Three Wells Coming Off Confidential List Today -- WTI Resisting $70 -- Fed Decision Pending -- June 14, 203

Locator: 44932B. 

Top story of the day: EV darling of Wall Street removed from the NASDAQ-100. 

Energy vs tech: Liz Sonders.

Nvidia market cap: joins the $1-trillion club.

Pending: traders anxiously await Fed decision

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Back to the Bakken

Active rigs: 35.

WTI: $69.86.

Thursday, June 15, 2023: 32 for the month; 140 for the quarter, 395 for the year
39302, conf, CLR, Skachenko Federal 10-31H1,

Wednesday, June 14, 2023: 31 for the month; 139 for the quarter, 394 for the year
39471, conf, Lime Rock Resources, Federal Kubik Trust 3-18-19H-143-95L,
39396, conf, Kraken, Wiseman 31-36-35-34 2H,
39215, conf, SOGC (Sinclair), Grasslands Federal 14-15-3H, 

RBN Energy: SAF production will need more than the IRA tax credit to really take off.

Around the world, there’s a strong push to put aviation on a more sustainable footing and reduce the industry’s greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint. Increasing the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) — a close cousin of renewable diesel (RD) — is key to this effort. But while the economic case for producing RD in the U.S. has been compelling for some time thanks to government subsidies, the returns on investment for producing SAF appear more dubious, despite a seemingly generous production tax credit for SAF in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). As we discuss in today’s RBN blog, the incentive for making jet fuel is likely too small — and too short-lived — to overcome the higher cost of production for SAF compared to RD, and additional incentives may be needed to spur meaningful increases in SAF production.

Jet fuel is the planet’s third-most consumed transportation fuel, totaling about 7 MMb/d globally. Although worldwide consumption of jet fuel is significantly less than diesel (28 MMb/d) and gasoline (24 MMb/d), it represents a respectable 12% of these “Big Three” clean transportation fuels. In the U.S., jet fuel accounts for a similar portion. Therefore, its considerable volume presents a valid target for carbon reduction. Many airlines have set “net-zero-by-2050” targets and (many would argue) the increased use of SAF would have more of a climate impact than carbon offsets. So, when combined with the environmental objectives of consuming airlines, there seems to be a case to be made for SAF. But is it economic to produce?