Energy – Page 38 – Outrun Change

Another estimate for eagle casualties in Altamont Pass

Estimated avian mortality in 2005 at Altamont Pass:

Two or three dozen golden eagles. Two hundred red-tail hawks.

Per year.

Let me extend that out – a couple dozen golden eagles and hundreds of hawks…

Every year.

For 4 decades.

A study published in 2005 estimated the raptor casualties in the Altamont Pass slice-and-dice operation. I’ve looked around for the study. It appears to be in a paywall site. Found multiple references to the study and one good summary.

Continue reading “Another estimate for eagle casualties in Altamont Pass”

Forecasts for Eagle Ford production

Previously mentioned a report from EIA that said production in Eagle Ford would be over 1M bopd in October and November. That confused me.

Got myself straightened out.

That amount includes condensates as well as crude oil. Aha! I’m a little slow on the update sometimes, but I’m catching on. Slowly.

Continue reading “Forecasts for Eagle Ford production”

Eagle Ford production passes the 1M bopd level in October?

The Energy Information Administration released a report about 2 weeks ago reporting their estimates of what production will be in 6 major fields for October and November.

Continue reading “Eagle Ford production passes the 1M bopd level in October?”

North Dakota wind farm sells electricity from first phase of turbines

Since I’ve been talking about progress of the slice-and-dice operation near Hettinger, N.D. in the southern part of the state, it’s only fair to mention they have made a big step forward. The site owner signed a contract with Montana-Dakota Utilities for the sale of all the electricity from the first phase of construction.

Best details of several articles I’ve seen this on the deal can be found at North American Wind Power: Wind Works Signs PPA For Thunder Spirit Project in North Dakota.

Continue reading “North Dakota wind farm sells electricity from first phase of turbines”

Tolerance for all the serious disruptions from drilling depend on whether you get a check

Having a well drilled near your house generates a lot of disruption. There is noise from the drilling, with something on the order of 2,000 truck trips and round-the-clock lights. I’ve been told you can feel the rumble in the ground when fracking is going on near you.

An article in the Wall Street Journal explains Energy Boom Puts Wells in America’s Backyards.

Continue reading “Tolerance for all the serious disruptions from drilling depend on whether you get a check”

Why shale is such a misunderstood game changer

Million Dollar Way points to a must-read article at Rigzone: Kemp: Why Shale Plays really Are Different.

The article describes why perennial skeptics have been so severely wrong about Bakken shale oil, why the rapid decline rate is actually attractive, and explains shale oil is more manufacturing-like than conventional oil.

The “optimists” were conservative

Continue reading “Why shale is such a misunderstood game changer”

Pronunciation guide to Bakken and Eagle Ford

The point of this blog is to learn, so I have no problem admitting I have yet to catch on to lots of things, like how to pronounce Bakken and Eagle Ford.

Rockin’ the Bakken

Learned on my recent trip to North Dakota that Bakken is pronounced with an ‘ah’. It isn’t Bacon or Back-en.

Continue reading “Pronunciation guide to Bakken and Eagle Ford”

More background on Bakken drilling including well costs and EURs

Million Dollar Way points to a presentation by Continental Resources from October 2013 available on this page.

May as well disclose this is not an investment site. It would be foolish to make investment decisions based on what I say.

What I will do is comment on a few tidbits in the presentation that expand my knowledge with the idea that people reading my blog would likely learn as well.

Drilling costs

Falling costs of drilling are described on slide eight. Here’s the disclosed info: Continue reading “More background on Bakken drilling including well costs and EURs”

Superb photos of Bakken – 9-13

Vern Whitten has superb photos of Bakken oil projects and communities. Having just returned from a road trip to Williston, I can appreciate his work much more now.

Here are two batches of his photos from September 2013:

Western North Dakota September 2013 – mostly oil related
North Dakota September 2013 – farming, rivers, towns

(Hat tip: Million Dollar Way)

We just gotta’ kill eagles to save ’em

That’s the argument Mr. Robert Bryce hears presented to him to support the idea that it’s acceptable for wind farms to off eagles. It seems the reduction of carbon dioxide from the slice-and-dice operation will benefit eagles and all wildlife so it is okay to set up wind farms.

