Thursday, September 23, 2021

Idle Rambling In Light Of A Very Interesting Week -- Not Ready For Prime Time -- Just Thinking Out Loud -- September 23, 2021

US energy, just thinking out loud. Not ready for prime time.

Nuclear: there will be no net addition of nuclear energy in my investing lifetime.

Coal: tea leaves suggest we won't see any additional coal-produced electricity in the US in my lifetime.

Energy demand will increase annually for the rest of my investing lifetime. EVs.

Hydroelectricity: niche and no additional hydroelectricity in my investing lifetime.

That leaves: natural gas and solar/wind.

Neither wind nor solar are dispatchable.

Presidential and US Congressional policies are widening the moat with regard to electricity production.

Switching gears.

COP really, really changed the landscape this past month. 

Oil:

  • European majors are "giving up."  So, it's pretty much the US and OPEC+. 
  • for the US:
    • first tier: XOM, CVX, COP. 
    • second tier: EOG, Hess, MRO, OXY
    • third tier: CLR, PXD, DVN, WPX,
    • fourth tier: APA, Whiting, 

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Meanwhile, Apple, Inc

Things are looking really, really good for Apple.

The "Epic" story has pretty much run its course, and Epic lost, Apple won.

iPhone 13 Pro phones: pre-orders suggest these phones are going to do a whole lot better than anyone expected. 

iPhone 13: from $699.

iPhone 13 Pro: from $999.

Most of these phones are subsidized by the provider.

Most folks will upgrade. 

Before the update and the subsidies:

  • $699 / 24 = $30 / month.
  • $999 / 24 = $41 / month.

 Folks who can afford an iPhone 13, will easily be able to afford the iPhone 13 Pro.

Disclaimer: this is not an investment site.  Do not make any investment, financial, job, career, travel, or relationship decisions based on what you read here or think you may have read here

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Telescoping

As I go through all the business stories each day, any time I see something "outlandish," or completely unexpected, I have to remind myself that the plague year telescoped everything from 2020 - 2035 into 2020 - 2025.

Active Rigs In North Dakota -- September 23, 2021

Updates

September 24, 2021: a reader provides additional information that can be added to information below -- with these additions, one could argue that the number of active rigs in North Dakota might trend toward 40 in early 2022; drillers drill throughout the year in North Dakota, but due to severe winters, some of this could be delayed to 2Q22. Fracking really slows down in 1Q22 due to weather. 

  • Crescent Point has B21 running now. 
  • Oasis has picked up B26 from Liberty. 
  • Hess: rumors that it will be picking up X25 in beginning of 22; 
  • Greyson Mill will start a drilling program in 22 (rumor from reader, "I have heard...". 
  • Whiting to add 1
  • Ovintiv possibly add 1, 
  • Iron Oil and Gas add 1,
  • Koda Resources to add 1 rig for a 4-hole pad
  • Continental to add 1 more
  • Sinclair to add 1 rig for a single well. 
  • Reader "wouldn’t be surprised if the operators that add continue extending contract term length as oil prices stay above $65." 

I "predicted" CLR, Whiting might add a rig; that CPEUSC would have a rig (apparently they do). I forget about Koda Resources and Iron Oil and Gas. I actually thought about Iron Oil and Gas last night -- this is nice to see.

Original Post

The NDIC no longer provides "active rig" data in the Bakken. 

Based on NDIC reports when that data was last provided and new data from readers this is what I see. These are active oil and gas rigs. In addition, there may be two rigs drilling salt water disposal wells:

  • CLR: 9
  • Hess: 4
  • MRO: 2
  • Slawson: 1
  • Oasis: 1
  • Rimrock: 1
  • Petro-Hunt: 1
  • Kraken: 1
  • Ovintiv: 1
  • Whiting: 1
  • PetroShale: 1
  • Bruin: 1
  • Hunt: 1
  • BR; perhaps their first active rig next month (October) and a total of two rigs in 1Q22
  • WPX: 1, 1Q22
  • Sinclair: 1 "soon"

That works out to twenty-nine (29) active rigs going into 1Q22. 

Missing in the list above and operators I would expect to add a rig:

  • Zavanna
  • Crescent Point Energy
  • True Oil
  • Whiting: from one to two, maybe three
  • WPX: from one to two

I don't think they need to, but I wouldn't be surprised if CLR actually added another rig.

