No Reason For Citizens Who Hate The US Not To Renounce Their Citizenship Now -- US State Department Lowers Fee To Renounce US Citizenship -- March 13, 2026

Locator: 50218CITIZENSHIP.

Link here. 

After being approved to renounce one's citizenship, one is allowed to remain in the US subject to the same rules as all foreign nationals. 

LNG -- Plaquemines -- Venture Global -- March 13, 2026

Locator: 50217PLAQUEMINES.

Link here. Plaquemines / Venture Global background, link here. Search Plaquemines in the blog. 

Just A Reminder -- March 13, 2026

Locator: 50216KURDISTAN.

Previously discussed. A reminder. 

Link here.

What's missing:

• US Air Force;
• US Navy.

 It could get very, very interesting. 

This Seems Important -- March 13, 2026

Locator: 50215EPICFURY.

Tag: EPIC FURY Kharg  Island

Immediately after story broke:

Link over at x.

I'm sure there will be more links.

For Iran, this is still Friday the thirteenth.

The ball is in Iran's court. 

Statement released at close of weekly news cycle.  

The Stories That Interested Me Three Years Ago -- March 13, 2026

Locator: 50214ARCHIVES.

This is pretty amazing. This was from my "big" post March 10, 2023 -- almost exactly three years ago. Link here.

High on my list for today:

• Whatever happened to Erin Burnett? The cable ratings.
• Chips: updating the semiconductors.
• JPow's two big problems.  a run on banks and the implosion of cryptocurrency.
• JPow's third big problem.
  
• AAPL and what it will buy next?
• Lego.
• EVs.
• LNG. 
• Copper.
  

Comments on the above.

• Huge fail. Erin's move to obscurity.
• Wiki has new numbers for chips. 
• CNBC starting to sound frantic. Government talking heads are telling us to stay calm. Never a good combination.
• Credibility.
  
• No one knows.
• Folks have a lot of money to spend on plastic bricks.
• More and more it looks like 2023 is the "make or break year" for EV manufacturers. Rivian may be the biggest surprise.
• The 21st century: America's century. 
• The numbers are simply surprising.

I find it simply amazing what interested me that day three years ago. Neither Trump nor Iran were on my radar scope.

With This Project, Venture Global Should Be On Track To Become The Largest US LNG Exporter -- March 13, 2026

Locator: 50213LNG.

Tag: Venture Global  

Venture Global shares up 40% in one month. 

Link here. 

Not Trivial -- One Wonders If Tim Cook Is Surprised? March 13, 2026

Locator: 50212NEO.

Tag: MacGook Neo Amazon Apple 

Link here. 

Proves again that Americans know value when they see it! 

But think about that: a MacBook that exceeds the power of the M1 MacBook -- for $499.  

I Don't Think Investors/Analysts "Get It" Yet -- March 13, 2026

Locator: 50211TIKTOK.

Note: in any of my blogs, there will be typographical and content errors. This blog is not meant for readers other than my extended family, but I post the blog without restrictions because this is the fastest way I can get information to my extended family members. This is not an investment site. See blog's disclaimer. Please feel free to fact check. Comments are heavily moderated.    

Updates

Later, 9:18 p.m. CT: from The New York Times.  

Original Post 

Link here. 

**********************************
Disclaimer 
Briefly

Briefly: 

I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken and I am often well out front of my headlights. I am often appropriately accused of hyperbole when it comes to the Bakken.

I am inappropriately exuberant about the US economy and the US market.

I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple. 

See disclaimer. This is not an investment site. 

Disclaimer: this is not an investment site. Do not make any investment, financial, job, career, travel, or relationship decisions based on what you read here or think you may have read here. All my posts are done quickly: there will be content and typographical errors. If something appears wrong, it probably is. Feel free to fact check everything.

If anything on any of my posts is important to you, go to the source. If/when I find typographical / content errors, I will correct them. 

Reminder: I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken, US economy, and the US market.

I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple. 

And now, Nvidia, also. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Nvidia. Nvidia is a metonym for AI and/or the sixth industrial revolution.

I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Broadcom.

Flu -- Weekly Update -- March 13, 2026

Locator: 50210FLU.