He explains the fallacy of the argument in an article in the Wall Street Journal – Fighting Climate Change by Killing Eagles.

Mr. Bryce says the carbon reduction from wind farms…

is equivalent to a baby’s burp in a hurricane

Continue reading “We just gotta’ kill eagles to save ’em”

5 charts that show the dramatic impact of the energy revolution

Carpe Diem has some great graphs that show how much the energy world has changed in the last five years – Five charts that help put “Saudi America’s” shale revolution into perspective.

1 – Weekly US crude oil production ’89 to ’13

Continue reading “5 charts that show the dramatic impact of the energy revolution”

4 year forecast for North Dakota oil production

The Director of the Department of Mineral Resources, Lynn Helms, thinks oil production will be 1.6 million bopd by 2017. That is from an article a month ago in the Dickinson Press, Helms: State’s daily oil production will double by ’17. That is a forecast four years out.

Newer preliminary production in August ’13 was 911K bopd. That is more current info than was available during the interview. So 1.6M bopd would be just over 75% increase from the August amount.

N.D. oil production passes 900,000 in August

Monthly increase was just over 4% from the revised July amounts. Preliminary August production number was 911,496 barrels per day. Revisions are usually quite small.

Amy Dalrymple has some comments from D.M.R. Director Lynn Helms on what the next two months of data might include. In her article, N.D. oil production tops 900,000 barrels per day, she reports:

Helms said he expects to see another significant production increase in September, but an unusually wet October brought a lot of work to a halt in the state’s busiest county, Helms said.

McKenzie County, which has about one-third of the state’s 183 drilling rigs, has had to close gravel roads to heavy trucks in recent days, which means rigs can’t move and trucks can’t haul water and sand needed for hydraulic fracturing.

So, expect a big increase in September, but not so much in October.

Here are three graphs to show the increase. Click on any of them to see a larger version.

Production by month from ’04 through 10-13:

Statewide and Bakken only:

Continue reading “N.D. oil production passes 900,000 in August”

Overview of shale oil & gas along with need for sustainable development for booming areas

Professor Tom Tunstall has a great TEDx San Antonio presentation. He provides a high level overview of shale oil and gas.

Update 12-16-13: You can view his presentation directly on YouTube. I watched again today. It is superb.

Update 12-27-13: Eagle Ford Shale blog has a list of seven takeaways – Eagle Ford Growth Means Opportunity – TED Talk – Video .

Update: Why does the Eagle Ford shale field run across the border into Mexico but production stops at the Rio Grande? Political and economic issues depress production in Mexico. As I’ve long said, you don’t have to benefit from the energy under the ground.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyqMYLedpdg]

He also goes into detail about the needs for local communities in boom areas to focus not just on roads, but the full range of infrastructure, such as K-12 schools, water treatment, hospitals & clinics, parks, and community meeting places. The full range of quality-of-life issues have a major role in people deciding where to live.

Wise local leaders will try to develop other industries that will sustain when there is a slowdown in energy. As a starter idea, he suggests higher end agriculture, such as raising olives and processing olive oil. Hunting, geothermal, water desalinization are other options.

Great video. Prof Tunstall’s section is about 10 minutes long. Well worth your time.

His portion starts about the 7 hour, 11 minute point. Here is the link again: http://new.livestream.com/tedx/TEDxSanAntonio/videos/32045908

Downside of the oil boom – towns struggling to provide infrastructure

Bloomberg describes the struggle many towns in Montana are facing from the ripple effects of the oil boom: Montana Towns Struggle With Oil Boom Cost as Dollars Flee.

The wear on roads, increased school enrollment, and load on sewage treatment are a few of the issues hitting small communities on the periphery of the North Dakota boom. Lack of housing in Williston is pushing people to drive from nearby communities, which do not have an ability to rapidly increase their public services.

Here’s a brief picture: Continue reading “Downside of the oil boom – towns struggling to provide infrastructure”