International Tribune Rules For Chevron Re: Ecuador

Rigzone is reporting:

An arbitration panel in The Hague said Ecuador should have prevented plaintiffs in a $19 billion award against Chevron Corp. from taking their battle to other countries, and needs to justify why its government shouldn't be held responsible for the costs.

In 2012, an Ecuadorian court ruled Chevron was responsible for environmental damages in that country's Amazon region, a decision the oil company is contesting. The international tribunal, which is studying the issue of whether the ruling constitutes a violation of a bilateral investment treaty between the U.S. and Ecuador, had asked the country to keep the plaintiffs from suing Chevron in foreign courts while the appeal was pending. But the plaintiffs filed lawsuits against Chevron assets in Canada, Argentina and other countries--a move the tribunal decided was a breach of Ecuador's obligations and of its previous rulings. Now the tribunal is asking the country's government why it shouldn't be held responsible for the harm done by the lawsuits filed by the plaintiffs outside Ecuador.

The house of cards is starting to fall. 

Ten (10) New Permits -- The Williston Basin, North Dakota, USA

Bakken Operations

Active rigs: 185 (nice)

Ten (10) new permits --

• Operators: Marathon (3), Whiting (2), CLR (2), Oasis (2), American Eagle
  Fields: Colgan (Divide), Bull Butte (Williams), Bailey (Dunn), Pleasant Hill (McKenzie), East Fork (Williams)
• Comments:

Wells coming off the confidential list were posted earlier; see sidebar at the right.

One oil and gas permit cancelled:

• 20445, PNC, EOG, Kandiyohi 24-3526H, Burke County

The Roughnecks Have Called It A Day

A reader sent me this screenshot from the NDIC website:

I'm being tweeted that all the roughnecks have called it a week and are headed to J Dub's Bar and Grill on 2nd Street West, Williston, ND.

It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere, Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett

Nemo: Lesson Learned -- Don't Make Fun of Mother Nature

Updates

February 9, 2012: It is being reported that total snowfall for this winter in Boston is now slightly above average for this time of the year, and there's at least six more weeks of winter.  Mother Nature having the last laugh.

Original Post

The weather reports coming out of Massachusetts are quite impressive.

Right now the snow is pouring down, like a heavy rainfall, fifteen miles west of downtown Boston. Apparently, it is just starting. It looks like maybe accumulating three inches over a few hours. But starting tonight at 7:00 p.m. it is forecast for a minimum of 2 inches of snow/hour through 1:00 a.m. (i.e., 12 inches of snow) and possibly 3 inches of snow/hour, or 18 inches. The total expected is about 24 inches of snow.

About ten days ago a Boston weatherperson said this was another "non-winter for Boston." The city had received only 9" of snow for the entire winter, when "normal" snowfall would total 24" by now.

So, fast forward to today. Nine (9) inches then; today another 24 inches --> 33 inches.

Lesson learned: don't make fun of mother nature.

Random Update on NDIC Oil and Gas Permits To Date

Updates

March 28, 2013 (in 2012, there were 29 days in February):

• Permits to date: 620
• Projected for 2013: 2,601
• Projected for 2012 same time one year ago: 1,989
• Permits issued in 2012: 2,521 with 30 or so ultimately canceled. 

February 28, 2013 (in 2012, there were 29 days in February):

• Permits to date: 402
• Projected for 2013: 2,487
• Projected for 2012 same time one year ago: 1,862
• Permits issued in 2012: 2,521 with 30 or so ultimately canceled. 

February 22, 2013: 

• Permits to date: 371
• Projected for 2013: 2,555
• Projected for 2012 same time one year ago: 1,901
• Permits issued in 2012: 2,521 with 30 or so ultimately canceled. 

February 14, 2013:

• Permits to date: 322
• Projected for 2013: 2,612
• Projected for 2012 same time one year ago: 1,841
• Permits issued in 2012: 2,521 with 30 or so ultimately canceled.
  

February 11, 2013: 

• Permits to date: 297
• Projected for 2013: 2,581
• Projected for 2012 same time one year ago: 1,790
• Permits issued in 2012: 2,521 with 30 or so ultimately canceled.
  

Original Post

Active rigs: 185

This is way too early to make these projections, but just for the fun of it: with regard to oil and gas permits in North Dakota, where are we compared to last year at this time?

Today's daily activity report with permits for today has not yet been issued.

As of yesterday, my database shows 275 oil and gas permits to date. Through February 7, that projects to 2,641 permits for the entire year (2013).

Last year, 2012, through February 7, there were 204 permits issued. Projecting that number through the end of the year showed 1,959 permits for the year. In fact, there were 2,521 permits issued last year (2012) with about 30 or so of those ultimately canceled.

So, for the 30-second sound bite: through February 7, 2013, there have been 275 permits for oil and gas wells issued compared to 204 permits this time last year. Those numbers project to more than 2,600 permits in 2013, compared to less than 2,000 in 2012.

Someone asked if operators might be "front loading" permits this year. I have no idea. A more reasonable explanation is pad drilling.

The rig count has stabilized in the 185 range.