The latest WellDatabase US Rig Report (dated August 7, 2026) shows the national active rig count rising modestly by 3 week-over-week to 583, up 42 from the same period a year earlier. Oil-directed rigs accounted for the bulk of activity at 427 (+1), with gas-directed rigs holding steady at 127 and smaller contributions from thermal […]
Continue Reading
Houston-based ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP), the largest U.S. independent oil and gas producer, reported second-quarter 2026 results on August 6, 2026, that beat Wall Street expectations. Higher commodity prices more than offset a year-over-year decline in production, driving sharp gains in earnings and cash flow. The company also reaffirmed full-year guidance, doubled share repurchases, achieved a […]
Continue Reading
The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the 2026 Iran-related conflict has fundamentally altered global liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) trade flows. Middle Eastern exports from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Iran slowed sharply as tanker traffic collapsed and infrastructure faced risks or attacks. Before the escalation, roughly 54 oil, chemical, and LPG […]
Continue Reading
A recent post by Peter Clack (@PeterDClack) on X captured a growing reality that policymakers and industry advocates have long downplayed: the coming wave of wind turbine and solar panel retirements will expose a physical and financial nightmare of continuous renewal. The fleet average in wind is 19 years, and they are rapidly approaching the […]
Continue Reading
The Wall Street Journal recently highlighted how battery energy storage systems (BESS) are shifting from niche applications to meaningful scale in the United States, with residential deployments accelerating particularly fast. Companies like Base Power are installing home batteries at a rapid clip, and broader market data confirm strong growth in both utility-scale and behind-the-meter segments. […]
Continue Reading
U.S. commercial crude oil inventories rose last week, but Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) draws and sharp declines in key refined products left overall oil and product stocks tighter, according to the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Weekly Petroleum Status Report released today for the week ending July 31, 2026. Key Inventory Highlights (Week Ending July 31, […]
Continue Reading
Global oil refineries outside active conflict zones are operating near or at maximum capacity, with almost no remaining buffers to absorb further shocks. Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser made the point clearly this week: the system is stretched thin, leaving “little shock absorbers or buffers” against higher fuel prices. A combination of the ongoing war […]
Continue Reading
This action, announced August 3, 2026, comes roughly three weeks after New York became the first state to impose a temporary statewide moratorium on new hyperscale data centers. It applies to projects seeking to interconnect with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) system and pauses related transmission planning work, including the “Batch Zero” study. […]
Continue Reading
Natan Shahar, Founder & Chief Strategy Officer of Standard Carbon, stops by with solutions. What if the solution to the alleged climate change was hiding in plain sight—literally in the smokestacks of power plants, factories, and boilers around the world? On this episode of the Energy Newsbeat Podcast, host Stu Turley sits down with Natan […]
Continue Reading
Tulsa-based The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE: WMB) has signed an agreement to acquire Momentum Midstream in a strategic transaction valued at up to $5.5 billion, establishing a premier position in the Haynesville Shale to serve expanding Gulf Coast LNG, power, and industrial demand. The deal, announced alongside Williams’ strong second-quarter 2026 results on August 3, […]
Continue Reading