Monday, November 8, 2021

One New Permit; Nine Permits Renewed; Two DUCs Reported As Completed -- November 8, 2021

It's on! Cross border traffic along the Canadian border is ... surging. After twenty months of being closed. Let's go, Brandon. 

US equity markets: all three major indices set new records again. Again. I think Bitcoin hit a new record, also. 

Christmas, 2021: all-time records expected. 

Mailbox money: those receiving mailbox money for Bakken minerals should send a note of thanks to the Saudi princes. Larger-than-expected Saudi crude oil price hikes to Asia bullish for all markets. Link here

Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia has raised the price differential of its flagship crude to Asia by more than double in December versus November, exceeding market expectations and sending a bullish signal to the global oil market. The sharpler-than-expected price hike comes after OPEC and its allies agreed last week to maintain a production hike of 400,000 bopd for December despite consumers' calls for higher output.

Meanwhile, the Brandon administration is studying whether to cut more oil imports from Canada. Don't ask. But that's bullish for WTI. Let's go, Brandon.

Russian natural gas: still not getting to Germany

COP: plans $1.5 billion Norway gas and condensate development. Link to Reuters. Data points:

  • Norway's North Sea
  • Tommeliten A gas and condensate discovery
  • 125 million bbls equivalent
  • $1.5 billion / 125 million boe = $12 / boe

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Back to the Bakken

Hiland Pipeline, Epping connector, link at The Williston Herald. Proposed:

  • a 2.9 crude oil pipeline on the east / south side of Epping, ND
  • $5.4 million
  • 8-inch diameter
  • capacity:
  • max: 62,800 bopd
  • daily average: 30,000 bopd
  • no new above-ground facilities will be needed
  • vs 137 trucks daily (30,000 bopd)
  • construction during third quarter to avoid disturbing breeding birds
  • reason for posting this: note the current cost of a simple pipeline: close to $2 million / mile

Note: it appears NDIC data base information will not open in Firefox. I am using Safari to access NDIC data.

Active rigs:

$81.99
11/8/202111/08/202011/08/201911/08/201811/08/2017
Active Rigs3215546653

One new permit, #38643,

  • Operator: Ballard
  • Field: Wildcat (Bottineau County)
  • Comments:
    • Ballard, Small 31-8, NWNE 80159-81,
    • the Ballard permit is for a Small well to be sited in NWNE 8-159-81, 660 FNL and 1980 FEL,

Nine permits renewed:

  • Enerplus (6): six permits on the Hearty Breakfast pad (Waffle, Sausage, Pancake, Omelet, Ham, Bacon), all in section 9-151-94, McKenzie County -- aka, the Waffle House pad.
  • NP Resources (3); three McDonald permits in Billings County

Two producing wells (DUCs) reported as completed:

  • 38190, 695, Ovintiv, Olson 152-96-30-31-6H,
  • 38193, 860, Ovintiv, Rolfsrud 152-96-29-32-7HLW,

Notes From All Over -- First Edition -- November 8, 2021

Updates

Later, 1:55 p.m. CT: yields on bonds keep dropping. I missed the comment on CNBC earlier this morning, but it might have been the 30-year bond (perhaps another one) yield was at a decade low. Or something to that effect. Details on bonds matter not to me.

Later, 12:10 p.m CT: business-friendly states? All related to masking and Covid-19. I don't think Tennessee ever shut down; nor did Utah, and both are high on the list of business-friendly states. States that don't get with the program will find themselves lagging. Speaking of which, what's going on with California and its "hiding-in-place" governor? Rumors starting to get nasty.

Later, 12:08 p.m. CT: is anyone even paying attention to COP26? Gold hits two-month high. Bitcoin flirts with new all-time highs. The buzz: Jay Powell will be re-appointed. 

