For Investors Only: EOG Hits Another 52-Week High

WTI / Bakken Remain Near Parity

At Clearbrook, no change since yesterday: $1.00/bbl separates WTI and Bakken. There was a big move yesterday, narrowing the spread by $2.00 at Clearbrook.

Brent and WTI are both up today; the spread remains high, at $21/bbl. Follow the spread here.

It Took A Medal Of Honor Recipient to Get the President to Acknowledge "the oil fields of North Dakota"

The Minot Daily News is reporting:

"These days Clint works in the oil fields in North Dakota," Obama said. Romesha works for KS Industries, an oil-field construction company based in Tioga.

A former U.S. Army staff sergeant now living in Minot was presented the nation's highest military honor by President Obama Monday in a White House ceremony.

The president placed the Medal of Honor attached to a blue ribbon around Clint Romesha's neck. Romesha's wife, Tammy, and their children, Dessi, Gwen and Colin, watched nearby.

Dickinson Press article here:

When James Anderson began a new post as a safety manager for KS Industries in Tioga about six months ago, he had no idea that one of the employees working under him was a war hero.

Anderson — like many other employees with KSI — didn’t know of former Army Staff Sgt. Clint Romesha’s death-defying actions while serving in Afghanistan.

“It’s just an honor for me to be associated with him,” Anderson said. “I came here six months ago and I had no idea of Clint’s background. He’s a very humble guy. I didn’t know anything until after he was contacted by the government and he asked for time off.”

Romesha was certainly going to need some time off. On Feb. 11, Romesha — a Minot resident and KSI employee — received the prestigious Medal of Honor from President Obama during a ceremony at the White House. Referring to his actions after a siege on U.S. troops during the fall of 2009 at Combat Outpost Keating near the Pakistan border, Obama said last week that Romesha acted with “conspicuous gallantry” during the attack.

Tuesday Links; Farm Income -- Highest in 40 Years; Thanks For The Free ObamaPhone (Projected)

Active rigs in North Dakota: 182 (continuing to fall slowly, heading back to intra-boom low of 179)

Wells coming off confidential list have been posted; scroll down.

WSJ Links

Section D (Personal Journal): babies and pets.

Section C (Money & Investing):

Section B (Marketplace): 

New word for the day: DENDRITES -- tiny deposits of lithium resembling microscopic whiskers -- suspects in the 787 Dreamliner fires. Opportunity for five-blade Gillette

Fewer airlines, more profits; four airlines will dominate US

• American Airlines (TWA, AA, US Airways, America West)
• United Airlines (UA, Continental)
• Delta Air Lines (Delta, Northwest Airlines, Western Airlines)
• Southwest Airlines (Valujet, Airtran)

Why did oil service companies fall on market yesterday? Maybe -- companies take hit as Venezuela devalues currency (I couldn't find link that didnt' require log-in, sorry)

Section A:

Pope resigns (no links; story everywhere)

ObamaPhone scams on front page; I'm shocked, shocked! [Added: for the occasional reader that does not "get" the reference: the original ObamaPhone woman.]

Page 3 and we've talked about page 3 before -- two stories of note --

• Ski resorts expanding -- global warming? What global warming?
• Farm income is projected to be highest in 40 years: after last year's drought -- more corn, more soybeans; rising global demand for grains; increased mandates for ethanol; drought still an issue

Businesses weigh response if new climate rules come: China won't be affected by new rules

Pentagon readies budget ax: maybe the first to go -- $16/gallon of algae fuel vs $4 diesel; $600 toilets;

Op-ed: in Venezuela, plenty of oil, not enough food -- government interferes with the marketplace, and the result is scarcity

Op-ed: when you pay more for tomatoes later this year, think.... well, you can almost guess....

Op-ed: few states outside the South and Mountain West have recovered faster from the financial crisis than Ohio, and now ... moving into overdrive -- slashing state income taxes...

Free Map From RBN Energy: The Bakken CBR Terminals

RBN Energy --- wow, what a great way to way up to a new week!  (I had yesterday off, so today seems like the first day of the week).

A free map of the Bakken crude-by-rail terminals in the Bakken.

In the space of just over one year North Dakota crude rail takeaway capacity has reached close to 1 MMBb/d.  According to the North Dakota Pipeline Authority 58 percent of October 2012 Williston Basin production of over 800 Mb/d was transported out of North Dakota by rail. There are now 18 crude loading terminals operating in North Dakota on the BNSF and Canadian Pacific (CP) railroads. Today we continue our series on crude by rail with a North Dakota terminal inventory.

The first episode in this series provided an introduction and overview of the “Year of the Tank Car” (see Crude Loves Rocking Rail). We described the rapid growth in US crude oil production that pressured pipeline logistics and made rail a viable alternative for taking crude to market. We also described the growth of crude by rail traffic in 2012 and the impact on railroads and tank car manufacturers. This second installment in our series begins a detailed survey of rail loading terminals with a look at North Dakota.