Everything suggests this season's flu season -- one of the mildest in recent history -- is over for the year. 

Link here. 

I won't be posting data unless something significant changes. 

Update On Polaris Forge One And Two -- Polaris Forge 1 And Polaris Forge 2 -- March 13, 2026

Locator: 50209LDC.

Data center map linked here. Currently, 23 in North Dakota. Total in the US: 4,078.

Link here. 

Note there is #1 and #2 -- 

Number 2, Polaris Forge 2:  

From the link: 

The company building a massive artificial intelligence data center near Harwood has secured more than $2 billion to move the project forward.

Applied Digital Corporation closed a $2.15 billion bond offering Tuesday, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company plans to use the money to fund construction at its Polaris Forge 2 campus in Harwood, an AI facility currently leased to Oracle.

The financing comes roughly seven months after Applied Digital announced the project last August. The company said at the time it planned to break ground in September 2025 on what it described as a 280-megawatt “AI Factory” spanning more than 900 acres.

The new funding will specifically support 200 megawatts of critical computing capacity at the site, the SEC filing states.

 A lot of data points at that article.

Again, the entry fee for a large data center is $1 billion / GW -- link here --  $2 billion for 280-MW -- either I'm comparing apples with oranges; or misreading this; or, something else is going on that I don't understand. 

Although AI calls this a "massive" LDC, I've always considered "massive" as 1 GW or larger:

So, although this may be massive for North Dakota, I am still keeping with "massive" as 1 GW or bigger. With the entry fee of $10 billion per GW.

What about Polaris Forge 1? 

 
Cost of Polaris Forge 1:

Alison's Quick Connects -- March 13, 2026

Locator: 50208B.

Quick connects:

• NextEra Energy Resources is eyeing Dunn County for a new wind farm -- KFYR-TV

• North Dakota Supreme Court ruling could reshape oil royalty payments -- Bismarck Tribune

• War with Iran spikes oil prices; too soon to see effects on North Dakota production -- InForum

• North Dakota approval of Summit storage wells ruled unconstitutional -- Bismarck Tribune

• ND wants judge to void its $28M win in pipeline case in favor of federal settlement -- North Dakota Monitor

• Applied Digital closes $2.15B deal to build out Polaris Forge 2 AI campus in Hardwood -- Valley News Live

• Minnesota Democrats propose new slush fund to siphon money from fossil fuel companies -- Daily Caller

• Senator Hoeven outlines importance of US energy dominance in countering Iran's influence -- John Hoeven

• Next steps for Bank of North Dakota stablecoin to be reviewed this month -- North Dakota Monitor

• North Dakota Dem-NPL Party holds energized convention, endorses Hammer for House -- Bismarck Tribune

• Enderlin's Deven Styczynski announces bid for North Dakota Public Service Commission -- Dickinson Press

• North Dakota task force eyes dissolving dozens of state boards in streamlining effort -- North Dakota Monitor

• Secretary of State, state legislative assembly file arguments in legislative term limits lawsuit -- KFYR-TV

• Armstrong selects wrestling legends Troy and Terry Steiner for Rough Rider Award -- Office of the Governor

• Secretary of State mailing out ballot measure information to voters ahead of election season -- KFYR-TV

• ND Republican incumbents make 'unprecedented' move to skip state convention -- North Dakota Monitor

• Levi Bachmeier formally launches campaign to lead North Dakota public schools -- North Dakota Monitor

• Special education teachers report burnout, uncompensated work time, survey shows -- North Dakota Monitor

• Prominent member of the Williston Basin School District will step down at the end of June -- KFYR-TV

• Minot Public School Board approved the appointment of three new administrative hires -- Minot Daily News

• Crosby Journal offers opportunity for paid writing internship for high school or college student -- The Journal

• Federal food guidelines limiting processed foods take bite out of ND public schools' budgets -- The Journal

• People who make Belfield schools run smoothly vital to success of students and faculty -- Dickinson Press

• Dickinson High School students among 60 teams to win NASA Student Tech Rise Challenge -- KFYR-TV

• Minot Rep. Scott Louser seeks reelection after having served since 2011 and shares vision -- KFYR-TV

