Wood Mackenzie (WoodMac) identified several “key themes shaping the U.S. Lower 48 landscape” next year in a statement sent to Rigzone recently. Among these was a projection that the horizontal rig count will fall below 500. “Oil focused activity levels will decline as operators face macro headwinds, particularly in H1 2026,” WoodMac said in the statement. “This sits below the $60 per barrel threshold that sparks questions around investment strategy,” it added. WoodMac said in the statement, however, that declining rig count is no longer the needle mover it once was. “Major strides in operational efficiency have reduced the number of active rigs required to maintain base business,” the company stated. “Operators are drilling faster, and cycle times are improving,” it added. WoodMac went on to note in the statement that “the activity taper will create deflationary pressures on costs”. “Wood Mackenzie expects to see a modest reduction in drilling and completion costs across the Lower 48 in 2026, including tariffs,” it said. “Lower costs help protect most of the new drill supply curve. Even at $60 per barrel Brent, more than 90 percent of U.S. Lower 48 assets can cover their capex requirements, with all assets covering operating costs,” it continued. Another theme was a projection that core Permian plays produce more than 50 percent of U.S. onshore liquids next year. “Lower 48 oil production will stall in 2026 for the first time since the pandemic,” WoodMac warned. “Rigs falling throughout 2025 and less activity in the year create this culmination. The Permian remains resilient and the powerhouse of U.S. oil supply,” it added. “Combined 2026 production from the Delaware Wolfcamp, Bone Spring, Midland Wolfcamp, and Midland Spraberry will account for more than 50 percent of onshore U.S. oil output for the first time ever,” it continued. “Delaware Wolfcamp

The energy transition isn’t coming — it’s here. Across North America, utilities are navigating an unprecedented convergence of challenges: exponential load growth from data centers and electrification, rising reliability expectations and an accelerating influx of distributed energy resources (DERs). At DTECH 2026, Feb. 2-5 in San Diego, OATI will showcase how utilities can turn these pressures into opportunities through a simple, unifying concept: flexibility. “Flexibility is no longer optional — it’s the operating principle of the modern grid,” says Sasan Mokhtari, OATI’s president & CEO. “The future belongs to the utilities that can orchestrate DERs, manage load growth intelligently and connect operations from meters to markets.” 1. From DER chaos to DERMS clarity Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems (DERMS) have evolved from niche pilots to mission-critical platforms. OATI would know—we deployed the first DERMS in North America in 2009 and created what would define a generation of grid modernization. What was once an experiment in aggregation is now the foundation of reliable, data-driven grid management. Modern DERMS platforms, like OATI DERMS, enable utilities to see, forecast and control a complex web of rooftop solar, battery storage, EV chargers and flexible loads in real time. They bring together three critical capabilities: Visibility — a unified picture of all DERs across the grid Optimization — dispatch decisions that balance economics, carbon and reliability Market Integration — the ability to monetize flexibility through participation in wholesale markets At DTECH 2026, OATI will demonstrate how its DERMS platform bridges the divide between bulk power and distribution operations, uniting IT and OT operations and helping utilities truly manage the grid from meters to markets. 2. The new face of load growth: Data centers, EVs and electrification The growth of data centers and electric transportation is transforming grid demand faster than many planners ever imagined. In 2024 alone, U.S. data

Data centers – the vast, physical warehouses where IT servers and systems are kept – are experiencing a boom in demand, particularly across the USA. Driven by the rapid ascent of AI, analysts project that the global electricity demand for data centers is expected to double by 2030, reaching consumption levels that rival entire developed nations. Still, the challenge goes beyond the sheer volume of power needed. Data centers operate 24/7 and experience pronounced swings in demand which legacy grids simply aren’t engineered to handle. Luckily, answers are emerging. Grid-scale batteries can respond quickly enough to tame this volatile demand, and when properly coordinated by a sophisticated operating system – like Kraken – they can contribute to building a healthier, better-balanced grid overall. Data centers have uniquely volatile demand profiles The fundamental nature of data center electrical loads distinguishes them from traditional industrial consumption, being not just especially large, but unusually “spiky” and unpredictable. When tech companies launch AI training algorithms or massive computing clusters activate, the resulting power draw is instantaneous and intense. This poses a pressing stability problem. The grid’s legacy generators, such as slow-ramping gas-fired peaker plants, aren’t merely relatively expensive and slow to build, but are ultimately technically incapable of matching huge demand spikes that occur in milliseconds. This critical mismatch between fast demand and slow supply results in immediate frequency instability, severe stress on local transmission and distribution networks and significantly higher balancing costs for grid operators (if they can meet that demand at all). And this volatility is only compounded as clusters of data centers concentrate in particular geographical regions. A faster, smarter solution is clearly needed. Coordinating grid-scale storage to tame demand Fortunately, the flexibility afforded by large batteries is well-suited to addressing pronounced immediate swings, charging up whenever energy is cheapest and cleanest

