RIGZONE - IHS: Niobrara Resource Potential Not Yet Proven

RIGZONE - IHS: Niobrara Resource Potential Not Yet Proven: "IHS: Niobrara Resource Potential Not Yet Proven"
All of the shale plays have a learning curve. It takes time. It takes time to evaluate which zone of the thick pay is most prospective. Does it change based on facies and lithologic variation or natural fractures. My guess is that shales are not homogeneous!

Hess: Bakken Production to Average 40,000 BPD This Year - Bloomberg

Hess Says Bakken Production to Average 40,000 BPD This Year - Bloomberg: "Hess Says Bakken Production to Average 40,000 BPD This Year
By Paul Burkhardt and Jim Polson - Apr 27, 2011 9:47 AM MT
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Business ExchangeBuzz up!DiggPrint Email Hess Corp. (HES) expects to average 40,000 barrels a day of oil production this year from wells in North Dakota’s Bakken shale formation.
Wells located on new acreage “exceeded expectations,” Greg Hill, president of exploration and production at the New York-based company, said today on a conference call with investors.
Bakken production averaged 25,000 barrels a day in the first quarter, Chief Executive Officer John Hess said on the call. Production was equivalent to 13,000 barrels a day in the same period last year, Hess reported."
The Bakken Formation keeps on kicking it out!

King crabs invade Antarctica

King crabs invade Antarctica: "King Crabs Invade Antarctica
ScienceDaily (Apr. 26, 2011) — It's like a scene out of a sci-fi movie -- thousands, possibly millions, of king crabs are marching through icy, deep-sea waters and up the Antarctic slope."

Drunken killer crabs from the depths........drunk on low temperatures, really folks you just can't make this stuff up! maybe king crab legs will become more affordable, oh yeah!

Deepwater Drilling: Floaters Day Rates

Semis and Drill ships has a pretty good run. maybe thee curve will pick back up as GOM deepwater activity turns around.

Sub Salt Jack Field Walker Ridge

Nice view, the subsalt plays keep suprising us on a worldwide basis. You gotta love the science that goes into these interpretations.

Chesapeake halts fracking ops at several PA well sites after blowout

Chesapeake halts fracking ops at several PA well sites after blowout: "Chesapeake halts fracking ops at several PA well sites after blowout
After a blowout at natural gas well in a Bradford County, PA last week, Chesapeake Energy will suspend all hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) operations at several of the company’s sites in Pennsylvania. The blowout occurred at the Atgas 2H well during a fracking operation, leading to spilling of thousands of gallons of drilling fluid and water.

According to the Associated Press, thousands of gallons of produced water flowed back out of the well, crossing farm fields and entering a stream. Chesapeake stopped the leak by using materials such as ground up tires and plastic at plug the well.

Chesapeake is working to permanently seal the well and investigate the cause of the blowout.

The company stated that it has suspended fracking operations on seven well sites in Pennsylvania.
UPDATE: Workers were able to replace the damaged wellhead on the well Monday night, April 25. According to Chesapeake, the malfunctioning wellhead was part of the cause of last week's accident."

Utica Shale Well Plan

Diagram illustrates the vertical distance between Utica shale producing formation and acquifer. Years of drilling in the Barnett, Bakken, and Haynesville has shown hoow safe modern frac technologies can be.

Deepwater Horizon BP Blowout

Scenes from the past...what a difference a year makes. Remember those that didn't make it off the rig.

Worldwide Deepwater Discoveries

Notes by Presenter: Twenty seven countries made oil and gas discoveries in DW and UDW. Brazilian DW discovery volume is off chart. Other countries made significant additions including the US, Australia, Angola, India, Ghana, Nigeria, Israel. In some of these countries, deepwater discoveries were made in known before plays (US, Australia, Angola, Nigeria, and China). In nine countries, new deep-water plays were established. Also, there is third category of countries which joined Deepwater Club, another words, Deepwaterdiscoveries were made in these countries for the first time.

Talking about the companies who made these successful exploration efforts:
In top 20 list we see absolute leader Petrobras and his lucky partner in Brazil BG…..Not a big surprise to see super majors Shell, BP, Exxon Mobil, Chevron and big independents Anadarko, Hess, ConocoPhillips, National Oil Companies Sonangol, ONGC, Satoil, European Eni, Total

Peak Oil Florida Style

Jay Field is on e of the largest onshore U.S. oil fields. it follows the typical production curve of ramping up during field development and then rapidly declining during the depletion phase. End stage is the slow end of phase decline.

Remote Sensing: Gulf Of Mexico

I wish I had this map in 1990. Thunderhorse Field production is larger than most states.

Saudis Slash Oil Output; Say Market Oversupplied - CNBC

Saudis Slash Oil Output; Say Market Oversupplied - CNBC: "Saudis Slash Oil Output; Say Market Oversupplied"

Beaufort Sea Seismic Example

Shell believes they will be drilling in the Arctic soon. Tested structure is located in the fold belt. There are a number of play concepts ranging from a purely structural play to submarine fan targets.

