Four New Permits; Three Permits Renewed; Four Permits Canceled; One DUC Reported As Completed -- December 5, 2025

Locator: 49640B. 

WTI: $60.08.

Active rigs: 32.

Four new permits, #42541 - #42544, inclusive:

• Operators: Deven Energy (3); Hunt Oil
• Fields: Hardscrabble (Williams County); Ross (Mountrail County)
• Comments:
• Hunt Oil has a permit for a Palermo well, NENE 8-156-90, 
• to be sited 1225 FL and 362 FEL:
• Devon Energy has permits for three Lippert wells, lot 3, section 1-153-102, 
• to be sited 308 / 368 FNL and 1698/1700 FWL.

Three permits renewed:

• Formentera Operations (2): two FLX4 permits, Flaxton oil field, Burke County;
• Lime Rock: a Schneider permit in Fayette oil field; Dunn County.

Four permits canceled: 

• Hunt Oil (3): three Patten permits, Mountrail County;
• Devon Energy: a Clifford Bakke permit, Alger oil field, Mountrail County.

One producing well (a DUC) reported as completed:

• 41212, 1,948, Slawson, Daredevil Federal 3-2-14H, McKenzie County.

Two Older Bakken Studies That I Do Not Recall Having Seen Before -- December 5, 2025

Locator: 49641B. 

For the archives.

I don't think I've seen these studies before. I don't know if they offer anything new but I will post the links for the archives.

First link: https://netl.doe.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Bakken-Shale-Basin-Study-JUN_26_2019.pdf.  

Second link: https://pubs.usgs.gov/dds/dds-069/dds-069-w/contents/REPORTS/69_W_CH_5.pdf.

These links have been added to the sidebar at the right. Scroll about half way down the sidebar at the right to "Welcome to the Million Dollar Way" where all such links are saved. A lot of information is there. 

I found them while searching for something regarding the Brockton-Froid fault system.

Allison's Quick Connects -- December 5, 2025

Locator: 49639B. 

I could be wrong, but it's my impression that this week's top stories by Allison Ritter is much, much longer than previous weekly updates, both the "quick connects" and the number of stand-along articles. Much, much longer; many more articles.  

Quick Connects: 

• North Dakota's natural gas volumes hit an all-time high -- McKenzie County Farmer

• North Dakota company Packet Digital awarded $50 million government funds -- KX News

• North Dakota Bakken: mature play poised for next phase of growth -- Pipeline & Gas Journal

• Morton County approves wind farm after month of contentious debate -- Bismarck Tribune

• Xcel agrees to cut proposed electricity rate increase for North Dakota customers -- North Dakota Monitor

• Applied Digital completes first of three buildings contracted for 250 MW Polaris Forge 1 campus -- KX News

• Public weighs in on Bakken East natgas pipeline that would go through Stutsman County -- Jamestown Sun

• North Dakota Republicans pushing legislation to preserve 'fair' transmission cost allocation -- E&E News

• North Dakota Supreme Court being asked to weigh in on foreign Greenpeace case -- North Dakota Monitor

• Former North Dakota State Senator Rick Becker announces District 7 bid for state legislature -- WZFG

• Tim Mathern, longest-serving senator in North Dakota Legislature, announces reelection bid -- InForum

• North Dakota Interagency Council on Homelessness could have crisis on its hands -- North Dakota Monitor

• Growing a better tomorrow: North Dakota DOCR prison gardening program supports food banks -- KX News

• North Dakota on track to be first state in nation with 100% broadband internet access -- Bismarck Tribune

• North Dakota Senator Ron Sorvaag announces bid for reelection in Fargo's District 45 -- InForum

• Judge's CO2 storage ruling adds uncertainty, North Dakota energy industry says -- North Dakota Monitor

• North Dakota Emergency Commission takes no action on requested RIO bonuses -- Bismarck Tribune

