Iran's Last Card Erased -- US Navy, USAF, And Space Command -- No Boots On The Ground -- August 28, 2026

Locator: 51580IRAN.

We're witnessing a doctrine shift that has not been previously reported. There is really some incredible "stuff" on YouTube. I can guarantee you that the US Navy is .... 

Now, the second part ... Trump wants to establish a new military academy ... the administration is seeing what Space Command is accomplishing and what Elon Musk's SpaceX is accomplishing ... make the point clear by establishing a new academy ....

If one looks at a map of the United States, and the location of the three existing US military academies (two on the "east coast" and one in the Colorado mountains) there are only a couple of logical choices. Houston, TX. Florida. Southern California. But one makes the most sense. Quick! Where did the president sign the executive order -- in Houston. 

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Iran's Last Card Erased

Link here. This guy is good. To the best of my knowledge, I have never subscribed to any YouTube channel; I just subscribed to this channel.

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Removing Every Last Iranian Mine That Was Put Into The Strait

 

The BBC is doing a better job reporting these stories than TNYT.

This "stalemate" could go on "forever," but everything suggests we'll see Iranian capitulation sooner than later. No one knows what that capitulation will look like but this is what Iran is facing:

• almost total blockade at every level;
• a new US a/c carrier on its way to the strait;
• the likely breakup of OPEC and reorientation from the Mideast to the western hemisphere (with regard to oil);the irrelevancy of the strait. 

US To Control Much Of Venezuelan Proven Oil Reserves -- Per President Trump -- August 28, 2026

Locator: 51579VENEZUELA.

Apparently the US got the oil for $3.22 / bbl.  

CNN's analysis: link here. Thinking outside the box.

The Wall Street Journal analysis, two articles: link here. This link with Chevron in the headline. 

Apparently the number is 65 billion bbls of reserves will be controlled (owned?) by the US. Some say this is trivial in big scheme of things, but this is what is important -- the US got it, not China. Under past administrations, China was ready to pounce. 

Put in perspective: the Permian has 100 billion bbls in reserves. The Bakken? 4.3 billion bbls. 

Chevron has certainly had a run of good luck the past few years. It appears to continue. Of course the devil is in the details. 

The story starts to emerge:

Backstory: 

Query: 

Which American integrated / major E&P oil company is likely to benefit most from this acquisition if it turns out to be accurate?

Reply: 

Query:

How are U.S. Gulf Coast refineries are structurally optimized to process this specific type of heavy Venezuelan crude? 

Reply:

Query:

How might this impact U.S. gasoline prices at the pump? 

Reply:

So many story lines:

• heavy oil, Keystone XL, Canada;
• Mideast, irrelevancy of the strait;
• history of Ecuador and OPEC; what this means to OPEC;
• Iran and its OPEC neighbors; and, oh by the way,
• the size of Venezuela oil reserves; this is not trivial.
• the irrelevancy of the Strait of Hormuz.  
• the irrelevancy of Iran. Iran needs headlines.  

If this story is accurate: 

• we need to see the details; and, 
• we will hear any number of stories on Monday. 

What might help validate the amount of this deal?

CVX, ticker:

XOM, ticker:  

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Disclaimer

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've now added Broadcom to the disclaimer. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Broadcom. Now, I've added Amazon. And QCOM.

Longer version here.

Personal Electricity Usage -- One Bedroom Apartment -- North Texas -- August, 2026

Locator: 51578ELECTRICITY.

Tag: personal electricity 

Our only energy source: electricity; no natural gas.  One bedroom / one den apartment, north Texas, one month. No attempt to conserve energy except we do watch our heat and a/c closely. This is our total utility (electricity) bill. 

Hottest summer since we've lived here. We moved to the DFW area in 2013 or thereabouts. 

The company says our average price paid for electricity this month was 19.10 cents / kWh. Last month it was 18.80 cents / kWh.  

