Silicon & Shale Podcast

Derrick and Packer follow election week from the paperwork side. In Texas, operators say their gas-to-power projects are shovel-ready with equipment secured. But data-center permits are paused, and the incoming governor has promised a moratorium on data-center approvals. So the question has moved from “can you build it” to “who signs it.” Meanwhile, the AI that needs no permit is already running in the field, on about a thousand self-optimizing plunger lift wells.

In this episode:

* Texas: Gina Hinojosa defeated Gov. Greg Abbott on Nov 3. In an Oct 22 video she pledged a moratorium on all data-center approvals until the Legislature passes new laws. She takes office Jan 19, 2027, and the Legislature convenes Jan 12. Until then, Abbott’s directives stand: an Aug 3 PUCT/ERCOT audit of proposed data centers, and a Sept 21 order that TCEQ halt data-center permits until the audit is done. TCEQ’s Oct 19 letter says it has paused all permits for infrastructure directly supporting data centers. On-site gas generation needs a TCEQ air authorization, so behind-the-meter plans aren’t automatically outside the pause (King & Spalding). Separately, the PUCT’s SB 6 rule (effective Oct 8) requires loads of 75 MW or more to post security of at least $50,000 per MW. ERCOT’s spring update counted about 410 GW of large-load requests, about 87% of them data centers.

* Diamondback: its Bryant Ranch power project is “shovel-ready.” The land is remediated, the equipment is secured, and the company is “dotting the Is, crossing the Ts on final agreements.” No customer, size or FID date was given. Diamondback also took a 7.5% stake in the Solitude gas pipeline (Permian to Katy), described a basin moving “from supply push to demand pull,” and put $1M into a Midland College electrical program. In Q3 it produced about 525,000 bbl/d of oil and about 1.03 MMboe/d total, with $2.15B of adjusted free cash flow.

* Kilby callback: before the election, Chevron’s CFO told Bloomberg (via Insurance Journal) that she doesn’t see permitting, engineering or financing affecting first power in 2028.

* EOG: a 10-year, 140,000 MMBtu/d JKM-linked gas deal with ENGIE that starts by 2030, lifting LNG feed-gas-linked exposure to more than 1 Bcf/d. EOG is also doubling its Janus plant to 600 MMcf/d (about $300M, 2H 2028), raised its dividend 8% to $4.40 and generated $2.2B of free cash flow. The CEO said EOG is “in discussions with data centers and hyperscalers.” It runs 70% of its rigs and 100% of its frac fleets on natural gas.

* Plunger lifts: Diamondback is moving about 1,000 plunger lift wells to “totally autonomous, self-optimizing solutions,” saving manpower and compression, in “a matter of months.” The company gave no uplift number. Also covered: its three AI buckets (with the subsurface as the “holy grail”) and $50–100M of chemical EOR tests aimed at taking recovery from about 10% to 11%.

* Agents that write the field plan: ADNOC, OpenAI and G42 (OpenAI Frontier) want field master plans “in hours rather than months,” “with human experts retaining oversight of consequential decisions.” Halliburton and Aker BP launched Agile Asset Management, where “management judgment remain[s] central,” aiming to cut time to first oil by 50%. Both are goals, not results yet.

* Collision Zone: the FT reports (unconfirmed; Reuters couldn’t verify) that Anthropic bought commitments for 1.7 GW of gas generators from OnePWR for about $3.4B. Google acquired Crusoe’s Wyoming site and its approvals (price undisclosed). The Environmental Integrity Project counted 193 pipeline projects covering more than 17,000 miles. The steel and the gas are there. The scarce item is a signature.

* Build List: list the four approvals any nearby project still needs and who signs each one. Keep a one-sheet permit clock for your lease position. Put a fence and a change log on any self-optimizing lift controller.