• Carol Olson, who guided Republican resurgence in state, led Human Services, dies -- North Dakota Monitor

• Dickens Village Festival in Garrison begins holiday season; continues until December 13 -- Minot Daily News

• NDHP, First Responders, businesses to host holiday food and toy drive on December 6 -- Williston Herald

• Former Divide County Fair Board treasurer accused of diverting $35K for personal use -- Bismarck Tribune

• Ward County Highway Department presents 2026-27 Transportation Improvement Plan -- Minot Daily News

• NDDOT awards major project to widen segments of US-85 to four lanes -- McKenzie County Farmer

• North Dakota Forest Service accepting applications for Cooperative Fire Protection Assistance -- KVRR

• MHA celebrates indigenous food sovereignty with greenhouse grand opening -- McKenzie County Farmer

• Residents in western Williams County will have a new place to vote in the 2026 elections -- KFYR-TV

• Center expected to apply for grant that will fund replacing all streetlights with LEDs -- The Center Republican

• North Dakota field hearings spotlight rural innovation, connectivity as foundations for prosperity -- Brookings

• Williston Basin School District President Cory Swint announces he will run for mayor next year -- KFYR-TV

• Unusual bird spotted on the prairie near Kenmare, runaway emu had escaped its owners -- KX News

• Grand Forks Public Schools turns to online professionals to meet student needs -- Grand Forks Herald

• North Dakota above nat'l average for districts participating in Farm to School program -- Minot Daily News

• US Dept of Health and Human Services awards $2.7M to TGU School District for Head Start -- Kevin Cramer

• Two North Dakota students named recipients of US Senate Youth Program scholarships -- KNOX Radio

• OBBB funding cuts end ND's main nutrition education program; educators scrambling to fill void -- KFYR-TV

• $55M awarded to Grand Forks AFB's Public School District as part of larger $69M project -- John Hoeven

• North Dakota's new K-12 superintendent prepares to hit road for 167-school listening tour -- Dickinson Press

• ND State Board of Higher Education to consider interim presidents for NDSU, VCSU -- Dickinson Press

• Input rolling in on proposed rules for North Dakota charter schools during public hearing -- Dickinson Press

• Minot Public School Board approves hiring of staff to conduct STARBASE program -- Minot Daily News

• New State Superintendent Bachmeier talks AI in classrooms; thinks it can support teachers -- KFYR-TV

• Measuring education effectiveness: board receives audit results for 2023-24 school year -- Hazen Star

• New cellphone ban has helped students focus and connect at Grand Forks high school -- Dickinson Press

• North Dakota is working to become the nation's most financially literate state -- Dakota News Network

• Underwood High School students observe oral arguments, ask questions of attorneys -- ND Court System

• Turtle Lake's "Care Closet" provides students with basic personal essentials they may need -- KFYR-TV

• $3.6 billion in delayed funding now released for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program -- KFYR-TV

• OPEC+ confirms plan to pause production increases in early 2026 amid global surplus concerns -- World Oil

• Alberta government urges energy regulator to go soft on imposing penalties for excess flaring -- Oil Price

• US LNG exports hit all-time monthly high in November on cooler weather and strong output -- Reuters

• Data center boom over next decade may need 36% more power than previously thought -- E&E News

• BLM approves large exploratory drilling and seismic survey project in Alaska's North Slope -- E&E News

• National gas prices have dropped below $3 a gallon to their lowest level in more than four years -- The Hill

• MISO to study 15 power projects for accelerated interconnection to grid, avoid supply crunch -- E&E News

• Soaring US natural gas prices could boost coal power generation with winter months looming -- Oil Price

• Trump ends Biden-era fuel economy standards, says move will cut new car prices by $1,000 -- Townhall

• Energy affordability has become the kitchen-table issue of the 2020s, prices are going up -- RealClearEnergy

• PUC plans to push natural gas heat out of Colorado homes to hit 100% decarbonization -- The Colorado Sun

• Blame Democrats' "green" policies, not data centers, for rising electricity prices -- Washington Examiner

• Trump administration's Top 10 climate victories for which to be thankful this holiday season -- Daily Caller

FIFA World Cup 2026

Locator: 49638SOCCER. 

