Facts & Rumors # 654
August 29, 2026
Marcellus, Utica, Permian and Eagle Ford Plays
Permian Set to Pass the Appalachian Basin. Permian Basin set to become top U.S. gas producer, Citi says. Bloomberg. The Permian Basin is on track to become the largest US natural gas-producing region by the end of the decade, making the world’s most productive oil shale field also the nation’s leader in gas output, according to Citigroup Inc. analysts. The change would push the basin, which covers parts of West Texas and Southeast New Mexico, ahead of the Marcellus shale region. The Marcellus basin, which stretches across Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio, has been the largest gas-producing basin since 2012, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration.
Global Squeeze on Diesel Prices. When people talk about “the price at the pump,” they usually mean gasoline. But the green handle at the gas station is telling us an important story about the economy, too.
The U.S. average price of diesel hit $5.58 per gallon last week, close to its all-time record. What’s putting so much pressure on diesel prices?
Line chart comparing diesel futures prices and crude oil prices, showing diesel outperforming crude oil in 2026.
Diesel is made from crude oil, so their prices usually move together. Recently, they’ve diverged. Like crude oil, diesel is bought and sold in a global market, with its own balance of supply (how much is available) and demand (how much the world needs).
Disruptions around the world have reduced the amount of crude being turned into diesel and other fuels. That has tightened a market where demand is difficult to reduce, and refiners have limited ability to increase supply.
More NatGas Power Plants Coming. A stunning U.S. gas build-out is coming — maybe. Axios. A new report underscores two truths about U.S. plans for gas-fired power plants: the numbers are stunning, yet stunningly speculative. Why it matters: The AI boom is driving proposals for massive projects to supply data centers and other needs. The ballooning pipeline is bringing fresh fears about carbon emissions and localized air pollution. It’s also a big challenge for regulators and planners. “It is nearly impossible nowadays to guess what is a pie in the sky proposal, and what has a real chance of getting built,” said report author Jenny Martos of Global Energy Monitor.
Soap Helps Fracking Production. Soap is shale’s latest breakthrough to boost U.S. oil production. Bloomberg. Forget AI-assisted drilling, U-shaped wells and round-the-clock fracking. One of the hottest technologies to squeeze more oil from US shale fields is better soap. Companies have long used detergent-like additives, called surfactants, to coax oil from underground rocks in much the same way that dish soap lifts grease from dinner plates. But in the past few years, shale producers have discovered dozens of new methods to mix the surfactants with other chemicals to get a bigger boost in crude output — as much as 20%, in some cases — without a major increase in spending.
New OH NatGas Plant Thanks, MDN. Score one for the good guys. The Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) voted yesterday (Aug. 20) to hand Chestnut Run Energy LLC its Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need — the golden ticket needed to build a 1,300-megawatt (MW), $2 billion natural gas-fired power plant in Washington Township, Carroll County. That’s smack in the middle of Utica Shale country. MDN first told you about this project back in April (see Chestnut Run Energy to Build 1.3 GW Power Plant in Carroll County). Now it’s official.
EIA Edges USA Demand Forecast Down for 2026, Up for 2027 The U.S. Energy Information Administration edged its U.S. total energy consumption projection down for 2026 and up for 2027. In its latest short term energy outlook (STEO), which was released earlier this month, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) edged its U.S. total energy consumption projection down for 2026 and up for 2027, compared to its previous STEO.
U.S. Oil Output Set for First Decline in 2026 Since Covid. Argus Media. US shale oil output is poised to decline in 2026 for the first time in five years on lower crude prices — notwithstanding the spike that followed this week’s Israeli attacks on Iran — and a slowdown in rig activity, throwing a wrench in President Donald Trump’s plans to open the production floodgates during his second term. US shale oil output is poised to decline in 2026 for the first time in five years on lower crude prices — notwithstanding the spike that followed this week’s Israeli attacks on Iran — and a slowdown in rig activity, throwing a wrench in President Donald Trump’s plans to open the production floodgates during his second term.
Appalachian Basin Matches TX. Thanks, MDN. A new report from Global Energy Monitor (GEM) — a group that says it exists “in support of the worldwide movement for clean energy” — was written to sound an alarm about a runaway natural gas buildout. Buried in one of its charts is the best news Appalachian landowners have gotten all year. Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia together added almost exactly as much new gas-fired power capacity in the first six months of 2026 as the entire 2024.
Texas at Center of Robust Global LNG Expansion. Odessa American. TXOGA President Todd Staples says Texas continues to be the U.S. leader in natural gas production, which is on pace to set a record this year at 122.5 billion cubic feet per day. “Most of this growth is led by the Permian Basin and the Haynesville Shale in northwestern Louisiana, eastern Texas and southwestern Arkansas,” Staples said. “As a direct result of the industry’s robust production pipeline, processing and port infrastructure the Texas Gulf Coast is a global gateway for American energy and new export capacity continues to come online.
PA August 17, to August 27, 2026
County Township E&P Companies
1. Lycoming Plunkett’s Creek PA GEN Energy
2. Lycoming Plunkett’s Creek PA GEN Energy
OH August 16 to August 22, 2026
County Township E&P Companies
1. Guernsey Millwood Tiburon O&G
2. Guernsey Millwood Tiburon O&G
3. Guernsey Millwood Tiburon O&G
4. Noble Beaver INR
WV August 17 to August 21, 2026
1. Doddridge Vickery Energy
2. Doddridge Vickery Energy
3. Doddridge Vickery Energy
4. Doddridge Vickery Energy
5. Doddridge Vickery Energy
6. Doddridge Vickery Energy
7. Marion Northeast Nat. Ener
8. Marshall Expand
9. Marshall Expand
10. Marshall Expand
11. Marshall Expand
12. Marshall Expand
13. Marshall Expand
14. Wetzel EQT
15. Wetzel EQT
16. Wetzel EQT
17. Wetzel EQT
18. Wetzel EQT