Sources consulted for this episode:

* Texas Tribune — What happens to Texas data centers now? (2026-11-04)

* King & Spalding — What the 2026 election results mean for data center projects (2026-11-06)

* Office of the Texas Governor — TCEQ data center permit directive (2026-09-21)

* TCEQ — response to the Governor’s directive (2026-10-19)

* ERCOT — Interconnection and Grid Analysis Update (2026-04)

* Diamondback Q3 2026 earnings call transcript (2026-11-03)

* Insurance Journal / Bloomberg — Chevron’s Kilby schedule (2026-11-02)

* EOG Resources Q3 2026 earnings call transcript (2026-11-06)

* ADNOC — partnership with OpenAI and G42 (2026-11-02)

* Halliburton — Agile Asset Management (2026-11-02)

* CNBC citing the Financial Times — Anthropic generator deal, reported (2026-11-08)

* Crusoe — Wyoming data center campus update (2026-11-06)

* Environmental Integrity Project — pipeline report (2026-10-28)

The commentary in this episode is Derrick and Packer’s read, and the numbers come from the sources. The Anthropic generator deal is reported by the FT and hasn’t been confirmed by either company. Diamondback hasn’t named a Bryant Ranch customer, size or FID date, and Chevron hasn’t set a Kilby FID date, so we don’t either. We report what officials said and did, and we take no political side.

If this helped you figure out which desk a project is actually sitting on, a rating or a quick review wherever you listen helps other folks in the patch find us.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit siliconandshale.substack.com

Derrick and Packer read the one place in earnings week that's hard to spin: the order book and the operating stats. Gas turbines are being bought by the gigawatt for data centers, mostly by customers nobody will name. The flagship oil-patch power project is still working toward a final investment decision. Inside the operators, the AI that's actually paying off isn't a press release. It's an agent on the night shift.

In this episode:

- Baker Hughes: Q3 orders of $10.8B, $5.9B of it in IET (its second-largest IET order quarter). RPO is $46.4B, with a record $39.4B in IET, and IET book-to-bill is 1.7. Orders include a 1.1 GW package (43 NovaLT plus Frame 5 units) for a major U.S. technology company, ~500 MW (18 Frame 5 packages) for a U.S. energy company, and 13 Frame 5/2E turbine-driven compression systems for Venture Global's Cloud Connector Pipeline (LNG feed gas). Data-center awards are $4.9B year to date. The customers aren't named.

- Chevron Kilby: a 2.67 GW behind-the-meter project in West Texas with a 20-year Microsoft PPA. Chevron is still "working towards our FID," finalizing the EPC contract, permits and financing. First power is targeted for 2028 and full energization for 2031. On Nov 2 the CFO told Bloomberg (via Insurance Journal) that the company sees no impact on that schedule from the Texas data-center permit pause.

- Chevron and Exxon Q3: Chevron earned $9.9B ($10.4B adjusted) and cut Bakken tariffs 50%, going from 3 rigs to 2 at year-end. Exxon earned $15.4B ($3.72/share, $4.23 adjusted), announced $20B of 2027 buybacks, passed 1 billion barrels cumulative at Stabroek and cited Middle East volume impacts. Exxon also runs three automated rigs in the Permian and plans to reach ~25% of its Permian fleet next year and about half by 2028.

- Chevron's agent: an in-house "agentic assistant" for production engineering in the Permian, Bakken and PZ that is "24/7 optimizing the production from our wells." Chevron says AI has delivered more than $100M in value so far (about 1% of one quarter's earnings, by our math), with first-quartile DJ Basin reliability and loss-production events down 50%.

- PDO (company announcement): an Autonomous Production Programme, a Digital Twin, its first agentic AI on its ADAM assistant "within appropriate governance and control frameworks," and a five-year SLB plus Halliburton digital well-construction partnership. The coverage we read gave no investment figure, timetable or savings estimate.

- Collision Zone and Build List: would you let a 24/7 agent move chokes on your wells, or run a turbine island? Then build your own order-book read: ask for the name, ask for the date, and ask what the agent is allowed to touch.

