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Friday, June 26, 2026

Movie Night -- "The Third Man" -- June 26, 2026

Locator: 51068MOVIE.  

Free on Amazon Prime right now. Will be "removed" in five days. 

Simply one of my favorite movies. 

Notes are posted here

Alison's North Dakota's Quick Connects For The Week -- June 26, 2026

Locator: 51067B.  

The quick connects:


Port: Democrats set to repeat their oil boom blunder with data centers -- InForum
Guest column: North Dakota can have both data centers and democracy -- InForum
State lawmakers to consider exception to nuclear waste storage ban -- North Dakota Monitor
Two produced water spills in North Dakota oil patch impact waterways -- Bismarck Tribune
North Dakota AI campus plans 1GW of Williston Basin natural gas-fired power -- Pipeline & Gas Journal
North Dakota can both welcome data centers and consider public input -- North Dakota Monitor
Split outcome in Divide transmission line hearing; county zoning board approves Basin permit -- The Journal
McKenzie County works to inform public on data centers amid statewide debate -- McKenzie County Farmer
Bakken and Three Forks formations continue to dominate state's energy profile -- McKenzie County Farmer
Cerilon GTL announces agreement for single point technology licensing structure -- Williston Herald
Williams County Planning & Zoning Commission recommends wind turbine setback -- Williston Herald
Landowners, townships bring JetX line appeal to North Dakota Supreme Court -- North Dakota Monitor
North Dakota Supreme Court blocks legislative effort to weaken state's term limits law -- KFYR-TV
This July 4, the bold vision of Theodore Roosevelt's Presidential Library becomes reality. -- InForum
Group to fund pilot projects to make North Dakota 'healthiest state in the nation' -- North Dakota Monitor
Retiring Burleigh County sheriff Kelly Leben to join North Dakota Ethics Commission -- North Dakota Monitor
Garrison Dam spillway to be opened as part of $1.8 billion ongoing repair project -- Bismarck Tribune
North Dakota to deploy 50 National Guard soldiers to assist with July 4 celebrations -- Bismarck Tribune
Interior Secretary, former governor Burgum brings North Dakota lessons to Washington -- Dickinson Press
Legendary coaches Terry and Troy Steiner announced Roughrider Award winners -- Minot Daily News
'North Dakota 250 Road Trip: Our American Story' exhibit will open on July 1 -- Minot Daily News
US Senate passes Hoeven's bipartisan bill for Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library -- John Hoeven
'100 Deadliest Days' on the road living up to its name in ND with 43 crash deaths -- Dickinson Press
North Dakota sees General Fund revenue dip; lawmakers anticipate surplus for biennium -- Bismarck Tribune
Column: Across North Dakota, local governments are facing increasingly difficult discussions -- InForum
Construction accelerates along Theodore Roosevelt Expressway corridor -- McKenzie County Farmer
Mercer analyzes the possibilities and potentials of hyperscale data center development -- Hazen Star
Medora Musical cancels shows from June 28 to July 1 to prepare for Trump event -- Bismarck Tribune
Williston City Commission approved $1 million grant to McKenzie County Health -- Williston Herald
Theodore Roosevelt National Park to host 'Badlands & Bridles' horse management event -- Dickinson Press
Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library receives $26M gift which will fund completion -- Dickinson Press
The increased costs and benefits: Hazen School Board chooses to continue in association -- Hazen Star
Educator Else-Marie Westman named McKenzie County Teacher of the Year -- McKenzie County Farmer
North Dakota legislative leadership sees benefits to higher ed student recruitment -- Minot Daily News
Inaugural 'Miner Camp' shows students career opportunities in coal industry -- The Beacon
PowerSchool to Infinite Campus: What families & students should know before school starts -- KFYR-TV
Tough decisions on horizon for Surrey Public School District in wake of defeated bond -- Minot Daily News
Ray Public School has options for completing two planned renovation projects at same time -- The Journal
School looks closer at 4-day week idea; input needed from families, public forums may come -- The Journal
Williston Basin School District #7 Board officially canvasses results of election held June 9 -- Williston Herald
Board names Lisa Karch interim president of North Dakota State College of Science -- North Dakota Monitor
Mixed messages from US and Iran on Strait of Hormuz inject further uncertainty on global supplies -- The Hill
China's crude oil imports could remain permanently depressed, energy analysts have predicted -- Oil Price
US authorizes sale of Iranian crude, petroleum products under temporary peace agreement -- World Oil
Trump administration proposes to slash costs for oil and gas drilling operations on federal lands -- Reuters
Energy realism is on the rise. Global economies, populations, demand continue to grow. -- RealClearEnergy
American gas guzzlers versus Chinese electric vehicles. Iran War could be a win for both. -- E&E News
America's next oil boom may come from recovering fields that have produced for decades -- Oil & Gas 360
Trump administration announces $17.5 billion in loans to support 10 large scale nuclear plants -- The Hill
US crude inventories continue to falter, Strategic Petroleum Reserve struggles to pick up slack -- Oil Price
President Trump has ordered an investigation into possible price gouging at fuel stations -- Oil Price
Iraq warns it might leave OPEC if Baghdad not allowed to significantly increase oil production -- Reuters
Congress must do its part to codify administration's progress on lowering energy prices -- RealClearEnergy
BLM proposes to cut public input options on oil leases; would significantly curtail participation -- E&E News
Opinion: Why drawing down the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is a smart business decision -- The Hill
Chevron says no quick fix for gas prices as Trump takes on Big Oil: 'It's going to take time' -- CNBC
As US marks its 250th anniversary, one reality stands out: America demands energy -- RealClearEnergy


