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CIR Editorial

CIR Editorial

Upstream oil and gas pumpjack and production infrastructure, U.S. E&P operations

State of U.S. Upstream: The 2026 Benchmarking Report

Every quarter, CIR benchmarks U.S. upstream across the metrics that actually matter: production volumes, rig count by basin, year-over-year trajectory, and the macro environment heading into the next period. This is the Q1 2026 edition. Production: The January Reset EIA data for January 2026 shows U.S. crude production

Upstream oil and gas pumpjack and production infrastructure, U.S. E&P operations

One Year In: What CIR Got Right — And What We Missed

A year ago, CIR launched with a simple thesis: the U.S. upstream sector was entering a new phase — one defined not by production growth at any cost, but by capital discipline, consolidation, and the slow monetization of America's gas resource base. Twelve months later, it's

Bakken Shale drilling and production operations, North Dakota Williston Basin

The Bakken at 20: Mature Basin Lessons for the Industry

The Bakken Shale's commercial development began in earnest around 2006–2008, when Continental Resources — under Harold Hamm's leadership — proved that horizontal drilling with hydraulic fracturing could unlock economic production from the tight Williston Basin formation. By 2026, the basin is roughly 18–20 years into large-scale

Natural gas processing facility and pipeline, LNG export terminal

Natural Gas Producers: The Recovery Trade

Natural gas producers entered 2026 with something they hadn't felt in two years: pricing power. After Henry Hub spent most of 2024 below $2.50/MMBtu — touching sub-$2.00 in early 2024 — the commodity has recovered meaningfully heading into the 2025–2026 winter. The question now is

Permian Basin pumpjacks operating at sunset, West Texas oil production

Permian Independents Q4 2025: Efficiency Wins, Portfolios Shift, and One That Won't Be Reporting Again

Oil and gas production facility representing E&P company quarterly performance

Q4 2025 Earnings Deep Dive: Full Season Recap

Upstream oil and gas pumpjack and production infrastructure, U.S. E&P operations

NAPE Summit 2026 Recap: Deal Flow and Market Sentiment

NAPE Summit returned to Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center in late January 2026, and after two years of megadeal hangover, the upstream industry showed up with something it hadn't brought in a while: genuine curiosity about what comes next. The North American Prospect Expo is