Sources consulted for this episode:

- Baker Hughes — Q3 2026 results (2026-10-27): https://investors.bakerhughes.com/news/press-releases/news-details/2026/Baker-Hughes-Announces-Third-Quarter-2026-Results/default.aspx

- Baker Hughes Q3 2026 earnings call transcript (2026-10-28): https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2026/10/28/baker-hughes-bkr-q3-2026-earnings-call-transcript/

- Chevron Q3 2026 earnings call transcript (2026-10-30): https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2026/10/30/chevron-cvx-q3-2026-earnings-call-transcript/

- Insurance Journal / Bloomberg — Chevron's Kilby schedule (2026-11-02): https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2026/11/02/891201.htm

- ExxonMobil — Q3 2026 results (2026-10-30): https://investor.exxonmobil.com/company-information/press-releases/detail/1213/exxonmobil-announces-third-quarter-2026-results

- ExxonMobil Q3 2026 earnings call transcript (2026-10-30): https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2026/10/30/exxonmobil-xom-q3-2026-earnings-call-transcript/

- Times of Oman / ONA — PDO autonomous production initiatives (2026-10-26): https://timesofoman.com/article/178397-pdo-unveils-ai-autonomous-production-initiatives-new-strategic-partnerships

Commentary in the episode is Derrick and Packer's read, and it's labeled as such. The numbers come from the sources. Baker Hughes didn't name the customers behind these orders, and Chevron hasn't set a Kilby FID date, so we don't either. The link between fewer Bakken rigs and the agent is our own inference.

If this helped you read an order book, a rating or a quick review wherever you listen helps other folks in the patch find us.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit siliconandshale.substack.com

Derrick and Packer follow the money and the override this week. Somebody signed for capacity that won’t flow until 2030, and somebody else may be left holding the cost of power plants built for one data center. On the wellsite, the question is who was in control when the pump tripped at 2 AM.

In this episode:

* Permian Link: Kinder Morgan’s NGPL took a final investment decision (Oct 21) on a ~$4.2B, ~2.8 Bcf/d, ~434-mile pipe. It’s backed by long-term take-or-pay contracts for “new power generation for an A-rated hyperscaler.” In service Q3 2030, subject to permits.

* Rigs and service: Baker Hughes U.S. count held at 603 for the week ended Oct 23. Halliburton’s Q3 revenue was $5.7B, flat, and its early 2027 view assumes a flat North America market.

* Louisiana: per the Union of Concerned Scientists (via The Lens), Entergy Louisiana is seeking seven more gas plants for Meta’s Richland Parish data center on top of three already approved. That would be ten plants totaling about 7.54 GW. Advocates have gone to court over the commission’s vacated subpoena, and the final commission vote is set for December. This segment is attributed advocacy commentary; we don’t have Entergy’s or Meta’s side in this source.

* SLB: Q3 revenue was $9.45B. Data Center Solutions brought in $230M, up 76% year on year, and has now outgrown the growth in digital revenue ($693M, flat sequentially). SLB also drilled 750,000+ automated feet in the quarter.

* ROAM-AI (company claims): an Oklahoma City platform on AWS with a three-rung ladder (read-only, approved remote, autonomous), operating limits and operator override.

* Collision Zone and Build List: the one piece the field controls is the record. Start an autonomy-ladder log for every automated loop you run.

Sources consulted for this episode:

Kinder Morgan — Permian Link Project: https://kindermorgan.com/Operations/Projects/Permian-Link-Project

Kinder Morgan — Q3 2026 results (2026-10-21): https://ir.kindermorgan.com/news/news-details/2026/Kinder-Morgan-Reports-Record-Third-Quarter-2026-Financial-Results/default.aspx

Baker Hughes — Rig count overview (week ended 2026-10-23): https://bakerhughesrigcount.gcs-web.com/rig-count-overview/

EnergyNow — U.S. rig count holds at 603 (2026-10): https://energynow.com/2026/10/u-s-rig-count-holds-at-603-as-oil-drilling-rises-and-natural-gas-activity-slips/

Halliburton — Q3 2026 results (2026-10-20): https://ir.halliburton.com/news-releases/news-release-details/halliburton-announces-third-quarter-2026-results

The Lens / UCS — Entergy’s 10 gas plants for Meta, advocates head to court (2026-10-22): https://thelensnola.org/2026/10/22/as-entergy-pushes-to-fast-track-10-new-gas-plants-for-meta-energy-analysts-head-to-court-to-protect-louisiana-utility-rates/

SLB — Q3 2026 results (2026-10-23): https://investorcenter.slb.com/news-releases/news-release-details/slb-announces-third-quarter-2026-results/

SLB Q3 2026 earnings call transcript (2026-10-23): https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2026/10/23/slb-slb-q3-2026-earnings-call-transcript/

ROAM-AI — Technology platform release (EIN Presswire, 2026-10-20): https://www.einpresswire.com/article/951008877/new-roam-ai-technology-platform-accelerates-ai-scale-up-and-innovation-across-oil-gas

Commentary in the episode is Derrick and Packer’s read, and it’s labeled as such. The numbers come from the sources. The hyperscaler behind Permian Link isn’t named. ROAM-AI hasn’t published customer results. If the Louisiana court or commission acts, we’ll say so on the show.