SI: full list of teams, schedules, venues. Link here.

**************************** 

All nine Dallas matches next summer. Dallas to host the most games of all venues.

Dallas will host:

• five games in the opening round when the tournament starts with twelve groups, four teams in each group
• two games in the Round of 32 -- when 48 teams have been whittled to 32 teams
• one game in the Found of 16 -- when only 16 teams are left
• one of the semifinal games

Opening round of 48 teams

• 16 venues, Canada, the US, and Mexico

Round of 32

• same 16 venues across Canada, US, and Mexico that were used in the opening round
• each game is a knock-out game
• Dallas will host two games
• round of 32 -- 16 games will result in 16 teams advancing

Round of 16

• 16 teams
• 8 matches
• 8 venues (including Dallas)
• so each venue will host only one game

Quarterfinals

• 8 teams in the quarterfinals
• 4 matches
• Boston, LA, Kansas City, Miami will be the venues

Semifinals

• four teams
• two matches 
• two venues: Atlanta and Dallas
• for each of the venues, this will be huge -- absolute pandemonium! 
• July 14 and July 15
• third place play-off: July 18 

 Championship Final: July 19

• The FIFA World Cup 2026 Championship Final (the last match) will be held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, near New York City, on Sunday, July 19, 2026, concluding the tournament.

Tell Me Again Amazon Prime Is Not Worth It -- December 5, 2025

Locator: 49637AMAZON. 

For the record, I pay nothing for Amazon Prime. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. We've talked about this before. Plus, I get Thursday Night Football. And free movies. Plus other stuff I don't even use or know about.

This is a typical size / weight package that folks send -- it's incredibly small, weighing just a bit more than five pounds .... and yet it cost $31.

Amazing. Amazon is somehow absorbing shipping costs on "all" shipments for Amazon Prime customers (exception: third party retailers who ship directly and not through Amazon).

Charts Of The Day -- Early Edition -- December 5, 2025

Locator: 49636INVESTING. 

Micron (MU): 

SCCO: 52-week high.

 *********************************
Happy Holidays

***********************
Jiu-Jitsu

Link here. 

Monroe Doctrine -- Updated -- December 5, 2025

Locator: 49635NATSEC. 

Most transformational president since FDR.

Obviously, the administration has been working on this for months.

It will be interesting to see the US Congress denigrate/criticize the Monroe Doctrine. 

Link here. 

End Of The Road -- Another California Refinery To Close -- December 5, 2025

Locator: 49634CALREFINERS. 

Data points:

• sixth largest in the state;
• 9% of the state's crude refining;
• one of the largest employers in the Bay Area, northern California.
• California will replace much of that refined product with re-supply from foreign countries.

End of the road: 

Link here.

Investing: All Equity Markets Turn Green At The Open -- Disclaimer Posted -- December 5, 2025

Locator: 49633ARCHIVES. 

Jobless recovery: last time this happened, 2001. The Fed stepped in and the bulls were released. Link to review of that "event."

History of the Fed: the big fight back in 1913. Link here. Wow, when you look at that number, "1913," the US really is not that old. 

• 1699: Williamsburg founding
• 1776:
• 1861:
• 1929:
• 1945: 
• 1969: 
• 2020: 

*********************************DisclaimerBrief Reminder 

Briefly:

• I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken and I am often well out front of my headlights. I am often appropriately accused of hyperbole when it comes to the Bakken.
• I am inappropriately exuberant about the US economy and the US market.
• I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple. 
• See disclaimer. This is not an investment site. 
• 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. 
• All my posts are done quickly: there will be content and typographical errors. If something appears wrong, it probably is. Feel free to fact check everything.
• If anything on any of my posts is important to you, go to the source. If/when I find typographical / content errors, I will correct them. 
• Many posts are not proofread for several days after they've been posted.  
• Reminder: I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken, US economy, and the US market.
• I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple. 
• And now, Nvidia, also. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Nvidia. Nvidia is a metonym for AI and/or the sixth industrial revolution.
• I've now added Broadcom to the disclaimer. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Broadcom.
• And Oracle. 
• Longer version here.