Three New Permits; Seven Permits Canceled -- June 26, 2026

Locator: 51066B.  

WTI: $69.23.

Active rigs: 26.

Three new permits, #43072 - #43074 --

  • Operator: Murfin Drilling Company;
  • Field: New Hradec, Stark County; 
  • Comments: 
    • Murfin Drilling has permits for three Jilek wells, SWSE 10-140-98, 
      • to be sited 345 FSL and 2377 / 2437 FEL. 

Seven permits canceled

  • Phoenix Operating (4): four Mary permits, McKenzie County.
  • Oasis Petroleum (3): three Isabella permits, Burke County. 

Aerial Photo Tour Of Medora, North Dakota, Home Of The Theodore Roosevelt Library -- June 26, 2026

Locator: 51065MEDORA.  

Reminder: the Theodore Roosevelt Library, Medora, North Dakota opens July 4, 2026.  

Wow, wow, wow!

An aerial tour of Medora, North Dakota, the area where the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is located. Link here.

These aerial photos were taken by Vern Whitten.

You can reach Vern Whitten at: 

  • his website;
  • e-mail: whittenaerials@gmail.com; 
  • or phone: (701) 261-7658.

One of the aerial photos:

Compare these photos with the photos of the other presidential museum being opened this year. 

More Permian Natural Gas Takeaway -- June 26, 2026

Locator: 51063TEXASNG.  

From EIA, May 26, 2026, link here -- natural gas pipeline capacity additions likely to come on-line in 2026 are mostly in Texas -- this is really quite amazing -- all this capacity from an area already exceptionally busy.

This is new NG pipeline capacity 2026 - 2027 by state: rounded in some cases --

2026:

    Texas:                                      12.8 billion cf/d
    all the rest (several states):                                   4.6 billion cf/d

    SUB-TOTAL                                                                                               17.4 billion cf/d 

2027:

    Texas                                         17.3 bcf/d
    all the rest (several states):                                     10.2 
bcf/d  

    SUB-TOTAL:                                                                                                27.5 bcf/d

 

TOTAL (2026 - 2027):

    Texas                                        30.1 bcf/d
    All the rest:                                                                 14.8 bcf/d
    TOTAL:                                                                                                         44.9 bcf/d

Diagram / graphic:


In Texas, the three largest pipeline projects -- projected to enter service by the end of this year --

Z4 Energy Research, link here:

                           

PSA: Last Wills And Testaments -- A Bit Of Trivia -- June 26, 2026

Locator: 51062LWAT.   