If this helped you read past a capacity number, a rating or a quick review wherever you listen helps other folks in the patch find us.

Silicon & Shale — where the oil patch meets the algorithm. [email protected]

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit siliconandshale.substack.com

Derrick and Packer follow the AI build-out as it stops asking the grid for power and starts buying private gas-fired grids, pipe and plant-floor models from the oil patch. The question all episode: what got signed, versus what is actually ordered, permitted or running.

In this episode:

* Venture Global’s power islands: frame agreements (Oct 15) with GE Vernova and Baker Hughes Energy Services for up to 16 new 720 MW power island units plus transformer equipment, and a “pathway” to up to 10 GW of new compute capacity by the end of 2034, subject to customer commitments. It builds on about 4.5 GW of existing island-mode generation (6 power islands ordered, in construction or operating). The first purchase order is expected by the end of 2026. No customer, site or price has been named.

* Rigs and gas: Baker Hughes counts hit 2026 highs in the week ended Oct 9 (Permian 274, U.S. 603, the first U.S. count of 600+ since May 2024), then the Permian slipped to 272 with the U.S. flat at 603. RBN Energy puts Permian gas at a record ~23.9 Bcf/d (week ended Oct 12), with ~2.3 Bcf/d of new takeaway online this year and Blackcomb expected to add ~2.5 Bcf/d by year-end.

* Texas: TCEQ’s Oct 19 letter to the governor says it has paused permits for infrastructure directly supporting data centers, is screening pending applications, and is suspending claimed authorizations “where possible.” Public Citizen says some data-center-related permits kept moving; TCEQ says those stormwater permits were suspended (per the Texas Tribune). The pause still reaches behind-the-meter generation, and ERCOT’s audit is expected around mid-December.

* AI: Seeq and Applied Computing pair Orbital (which the company calls “the first foundation model built for energy operations”) with Seeq analytics, starting with KBR’s INSITE platform. No performance numbers were disclosed. SLB signs a 15-year DrillPlan well-planning agreement with TotalEnergies. Footnote: Cosmo Oil and GE Vernova sign an MoU to beta-test generative-AI asset performance management in refinery maintenance.

* Collision Zone: Oracle’s Project Jupiter and Transwestern’s Green Chile line (FERC docket CP26-80). It covers 17.77 miles of 24-inch pipe and ~400 MMcf/d of firm service to fuel a fuel-cell microgrid. FERC staff’s EA recommends a finding of no significant impact with conditions, and there was no final order as of mid-October. When there’s no grid behind you, the gas chain is the uptime guarantee.

* Field Report and Build List: read the docket, not the deck. Try a narrow docket watcher, and start documenting compression and gathering uptime now.

Sources consulted for this episode:

* Venture Global — New agreements to support expansion of grid-independent power network (2026-10-15)

* Oil & Gas 360 — Baker Hughes rig count (2026-10-16)

* PB Oil and Gas Magazine — Permian (274), U.S. (603) reach highest rig counts of 2026 (2026-10-13)

* RBN Energy — Gas production high in the Permian and poised for more growth (2026-10-12)

* Office of the Texas Governor — Governor Abbott Directs TCEQ To Halt Data Center Permits (2026-09-21)

* TCEQ — Response to Gov. Abbott Sept. 21 directive on data centers (PDF, 2026-10-19)

* The Texas Tribune — Critics say some data center plans still moved forward (2026-10-20)

* The Texas Lawbook — Abbott orders statewide pause on Texas data center permits (2026-10-07)

* Seeq — Seeq and Applied Computing partner to advance industrial AI for energy operations (2026-10-13)

* SLB — SLB awarded digital drilling contract by TotalEnergies (2026-10-08)

* Cosmo Oil — MoU with GE Vernova on refinery asset maintenance (2026-10-08)

* Pipeline & Gas Journal — Oracle renews push for expedited FERC order on Green Chile pipeline (2026-10-14)

Commentary in the episode is Derrick and Packer’s read, and it’s labeled as such. The numbers come from the sources. We couldn’t confirm Venture Global’s first permit filings at recording time. If that changes, or if ERCOT’s audit changes the Texas picture, we’ll say so on the show.