This summer has been very, very hot compared to previous months. I don't know what our "average" is over the past year, but I expect to pay less than $100 / month, so to some extent I was surprised when I opened a similar statement last month but it made sense. A very, very hot summer. We were home the full month; no strict usage "rules."

Alison's Quick Connects -- August 28, 2026

Locator: 51577B.

Quick connects:

• North Dakota's oil production in June was strong, at 34.58 million barrels -- Bismarck Tribune

• North Dakota's natural gas production set a new record in June -- Minot Daily News

• Interior's oil rule changes silence landowners, put land at risk -- North Dakota Monitor

• Industrial Commission approves loans for CO2 capture at coal plant -- North Dakota Monitor

• ND oil patch is responding to strong prices with more drilling rigs, robust completion activity -- The Journal

• North Dakota oil output climbs to 1,153,000 bpd in June, up 28,000 bpd from May -- Energies Media

• Petroleum Council's Ron Ness outlines Bakken efficiency, steady resilience, and energy security -- WDAY

• Work gets under way by Minnesota Power on a North Dakota HVDC upgrade project -- Daily Energy Insider

• EERC aims to unlock more of the Bakken while creating connections between energy and ag -- UND Today

• PSC approves short-term rate increase for MDU while considering larger increase -- North Dakota Monitor

• Data centers in North Dakota have received tens of millions in sales tax breaks -- North Dakota Monitor

• Proposed North Plains Connector continued its local outreach in North Dakota -- Bowman County Pioneer

• Where North Dakota's data centers stand: 26 facilities tracked as footprint grows -- Valley News Live

• How did data center skepticism impact elections in southeastern Wyoming? Opponents lose. -- WyoFile

• Trump to nominate top North Dakota appeals litigator Phil Axt to be federal judge -- North Dakota Monitor

• Federal childcare subsidy for working North Dakota families to expire in September -- North Dakota Monitor

• Sen. Kevin Cramer vows to block future Trump nominees over federal wetlands rule -- North Dakota Monitor

• Second special session expected to cost North Dakota more than $200K. Is it worth it? -- Dickinson Press

• Crashes up but speeding citations down one year after North Dakota speed limit changes -- Dickinson Press

• Hoeven discusses MCOOL, prairie dog control, grassland access with local ranchers -- Dickinson Press

• North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong to lead mental health workshop in Bismarck -- Bismarck Tribune

• Health and Human Services suffers cybersecurity breach; about 1,700 people affected -- Bismarck Tribune

• North Dakotans support term limits and a citizen legislature, but can the state have both? -- Bismarck Tribune

• 80% of state exports at risk: North Dakota braces for impact of Canada tariff standoff -- KFYR-TV

• North Dakota makes more money available to livestock producers hit by drought -- North Dakota Monitor

• State Senator Dean Rummel asking for change on property tax payment discounts -- KX News

• Aviation industry generates a nearly $3.6 billion economic impact in North Dakota -- Minot Daily News

• Tioga approves two special education aides; Central Elementary confronts growing needs -- Williston Herald

• Schools spend billions on AI, but struggle to figure out what's worth buying -- North Dakota Monitor

• Ray Public School could be facing an instrument shortage in the coming school year -- The Journal

• Higher ed board rescinds TikTok ban on devices owned by state's public institutions -- North Dakota Monitor

• Education Secretary McMahon visits rural North Dakota school as part of nat'l tour -- North Dakota Monitor

• School year opens with shifting enrollment: Divide holds steady; Ray has largest decrease -- The Journal

• Alexander schools enters fall with distinct sense of stability and excitement -- McKenzie County Farmer

• Arnegard steps back from historic school acquisition; city to reallocate funds -- McKenzie County Farmer

• New innovation engineering degree at Minot State University welcomes its first freshman class -- KFYR-TV

• People of New Town celebrate milestone 75 years of community, progress, and growth -- Minot Daily News