Query:

Why do they call it "Letters of Testamentary" when only one letter seems to be needed for the executor of the estate. Or are these identical copies used to sent creditors, etc.?

Reply:

A Bad Day For AAPL, TJX, And Dell -- June 26, 2026

Locator: 51061INVESTING.   

Apple: the company announced it is raising prices on some pricier models by $200. Two hundred dollars works out to 55 cents / day for one year. A Starbacks coffee will set you back $3 a cup. Just saying. I bought my current M1 Apple MacBook in 2020 and won't need an upgrade for several more years. The laptop more than paid for itself the first year I bought it.  

Tech pivot: this was an exceedingly bad day for Jim Cramer. Cramer is "off" this week and by next week this will be an old story and he will be highlighting other tech news. But what it's worth:

FIFA Soccer -- June 26, 2026

Locator: 51060FIFA.  

Enjoying the game last night at The Thirsty Lion -- walking distance from our apartment --

Query

Could FIFA soccer become a bigger economic event than the Olympics? The FIFA soccer world cup is held every four years just like the Olympics. 

Reply


Sarbjeet Johal: link here.

Personal: I don't enjoy watching soccer all that much and I can't recall ever watching a sports event in a sports bar except as a place to hang out while waiting for our #2 granddaughter to finish her own soccer practice. But last night, I specifically reserved a table at Thirsty Lion (a sports bar) for our daughter's family to join me to watch USA get beaten by Turkey, 3-2.  USA was already assured of advancing so this was mostly a scrimmage and a lot of fun between two very good teams. 

The $646-Billion Question -- Are Samsung, SK Hynix Major About To Announce A Major AI Investment -- June 26, 2026

Locator: 51059CHIPS.   

Wow, this certainly confirms the current industrial revolution. 

"One can howl at the wind, but AI is here to stay." And that sector is going to need a lot of semiconductors. As well as DRAM and NAND.

AI investment, link here

My eyes are a bit cloudy this morning, but I think it says a $646 billion plan focused on semiconductors.

Query

Has Elon Musk partnered with a South Korean company to make semiconductor chips?

Reply

Query:  

There are rumors that Samsung could announce a major 10-year, $646 billion plan to make semiconductors. Have you seen anything on this?

Reply:

TGIF -- June 26, 2026

Locator: 51058B.   

Mideast: regardless of what happens with regard to Iran and the strait, the fact is the US Navy is going to maintain a bigger presence in the Mideast than ever before and will become even more embedded with Israel. 

Controlling the strait: don't let their war of words convince you otherwise -- Iran -- through its PGSA unit (previously known as IGRC) -- is going to control the strait and charge maintenance fees (previously called "tolls") for shippers to transit the Persian Gulf.

Micron: MU's market cap now exceeds the combined market cap of both ... wait for it .. META and TSLA. 

Devon: Devon Energy’s recent portfolio review following its $58-billion merger with Coterra Energy puts several assets on the table. 

The most likely divestment candidates identified by market analysts are Devon's Marcellus Shale and Anadarko Basin positions, with money manager Stone Ridge Asset Management already tabling a reported $8-billion offer for the Marcellus portfolio. 
This is incredibly interesting. 
A "talking head," a member of CNBC's panel for the network's "Half-Time Show" made an on-the-air last minute announcement to recommend Devon. This was about a week ago, just before crude oil fell significantly in price. This rumored asset sale for Devon could change things immensely for the company. One wonders if the CNBC "Half-Time Show" panel had some inside information. More likely, he just happened connect the dots when Devon's CEO suggested the same during an earnings call.