Summary Of Evidence -- Ivermectin -- Covid-19 -- September 23, 2021

Ivermectin.

Ivermectin.

Ivermectin.

Front Line Covid-19 Critical Care Alliance, September 21, 2021.  

Link here

I track the ivermectin experience here.

I still maintain that an uncontrolled, un-blind study would be perfect here in the United States:

  • Florida: allow physicians to prescribe ivermectin if patients request it, for any condition;
  • California: ban ivermectin as an adjunct in prevention of / treatment of Covid-19. 

I could be wrong, but I think "we" have more data regarding ivermectin than any Covid-19 vaccine.

End Of Day -- September 23, 2021

In a long note like this, there were be typographical and content errors. If any of this is important to you, go to the source. Facts and opinions are interspersed; it may be difficult to separate fact from opinions (or personal comments). 

This is not an investment site. Non-Bakken information is posted to help me put the Bakken in perspective when I come back to look at this post twenty-three years from now. 

For the archives, at the close, an incredible day on the market:

  • Dow: up 507 points
  • S&P 500: up 53 points
  • NASDAQ: up 155 points
  • WTI: $73.30 and all signs point to more upside
  • DXY: 93.095; down slightly
  • TYT: 1.435%

Ten year Treasury: the jump in the ten year Treasury today -- to over 1.4% -- is related more to what the central bank in the UK did today rather than what is going on in the US. -- CNBC panelists. From Reuters:

U.S. Treasury yields jumped on Thursday after the Federal Reserve opened the door to raising interest rates as early as next year, a potential move that was reinforced by the Bank of England's outlook on rates and a rate hike by the Norwegian central bank.

UK: if that which is now occurring in Great Britain was happening in the US, the market would have plummeted today, and folks would have been talking about a recession, not just a recession in the US, but a global recession. Here are the headlines in the UK today:

  • energy prices are surging in Great Britain;
  • there is great concern that the country will run out of natural gas this winter, critical for heating;
  • the UK announced that gasoline is now being rationed;
  • gasoline is being rationed because there is a shortage of truck drivers.

The  big question: why is there a shortage of truck drivers all of a sudden. The UK is not a particularly big country (or group of countries). "Shortage of truck drivers" almost has the feeling of a meme. Need to see what Reuters or ArgusMedia says about this. If it is a shortage of truck drivers, the Brits will do just fine.

So, now, let's get the links:

  • large Dutch zinc factory cuts output as Europe's energy crisis widens. Link here.
  • BP now shutting some UK gasoline stations due to lack of fuel. Link here.
  • Not just BP, but also XOM sees fuel retail sites affected by trucker shortage. Link here.
  • Vitol CEO sees gas-led crunch adding 500,000 bopd to oil demand. Link here.
  • Vitol sees Brent jumping to $80+ as energy crunch lifts demand. Link here.
  • Citi not ruling out $100-natural gas. Link here.

Peak oil?

  • shouldn't OPEC+ be ramping up supply fast, if they can. No inventory excuse any more. Link here.

Wheat: the EU has turned to Australia for durum wheat supply in the 2021 - 2022 marketing year amid supply tightness in Canada -- the world's largest producer of that crop. Link here 

US LNG: FERC authorizes / okays feedgas flows to Sabine Pass train 6. Link here

US distillate storage: at the lowest level in the last five years for this time of the year just as talks of gas-to-oil switching demand takes place outside of the US. Link here.

US stagflation: it's coming. And it will be max pain. Link here. For the archives.

US energy crisis: it's coming due to "all-or-nothing environmental climate change policy." Link here.

US electricity gird 101: the US electric power system in the lower 48. Three poorly coordinated, integrated sectors. East, west, and Texas. Link here.

On a lighter note, the US Fed is introducing another animal from the monetary menagerie to join the hawks, doves, bulls, and bears. The market is now, apparently, ready for a fast-moving tapir. Link here.

COP in the Permian: COP looking to sell some of its conventional oil and gas properties in the Permian Basin. Link here.

  • asset size: about $500 million
  • considered less valuable acreage than its unconventional acreage in the Permian
  • lower-value oil and gas producing properties in the Central Basin Platform and the Northern Shelf formation
  • combined production of 13K boepd
  • $500 million / 13K boepd = $40,000 / boepd

COP: steps up pressure to collect payment from Venezuela. Link to ArgusMedia.  

