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CIR Research Desk

CIR Research Desk

Precision welder in blue FR coveralls working on oilfield pump/valve component — oilfield services industrial setting.

CIR Afternoon Update — April 8, 2026

Crude markets experienced one of their most volatile sessions in years on Wednesday as a U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal briefly triggered a historic price collapse, only for fresh geopolitical shocks to temper the relief rally. WTI Plunges as Hormuz Reopens According to OilPrice.com citing Reuters and Morningstar data,

Permian Basin workover rig with pumpjacks operating in background, West Texas

CIR Morning Brief — Wednesday, April 8, 2026

April 8, 2026 — Houston WTI crude collapsed $18.34 overnight — its largest single-session percentage decline since the COVID demand shock of 2020. The trigger: a conditional two-week ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran announced late Tuesday by President Trump, which sent oil markets into a full

CIR Afternoon Update — April 7, 2026

CIR Afternoon Update — April 7, 2026

Oil markets remained on a knife's edge Tuesday as the Strait of Hormuz crisis entered its second month with no resolution in sight, keeping crude prices at their highest levels in nearly two decades. According to Rigzone, West Texas Intermediate settled at $112.41 per barrel Monday — up

Night frac completion operation in Appalachian basin under stars

CIR Morning Brief — Tuesday, April 7, 2026

April 7, 2026 — Houston The most consequential demand story for U.S. natural gas producers in 2026 isn't storage draws, LNG export capacity, or even the Hormuz blockade. It may be the server farms going up across the Sun Belt. Big Tech Goes All-In on Gas — and

Wider shot of a Paloma Pressure Control BOP/wellhead stack in East Texas pine forest — orange man-lift visible, red dirt pad, tall pines. Haynesville/East Texas land drilling operation.

CIR Afternoon Update — April 6, 2026

Continental Resources founder Harold Hamm signaled a major shift in domestic drilling strategy Monday, telling Hart Energy the company intends to deploy additional rigs across Lower 48 oil plays — including the Permian Basin — citing a duty to support U.S. allies amid elevated geopolitical uncertainty. According to Hart Energy, Hamm

Q1 2026 Earnings Preview: Which U.S. E&Ps Are Positioned for Windfall Cash Flows — and What Will They Do With Them?

Q1 2026 Earnings Preview: Which U.S. E&Ps Are Positioned for Windfall Cash Flows — and What Will They Do With Them?

CIR Morning Brief — Monday, April 6, 2026

CIR Morning Brief — Monday, April 6, 2026

A potential ceasefire deal sits on tables in both Washington and Tehran this morning — and how they respond could define the next 30 days in crude markets. According to Reuters, Pakistan has transmitted a ceasefire framework to both the United States and Iran that, if accepted, would reopen the Strait