USO...chart breakdown?

USO price chart...heading for 50 day ma?

The Weekend Interview with John Watson: Oil Without Apologies - WSJ.com

The Weekend Interview with John Watson: Oil Without Apologies - WSJ.com: "Oil Without Apologies John Watson, Chevron's CEO, says Americans must stop taking affordable energy for granted. That means more 'oil, gas and coal.'"
This a well thought out case for continued oil and;gas exploration in the U.S.

Tax Cheats

It's that time of year...and you have until Monday to file. WooHoo!

Geologist World Map

It's a small, small world.

‘Spillionaires’ are the new rich after BP oil spill payouts - The Washington Post

‘Spillionaires’ are the new rich after BP oil spill payouts - The Washington Post: "Spillionaires’ are the new rich after BP oil spill payouts"
No kidding!

Have women's heads been getting bigger over the last 300 years?

Have women's heads been getting bigger over the last 300 years? - CSMonitor.com: "Have women's heads been getting bigger over the last 300 years? A study of Spanish skulls spanning 300 years has shown that everyone's heads are been getting bigger, but that the size difference between the crania of women and men is shrinking."

 LOL!!!!

Trade Balance and Oil Imports

Take out oil imports and trade balance becomes ????

Gas at $20?

RealClearScience - How Dinosaurs Got So Huge

RealClearScience - How Dinosaurs Got So Huge: "How Dinosaurs Got So Huge"

Review & Outlook: The Presidential Divider - WSJ.com

Review & Outlook: The Presidential Divider - WSJ.com: "REVIEW & OUTLOOKAPRIL 14, 2011The Presidential Divider Obama's toxic speech and even worse plan for deficits and debt."

Mr. Obama ludicrously claimed that Mr. Ryan favors "a fundamentally different America than the one we've known throughout most of our history." Nothing is likelier to bring that future about than the President's political indifference in the midst of a fiscal crisis

Democracy and Climate Change?

When it comes to the distribution of democracy across the globe, it's mostly about the rainfall, a new study suggests. The researchers revealed a robust relationship between rainfall levels and regime type for countries that existed from 1965 to 2009, says the Wall Street Journal.


To measure democracy, the researchers used average ratings from an oft-cited political science database called Polity 2. For rainfall, the metric was the annual average within 100 miles of the largest city.

Below 21.5 inches annually, the authors found, there were just two democracies, Cyprus and Israel, and 14 "persistent" autocracies.

Between 21.5 inches and 51 inches, there were 18 stable democracies (out of a grand total of 26 in the whole dataset) and 7 persistent autocracies.

Above 51 inches, the balance tipped back to closed societies.

That relationship persisted even when colonial history, the presence of oil, religion (chiefly the presence or absence of Islam) and ethnic division were controlled for.

The authors' theory is that moderate rainfall plus arable land creates economies in which small farms produce grain and legumes above the subsistence level.

In turn, the trade of crops helps a large swathe of the population build up financial and educational capital -- and a broadly educated, reasonably well-off citizenry is the foundation of democracy.

In contrast, growing and storing food in arid and tropical lands present challenges that favor plantations and large landholders, creating an economic environment (inequality, an entrenched elite) that's more likely to spawn autocracy.

Source: Christopher Shea, "Where Does Democracy Grow Best?" Wall Street Journal, April 8, 2011

Hyperinflation coming to U.S.?

Indeed, in the wake of its defeat in the Great War, Germany was forced to make debilitating reparations to the victors — particularly France — as well as to face loss of territory. From Foster (Chapter 11):


"By late 1922, the German government could no longer afford to make reparations payments. Indignant, the French invaded the Ruhr Valley to take over the production of iron and coal (commodities used for reparations). In response, the German government encouraged its workers to go on strike. An additional issue of paper money was authorized to sustain the economy during the crisis. Sensing trouble, foreign investors abruptly withdrew their investments.


"During the first few months of 1923, prices climbed astronomically higher, with no end in sight… The nation was effectively shut down by currency collapse. Mailing a letter in late 1923 cost 21,500,000,000 marks."

The worthless German mark became useful as wall paper and toilet paper, as well as for stoking fires.

In today’s environment, both central banks and major private investors know that the U.S. dollar will be a losing proposition. They either expect and/or hope that they can get out of the dollar in time to avoid losses, or, in the case of the central banks, that they can forestall the ultimate global economic crisis. Such expectations and hopes have dimmed markedly in the last two years, as the untenable U.S. fiscal condition has gained more public and global recognition.
(from Shadowstats.com)

Fort Sumter: Somber 150th anniversary of Civil War

Fort Sumter: Somber 150th anniversary of Civil War (Updated 1:45 p.m.) Recordnet.com:  April 12, 2011 1:44 PMCHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) —
Booming cannons, plaintive period music and hushed crowds ushered in the 150th anniversary of America's bloodiest war on Tuesday, a commemoration that continues to underscore a racial divide that had plagued the nation since before the Civil War. The events marked the 150th anniversary of the Confederate bombardment of Union-held Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, an engagement that plunged the nation into four years of war at a cost of more than 600,000 lives."

