all the activity in Westberg oil field lately.

This well was drilled back in 2014. At that time a fairly mediocre well and over time declined to a typical Bakken well after a few years of production, but look at recent jump in production. Wow.

The well:

• 26491, 1,088, Grayson Mill, Wahus State 152-97-12-1-3H, Westberg, t5/14; cum 412K 2/25:

Look at recent jump in production:

AI Is An Energy Story -- Monday, April 28, 2025

Locator: 48531B.

WTI: $63.07.

New wells:

• Tuesday, April 29, 2025: 94 for the month, 94 for the quarter, 301 for the year,
• 40669, conf, Grayson Mill, Scott 13-24 9HR,
• 25074, conf, Grayson Mill, Sand Creek State 153-96-16-3H,
• Monday, April 28, 2025: 92 for the month, 92 for the quarter, 299 for the year,
• 41068, conf, BR, Tilton 3E, 
• Sunday, April 27, 2025: 91 for the month, 91 for the quarter, 298 for the year,
• 40728, conf, Phoenix Operating, Axel Ferrari 25-36-15H,
• 40727, conf, Phoenix Operating, Axel Ferrari 25-36-1 4H,
• Saturday, April 26, 2025: 89 for the month, 89 for the quarter, 296 for the year,
• 41148, conf, BR, Devils Backboe 5B,
• 40726, conf, Phoenix Operating, Axel Ferrari 25-36-1 2H,
• 40725, conf, Phoenix Operating, Axel Ferrari 25-36-1-1H-LL,
• 40707, conf, Phoenix Operating, Axel Ferrari 25-36-1 3H,
• 40491, conf, Oasis, Lee N 5201 21-5 2B, 

RBN Energy: counting on a boom in natural gas demand for power?

Rising demand for electricity to serve data centers, manufacturing and other power-consuming sectors of the economy is spurring the development of scores of gas-fired plants — up to 100 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity by 2040. How much power those new plants will actually generate — and, with that, how much natural gas they will require — remain open questions, however. A recent study indicates that the vast majority of incremental power demand over the next 15 years could be supplied by solar and wind and that gas demand for power may remain pretty much flat. But the Trump administration’s dim view of most renewables — and clear preference for fossil fuels — suggest otherwise. In today’s RBN blog, we discuss gas demand for power in the late 2020s and 2030s.

Trump: first 100 days as of April 30, 2025. His term has just begun. He's farther along on his second term path than he was at similar point in his first term

RWE: for the US -- wind is dead. 

Solar: plan B. Needs natural gas back up.

Someone has the wrong data, and I certainly can't sort it out. Link here. I'm particularly concerned about the "USA" projection.

Nvidia To Start The Day -- April 28, 2025

Locator: 48530NVDA.

Six links. This is not an investment site and no recommendations are being or implied.

• April 27, 2025, Motley Fool: link here. 
• April 27, 2025, SeekingAlpha: link here.
• April 27, 2025, TweakTown: link here.
• April 25, 2025, IBD: link here.
• April 24, 2025, TheStreet: link here.
• April 14, 2025, NvidiaBlog: link here.