Nike (from CNBC, Fast Money):

  • missed expectations;
    • revenue of $12.25 billion missed expectations of $12.50 billion even though revenues were significantly higher than last year
  • demand not the problem; rather the temporary supply chain issues
  • supply chain issues;
    • sources 45% of its total global supply out of Vietnam
    • Vietnam had country-wide shutdown
    • shipments around the world held up at the ports
  • global sports (Olympics, etc, did well)
  • better numbers in China; numbers not quite as good in the US
  • margins doing well
  • panelists:
    • not a bit worried about Nike; when 45% of their supply is shut down in Vietnam....
    • stay clear near term --- Under Armour doesn't have the same headwinds 
    • thinks Nike tomorrow could be higher than close today; has already recovered some of the sell-off after hours.
  • bottom line: sounds like a scary headline; probably won't amount to much.


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Back to the Bakken

NDIC is no longer updating scout tickets, active rigs, the "map." I'm not sure if production data is being updated. This has been going on since mid-July, 2021.

Active rigs, see note above. This is my best guess:

$73.24
9/23/202109/23/202009/23/201909/23/201809/23/2017
Active Rigs2611596657

Two new permits. #38579 - #38580, inclusive:

  • Operator: Rimrock Oil & Gas
  • Field: Heart Butte (Dunn County)
  • Comments:
    • Rimrock has permits for two Two Shields Butte wells, to be sited in NESE 8-149-92; sited 1925 FSL and 497 FEL; and 1912 FSL and 525 FEL.

Six permits renewed:

  • Hess: six SC-JW Hamilton permits in Williams County; SENE 13-153-99;

These were the Hess SC-JW Hamilton permits announced in 2018, link here:

  • 34998, conf, Hess, SC-JW Hamilton ...
  • 34997, conf, Hess, SC-JW Hamilton ...
  • 34996, conf, Hess, SC-JW Hamilton ...
  • 34995, conf, Hess, SC-JW Hamilton ... 
  • 34994, conf, Hess, SC-JW Hamilton ...
  • 34993, conf, Hess, SC-JW Hamilton ...
  • 34543, conf, Hess, SC-JW Hamilton ...
  • 34542, conf, Hess, SC-JW Hamilton ...
  • 34541, conf, Hess, SC-JW Hamilton ...
  • 34539, conf, Hess, SC-JW Hamilton ...
  • 34538, conf, Hess, SC-JW Hamilton ...

The MRO Stillwell Is Off Confidential; Huge Well; 400K Bbls Crude Oil In Less Than One Year -- September 23, 2021

Previously noted as a potentially monster well while still confidential, this well is not off the confidential list:

  • 32434, drl/>F/A-->4,679, MRO, Stillwell 21-13H, Lost Bridge, t9/20; cum 384K 7/21;

Production to date:

PoolDateDaysBBLS OilRunsBBLS WaterMCF ProdMCF SoldVent/Flare
BAKKEN7-2021251596116085807827540248931208
BAKKEN6-2021241316512928576319832155063143
BAKKEN5-20212198199727487521726193801253
BAKKEN4-2021301929019343774347816460190
BAKKEN3-2021312460425028990654302508331313
BAKKEN2-2021282613125827105034914746781223
BAKKEN1-2021202142921791893337709308654989
BAKKEN12-20203138346383951448463828517989538
BAKKEN11-20203053105529831664986043817341019
BAKKEN10-20203064940650212053985430784563024
BAKKEN9-2020309038989900506361199941131421506
BAKKEN8-20204635558564005810063581121

Other wells on the pad:

  • 38025, loc/drl, MRO, Osking USA 14-12H, Lost Bridge,
  • 21839, conf, MRO, Kottke USA 11-13H, Lost Bridge,
  • 21837, 1,398, MRO, Deep Creek USA 14-12TFH, Lost Bridge, t3/13; cum 347K 7/21;
  • 21838, conf, MRO, Levi USA 11-13TFH, Lost Bridge,
  • 32434, above;
  • 21840, 1,380, MRO, Deep Creek 21-13TFH, Lost Bridge, t2/13; cum 375K 7/21;