Rig Count -- Random Update

There are 199 active rigs in North Dakota today. Don and BHI tell me that there are 23 active oil rigs in Montana.  Twelve of the Montana rigs are in Richland County.

The record number of active rigs in North Dakota in this current boom as been 218 rigs.

Just a Reminder --

I really appreciate "straight talk":

EOG: near term, horizontal oil production in US (2 million bopd by 2015) will NOT affect 90 million bopd global production; only three consequential horizontal plays in North America: Eagle Ford, Bakken, and Permian (all others are either inconsequential or really NGL plays) -- Mark Papa, EOG/CEO

Oh, Did "We" Fail To Mention ....

See if you can find  "Keystone XL" in this article: US Reliance on Saudi Oil Heads Back Up.

The United States is increasing its dependence on oil from Saudi Arabia, raising its imports from the kingdom by more than 20 percent this year, even as fears of military conflict in the tinderbox Persian Gulf region grow.

The increase in Saudi oil exports to the United States began slowly last summer and has picked up pace this year. Until then, the United States had decreased its dependence on foreign oil and from the Gulf in particular.

I went back and double-checked. Someone else (in the comment section) also noted that. The Obama administration favors Saudi regime over Canada. The dots continue to connect.

One could have written the lede this way, I suppose:

The United States is increasing its dependence on oil from Saudi Arabia, raising its imports from the kingdom by more than 20 percent this year, even as fears of military conflict in the tinderbox Persian Gulf region grow.

The increase in Saudi oil exports to the United States began slowly lever since President Obama killed Keystone XL and has picked up pace since. Until then, the United States had decreased its dependence on foreign oil and from the Gulf in particular.

I can't make this stuff up.

Friday Morning -- Just Waking Up

Wells coming off confidential list have been posted: Zenergy, XTO, and BEXP all report nice wells.  Scroll down to earlier posts. Remember: G3 Operating (GEOI) was acquired by Halcon in 2Q12, I believe. 

 Michael Filloon on Oasis.

Independent Stock Analysis: taking some time off.

From RBN Energy:

We just finished up the hottest July on record. Very high temperatures cause air conditioning demand to go ballistic. System operators struggle to generate enough power to satisfy peak load and call on expensive “peaker” generation units that set a high market price for power. With gas prices trading lower these days, the spread between high power prices and the cost of the gas fuel to generate that electricity (the spark spread) widens considerably during a heat wave. Today we look at spark spreads during July in New York City.

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A "throwaway" article in CNNMoney today resulted in coming across this commentary: No Plan B.  If you go there, scroll down to the "original post."

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To be filed under "How Did This Happen?"  US Reliance on Saudi Oil Heads Back Up.

The United States is increasing its dependence on oil from Saudi Arabia, raising its imports from the kingdom by more than 20 percent this year, even as fears of military conflict in the tinderbox Persian Gulf region grow.

The increase in Saudi oil exports to the United States began slowly last summer and has picked up pace this year. Until then, the United States had decreased its dependence on foreign oil and from the Gulf in particular.

This reversal is driven in part by the battle over Iran’s nuclear program. The United States tightened sanctions that hampered Iran’s ability to sell crude, the lifeline of its troubled economy, and Saudi Arabia agreed to increase production to help guarantee that the price did not skyrocket. While prices have remained relatively stable, and Tehran’s treasury has been squeezed, the United States is left increasingly vulnerable to a region in turmoil.

How did this happen? The Keystone XL is not mentioned in this article.

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At the very bottom of the sidebar at the right, the top ten pages of this blog are tracked. I find it very, very interesting what attracts visitors. Thank you. 

Apple Files Plan For 500,000 Square Foot Data Center in Prineville, Oregon

Prineville, Oregon, is 150 miles to the southeast of Portland. Link here.