Author: Erick Parel

US Rig Count Up Slightly This Week as We Compare Baker Hughes, Enverus, and WellDatabase

Energy News Beat U.S. oil and gas drillers posted a modest weekly gain according to the industry’s most widely followed benchmark, while production continues to hold near record levels. This points to ongoing capital discipline even as output edges higher. The Latest Rig Counts Baker Hughes reported the U.S. rotary rig count rose 5 week-over-week […]

So Iran Closes the Strait of Hormuz, Let’s See What Bessent’s Economic Isolation of Iran Could Look Like

Energy News Beat As the Iran-U.S. conflict grinds toward the six-month mark in mid-August 2026, Tehran continues to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz—the critical chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and LNG once flowed—while the United States maintains a naval blockade on Iranian ports and escalates economic pressure. Treasury Secretary Scott […]

California’s green dreams are turning into a dark nightmare for residents.- And how Does Texas Compare?

Energy News Beat California’s aggressive pursuit of Net Zero and 100% clean electricity has produced record solar milestones, massive battery buildouts, and political talking points about climate leadership. It has also delivered some of the nation’s highest electricity prices, chronic reliability problems, heavy reliance on out-of-state imports, and a grid vulnerable to regional shortfalls and […]

Oracle’s $165 Billion Data Center Plan Gets a Gas Pipeline Delay

Energy News Beat Oracle’s ambitious $165 billion Project Jupiter data center campus in Doña Ana County, New Mexico—near the U.S.-Mexico border—has hit a low-tech but high-stakes snag. The natural gas pipeline critical to powering it will not be ready on the original timeline. Energy Transfer subsidiary Transwestern Pipeline has delayed the in-service date for its […]

Australia’s Asia PowerLink Project is Destined to be the Greatest Energy Failure in History

Energy News Beat Australia’s Australia-Asia PowerLink (AAPowerLink), the flagship project of SunCable (now controlled by Mike Cannon-Brookes’ Grok Ventures), is sold as the pathway to making Australia a “Green Energy Superpower.” It promises the world’s largest solar array, the world’s largest battery, and the world’s longest subsea HVDC cable—exporting firmed renewable power from the Northern […]

Trump May Declare the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. Territory

Energy News Beat President Donald Trump stated on August 14, 2026, that he plans to declare the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States once the ongoing conflict with Iran concludes. Speaking at the Nassau County Police Academy (also referenced as the David S. Mack Center) in Garden City, New York, Trump said: […]

US Oil Growth Faces Headwinds as Shale Producers Cut Spending

Energy News Beat Major U.S. shale producers are dialing back capital expenditures in key basins even as crude prices remain elevated, prioritizing shareholder returns, debt reduction, and free cash flow over rapid production growth. This capital discipline is creating headwinds for U.S. oil supply expansion at a time when global markets continue to seek reliable […]

India’s Coal Demand Set to Hit 1.6 Billion Tons by 2030. Is the Rest of the World following?

Energy News Beat India’s coal demand is projected to climb to approximately 1.6 billion tonnes by 2030, up from around 1.2–1.3 billion tonnes in recent years. This growth is driven by rising electricity needs, industrial expansion (especially steel, cement, and power), and the need to maintain reliable baseload power amid extreme weather events and rapid […]

Saudi Aramco estimates the world lost 2.6 billion barrels of oil since the US-Iran conflict began. What does this mean for consumers and investors?

Energy News Beat Saudi Aramco has put a stark number on the energy fallout from the ongoing US-Iran conflict: more than 2.6 billion barrels of oil supply lost since fighting erupted in February 2026. That figure, first highlighted by Aramco CEO Amin Nasser in early August and amplified in a recent Reuters report widely shared […]

Secretary Chris Wright Sheds Light on the Oil Market Traffic

Energy News Beat “14 to 15 million barrels a day are leaving the Arabian Gulf region versus the 20 million barrels a day pre-conflict.” – Secretary Chris Wright In an exclusive interview on Fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier on August 13, 2026, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright provided a clearer picture of oil […]