Five Guys Beats In-N-Out As America's Favorite Burger Chain -- May 17, 2017

From Business Insider, and why "America" is the greatest country in the universe:

America has a new favorite burger chain.

Five Guys, the East Coast-based burger chain famous for its simplicity and myriad toppings, claimed the top spot in the latest annual "Harris Poll EquiTrend" survey.

West Coast-cult favorite In-N-Out held the title for the past two years but came in second this year.

See what they had to say at the link.

Five Guys is my brother-in-law's favorite hamburger chain ... or maybe it's In-N-Out. I honestly forget. He lives out in Huntington Beach, CA, and knows his hamburger chains.

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Ball of Dust

From The Williston Herald: Main Street merchants tired of all the dust. 

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Mexico: Natural Gas Very, Very Tight

From Oil & Gas Journal: Mexico is experiencing a very tight natural gas market in part because its dry gas production is declining for lack of any onshore gas-directed drilling.

Wells Coming Off Confidential List Later This Week -- May 17, 2017

Friday, May 19, 2017

• 32454, SI/NC, MRO, Garness USA 31-4TFH-2B, Antelope, no production data,
• 32455, SI/NC, MRO, Cunningham USA 31-4H, Antelope, no production data, 

Thursday, May 18, 2017

• 29600, 299 (no typo), Lime Rock Resources, Kenneth Stroh 3-12-1H-143-97, Cabernet, producing, a half-dozen or so Stroh wells came off-line 4/17; it is amazing how much better the Stroh wells are now that OXY USA is no longer in the picture; truly amazing, 21 states; 2.7 million lbs; t11/16; cum 36K 4/17 (off-line as of 4/17, along with a number of other Stroh wells -- stay tuned;
• 32453, SI/NC, MRO, Marcella USA 21-4TFH, Antelope, no production data, 
• 32503, 1,282, HRC, Fort Berthold 147-94-1A-12-11H, McGregory Buttes, 34 stages, 5.1 million lbs, t12/16; cum 91K 3/17;

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32503, see above, HRC, Fort Berthold 147-94-1A-12-11H, McGregory Buttes:

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
3-2017	31944	24716
2-2017	23438	15431
1-2017	19460	6908
12-2016	14858	9461
11-2016	1191	0

29600, see above, Lime Rock Resources, Kenneth Stroh 3-12-1H-143-97, Cabernet:

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2017	0	6103
3-2017	7288	4568
2-2017	9120	4875
1-2017	9432	7088
12-2016	8629	1469
11-2016	1151	286

DAPL Flowing! Skoal! -- May 17, 2017

We're back to "skoal." See skoal!

Active rigs:

$48.83	5/17/2017	05/17/2016	05/17/2015	05/17/2014	05/17/2013
Active Rigs	50	26	83	190	189

RBN Energy: natural gas projects vie to provide SCOOP/STACK takeaway capacity.

DAPL flowing: from KFYRTV -- Energy Transfer Partners informed regulators they planned to start flowing the DAPL Sunday; Monday, the operator said they were able to stick to their schedule. A huge "thank you" to one reader for suggesting this a couple days ago; and, then for a second reader sending me this K-fire link.

The Market And Energy Page, T+117 -- May 17, 2017

Weekly petroleum data:

• crude oil inventories: dropped 1.8 million bbls vs 2.2 million forecast (at this rate, it will only take 95 weeks to get US crude oil inventory to historical levels of 350 million bbls)
• crude oil inventories: upper half of the "average" (wink, wink) range for this time of year
• separate data from API suggested there was actually a gain of 882,000 bbls
• refinery utilization at 93.4% 
• all in all, not a bullish report; following the report, where is WTI?  $49.01, up a bit for the day
• gasoline demand up slightly but well below what it was last year at this time

Days of crude oil supply in the US:


As recently as January, 2015, there were 22 days of crude oil supply in the US and the US has gotten along fine with as few as 17 days of crude oil supply. Last week crude oil supply, measured in days, hit an all-time (?) record, of 34 days. It's now back to around 31 days but much longer than the historical "average" of around days, and double what we really need.

Futures: have come off their lows since early last night. Now down about 73 points.

Reminder: today we get the "drawdown" numbers. EIA/Platts released a forecast yesterday. EIA forecasts a crude inventory drawdown of 2.2 million bbls -- Platts. At that rate, 2.2 million bbls/week, it will take 77 weeks for US crude oil inventory to get back to historical average: 350 million bbls in storage.

Gasoline demand: numbers starting to line up. DOT is reporting that "vehicle miles traveled" (VMT) was up only 0.5% in March, 2017, year-over-year.

Volatility: TGT -- was down to $54.53 yesterday. In pre-market trading, TGT is up almost 8%, up about $4.27.

The Political Page, T+117 -- May 17, 2017

One Republican, a US congressman, says if reports are accurate that Trump pressured Comey to drop Flynn investigation, then worthy of impeachment. Consider the source. It appears some folks think that if Trump is impeached, Hillary becomes president. Another day in the market like today (Dow down 350 points), more than one Republican will start talking impeachment. Where's Ivanka when you need her? Where's Jared?