Wednesday, January 7, 2026

BR Reports Completing A DUC -- Note The Halo Effect -- January 7, 2026

Locator49834BRDUC. 

From today's daily activity report:

One producing well (a DUC) reported as completed:

  • 37665, 2,649, BR, Kellog Rach 1B MBH, McKenzie County; huge well;

Full production profile: 40,459 bbls over 16 days extrapolates to 75,860 bbls over 30 days.

PoolDateDaysBBLS OilRunsBBLS WaterMCF ProdMCF SoldVent/Flare
BAKKEN11-2025301855218532131447183871212544
BAKKEN10-2025311735917389114736301462452520
BAKKEN9-2025291939519369126176212361509584
BAKKEN8-2025281767317670165715446553907530
BAKKEN7-2025201654916467153044701446500492
BAKKEN6-2025001450000
BAKKEN5-202516404594031444961233011220321210
BAKKEN4-20250000000
BAKKEN3-20250006654000

 Well of interest to the west:

  • 29169, 905, CLR, Kellogg Ranch Federal 3-32H, Elidah, t9/15; cum 604K 11/25; look at the recent production, paying attention to the jump in production, 4/25 after being offline just prior:
PoolDateDaysBBLS OilRunsBBLS WaterMCF ProdMCF SoldVent/Flare
BAKKEN11-20253010473104621485240668402630
BAKKEN10-20253110987109441466736863364660
BAKKEN9-20253013873136941837445139447340
BAKKEN8-20253118015182732139555761553420
BAKKEN7-20253120299201792993363124627050
BAKKEN6-20253015831157434438447290468850
BAKKEN5-202528463145463320410880105360
BAKKEN4-20253012482125481851834559341540
BAKKEN3-202518825679001545822090218530
BAKKEN2-20250000000
BAKKEN1-20251595514891499414739880
BAKKEN12-20243126912419282710981105620
BAKKEN11-2024302884270336301003096250
BAKKEN10-202431296329063799813977210
BAKKEN9-202422230821364515577954950

Six New Permits -- January 7, 2026

Locator49833B. 

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Back to the Bakken

WTI:

Active rigs: 24. Record recent low.

Six new permits, #42616 - #42622, inclusive:

  • Operator: Phoenix Operating (4); KODA Resources (2):
  • Fields: Ranch Creek (McKenzie County); and, Daneville (Divide County)
  • Comments:
    • KODA Resources has permits for two Ale wells, SWSE 15-161-103, 
      • to be sited 406 FSL and 1154 / 1189 FWL;
    • Phoenix Operating has permits for four Mary wells, NWNE 25-14-99, 
      • to be sited 298 FNL and 2263 / 2323 FEL. 

Six permits renewed:

  • Whiting (4): four Jefferson Federal permits, Foreman Butte (McKenzie County);
  • Slawson (2): two Magnum wells, Baker oil field (McKenzie County;

One producing well (a DUC) reported as completed:

Upwards of 300 wells changing hands: from Zavanna, LLC, to Zavanna Energy Operating. Background noise.

Zavanna: website -- 

Seven wells transferred from Slawson to Enerplus: one Bonanza permit/well (#19572) and six Magnum permits/wells (#22247, #22249, #22731, #40318, #40395, and #40396). 

Micron -- Megafab -- New York -- Update -- January 7, 2026

Locator49832MICRON.

I really get a kick out of this. Six months ago CNBC started raising two issues with regard to AI and the sixth (fourth) industrial revolution:

  • where will the power come from? And,
  • the risk of circular financing.

CAT answered the first question. Link here. Is CAT now the biggest a/c engine manufacturer? 

Circular financing seems to be a concern that never evolved.

Today we lean that Micro is about to break ground on its $100 billion New York megafab on January 16, 2026.

Link here. Also, Shay here.

I really don't get it. Is Shay Boloor going to break out as this year's best investor?


 **************************************
The Worst Is Over

Link here

CAT: The Number One (#1) Dow Ticker For Calendar Year 2025 -- January 7, 2026

 Locator49831CAT.

I am not tuning into CNBC  for now. I am limiting myself to ten minutes a day, the first ten minutes of the 0800 hour with Cramer. Life has all of a sudden gotten really, really better. I'm blogging from the Bat Cave.  

AI prompt: has CAT become the largest natural gas turbine manufacturer in the world?

AI tries so hard to be politically correct. LOL.


Okay, let me ask it a different way, for the average retail mom-and-pop retail investor, what's the best way to play the natural gas turbine phenomenon? Here we go, LOL:


AI must drive Shay nuts.

 *********************************
If I Had All The Money In The World

I would be back in Yorkshire, 2004.

Link here

CPB, NPR, PBS -- January 7, 2026

Locator49830PBS.

AI prompt: Prior to their most recent announcement didn't The Corporation for Public Broadcasting say that it did not neet government funding to survive?

GM, F Sales, Calendar Year 2025, And 4Q25 -- Posted January 7, 2026

Locator49829AUTOSALES.

