President Obama: "Let's Drill, Drill, Drill"

Updates

March 12, 2011: Administration opening up Gulf. Too little too late?

BHP Billiton PLC said Saturday that the permit will allow it to get back to work in its Shenzi field, located about 120 miles off Louisiana's coast. The well, about 4,300 feet below the surface, began production in March 2009, but drilling stopped last year amid the backlash to an April 2010 blowout of a BP PLC well in the Gulf of Mexico.

The article doesn't say, but there have been comments that the court had to step in to force an "up or down" decision by the administration on whether to get around to making a decision. I don't know the details, but if that's accurate, the AP was not helpful in providing full story.

Original Post

Headline: Obama Blames Oil Companies For Lack of Drilling

In his Friday press conference to discuss gas prices, President Obama was rather defensive, straining to counter the notion that his administration has been unfriendly to oil drilling, something most people would like to see a lot more of these days.

Flashback -- State of the Union Address, 2011: President Obama mentioned the word "oil" twice in that speech (download it here, and do a word search for "oil" to confirm; twice the word "oil" shows up):

First time:

With more research and incentives, we can break our dependence on oil with biofuels, and become the first country to have 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015. 

Second time:

We need to get behind this innovation. And to help pay for it, I'm asking Congress to eliminate the billions in taxpayer dollars we currently give to oil companies. I don't know if you've noticed, but they're doing just fine on their own. So instead of subsidizing yesterday's energy, let's invest in tomorrow's. 

And that was the administration's energy policy: transfer oil profits to subsidize coal-powered vehicles.

Meanwhile GE accelerates its transition into oil diversification with another acquisition. What's good for GE is good for the country, I suppose one could say. After all, the administration's economic czar is the CEO of GE.

Miscellaneous issues:

Permitorium
EPA targets fracking
Onshore delay of drilling permits
Increase taxes on oil companies
Windfall profit taxes
The Steve Chu effect
Plan A: wind and solar energy
No Plan B


I can't make this stuff up.

Traveling Today -- Minimal Posting

Several wells off confidential list today.  Most are "DRL" status; disappointing. Probably waiting to be fracked.

Of those reporting, EOG and Murex reported a couple of relatively good wells:

• 19018, 927, EOG, Van Hook 15-15H, Van Hook, Bakken
• 19004, 1,440, EOG, Mandaree 12-07H, Squaw Creek, Bakken
• 18714, 900, Murex, Brian Webb 32-5H, McGregor, Bakken

Another Frack Record in the Bakken -- Baker Hughes -- Whiting -- 40 Stage Openhole Fracture -- Pretty Impressive

Link here. [Note: Slawson was the first to accomplish 40-stage fracturing in the Bakken, but a different method.]

19866, 1,805, Whiting, Smith 14-29XH, Sanish, Middle Bakken, t4/11; cum 112K 6/12;

Baker Hughes has successfully installed a 40-stage openhole completion system in the Williston Basin for Whiting Petroleum Corporation. This achievement marks the most number of stages ever performed in a single lateral frac sleeve / packer completion system. The Baker Hughes FracPoint™ EX-C multistage fracturing system was deployed in the Whiting Petroleum Smith 14 29XH horizontal well.

The Smith well was spudded on 1/14/11 and reached total depth 2/5/11. It is a long lateral, running northwest to southeast. It is located in 29-153-92.

This well is 1,160 feet north of:

• 17285, 1,207, Whiting, Bartleson 11-32H, Sanish, Bakken, t3/18/09; cum 113K 6/12;

Both laterals run parallel to each other.

From the press release:

The Bakken Shale/Three Forks play in North Dakota has experienced an increase in productivity due to fracturing improvements using multistage, openhole packer and sleeve systems. To support the needs of operators in these unconventional plays, Baker Hughes continues to research innovative completion technology advances designed to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of single trip continuous frac completions.

Yes, the Bakken continues to set new records.

EIght (8) New Permits -- North Dakota, USA

Producers: Anschutz (2), Whiting (2), Baytex, BEXP, Zavanna, and Helis.

Fields: Manning, Sanish, Burg, Elk, Twin Buttes, Glass Bluff and Blue Buttes.

The two Anschutz wells will be on the same pad in the Manning oil field. 

The daily activity report had no other news: no new wells off the confidential list.

Fire-Fighting Equipment Reaches Jaynes Well Fire -- Arnegard, Bakken, North Dakota, USA

Link here to original story.

I follow story here.

Interestingly, the network that "broke" the story (or at least appeared to get first reporters out to site) still has not provided an update. I can't find anything about the oil well fire at KMOT.com or at MinotDailyNews.com.  I may have missed it, but if so, not easily found.