If this helped you tell a menu from an order, a rating or short review wherever you listen helps other folks in the patch find us.

Silicon & Shale — where the oil patch meets the algorithm. [email protected]

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit siliconandshale.substack.com

Recorded Oct 13, 2026.

Derrick and Packer look at two Chevrons in the same news cycle. One joined an AI subsurface software collaboration at the speed of a signature. The other, Project Kilby, a roughly 2.67 GW gas power plant for a Microsoft data center, is waiting on Texas’s permit clock at the speed of a notary stamp.

In this episode:

* Project Kilby: Chevron’s 20-year power agreement with Microsoft for about 2.67 GW of behind-the-meter gas generation in West Texas, with GE Vernova and Solar Turbines equipment, FID expected by end-2026 “subject to conditions,” and first power targeted for 2028. A Chevron executive told Semafor the FID could slip to 2027. Chevron’s June release calls Energy Forge One wholly owned, while the project site now describes a 50/50 Chevron–Joulent joint venture; we flag that as unresolved.

* The Texas permit calendar: the Sep 21 directive halting TCEQ data-center permits, ERCOT’s community-impact RFI with its notarized attestation due Oct 12, the TCEQ update due Oct 19, and the ERCOT/PUC report due by Dec 10. Whether a behind-the-meter plant is covered is an open question, and we say so.

* Chevron joins Arena: Chevron Technical Center becomes the second global operator in the digital subsurface collaboration SLB and TotalEnergies started in 2024, bringing investment, IP and engineers embedded in SLB technology centers. No dollar figures or product dates were disclosed.

* TGS × Galdor Exploration: a framework agreement giving the new AI-first Norwegian explorer access to TGS data and its Seismic Foundation Model. No money, licenses or acreage were disclosed.

* Collision Zone, Field Report and Build List: why a better record can mean a faster stamp.

Sources consulted for this episode:

* Chevron — 20-year power agreement with Microsoft for West Texas data center (2026-06-22)

* Project Kilby — project site

* Semafor — Texas politics could delay investment decision for huge Chevron data center (2026-10-01)

* Office of the Texas Governor — Governor Abbott Directs TCEQ To Halt Data Center Permits (2026-09-21)

* ERCOT — Market notice M-B091426-01 (2026-09-14)

* ERCOT — State and Community Impact RFI

* ERCOT — RFI question reference (PDF, 2026-09-18)

* SLB — Chevron joins digital subsurface collaboration (2026-10-06)

* TGS — Strategic AI collaboration with Galdor Exploration (2026-10-12)

Commentary in the episode is Derrick and Packer’s read, labeled as such; the numbers are the sources’. If Chevron revises its FID timing, the Kilby ownership picture clears up, or TCEQ’s Oct 19 update changes the picture, we’ll say so on the show.

If this helped you find the real verb in a press release, a rating or short review wherever you listen helps other folks in the patch find us.

Silicon & Shale — where the oil patch meets the algorithm. [email protected]

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit siliconandshale.substack.com

Derrick and Packer look at how far AI has gotten in the oil patch this week. The question has moved past "is the AI smart?" to "which rung of the ladder is it allowed on?" At the bottom it reads. In the middle it recommends and a person signs off. At the top it changes a setpoint on a live system, inside limits somebody set.

In this episode:

* PakEnergy's OnPing Plunger (Oct 1): AI that tunes plunger-lift setpoints (tubing differential, afterflow timing, pressure thresholds) with three modes: Off, Manual and Auto. Paper next to steel: "up to 30%" on wells set conservatively and left alone, versus 3.5–7% on wells that are already well optimized. Both numbers are in the release, and we read the smaller one first.

* AIQ, which counts ADNOC as its largest customer and shareholder: Semafor's Oct 1 report on its Genesis agentic operating system, plus AIQ's own claims for RoboWell, closed-loop well control on 500+ wells with about a 5% production increase.