Later, 12:04 p.m. CT: Brandon needs to take ownership. He needs to call this "the Brandon market." I do believe this is the best market any of us have seen in decades? Replace Jay Powell at your own peril

Later, 12:01 p.m. CT: I guess it's "official." Elon Musk will sell 10% of his TSLA shares in order to pay massive California tax -- something he would not have had to pay had he been in Texas. LOL. Pretty funny. 

Later, 11:54 a.m. CT: holy mackerel, again, AMD is trading at an all-time high, up 11%. In fact, up almost 12%; up almost $16; trading at $152. AAPL is trading slightly lower today. I don't think folks realize that AAPL is now a chip company. We'll talk about that later.

Later, 11:48 a.m. CT: holy mackerel, CLR is now up 6.22%; up $2.87; trading at $49. Oh, yeah, CLR and the Permian. One thousand drilling locations. 

Disclaimer: I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken and the shale revolution in general. This is not an investment site. Do not make any investment decisions based on what you read here or think you may have read here. I'm just having a lot of fun watching all this and thrilled for investors who got in early. I don't hold any shares in CLR and don't plan to simply because I am so overweight in energy, my broker says he will close out my account if I buy any more shares of any oil company. LOL. Not true, but almost. It should be noted that the individual I most trust on investment decisions regarding shale, when asked about CLR and the Permian, replies, "the jury is still out."

Later, 11:20 a.m. CT: apparently investors are reading the blog, the analysis of the deal and realize CLR can pay off this deal in 2.5 years with free cash flow. CRL is up more than the rest of the sector, up 5.44% today, up $2.51; trading at $48.62. 

Later, 11:20 a.m. CT: the market is very, very, very restrained today considering:

  • the US relaxed international travel rules;
  • earnings keep impressing;
  • huge infrastructure bill passed on Friday;
  • oil seems to be in a trading range;
  • folks getting used to inflation; supply chain delays; high gasoline prices; and a new one, skimpflation;
  • Americans have a real knack for substituting something not available for something else, even if they don't need it; they like spending money and a lot of crypto investors have become very rich;
  • new regimens for Covid-19 announced over the past 72 hours; "Covid-19 is so over";
    • can't speak for the rest of the country, but Texas has moved on
  • Santa Claus rally? in fact, there will be at least two more legs -- the Thanksgiving rally, to be followed by the Santa Claus rally -- whoo-hoo!
  • and, of course, my favorite chart (link pending for those who have not seen it)

Original Post

Investors: second best business hour on television in a few minutes. Jim Cramer already .

  • Regeneron: up $11 in pre-market trading; up 1.85; looks like Regeneron works.
    • CEO and founder: strongly "believes" in vaccines but understands concerns
      • Regeneron offers alternative for "pandemic prisoners"
    • single dose of antibody cocktail provides long-term protection 
    • not yet approved by FDA
    • vaccines? the Regeneron CEO gets it; spoke positively of potential competitors like Pfizer;
    • obviously thinks like a scientist; speaks like one's uncle;
    • so cool; called at last minute by CNBC; took the zoom call at home, delayed getting out the door to work so he could take the CNBC call -- really congenial
    • Aaron Rodgers?

Pre-market: Dow keeps moving up.

ISO NE: typical 5:00 a.m. spike to $100. Now down to $60. Link here. We'll definitely see stories of high-cost utility bills this winter in New England, elsewhere. 

Infrastructure bill winners; EVs and renewable energy. 

Did Carl miss the vote? Suggested that investors might have been surprised that more than a dozen GOP representatives would support the bill. In fact, it was thirteen. We were being played.

Peloton, Zillow: it's not often we see two companies crash and burn so quickly.

Nextdoor Holdings: small mom-and-pop retail businesses rely on Facebook. Even if they "hate" Facebook they have nowhere else to go. Well, not quite. They can go to Nextdoor Holdings; it goes public today as a SPAC. I had not heard about NextDoor Holdings but listening to the CEO it sounded just like a competitor to Facebook. I went to google: for businesses is NextDoor Holdings a competitor to Facebook" -- the first hit:


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New Bike From REI

With prices expected to increase significantly next summer, it's time to buy a new bike now. This is the first bike I've ever bought from REI. My old bike -- been with me for several years -- is getting a tune-up.