Carbo Ceramics

These are the guys that make all the tight formations flow oil & gas as reservoir permeabilty get lower and lower.....can you say nannodarcy!

2010 Spot Gas Prices

Energy Quality & Recessions

"Energy Quality Causes Recessions?  “An overlooked cause of the economic recession in the United States is a decade long decline in the quality of the nation’s energy supply, often measured as the amount of energy we get out for a given energy input, says energy expert Carey King of The University of Texas at Austin.” Quoted from the University of Texas at Austin press release.

 Note: Although the “energy quality” concept is interesting, the long-term trends for coal and natural gas really got our attention."

Rare Earth Elements

All the strategic metals we need for everything from your blackberry and iPhone to smart bombs. Is hard rock geology a career of the future.

The Gas Revolution | The Weekly Standard

eservesThe Gas Revolution The Weekly Standard: "The Gas Revolution Amazingly, an era of energy abundance is upon us, unless politicians and environmentalists get their way"

Elm Coulee Bakken Field, Montana

This is the field that kicked off the bakken play.

U.S. Says ‘Flawed’ UN Climate Talks Make Treaty ‘Not Doable’ - Bloomberg

U.S. Says ‘Flawed’ UN Climate Talks Make Treaty ‘Not Doable’ - Bloomberg: "U.S. Says ‘Flawed’ UN Climate Talks Make Treaty ‘Not Doable’"

Easy Geothermal Energy

Is geothermal power and heat really this easy?

AFP: Cuba to drill five new oil wells by 2013

AFP: Cuba to drill five new oil wells by 2013: "Cuba to drill five new oil wells by 2013 By Carlos Batista (AFP) – 15 hours ago HAVANA — Cuba on Tuesday announced plans to drill five deepwater oil wells in the Gulf of Mexico beginning this summer, expressing confidence that its efforts will be rewarded with major new energy finds."

The Case for Increasing Domestic Oil Production - Reason Magazine

The Case for Increasing Domestic Oil Production - Reason Magazine: "The Case for Increasing Domestic Oil Production Why America can and must produce more oil"

The 19 Percent Solution - Reason Magazine

The 19 Percent Solution - Reason Magazine: "The 19 Percent Solution How to balance the budget without increasing taxes"
It looks as though things are going the wrong direction.

UPDATE 2-Oil could hit $200-$300 on Saudi unrest-Yamani | Reuters

UPDATE 2-Oil could hit $200-$300 on Saudi unrest-Yamani Reuters:
Shake "Your Money" has called it ion the past. Is Saudi the next Domino to fall?

Kudlow’s Money Politics - National Review Online

Kudlow’s Money Politics - National Review Online: "The Gasoline-Driven Inflation Hike March 28, 2011 4:19 P.M. By Larry Kudlow Last week, the Commerce Department revised real GDP up to 3.1 percent for the fourth quarter of last year. That was some cause for joy in the stock market. But today we saw a poor consumer-spending report for the month of February, which is picking up the rise in gasoline prices and the decline in consumer sentiment."

Shell Perdido

Shell has been a leader in deep-water exploration and production for the last 30 years. Perdido in the Gulf of Mexico is one of our most challenging deep-water projects. Shell has a 35% interest in the project and is the operator. Perdido is in a water depth of some 2,450 metres (8,000 feet). First production from Perdido was on March 31, 2010.
Location: Gulf of Mexico, US


Depth: ~2,450 metres (8,000 feet)

Interests: Shell 35% (operator), Chevron 37.5%, BP 27.5%

Fields: Great White, Tobago, Silvertip

Peak production: 100 kboe/d

Key contractors: Technip, Kiewit, FMC Technologies, Heerema Marine Contractors

(from Shell website)

EOR CO2 Flood

CO2 has been used successfully in multiple projects in the Denver City area in the Permian Basin.

International Energy Agency (IEA)

International Energy Agency (IEA): "Our future: A golden age for natural gas? 29 March 2011 IEA analysis looks at the rapid growth in supply of ‘unconventional’ gas and liquefied natural gas Back in 2006, a handful of energy experts met on the fringes of the World Gas Conference to discuss the challenges of increasing output of ‘unconventional’ gas. Three years later the same subject was discussed at the same event, but this time the speakers found themselves at the heart of the conference and with a capacity crowd to contend with. read more..."
Unconventional is the new norm?

RealClearPolitics - Opinion, News, Analysis, Videos and Polls

RealClearPolitics - Opinion, News, Analysis, Videos and Polls: "History Behind April Fools' Day - Andrea Thompson, Life's Little Mysteries" Just for fun.

Hoping Obama has some idea how energy industry works | NewsOK.com

Hoping Obama has some idea how energy industry works NewsOK.com: "Hoping Obama has some idea how energy industry works" Well put. Drilling both on and offshore is risky business. Amortizing IDC's and expensing geologic and geophysical costs is how all businesses handle legitimate costs of doing business.