• Beyond the Bookshelf: How McKenzie County Library became local destination -- McKenzie County Farmer

• More jobs than people still available in northwest North Dakota according to area officials -- KFYR-TV

• Two city workers in Beulah approved to return to work amid gaming money investigation -- KX News

• North Dakota prepares to hand out $200M in historic Rural Health Transformation grants -- Dickinson Press

• Forum Communications welcomes the Williston Herald and 6 other papers to the team -- Williston Herald

• $342K gift goes to hospital, library, scholarships; donor linked with Divide County's early days -- The Journal

• Williston mayor will not run for seat again but has announced plans to run for city commission -- KFYR-TV

• Landowners and industry representatives gather at state legislative energy committee meeting -- The Beacon

• Neighborhood Revitalization Program returns to Williston with $2 million fund -- Williston Herald

• Trump administration turns Venezuela into major US oil supplier as global shipping crisis eases -- Fox News

• Crude oil prices spike near $120 a barrel as the Iran war impedes production and shipping -- KFYR-TV

• Trump says rising oil prices 'a very small price to pay' for 'safety and peace' amid Iran conflict -- KX News

• New study furthers argument that AI is not principal driver of higher power costs -- RealClearEnergy

• Iranian oil production could be slashed and exports could stall if U.S.-Israeli seize Kharg Island -- Oil Price

• Iran warns no oil will be exported from Middle East until United States and Israel stop bombing it -- Oil Price

• LNG Canada ramps up production and exports as Iran war threatens Asian natural gas supplies -- Reuters

• US power consumption, which hit 2nd straight record in 2025, will rise further in 2026 and 2027 -- Reuters

• America First Refining plans to build new 168,000 bbl/day oil refinery in Brownsville, Texas -- Yahoo Finance

• Oil markets bracing for even bigger shock with Iran warning crude could surge to $200 per barrel -- Oil Price

• The cure for AI data center energy use is competition, not ratepayer protection pledges -- RealClearEnergy

• Trump touts oil price gains, saying 'we make a lot of money;' some lawmakers angered -- Reuters

• US Department of Energy plans to invest $1.9 billion to accelerate power grid upgrades -- Reuters

• Middle East debacle's impact on energy markets is more favorable to Canada than it is to US -- Oil Price

• Middle East war is creating the biggest supply disruption in the history of the oil market warns IEA -- Oil Price

• $11 billion SunZia 3.5 GW wind project completes installation of 242 huge turbines in New Mexico -- Electrek

• Trump admin greenlights first new oil refinery in 50 years, advances nuclear reactor project -- Townhall

• EPA's repeal of the endangerment finding overreach restores federal power where it belongs -- Daily Caller

• California's looming fuel infrastructure crisis: Refiners are trying to warn the state -- Watts Up With That

One New Permit, Four Permits Renewed -- March 13, 2026

Locator: 50207B.

********************************
Back to the Bakken

WTI: $98.71.

Active rigs: 28. 

One new permit:

• 42764, conf, Spotted Hawk Development, Sigma 21-18H, NENW 18-150-91, Van Hook, McLean, bottom hole location, SESE 20-150-91; spacing unit, section 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 and the N/2 of 21 - 150-91.

Four permits renewed:

• Devon Energy: four Fredericks East permits, Heart Butte, Dunn County. 

Schwab -- March 13, 2026

Locator: 50206SCHWAB.

To my broker this morning:

Amy:

Congratulations (link here):

I assume huge amount is being generated in California, Texas, Florida, and New York.

And in Texas: DFW area

And in DFW area: Southlake. Whoo-hoo.

Chatbots -- The Fog Is Beginning To Clear -- Google's Gemini's Star Is Rising -- March 13, 2026

Locator: 50205AI.

To extended family members: checked in for for flight. TSA security checkpoints at local airport "green" all week. 

Apple:

Now, Meta, link here:

*******************************
Breakfast Of Champions

CVX -- March 13, 2026

Locator: 50204CVX.

Note: in any of my blogs, there will be typographical and content errors. This blog is not meant for readers other than my extended family, but I post the blog without restrictions because this is the fastest way I can get information to my extended family members. This is not an investment site. See blog's disclaimer. Please feel free to fact check. Comments are heavily moderated.   

