Halliburton Sees Improvement in North American Activity in 2026

ENB Pub Note: This article was first run on RHG Phoenix Petroleum’s Blog. We will be interviewing them on the podcast soon.  Halliburton executives signaled a positive outlook for North American oilfield activity in 2026 during the company’s second-quarter 2026 earnings release and conference call on July 21, 2026. The Houston-based oilfield services giant highlighted recent gains […]

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WellDatabase Weekly Rig Report for July 18, 2026: US Rig Count Climbs Up 11 with Strong Horizontal and Oil Activity

The latest WellDatabase US Rig Report (dated July 18, 2026) shows the U.S. active drilling rig count at 567, marking a solid +11 week-over-week (WoW) increase and +37 year-over-year (YoY) gain. This reflects resilient drilling activity amid a stable-to-rising trend over the past 12 months, with the count holding in the mid-to-high 500s range. Key […]

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ExxonMobil Steps Up to Help Iraq Become Energy Independent from Iran

In a development that echoes broader regional efforts to reduce vulnerability to the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint, ExxonMobil is emerging as a key partner in Iraq’s drive for energy self-sufficiency—particularly by ending its costly and geopolitically sensitive dependence on Iranian natural gas. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met directly with ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods in […]

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Saudi Aramco Awards Halliburton a Multi-Billion Dollar Multi-Year Contract for Jafurah Unconventional Gas Development

Riyadh/Dhahran, July 17, 2026 — Saudi Aramco has awarded Halliburton a multi-billion-dollar, multi-year contract for integrated stimulation and completion services supporting unconventional gas development, with a key focus on the massive Jafurah Basin in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province. This award underscores Aramco’s aggressive push to scale one of the world’s largest unconventional gas programs outside […]

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President Trump Meets with Iraqi Prime Minister Over Oil Deals, New Pipeline, and Reduced U.S. Military Footprint

In a significant development for U.S.-Iraq energy relations, President Donald Trump hosted Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at the White House on July 14, 2026. The meeting focused on deepening strategic ties, advancing major oil and gas investments, and discussing infrastructure projects—including a revived pipeline that could bypass the volatile Strait of Hormuz. Trump also […]

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Abandoned oil wells could power AI data centers as energy storage systems

This was originally posted on American Bazaar Online. By Phil Cruver As AI data centers face rising power demands, abandoned oil wells are being repurposed into long-duration energy storage systems that could stabilize electric grids and create new economic value. The recent analysis “The Borehole Battery: From Liability to Long Duration Storage Asset” by Gilles Chaspierre, […]

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