EVs sales slowing, link here

Link here: Ford.  


 

Link here: GM. 


 

How would you summarize GM and Ford's EV sales for calendar year 2025:



 

Wind Energy Storage Facility Apparently Approved -- But We're Not There Yet -- January 7, 2026

Locator49828NDENERGY.

The Bismarck Tribune has this story behind a paywall: North Dakota regulators on Wednesday approved the state's first energy storage facility. where will that storage facility be?

Google Gemini, no paywall:

  • Key data points:
  • key developer: NextEra Energy
  • purpose: to store excess energy from nearby wind farms
    • 140 megawatts; Bis-Man for four hours 
  • ND's first energy storage facility
    • Emmons County, 20 miles NE of Linto
  • second facility planned
    • Burke County, 10 miles south of Columbus 

How much energy could be stored, link here:

It would store up to 140 megawatts of power from a nearby wind farm in times of increased demand. As an example, that much power could keep the Bis-Man area and the Mandan refinery running up to four hours, according to the Public Service Commission.

How much would the Linton project cost: $180 million. 

 

Thank You Judge -- Cutting Off One's Nose To Spite One's Face -- January 7, 2026

Locator49827SAYONARA.

I do not know if this was Judge Boasberg.

Link here

The contract was over ten years old. Wow.

Just Checking To See Relationship Between US And Greenland -- January 7, 2026

Locator49826GREENLAND.

The NYT reports the story a little bit differently. Link here


 

Just Checking To See Who Has Responsibility For Protecting US Citizens In Minneapolis, MN -- January 7, 2026

Locator49825ICE.


 

Drones, Robots, And Autonomous Driving Vehicles -- They're Here -- January 7, 2026

Locator49824DRONES.
Locator49824WALMART.

Updates

January 10, 2026, from ChatGPT:

Walmart partners with specialized drone delivery companies that design, operate, and supply the aircraft and logistics technology. The major partners in its drone delivery program include:

🚁 Key Drone Providers Working With Walmart

1. Wing (Alphabet/Google’s drone unit)
Alphabet’s drone delivery business — formerly part of Google X — provides the aircraft and drone delivery service for many Walmart locations, especially in the Dallas–Fort Worth area and newly expanded cities like Houston, Atlanta, Orlando, and Charlotte. 
2. Zipline
Zipline is another provider whose fixed-wing drones have been used in Walmart pilots. Zipline designs and operates its own delivery aircraft and has been approved for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flights, allowing broader service reach. 

3. (Earlier Partners – Phase-Out) DroneUp and Flytrex
Walmart previously worked with DroneUp (a delivery services provider; note it does not manufacture the drones itself). 
Flytrex has also been part of earlier retail and food deliveries in some markets (though not currently highlighted as a primary vendor in recent expansions).


In short: the drones delivering your Walmart orders are made and operated by Wing and Zipline, with prior pilots involving DroneUp and Flytrex.

Original Post  

Walmart Supercenter, Bedford / Euless, Texas. North Texas, Ft Worth suburb. 






Videos:


Thank You, Mr Trump -- Gasoline Is Now Below $2 In North Texas -- January 7, 2026

Locator49823GASOLINE.

Our local Walmart. North Texas. DFW suburb. 

My Favorite Chart -- Last Data Point For Calendar Year -- January 7, 2026

Locator49822MMF.

Link here

$7.73 trillion.

 ******************************
Gone Fishing

I took Sophia and her friend fishing yesterday where they met other kids their age fishing.

Sophia had a great day; we lost count of the fish she had caught after her fifth fish. 

Bait: nightcrawlers clearly the best bait.

Link here

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Locator49821B.

Weather: holy mackerel, the weather is gorgeous here in north Texas, DFW. Clear, calm, and high will be 76°F. Right now, early morning? Light jacket at most. 

DOW, S&P: hit record highs. Again.

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Back to the Bakken

WTI: $56.66.

New wells reporting:

  • Friday, January 9, 2026: 13 for the month, 13 for the quarter, 13 for the year,
    • None.
  • Thursday, January 8, 2026: 13 for the month, 13 for the quarter, 13 for the year, 
    • None.
  • Wednesday, January 7, 2026: 13 for the month, 13 for the quarter, 13 for the year,
    • 40970, conf, Devon Energy, Costanza 24-13 7TFH

RBN Energy: Venezuela's oil industry could be poised for a rebound, but it will take time. Link here. Archived.

Venezuela took center stage over the weekend when U.S. forces removed President Nicolás Maduro from power, triggering a flood of speculation and market commentary about the country’s vast oil reserves and the potential for reviving its now-moribund upstream and refining sectors. Of course, there is a lot of uncertainty about how this might play out, but one thing seems clear: The upheaval could impact everything from crude oil flows and price differentials to refining slates and export economics. In today’s RBN blog, we’ll take a deep dive into the outlook for Venezuela’s oil and refined product sectors in the short, middle and long term.