Blackbeard is proving that the Central Basin Platform still holds significant potential. While deeper Permian zones grab headlines, Blackbeard is unlocking value from shallower benches using horizontal laterals and simul-fracs:
he Montney formation — long known for its stacked resource potential — is now becoming equally famous for technological innovation. At the forefront is PD 868, North America’s first land-based drilling rig equipped with modular robotics to automate pipe handling.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has officially approved a Permit by Rule (PBR) ownership transfer for the Maverick 1 TB facility in Howard County, Texas, under Project #394208. The permit change finalizes the transition of operational control from APA Corporation—which had previously acquired the asset through Callon Petroleum—to Spirit O&G Operating LLC.
In June 2025, Targa Midland LLC received Permit Amendment 09661 authorizing a major pipeline addition totaling over 82 miles across Borden, Dawson, Howard, and Martin counties. This expansion cements Targa’s strategy to optimize flow assurance from the wellhead to its Gulf Coast export network.
WBI Midstream LLC, a subsidiary of WBI Energy and part of the MDU Resources Group, has officially acquired the Longhorn Gathering & Transmission System from Enerfin Resources II-92, adding a strategic 116-mile pipeline footprint across Archer, Clay, and Wichita Counties in Texas.
n its latest June 2025 Short-Term Energy Outlook, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) delivered a sobering update on the Eagle Ford Basin—once a crown jewel of U.S. shale development. The report underscores a clear pivot: natural gas production growth in the Eagle Ford is expected to stall and decline into 2026, primarily due to fewer drilling and completion activities planned by operators.
The shale revolution has always been about doing more with less—more wells, more output, and more efficiency. Over the past decade, we’ve seen techniques like Simul-Frac and Triple Frac become standard tools to accelerate completions. But now, Chevron is taking the next step—not just in how fast we frac, but in how smartly we do it.
Permian Resources Corp. (PR) has announced a $608 million bolt-on acquisition from APA Corp., enhancing its footprint in New Mexico’s northern Delaware Basin. The deal adds ~13,320 net acres and 8,700 net royalty acres to PR’s core position in Eddy County, boosting near-term production and providing long-term development upside.
The outlook for Western Canada’s heavy oil sector in 2025 is decisively optimistic. After years of volatility and infrastructure constraints, a new wave of investment and activity is materializing—driven by strong operator sentiment, a rebound in permitting, and a long-awaited breakthrough in market access: the Trans Mountain Expansion (TMX) pipeline.
Occidental Petroleum (Oxy), one of the largest producers in the Permian Basin, continues to refine its asset portfolio by divesting select non-core operations in West Texas. In a recent move, air permits tied to two key oil & gas facilities in Loving County have been officially transferred to Greenlake Energy Operating LLC, marking another milestone in Greenlake’s rapid emergence as a nimble, low-cost operator in the Permian.
