Operation EPIC FURY -- March 19, 2026

Locator: 50262EPICFURY.

This is the enemy "we're" fighting:

Imagine Iran with nuclear weapons. 

Imagine this even being reported on NBC News tonight with video. 

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Arguing About Who Did What When 

Link here. 

This guy is a bit short-sighted. The list extends back to 1979. He's going back two weeks. Sad. 

I would start with the US hostages in Iran, 1979.

Then jump to the 1983 Beirut Marines barracks, killing 241 American and 58 French military personnel.

Then jump to October 7, 2023: the cross-border attack by Hamas.

And that's just a start.  

Forty-seven (47) years of the mideast living in this neighborhood -- finally some adulting.

Lego: New -- McLaren F1 -- Chrome / Dell Edition -- March 19, 2026

Locator: 50261LEGO.

Link here. 

The "Chrome" and "Dell" decals more than justify the price. 

The set runs 14 cents / piece. Generally, Legos still run about 10 cents / piece. The new Maersk container ship runs slightly less than 10 cents / piece.  

Analysts Are Now Running The Numbers To Potential Windfall For US LNG Producers, Exporters -- March 19, 2026

Locator: 50260B.

Mideast natural gas:

AI prompt: how much in annual revenue from LNG for Qatar?
 

Big loser? Europe and faux environmentalists. China, India will return to coal.

Refiners In The Limelight -- March 19, 2026

Locator: 50261REFINERS.

Most notable, MPC. Huge jump this a.m., only to fall back.

Commodities: everything suggests movers and shakers are betting on severe global recession.  

US refiners, one month returns: 10 to 20%. All hitting new 52-week highs. All pay great dividends.

P/E: most at 16 to 20. CVX at 30. 

LNG exporters, in the past month:

• Cheniere: up almost 30%.
• Venture Global: up 60%.

Qatar: To Declare Force Majeure On LNG For Up To Five Years -- Thursday -- March 19, 2026

Locator: 50260B.

Mideast natural gas:

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Back to the Bakken

Director's Cut: North Dakota’s latest production figures from January 2026 will be released TODAY at 10:00am CST during the March Director’s Cut.

WTI: $97.66.

New wells reporting today:

• Thursday, March 19, 2026: 26 for the month, 132 for the quarter, 132 for the year,
• 41846, conf, BR, Rolla 6G, 
• 41192, conf, Devon Energy, Eide 6-7 7H, 
• Wednesday, March 18, 2026: 24 for the month, 130 for the quarter, 130 for the year,
• 41029, conf, Devon Energy, Eide 6-7 6H, 
• 40056, conf, CLR, Brakken FIU 2-6H, 

RBN Energy: how LNG projects really get to FID and and what it take to be part of the Gulf Coast Wave. Link here. Archived.

The U.S. LNG industry has experienced monumental growth in the past decade, with winter feedgas demand averaging around 18.75 Bcf/d and expected to nearly double by 2030. But there’s also a hefty slate of additional projects somewhere along the path to a final investment decision (FID), each with its own hurdles and timelines. Getting across that FID finish line is anything but simple, and not all companies have the same criteria to get there. In today’s RBN blog, we’ll walk through the North American LNG projects in various stages of commercial and financial commitment and discuss what it really takes to reach FID.

First, let’s offer a refresher. We’re at the 10-year anniversary of Lower 48 LNG exports, and since that time LNG has become the fastest growing outlet for U.S.-sourced natural gas supply.​ The U.S. has around 17 Bcf/d of export capacity, and we’re on a path to about 30 Bcf/d by 2030, driven by projects already under construction. U.S. LNG experienced a record-breaking 2025, as feedgas demand climbed from around 14 Bcf/d in January to 18.75 Bcf/d at the end of the year, and it will likely hit 20 Bcf/d by the end of this year.

Six new LNG projects across five terminals reached FID in 2025. Of those, there are two new terminals plus expansions of several projects that took FID during the last major wave in 2022-23. Cheniere has two projects that reached FID in 2025 under construction at its Corpus Christi Liquefaction (CCL) facility in Gregory, TX (see light-blue diamond below): CCL Stage 3, which includes seven Midscale trains, and CCL Midscale Trains 8 & 9, which is essentially an expansion of Stage 3. Rio Grande LNG (dark-blue diamond) and Port Arthur LNG (green diamond) are continuing their projects. They both moved forward during the last major wave in 2022-23. Rio Grande LNG is moving ahead with Trains 4 and 5. Port Arthur LNG has sanctioned a Phase 2 expansion that will add Trains 3 and 4, one additional storage tank and another marine berth. Venture Global’s CP2 (pink diamond) and Woodside Energy’s Louisiana LNG (orange diamond toward the top) have both started construction.

Figure 1. LNG Facilities and Planned Projects. Source: RBN.