US LNG export terminal expansion proposed by NextDecade for its proposed Rio Grande LNG Train 6. Expansion:

  • adding a new liquefaction train; and,
  • a third main berth to the export terminal.

Ukraine: has Zelenskyy just made things so tough for Russia, Putin might actually engage in peace talks. Ukraine's drones are overwhelming Russia's air defenses and Russia seems to have no answer. 

 Israeli-US partnership strengthens: US considering moving some of its bases damaged to Iran to Israel. Source: TWSJ.  

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

WTI: $70.32.

New wells reporting:

  • Sunday, June 28, 2026: 37 for the month, 193 for the quarter, 350 for the year, 
    • 41609, conf, Hess, BL-Mortenson-156-95-2234H-2, 
  • Saturday, June 27, 2026: 36 for the month, 192 for the quarter, 349 for the year, 
    • 41522, conf, Enerplus, MHA Thorn 4894 43-16 6B, 
    • 41516, conf, Enerplus, MHA Holly 4894 43-16 5B, 
    • 41515, conf, Enerplus, MHA Nettle 4894 43-16 4B, 
    • 41514, conf, Enerplus, MHA Lilac 4894 43-16 3B, 
    • 41513, conf, Enerplus, MHA Hibiscus 4894 43-16 2B, 
  • Friday, June 26, 2026: 31 for the month, 187 for the quarter, 344 for the year, 
    • 41681, conf, Devon Energy, Johnson 27-34 7H, 
    • 41680, conf, Devon Energy, Johnson 27-34 6H, 
    • 41608, conf, Hess, BL-Mortenson-156-95-2234H-4, 

RBN Energy: big changes ahead for where and how Louisiana refineries get their crude. Link here. Archived.

The 14 refineries in Louisiana and two just over the state line in southern Arkansas account for almost one-fifth of total U.S. refining capacity and can consume more than 3 MMb/d of crude oil from a wide range of domestic and foreign production areas. The sourcing of that crude has been shifting over the past few years and the pace of that shift is picking up as more U.S. Gulf production flows to Texas (and less flows to the Bayou State), new pipeline projects increase eastbound and southbound flows into Louisiana, and refineries modify their crude slates to optimize their economics. In today’s RBN blog, we begin a series on Louisiana’s refineries, the sourcing and delivery of their crude, and the forces that are shaking things up.

Everyone except dyed-in-the-wool Texans would admit that their Cajun and Creole neighbors in Louisiana serve better food — a feast of gumbo, jambalaya and crawfish trumps even the best brisket barbecue, right? They throw better parties, too — would you really rather go to Wurstfest in New Braunfels than Mardi Gras in the Big Easy? But let’s put those Texas vs. Louisiana rivalries aside for now because our focus in this blog series is Louisiana refineries, the crude oil they consume, where that oil comes from and how it’s delivered.

As we said in the introduction to today’s blog, there are 14 refineries in Louisiana and two in southern Arkansas. (Texas has 31!) For simplicity’s sake, the refineries can be put into one of three geographic buckets:

  • Southeastern Louisiana. The eight refineries there (pink-shaded rows in Figure 1 below) have a combined capacity of more than 2.1 MMb/d; the largest by far are Marathon Petroleum’s 638-Mb/d refinery in Garyville and ExxonMobil’s 545-Mb/d facility in Baton Rouge.
  • Southwestern Louisiana. The three refineries there (blue-shaded rows) — owned by CITGO, Phillips 66 and Calcasieu Refining — are all in the Lake Charles area; their capacities add up to 907 Mb/d.
  • Northwestern Louisiana and Southern Arkansas. The five refineries there (green-shaded rows) are smaller — the largest is Delek US’s 85-Mb/d El Dorado Refinery (aka the Lion Oil Refinery) and two have a capacity of less than 10 Mb/d. Their combined capacity is 176 Mb/d.

Figure 1. Three Groups of Louisiana (and Southern Arkansas) Refineries. Source: Novi Labs