Several Wells Coming Off Confidential List -- November 8, 2021

Tesla / Elon Musk: has changed his twitter hand to "Lorde Edge," an anagram for "Elder Doge."

Elon Musk: will have to sell Tesla shares to pay massive California tax bill. the options expire in August, 2022, he needs to exercise before then. His gain will be $28 billion and will be taxed at ordinary income, 54% -- creating a California tax bill of $15 billion. He could sell 12 million shares; pay his tax bill; and retain 10  million more shares. 

Pay raise: American Airlines increases pay for flight attendants in response to scheduling meltdown. Haven't heard if Southwest Airlines is doing anything.

Skimpflation: new term, I had not seen. Picked up by a reader. This is a huge opportunity for CEOs who understand this. Amazon is a great example. I don't think I've ever had a problem with Amazon.

Ten-year Treasury: 1.478% (and that's a slight increase). Did anyone see this coming? I thought we were told that the TYT was headed toward 3% with a quick rush through 2%. And this is one business day following the $1.5 trillion spending bill. It also appears, the price of gasoline has plateaued. WTI is in a trading range.

WTI: up slightly today; Saudi raised their official selling price over the weekend.

US equity markets, pre-market: up nicely. Goldlilocks Monday for investors. Oil up very slightly; US opens up international travel; huge infrastructure bill passed that is not seen to be inflationary by many. One example: CAT jumps 4% in pre-market trading on back of infrastructure bill.

Morph: Former Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm is quickly becoming "the Dr Fauci" of US energy policy. Tone-deaf. Unlike Dr Fauci, she has no clue, no expertise in the field in which she is the nation's spokesperson. Fauci worked to thread the needle between politics and science. Granholm: knitting with two-by-fours.

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Back to the Bakken

Active rigs:

$81.66
11/8/202111/08/202011/08/201911/08/201811/08/2017
Active Rigs3215546653

Wells coming off the confidential list:

Monday, November 8, 2021: 10 for the month, 13 for the quarter, 264 for the year:
36071, conf, Enerplus, Andesite 147-93-09C-04H,

Sunday, November 7, 2021: 9 for the month, 12 for the quarter, 263 for the year:
37979, conf, Hess, EN-Joyce-LE-156-94-1721H-6,
35486, conf, Oasis, Nikolai Federal 5397 42-33 2B,

Saturday, November 6, 2021: 7 for the month, 10 for the quarter, 261 for the year:
38194, conf, CLR, TRex SWD,
36070, conf, Enerplus, Granite 147-93-09C-04H,  

Friday, November 5, 2021: 6 for the month, 9 for the quarter, 260 for the year:
37365, conf, Whiting, Sorenson 21-6-3H,
36773, conf, Hess, CA-Russell Smith-155-96-2425H-8,

RBN Energy: midstream conundrum threatens gas production growth long term, part 2. 

Market signals are suggesting that we’re on the cusp of another midstream revival. Higher crude oil and natural gas prices are prompting producers to ramp up output, and higher production will lead to increasing midstream constraints and cratering supply prices. We’ve seen this reel before and in past cycles, midstreamers would swoop in right about now with plans for a host of pipeline expansions to relieve bottlenecks and balance the market again. The problem is that for capacity to get built, you need producers to sign up with long-term commitments, and that’s the catch. Wall Street has drawn a hard line when it comes to capital and environmental discipline in the energy industry, and regulatory support for hydrocarbon newbuilds has waned. This is especially a problem for two major basins — the Permian and Marcellus/Utica — but is liable to affect producer behavior across the Lower 48. In today’s RBN blog, we take a closer look at how this will play out at the basin level, starting with the Permian.

Previously, we discussed the relationship between midstream infrastructure and production growth as a key driver of the Shale Revolution. The bottom line was that without the rapid buildout of pipeline and other midstream infrastructure over the past decade or so, Lower 48 gas production volumes would be nowhere near where they are today.

