US Shale Won't Replace Lost Middle East Oil -- March 5, 2026

Locator: 50148B.

Link here. 

The HM Hove - Michael State Pad -- Grinnell -- West Capa -- March 5, 2026

Locator: 50147HOVE.

From today's daily activity report:

One producing well (a DUC) reported as completed:

• 41270, 2,633, CLR, HM Hove 6-9H, Williams County; 1280-acre spacing unit; sections 4 / 9 - 154-96; 66K over 25 days extrapolates to 80K bbls of oil over 30 days; these wells are all incredible wells; will post as stand-alone, later:

Other wells on that pad, highest monthly production :

• 41267, 66,462K; Michael State 2-16H;
• 41268, 72,163K; Michael State 3-16H1;
• 41269, 62,201K; Michael State 4-16H,
• 41270, 66,384K; HM Hove 6-9H, 
• 41271, 56,338K; HM Hove 7-9H, 
• 41272, 52,048K; HM Hove 8-9H,

Let's look at #41268:

• 41628, drl/A, CLR, Michael State 3-16H1, Grinnell, t12/25; cum 108K in first two months of production; Three Forks First Bench (B1); IP: 2,721 bopd; stimulated 6/13/25; 47 stages; volume, 262,607 bbls; proppand, 13,112,651 pounds;

Pool	Date	Days	BBLS Oil	Runs	BBLS Water	MCF Prod	MCF Sold	Vent/Flare
BAKKEN	1-2026	31	35600	35781	47329	141141	140384	316
BAKKEN	12-2025	31	72163	71832	78100	189587	189365	222
BAKKEN	11-2025	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	10-2025	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
BAKKEN	9-2025	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

WTI Surges To $81 Today -- Day 6 -- March 5, 2026

Locator: 50146B.

WTI: $81.01. Surged an astounding 8.51% today; up $6.35 by the close. 

Active rigs: 25.

Three new permits, #42750 - #42752, inclusive:

• Operator: Formentera Operations
• Field: Baukol Noonan, Divide County;
• Comments: Formentera Operations has permits for two Rainbows End and one Laguna Vista well, SESE 13-162-96, 
• to be sited, 608 FSL and 430 / 500 FEL;

Eighteen (18) permits renewed:

• Enerplus (9):
• Whiting (3):
• Zavanna (6):

One producing well (a DUC) reported as completed:

• 41270, 2,633, CLR, HM Hove 6-9H, Williams County; 1280-acre spacing unit; sections 4 / 9 - 154-96; 66K over 25 days extrapolates to 80K bbls of oil over 30 days; these wells are all incredible wells; will post as stand-alone, later:

HKN, Inc In The News Today -- Kurdish Oil Field In Northern Iraq -- Frequent Site Of Drone Attacks -- Local Connection -- March 5, 2026

Locator: 50145KURDISTAN.

This started out as a personal interest story, in fact, it is turning into a pretty interesting global geo-political story with huge explanation of why China is so interested in this war, and it's not simply about the Strait of Hormuz.  

The geo-politics of the Mideast right now are incredibly fascinating -- least of which is not Iranian oil fields to the north which could be a land grab by Kurdistan, Iraq, and even possibly Turkey. 

Absolutely fascinating. Not everyone in the region is upset by this war. It might be fascinating to re-reading parts of the Daniel Yergin's 1990 The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power. 

Right now, I would suggest Kurdistan could certainly be the prime movers, ahead of Iraq and Turkey. There may be a few US companies watching this play out. It's very, very possible before this is all over, the borders of Iran will be re-drawn. Trump has been interested in another oil country: Venezuela. Just imagine what Trump might be thinking.

Today's headline story that caught my attention:

Tonight I will be taking our 11-year-old granddaughter to soccer practice in Southlake, TX.

HKN, Inc., is headquartered in Southlake, TX. Our go-to city for Barnes and Noble, high-end restaurants, hoity-toity sports facilities. 

It's a small world. 

Former president George W. Bush was on the board of directors over at HKN in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He left the board in 1993.  

Link here.  

Wiki link here. Wiki does not state from where the drone attacks came in 2025, but obviously, from Iran. 

See maps of Kurdistan at this link. 

Iraqi oil fields, map, at this link.  Kurdish oil fields, northern Iraq:

Day 6: WTI Spikes -- March 5, 2026

Locator: 50144WTI.

WTI: just spiked 5.61%; spiked $4.19 / bbl; now trading at $78.85. 

Comes after the Strait of Hormuz grinds to a halt after Iran launches huge number of retaliatory strikes against Israel and US air bases in the region following US sinking of Iranian frigate. Azerbaijan also struck.