• McKenzie County has changed; should fire response boundaries change with it? -- McKenzie County Farmer

• Where is the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library located? Don't ask Google Maps -- Dickinson Press

• Hoeven discusses MCOOL, prairie dog control, grassland access with local ranchers -- Dickinson Press

• Stanley granted $650,000 in loans from State Revolving Fund for water infrastructure -- Minot Daily News

• Dickinson State University announces academic leadership, organizational changes -- Dickinson Press

• North Dakota's commercial service airport boardings strong but 4% below record high -- Minot Daily News

• North Dakota officials say state's famous wild horses remain shielded from recent BLM practices -- KFYR-TV

• Divide officials invited to forum on data centers; event to discuss facility rules, solicit feedback -- The Journal

• Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce holds annual banquet, honors local businesses -- Dickinson Press

• Recent improvements to Wildrose's park are giving families more opportunities to gather -- Williston Herald

• McKenzie County approves $900,000 for Air-Medical base in Watford City -- McKenzie County Farmer

• McKenzie County Commissioners issue deadline on delinquent dept. budgets -- McKenzie County Farmer

• Twenty different grievance concerns have been filed by several Mercer County residents -- Hazen Star

• Key swing state candidates scrambling to endorse stricter data center policies ahead of midterms -- The Hill

• TotalEnergies will invest in two major oil pipelines designed to bypass the Strait of Hormuz -- Oil Price

• Iran unveils huge new gas discovery, of which 73% is recoverable, amid US economic pressure -- Oil Price

• News satire: New data center built to handle the influx of online rants against data centers -- Babylon Bee

• Chinese Foreign Ministry: Latest US sanctions on Iran 'will only further intensify tensions' -- The Hill

• Hormuz vessel traffic remains depressed as Iran and Oman weigh temporary shipping corridor -- Oil Price

• Iran threatened an aggressive response to the latest U.S. sanctions announced early this week -- Oil Price

• Democrats angle to sharpen attack on post-midterm target: Trump's critical minerals deals -- E&E News

• Trump admin EPA moving to make it harder for people to weigh in on data centers -- Salt Lake Tribune

• US in discussions with Venezuela's government to acquire direct ownership stake in key oil fields -- Oil Price

• 45 power plants in India running on critically low levels of coal stocks as electricity demand rises -- Oil Price

• Alberta premier has rejected idea of using export taxes on oil as a retaliation against Trump -- Oil Price

• Trump plans to pare down environmental reviews of oil and gas exploration in North Slope -- E&E News

• Science review linked to climate lawfare suits was "sham shrouded in secrecy" AGs allege -- Daily Caller

• Stephen Moore: Net Zero is dead and gone, need for dependable, affordable energy killed it -- Creators

• Despite decades of alarmism, latest polls show voters still aren't buying the climate scare -- Breitbart

One New Permit; One Permit Canceled; WTI Holds Above $83 -- August 28, 2026

Locator: 51576B.

WTI: $83.40.

Active rigs: 36.

One new permit, #43267 --

• Operator: Rockport Energy
• Field: Ranch Creek (McKenzie)
• Comments:
• Rockport Energy has a permit for an Annie 7-6-31 1HR, NENW 18-146-98, 
• to be sited 335 FNL and 1243 FWL.

One permit canceled:

• 26330, Formentera Operations, Frazier oil field, Divide County.

The Perfect Speech -- The Pundits Will Hate It, Investors Will Love It -- August 28, 2026

Locator: 51575FEDSPEAK.

Warsh: he didn't say a thing. In fact, it was quite embarrassing. Talking to financial analysts as if they need to be schooled on / in Econ 101. Actually, I guess it was interpreted as being very hawkish -- if inflation does not trend toward 2%, then higher rates. One might want to look at the inflation rate over the last fifty years. Much could be said. 

BR Starting To Report Production Of Their "Muri" Wells, Elidah Oil Pad -- August 28, 2026

Locator: 51574MURI.