CVX: gets an analyst upgrade; shares jump almost 3%. Link here. At MarketBeat. Pays almost 4%. For long-term investors that dividend is significantly higher than 4% on initial investment.

**********************************
Disclaimer 
Briefly

Briefly: 

I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken and I am often well out front of my headlights. I am often appropriately accused of hyperbole when it comes to the Bakken.

I am inappropriately exuberant about the US economy and the US market.

I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple. 

See disclaimer. This is not an investment site. 

Disclaimer: this is not an investment site. Do not make any investment, financial, job, career, travel, or relationship decisions based on what you read here or think you may have read here. All my posts are done quickly: there will be content and typographical errors. If something appears wrong, it probably is. Feel free to fact check everything.

If anything on any of my posts is important to you, go to the source. If/when I find typographical / content errors, I will correct them. 

Reminder: I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken, US economy, and the US market.

I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple. 

And now, Nvidia, also. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Nvidia. Nvidia is a metonym for AI and/or the sixth industrial revolution.

I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Broadcom.

TGIF -- Friday, March 13, 2026

Locator: 50203B.

Friday The Thirteenth. 

Iran: there are now reports that Iran is not mining the strait. Regardless, the allies will sort that out quickly. It takes specialized boats to lay mines and the US has planes that can loiter indefinitely in an area where they have air dominance. 

Iran: new leader probably wounded in an earlier attack; loss use of legs?  

Iran, the nuclear option:

• closing the strait of Hormuz; and,  
• striking every neighbor in the mideast to create a multi-regional war.
• both were a sign of desperation.  

US KC-135: mid-air over friendly skies, western Iraq? One plane lost; four airmen killed. On the 13th day of the conflict.  

Cuba: has begun negotiations with the US. Unnamed but credible source. 

********************************
Back to the Bakken

WTI: $94.31 pre-market; $95.07 in late morning trading. 

New wells reporting:

• Sunday, March 15, 2026: 17 for the month, 123 for the quarter, 123 for the year, 
• 41374, conf, Hess, EN-Hanson-156-94-3130H-8, 
• 40058, conf, CLR, Brakken FIU 4-6H, 
• Saturday, March 14, 2026: 15 for the month, 121 for the quarter, 121 for the year,
• 41652, conf, CLR, Rose Federal 4-34H, 
• 40059, conf, CLR, Brakken FIU 5-6HSL,  
• Friday, March 13, 2026: 13 for the month, 119 for the quarter, 119 for the year, 
• 42237, conf, BR, Sandie 2C MBH-R,
• 41821, conf, BR, Rolla 6I, 
• 41603, conf, BR, Sivertson 6F,

RBN Energy: US E&Ps increasingly see LNG as way to get a piece of the arbitrage pie. Link here. Archived. 

Ever since U.S. LNG exports commenced in 2016 from Cheniere’s Sabine Pass facility, upstream gas producers have carefully followed price differentials between Henry Hub and the prices at which LNG can be sold in other markets, notably Asia and Europe. Initially, opportunities for shippers to realize a significant arbitrage were limited, as a high proportion of U.S.-produced LNG was lifted by Asian utility players to meet their baseload supply requirements rather than traded in the burgeoning spot market. Things changed dramatically in 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which not only led to the demise of Russian pipeline gas supplies to Europe and caused prices to spike, but also created new arbitrage opportunities for LNG shippers. In today’s RBN blog, we look at the different approaches that the “natural born drillers” in the U.S. upstream have adopted in response, each of which has a different risk/reward profile.

Gas prices at the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF; green line in Figure 1 below) jumped to unprecedented levels after the Ukraine invasion, undoubtedly amplified by the fact that Russia’s state-owned Gazprom had depleted its holdings of gas in European Union (EU) storage, adding to fears of a major supply shortage. (In the year before the invasion, Russian supplies met nearly 40% of EU gas demand; see You Don’t Own Me.) That fear inevitably spilled over to other gas markets, notably Asia, causing prices — based on the JKM index (orange line) to spike —  increasing the premium to the Henry Hub price in the U.S. (blue line).