Another "Human Interest" Story on the Bakken in the Chicago Tribune News

Link here.

Simply another story on the energy revolution within the US.

Twelve (12) New Permits -- Hess Has a Nice Well Coming Off Confidential List Today -- Earnings For MHR, EEP, and MPC; Williston K-12 Grades To Double Enrollment?

Yahoo-In-Play

Magnum Hunter reports that it achieved average production rate of 12,893 barrels of oil equivalent per day (Boepd) during the second quarter of 2012 (MHR) 3.76 : Co announced an operational update on each of its upstream unconventional resource plays for the second quarter of 2012 which includes (i) the Eagle Ford Shale, (ii) the Williston Basin, and (iii) the Appalachia/Marcellus/Utica Shales. Additionally, the co provided an operational update for its midstream division, Eureka Hunter Pipeline. Magnum Hunter achieved a record average production rate of 12,893 barrels of oil equivalent per day ("Boepd") during the second quarter of 2012. This represents a 161% increase from the production reported for the second quarter of 2011. Although second quarter 2012 production only represents a 2% increase on a Boepd basis as compared to first quarter 2012 production, the Company's oil/liquids production increased 32% to 5,862 Boepd in the second quarter of 2012 from 4,454 Boepd in the first quarter of 2012. This substantial growth in oil production is consistent with the Company's strategic shift in its focus as it relates to its capital budget program. Second quarter 2012 production includes only a partial quarter of production from the Williston Basin acquisition closed on May 22, 2012. Second quarter production pro forma for a full quarter of production from the Williston Basin acquisition would have been 13,400 Boepd.

Marathon Petroleum beats by $0.07, beats on revs (MPC) 47.47 : Reports Q2 (Jun) earnings of $2.53 per share, $0.07 better than the Capital IQ Consensus Estimate of $2.46; revenues fell 2.6% year/year to $20.26 bln vs the $19.27 bln consensus. "With our refining capacity balanced almost evenly between the Midwest and the U.S. Gulf Coast, we were able to take advantage of strong crack spreads and increasing production of Canadian and unconventional crudes.

Enbridge Energy beats by $0.04, misses on revs (EEP) 29.07 : Reports Q2 (Jun) earnings of $0.33 per share, $0.04 better than the Capital IQ Consensus Estimate of $0.29; revenues fell 34.6% year/year to $1.55 bln vs the $1.77 bln consensus. Additionally, declares a cash distribution of $0.5435 per unit, as 2.1% increase, payable August 14, 2012 to unitholders of record on August 7, 2012.

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Wells coming off confidential list on Tuesday, July 31, 2012:

• 21609, 138, WPX/Dakota-3, Corral 1-36HD, Mandaree, t5/12; cum ---
• 21810, 770, Hess, CA-E Burdick 155-95-2932H-2, Capa, t6/12; cum 4K 5/12;
• 22042, drl, Cornerstone, Ingerson 2-12-1H, Woburn, s1/12;

Twelve (12) new permits in North Dakota:

• Operators: EOG (2), Denbury (2), Hess (2), Whiting (2), Zenergy, Fidelity, Murex, Liberty Resources
• Fields: Siverston (McKenzie), Rawson (McKenzie), Stanley (Mountrail), Manitou (Mountrail), Bell (Stark), Painted Woods (Williams), Rosebud (Williams)

Liberty Resources has a permit for a wildcat in Williams County.

One producing well completed:

• 21085, 933, Denbury Onshore, Satter 24-35NEH,

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RBN Energy: Bakken liquid natural gas muscling in on Canadian production?

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No link; the Williston Herald is reporting that school enrollment for grades K-12 will nearly double this coming school year. It sounds like the districts are ready. The largest increases will be seen in the early grades, particularly grades K-2.

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MarketWatch is reporting a housing shortage in North Dakota's oil patch that is "dire."  I have to admit: about the only thing bothering me in the North Dakota oil patch is the housing situation. Everything else I could "live with" (dust, traffic, hectic pace). Sad situation.  And, yes, there is gouging, at least by a definition of the word used by a few folks.

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Considering what's going on in Syria (not to mention North Korea, and about a dozen other countries), this pales in comparison but it's still a travesty.  Rows and rows of empty seats at the Olympics. Quite incredible. It appears the only ones getting in are the security forces. That's one way to prevent a terrorist event inside a stadium, I guess.

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Energy links at Independent Stock Analysis. 

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Drought --> water levels dropping --> affecting fracking?  To the best of my knowledge this is not an issue in western North Dakota oil patch, the Bakken.