The well:

• 36698, conf, BR, Sanmuri 4B-UTFH-ULW, Elidah, on a 7 well pad; t6/26; cum 75K 6/26;

A neighboring well with huge jump in production:

• 18472, 364, CLR, Muri 1-27H, Elidah, t3/10; cum 243K 6/26; 

XTO Is Starting To Report Production From The Shoshoni Pad In Hofflund Oil Field -- A Neighboring Well Has Gone Over One Million Bbls Cumulative Oil -- August 28, 2026

Locator: 51573SHOSHONI.

The well:

• 41053, XTO, HBU Shoshoni Federal 11X-15H, a huge well; Hofflund, t5/26; cum 112K 6/26; on a 7-well pad; 

Neighboring wells with huge jump in production:

• 17147, 2,101, XTO, HBU Boucher 41X-21, Hofflund, t4/09; cum 1.200560 million bbls 6/26; a standard two-section Bakken well;
• 17148, 1,417, XTO, HBU DeAngelis 41X-21, Hofflund, t4/09; cum 391K bbls 6/26; a standard two-section Bakken well;

A neighboring Madison well:

• 637, 350, Rim Operating, Hofflund 18HR, Hofflund, t12/54; cum 492K 6/26;

Kraken Starting To Report Its Charity Wells In Boxcar Butte -- August 28, 2026

Locator: 51572CHARITY.

The well:

• 42371, A/F, Kraken, Charity 3-10-15 5H, Boxcar Butte, t1/25; cum 174K 6/26; on a five-well pad:

Record Amounts Of Gulf Coast Oil, Diesel Being Shipped To West Coast -- EIA -- August 28, 2026

Locator: 51571OIL.

Link here. 

US LNG Export Facilty Update -- EIA -- August 28, 2026

 Locator: 51570LNG.

Link here. Note: this is April 23, 2026, data.

TGIF -- August 28, 2026

 Locator: 51569LNG.

China renewable story: solar energy companies reporting huge losses. Link here.

Qatar's LNG story continues: 

The paucity of news is striking.

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Back to the Bakken 

WTI: $83.06.

New wells reporting:

• Sunday, August 30, 2026: 57 for the month, 98 for the quarter, 442 for the year,
• None.
• Saturday, August 29, 2026: 57 for the month, 98 for the quarter, 442 for the year,
• None.
• Friday, August 28, 2026: 57 for the month, 98 for the quarter, 442 for the year,
• 42207, conf, Murfin Drilling, CD Steffan 1-7H, 
• 41880, conf, XTO Energy, GBU Artemis 32X13E-S, 
• 40938, conf, Zavanna Energy, Hereford 13-36 3H,

RBN Energy: a new bidirectional header aims to facilitate rising gas flows through Katy. Link here. Archived.

Massive volumes of mostly Permian-sourced natural gas are already converging on the Katy, TX, area just west of Houston, and much more will be arriving soon as planned pipelines — including the newly proposed, 4.5-Bcf/d Solitude Pipeline System — come online in the months and years ahead. Now, a new, bidirectional header system is being built to help ease the flow of gas through the increasingly important Katy Hub, which serves as a key aggregation and distribution point for gas bound for existing and planned Gulf Coast industrial and power-generation load as well as a slew of LNG export terminals. In today’s RBN blog, we’ll discuss the Aspen Katy Hub project, which is slated for startup early next year. 

Consider for a moment a conventional cloverleaf interchange where two multilane highways intersect. It generally works well, at least as long as the volume of car-and-truck traffic doesn’t get out of hand. But when volumes soar and the traffic jams, highway engineers often turn to “stacked” interchanges with several “flyover” ramps that help speed the transfer of vehicles from one highway to the other. As it turns out, one of the most amazing of these transportation “spaghetti bowls” is in Katy itself, where Interstate 10 (aka the Katy Freeway) and State Highway 99 (aka the Grand Parkway) meet.