“The Wall Street Journal should hire reporters who understand the technical side of the energy industries and can cut through political agendas and narratives. A more competent editorial staff can identify and correct shortsighted reporting too.”
“Energy companies are accelerating searches for new oil-and-gas prospects outside the Middle East amid war and high prices,” reported the Wall Street Journal. While this surface take sounds reasonable, it is misleading and beneath what should be expected from an informed energy journalist.
Collin Eaton’s Big Oil Plows Billions into Far-Flung Drilling Sites to Escape Iran Turmoil” (April 19) needs correction. Major oil companies do not undertake major international exploration efforts without serious research and planning. That does not happen in days or weeks–even a few months.
“Far Flung” Places?
Writing about many oil company projects in “far flung” places, Eaton fails to note that they were preplanned and in highly prospective/active oil-producing locations.…
Ed. note: CNN’s January 22, 2026, headline–“Extreme winter storm threat sparks historic natural gas spike”–begs for the proverbial rest of the story, presented below by Allen Brooks at Energy Musings.
“For those of us who lived through Uri and are still paying for its cost, the uproar over last week’s gas price jump is somewhat laughable. Yes, gas prices jumped to a high of $5.28/Mcf. However, during Uri, spot gas prices soared to $23/Mcf, while power prices were capped at $9,000 per megawatt-hour (MWh).”
Yes, natural gas futures prices rose from $2.70 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf) on Monday to close the week at $5.28, a jump of 96%. Just between the close of trading on Thursday and Friday’s close, the gas price rose by over 47%.…
“Venezuelan oil has been powering Cuba’s electricity grid, and the Trump administration may use the fuel issue to effect changes in the island-nation’s leadership.”
“More heavy oil from Venezuela will put pressure on Canada’s role as a supplier of heavy crude to the U.S. It may also pressure Saudi Arabia, which ships heavy oil to feed its refineries in the U.S.”
“Access to Venezuela’s substantial oil reserves is likely to put a cap on how high global oil prices might rise in the future….”
Little did we realize how interesting 2026’s energy market would become when we finished writing our January 3 Energy Musings, “Energy Finishes 2025 In 8th Place Out Of 11 Sectors.” Just a few hours after finishing and scheduling its publication, United States Special Forces and Federal Bureau of Investigation agents, supported by military forces, mounted a military-style campaign to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.…