Three New Permits; Two DUCs Reported As Completed -- August 25, 2026

Locator: 51547B..

Nuclear change agent: Trump exploring ways to let Saudi Arabia become a nuclear country. Turkey next?

From oilprice today, Simon Watkins: CVX and COP -- 

SPR: from Julianne Geiger over at oilprice -- 

For the week ending August 21, another 3.7 million barrels left the SPR to aid commercial inventories, bringing the new total inventory held in the SPR to 289.7 million barrels—a level that is 442 million barrels shy of maximum capacity. 

That puts the SPR at or near the minimal operational limit as suggested by many (no one really knows the minimal operational limit).

Like the strait, it certainly seems the SPR is something very few, if anybody, really cares about. Despite this news, WTI was down again today, betting that Iran would keep its word.   

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Back to the Bakken

WTI: $81.14 --> $80.58. Later this evening.

Active rigs: 36. Wow. A new recent high.

Three new permits, #43250 - #43252, inclusive --

• Operator: Formentera Operations
• Field:Bluffton (Divide County)
• Comments:
• Formentera Operations has permits for three The High Road wells, lot 2, section 4-161-97, 
• to be sited 527 FNL and 2169 / 2239 FEL.

Two producing wells (DUCs) reported as completed today:

• 41820, 1,346, BR, Rolla 6H, McKenzie County;
• 41821, 1,996, BR, Rolla 6I, McKenzie County;

Starbase, Louisiana; CIA Director With Surprise Visit To Mosco -- August 25, 2026

Locator: 51546STARBASE.

Thought for the day: folks who do not understand the valuation of tech companies and the valuation of professional sports teams are not thinking hard enough. Hint: read Stanley Druckenmiller again and Geiger Capital, you don't own enough hard assets. Someday your $1 million IRA will be worth .... $10,000 in today's buying power.

Breaking today: Starbase, Louisiana. $100+ billion space port with 10+ launch pads.

Probably not there for lunch. This would be huge news no matter when this visit took place, but under President Trump it takes on much more interest:

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Picking Up Granddaughter Olivia
After Completing AF ROTC Field Training

This was a really special day for me on so many levels. Sophia, Olivia's 12-year-old sister took the photo.

Dolly Parton's Passing Announced -- August 25, 2026

Locator: 51545PARTON.

In a final interview shared days prior to her passing, Parton noted she had faced "hard times" with her health following the March 2025 death of Carl Thomas Dean, her husband of nearly 60 years.

From The September, 2026, Hearing Dockets -- Corral Creek -- August 26, 2026

Locator: 51544B.

Thursday, September 23, 2026
Link here.
12 pages.

Remember, these are cases, not permits:  

• 33188, XTO, Bear Creek-Bakken and/or Corral Creek-Bakken, Dunn County, establish a 2560-acre unit; 15 wells; terminate two existing 1280-acre unit but authorize the drilling of a well on each existing 1280-acre unit, this doesn't make sense to me. I must be missing something.

 

A neighboring well:

• 18797, 1,743, XTO, TAT State Federal 14X-36F, t3/12; cum 448K 6/26: huge jump in production in 2017; a real steady Eddy, but now down to less than 500 bbls/month.

Morgan Stanley Moving To Dallas -- August 25, 2026

Locator: 51543DALLAS.

Sent to me by a reader: thank you very much. This is a huge development for so many reasons. 

Speaks volumes about Dallas becoming the nation's second financial hub after Wall Street.  

Link here. 

Morgan Stanley has reportedly picked Dallas over Alpharetta, Georgia, for a phased operational hub involving more than $1.3 billion in planned company and developer spending that city records say could support 4,800 jobs by 2039.

The New York-based financial giant chose Dallas after months of competition between the two cities, the New York Post reported Thursday. Morgan Stanley has not announced the decision publicly.

The reported selection advances a project The Dallas Express covered in June after the Dallas City Council unanimously approved up to $18.5 million in grants plus 90% business personal property tax abatements. The abatements run for five years at the temporary site and 10 years at the permanent site under the city agreement.