OXY Reports Two Nice Wells; KOG, WLL, and Hess Also With Nice Wells -- Monday Morning Links (Starting Sunday Evening) -- Including Wells Coming Off Confidential List This Weekend/Monday

RBN Energy: Part II, pricing, NGLs, propane today. 

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Via Carpe Diem, the latest op-ed piece from Harold Hamm, CEO of CLR.

As the oil industry completes its infrastructure design phase and enters its full development phase in 2012 and 2013, there’s good news for residents, officials and community leaders in the oil communities experiencing this remarkable growth. Soon, nearly all of the infrastructure needed to develop the Bakken will be in place, and western North Dakota is settling into a period of steady growth.

We appreciate North Dakotans’ cooperation and patience in tackling the challenge of infrastructure in the Bakken. Now that the area of the oil field is defined, the objective going forward is to optimize production and improve efficiency over the lifespan of the field, which is projected to be longer than 30 years.

There are 115 words in the quote above. The most interesting word: "longer." Last sentence. As in "longer than 30 years."

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Monday's Daily Activity Report

Wells coming off confidential list over the weekend, and Monday:

• 21646, drl, Hess, LK-State 146-98-3526H-1, Ranch Coulee, t 5/12; cum ---
• 21811, 871, Hess, CA-E Burdick 155-95-2932H-3, Capa, t3/12; cum 38K 512;
• 21993, 1,280, MRO, Milton Guenther 14-9H, Bailey,
• 22024, 316, Petro-Hunt, Lee 158-94-22A-27-1H, East Tioga, t4/12; cum 11K 5/12 ;
• 22132, DRY, BEXP, M. Ellis 4-9 1H, Williston, problems with the drilling, not the Bakken;
• 20159, drl, BEXP, Field 18-19 2H, Todd,
• 21318, 1,132, Fidelity, Lance 21-22-27H, Sanish, t4/12; cum 56K 5/12;
• 21527, 2,060, Whiting, Buresh 34-10TFH, Dutch Henry Butte, t2/12; cum 51K 5/12;
• 21813, 1,331, MRO, Garry Sampson 24-32H, Murphy Creek, t4/12; cum 28K 5/12;
• 20349, 742, OXY USA/Anschutz, Edward Polensky 1-13-24H-142-97, Willmen, t1/12; cum 38K 5/12;
• 22329, 747, CLR, Colfax 1X-19H, Oliver, t4/12; cum 22K 5/12; 
• 22247, 953, Slawson, Magnum 1-36-25H, Baker, t4/12 cum 24K 5/12; 

There were six producing wells reported as completed:

• 20563, 1,710, KOG, P Peterson 155-99-2-15-22-15H, Epping, t6/12; cum ---
• 21009, 608, WLL, Miller 43-10TFH, Sanish, t6/12; cum ---
• 22127, 1,824, WLL, Miller 41-10H, Sanish, t6/12; cum ---
• 21037, 684, Hess, Gene 8-1H, Truax, t6/12; cum ---
• 21469, 1,014, Hess, SC-Foster 153-99-2932H-1, Crazy Man Creek, t7/12; cum ---
• 22172, 528, OXY USA, Havelka 1-19-18H-142-95,  Manning, t7/12; cum ---

There was only one permit issued today: 

• Operator: Samson Resources
• Field: West Ambrose (Divide)

One permit was cancelled:

• 19425, PNC, Hess, BB-Stonewall-150-9509H-1, McKenzie

Tired of Flaring? North Dakota Selected as Practice Range for Drones in Anticipation of Civil Unrest During Election

Link here. I've not read the story. Rushed. My subject line could be in error. More later. [Or not.]

North Dakota's Air National Guard this fall will begin operating a practice range for drone aircraft, which will give pilots more practical training than they can get from simulators, the unit's commander said.

The Federal Aviation Administration has established blocks of restricted airspace for the training, located up to 10,000 feet above a spot near Camp Grafton South, between Devils Lake and Jamestown. The airspace is above about 9,300 acres of ground area.

Col. Rick Gibney, commander of the 119th Wing of the North Dakota Air National Guard, said he expects flights to begin in late September or early October.

The story lines are endless.

The background for drone practice? Department of Homeland Security will use drones for "public safety."

Surveillance drones have a new mission.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) they will be used for “public safety.” Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the DHS, told a House Committee meeting on Homeland Security that the more than 30,000 drones that will be deployed into American skies are just arbitrarily watching out for US citizens.

NDIC Website Coming Back Up

Updates

July 29, 2012, 6:10 p.m.: NDIC site is back up; some things yet not quite right, it appears, see comments. 

Original Post

I think the NDIC website is still down. I have intermittent internet access, so it could be my system, but I can get all other websites. I use a bookmark -- I assume the URL has not changed.