***********************************
AMZN

Link here. 

Just posted, moments ago. Google "tiny cars."

 

Trump Won't Get The Credit He Deserves -- What Has Happened In His First Year Is Absolutely Incredible -- Japan Joins In -- Trump-Branded Industrial Parks -- December 5, 2025

Locator: 49632JAPAN. 

Link here. 

Monetizing vacant Federal land. By the way, on a completely different note, Trump is also monetizing high-viz pardon process. 

The New Name -- Will Be Temporary -- December 5, 2025

Locator: 49631PEACE. 

Link here. 

Quick: name an American president who has negotiated more major international peace deals. 

 

World Cup -- 2026 -- December 5, 2025

Locator: 49630SOCCER.

Based on local coverage, I'm not sure the DFW area realizes what they have just "bought into." This is like grabbing a tiger by the tail. This is going to be fascinating. We'll know more later today. 

World Cup Final 2026: Dallas to host 9 matches, the most of any venue.

Does AAPL turn green before the end of the day?
 

My Favorite Chart -- Assets Under Management Surge -- December 5, 2025

Locator: 49629MMF.

My favorite chart.

Tag: MMF MMFs 

$86 billion.

Link here. 

Foxconn Reports 26% Revenue Spike -- December 5, 2025

Locator: 49628FOXCONN.

Pre-market: 

• Apple: slightly negative.
• TSM: flat.

How The Million Dollar Way Stacks Up On A Goolge Search -- December 5, 2025

Locator: 49627B.

Netflix To Acquire WBD -- Bakken Update -- RBN Energy -- December 5, 2025

Locator: 49626B.

Netflix: ready to acquire Warner Brothers Discovery. This will never happen. Regulators will stop this. Trump is likely to be very, very miffed; his close friend Larry Ellison was "left at the altar." The Ellisons bid first and made multiple offers. No, this won't go anywhere and it will be in regulatory purgatory for at least a year before the deal is unwound. White House has already telegraphed the Ellisons to hang tight; it's not over yet.

Dallas Cowboys: lost to Detroit, 44 - 30 last night, Thursday night football. Wild fourth quarter. CeeDee Lamb suffered another concussion; back in percussion protocol. CeeDee Lamb has major decision to make: his career or his health. If you missed it and want to watch the wild fourth quarter, the game will be re-aired today at 2:00 p.m. (not sure if that's CT or ET, but I think it's CT).

End of the road: 

************************************
Back to the Bakken

Video: fracking on a multi-well pad -- looks like a six-well (or bigger) multi-well pad. Link here.  

WTI: $59.59.

New wells reporting:

• Sunday, December 7, 2025: 17 for the month, 140 for the quarter, 724 for the year, 
• 41492, conf, CLR, Boulder Federal 4-4HSL, 
• 41326, conf, Hess, EN-Rice-155-94-1102H-6, 
• 28515, conf, CLR, Berlain 4-30HSL,
• Saturday, December 6, 2025: 14 for the month, 137 for the quarter, 721 for the year,
• 41298, conf, Hess, BL-Kvam-LW-156-95-1918H-1, 
• 36702, conf,  BR, Muri 2E-MBH,  
• Friday, December 5, 2025: 12 for the month, 135 for the quarter, 719 for the year, 
• 41242, conf, Hess, GO-Bergstrom-156-98-2833H-7, 
• 41777, conf, CLR, Willey 7-3H, 

RBN Energy: Bakken update. And future. Link here.