We also considered the challenges in today’s environment for getting midstream expansions across the finish line. U.S. natural gas supply is primed for growth, with the Lower 48 supply-demand balance the most bullish it has been in years. On top of that, exports are very strong and poised for growth, with international prices setting records. Henry Hub gas futures are also near their highest level in over a decade. It would seem that if elevated prices incentivize incremental production and constraints create regional imbalances, infrastructure expansions would again play a critical role in debottlenecking and balancing markets and facilitating production growth. However, the focus on energy transition and capital discipline — and the overall bias against hydrocarbons — have changed the game, making it harder to get the long-term capacity commitments and financial and regulatory support to get midstream projects done. Producers, who were always reluctant to commit to new capacity, are now even more wary of backing these projects for fear of getting slapped down by Wall Street.

Note: 

Two major Permian producers, ConocoPhillips and Diamondback Energy, are among those that have recently emphasized the need for continued capital discipline. ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance called on investors to keep U.S. shale producers on a “short leash” to preserve returns and capital access, although he said it’s possible the sector’s top tier can deliver “modest growth” at market-competitive returns as demand continues to recover. Diamondback CEO Travis Stice said the company is committed to holding its Permian oil production flat in 2022 and implored investors to continue holding companies to their capital discipline pledges.

Sunday, November 7, 2021

Smith And Wesson Moves To Tennessee -- November 7, 2021

During the past couple of years, I have been surprised to see how many times I've seen Tennessee among the stop ten states for working, retiring, starting a business, etc.

As an example, the CNBC poll, "America's top states for business, 2021," posted July 13, 2021, Tennessee is ranked #5, right below Texas. Link here.

In the graphic above, the first column seems to be the most important variable. Among the top ten, Ohio was #2 when looking at the cost of doing business. What state was #1? #3?

Cost of doing business:

1. Oklahoma (#32 overall -- wow, what a disconnect)
2. Ohio.
3. Louisiana (#44 overall -- another huge disconnect)
4. Arkansas (#43 overall -- ditto)
5. Missouri (#25 overall)

Tennessee was a very, very respectable #8. 

North Dakota was ranked #18 overall and also #18 for cost of doing business.

I was curious, and that's why I looked it up, when I saw that Smith and Wesson, after 170 years in Springfield, MA, announced it is moving lock, stock, and barrel (no pun intended, but truly perfect) to eastern Tennessee, specifically Maryville, TN, a suburb of Knoxville. 

This is an incredibly beautiful part of the country, not just Tennessee. It includes Pigeon Forge.

Smith and Wesson Brands Inc is publicly traded, ticker symbol, SWBI.

  • market cap: $1 billion
  • operating cash flow: $340 million
  • levered free cash flow: $350 million

My only question: why did it take so long for Smith and Wesson to make this decision? It certainly is not going to be particularly expensive to move.

Smith and Wesson says the project will cost $125 million and will create 750 new jobs.

Corporate tax rate:

  • Massachusetts: 8%?
  • Tennessee: 6.5%

Did Dirty Harry carry a Smith and Wesson?

For all my European readers who have never seen a Smith and Wesson:

From Dirty Harry, five films in the series

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A Musical Interlude

I Don't Own A Single Gun, The Lumineers

Coming Out Of Left Field -- The CLR-Permian Deal -- A Thought Experiment -- November 7, 2021

My knee-jerk reaction to CLR's announcement that it had bought into the Permian for $3.250 billion was negative

But after thinking about the announcement (not the deal) for about one hour, I quickly came around. Harold Hamm's decision to enter the Permian the way he did was brilliant. 

Let me ask "you" a question: if the numbers are correct, that CLR can pay off this deal in less than 2.5 years with free cash flow, would you be happy with this deal? 

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Harold Hamm To The Permian: I Just Want To Dance With You

I'm Happy Just To Dance With You, The Beatles