It’s well known that the electric grid faces a capacity crisis. Energy-intensive operations such as data centers, commercial and industrial electrification and bitcoin mining are driving unprecedented demand while transmission constraints and permitting timelines limit infrastructure expansion. For power suppliers, a critical solution is transforming energy-intensive loads from liabilities into assets through intelligent control. Understanding Controllable Loads Flexible, controllable loads represent a fundamental shift in capacity management. Rather than viewing large industrial customers solely as demand to be met, controllable load technology allows these operations to be part of the larger Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS) ecosystem, effectively increasing generation capacity without building new plants. A controllable load gives grid operators or power suppliers the ability to dynamically adjust consumption in real-time. This capability becomes essential as the grid integrates more intermittent renewable generation and faces tightening capacity margins. The Market Context: Why Now? Several converging forces are driving unprecedented growth in power demand. The number of AI data centers is growing and bitcoin mining continues to scale in deregulated markets. Commercial and industrial (C&I) electrification is accelerating across sectors—from manufacturing facilities converting to electric processes to transportation fleets transitioning to EVs. While surging demand presents the primary challenge, other factors make controllable loads essential for modern grid management: Renewable Integration Volatility: Renewable energy production such as solar and wind fluctuates throughout the day, while transmission constraints prevent power from moving freely between regions, creating price volatility and reliability challenges. Outdated Grid Infrastructure: Traditional infrastructure operates with binary logic—generators on or off, loads consuming or not—clashing with dynamic grid requirements. Evolving Market Structures: Real-time pricing and ancillary service markets reward flexibility. ERCOT’s Controllable Load Resource (CLR) program integrates flexible loads directly into grid dispatch. New Regulatory Requirements: Texas Senate Bill 6 (SB6) is likely to mandate that loads above

Halliburton revealed, in a statement posted on its website recently, that Shannon Slocum has been promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and been appointed to the board of directors, effective January 1, 2026. Slocum will report to Jeff Miller, Halliburton Chairman, President, and CEO, the statement highlighted. It noted that Slocum will be responsible for Halliburton’s global operations, as well as business development, health, safety and environment, and global technology. In the statement, Halliburton said Slocum “has demonstrated excellence in a variety of roles of increasing responsibility at Halliburton, including most recently as President, Eastern Hemisphere”. The company highlighted in the statement that Slocum previously served in leadership positions around the world, including Senior Vice President, Global Business Development and Marketing, Senior Vice President for the Eurasia, Europe, And Sub-Saharan Africa Region, and Vice President of Cementing. Slocum joined Halliburton in 2005 as Senior Manager of Innovation and Marketing and has served in multiple technology, operations, product service, and business development roles, the statement noted. A bio page on Slocum on Halliburton’s website points out that he holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology from Lamar University. It adds that, in 2012, he was named Eastern Hemisphere Country Manager of the Year “for his outstanding work in Azerbaijan”. In the statement posted on Halliburton’s site, Miller said, “our business strategy demands execution, and now is the right time to transfer operations to Shannon while I focus on the company’s long-term strategic advancement and execution”. “Shannon brings global operations experience and proven leadership that strengthen our ability to maximize asset value for our customers,” he added. The statement also revealed that, effective January 1, 2026, Rami Yassine will succeed Slocum as President, Eastern Hemisphere, after serving as Senior Vice President, Middle East North Africa region. Previously, Yassine

Eni SpA has signed a 10-year deal to supply Thailand’s Gulf Development Co 800,000 metric tons a year of liquefied natural gas (LNG). “The LNG will be delivered at regasification terminals located in the country starting from 2027”, the Italian state-backed integrated energy company said in an online statement. The new contract is on top of a two-year agreement signed 2024 under which Eni is to supply Gulf, a multi-sector company, about 500,000 metric tons per annum of LNG starting 2025. “The agreement is Eni’s first long-term LNG supply to Thailand, in a move designed to strengthen its presence in Asia”, Eni said. A day earlier Eni said it had won a deal to supply Turkiye’s state-owned Boru Hatlari ile Petrol Tasima AS (BOTAS) around 400,000 metric tons per year of LNG for 10 years. The deal is on top of an earlier one signed September under which BOTAS committed to buying 400,0000 metric tons a year for three years from Eni, Eni said in a press release. BOTAS said September 12 it had signed agreements with Eni, BP PLC, Cheniere Energy Inc, Equinor ASA, Hartree Partners LP, JERA Co Inc, SEFE Securing Energy for Europe GmbH and Shell PLC for around 15 billion cubic meters (529.72 billion cubic feet) of LNG. The volumes are to be delivered to Turkiye in 2025-28.   Eni said of the 10-year contract, “The agreement is Eni’s first long-term LNG sale to Turkiye, confirming the growing role of LNG in supporting the country’s energy needs, and is in line with Eni’s strategy to diversify its global LNG footprint, expanding its customer base in markets with high potential and growing its LNG portfolio to approximately 20 million metric tons per annum [MMtpa]”. On December 2 Eni said the second phase of Congo LNG in the Republic of the Congo had started up. The project now