* The Egyptian Refining Company's pilot agent that predicts equipment failures and builds the maintenance case for engineers to approve. The chairman says one outage costs about $35 million.

* Wood Mackenzie research inside Microsoft Copilot through an MCP connector (Oct 5). Microsoft's documentation says write, update and delete actions for these connectors start rolling out in early October 2026, with "Allow once / Allow for conversation / Always allow."

* Expand Energy picks Thoughtworks to take AI "beyond isolated pilots," with a production solution targeted by the end of 2026.

* What operators, engineers, land and back-office teams, royalty owners and security folks should ask before anything goes to Auto.

Sources consulted for this episode:

* PakEnergy — New AI from PakEnergy Increases Plunger Lift Revenue Up to 30% Per Well While Reducing Lifting Costs (PR Newswire, 2026-10-01)

* AIQ — RoboWell product page

* Semafor — AI firm AIQ pilots new tools for oil patch (2026-10-01)

* EnterpriseAM Egypt — ERC is piloting new AI agent to predict equipment failures (2026-10-06)

* Wood Mackenzie — Wood Mackenzie connects trusted energy intelligence with Microsoft Copilot (2026-10-05)

* Microsoft Learn — Federated connectors overview (Microsoft 365 Copilot connectors)

* Thoughtworks — Expand Energy Selects Thoughtworks to Scale AI Across the Enterprise (2026-10-05)

* Upstream Oil and Gas (OGGN) — Ep 360 with Claudia Molina, SeguEN (2026-09-30)

Commentary in the episode is Derrick and Packer's read, labeled as such. The numbers are the sources'. Vendor performance figures are the vendors' own claims. If PakEnergy's Oct 29 field results or Expand's first production solution change anything, we'll say so on the show.

If this helped you tell a ceiling number from a floor number, a rating or short review wherever you listen helps other folks in the patch find us.

Silicon & Shale — where the oil patch meets the algorithm. [email protected]

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit siliconandshale.substack.com

Derrick and Packer put the behind-the-meter gas boom for data centers on one scale: Cleanview's tracker counts 59 projects and roughly 90 GW of announced on-site generation, but only about 2 GW (2.2%) is actually operating. Then they walk through why the gap matters in Texas right now.

In this episode:

* Paper next to steel: Cleanview's numbers — about 2 GW operating, 1.2% under construction, 36% permitted, 60% still announcements or early plans — and its 2.8–3.2 GW expectation for end-2026.

* The Texas permit freeze: on Sep 21 the governor directed TCEQ to halt permits sought by data centers until ERCOT's audit is complete, with a TCEQ compliance update due Monday, Oct 19. The letter doesn't say whether on-site (behind-the-meter) gas is covered — we treat that as an open question.

* ERCOT's energization pause for new data-center and crypto loads of 75 MW or more, and the eligibility and community-impact reports due to the PUCT by Dec 10.

* Three case studies of announced vs. running: Kodiak's 76 MW, six-year behind-the-meter power deal in West Texas; New Era Energy & Digital's 20-year, 200–207 MW PPA with Vistra/Luminant and the $116 million letter of credit in its 8-K; and Woodway's 22-mile, 30-inch lateral to a behind-the-meter hyperscale project, targeted for the first half of 2028.

* What to watch: TCEQ on Oct 19 and ERCOT's Dec 10 filings.

Sources consulted for this episode:

* Cleanview — Bypassing the Grid: behind-the-meter data centers

* Office of the Texas Governor — Governor Abbott Directs TCEQ To Halt Data Center Permits (2026-09-21)

* Governor's letter to TCEQ (PDF, 2026-09-21)

* Kodiak Gas Services — power supply agreement announcement

* New Era Energy & Digital — Form 8-K (SEC, filed 2026-09-21)

* Woodway Energy — new natural gas pipeline for data center (2026-09-22)

* ERCOT — Batch Zero update (2026-09-11, PDF)

* ERCOT — Market notice M-C092126-01 (2026-09-21)

* Crude Realities (Digital Wildcatters) — BDE 09.22.26, "Abbott Freezes Texas Permits" segment

* The Neuron — Inside CoreWeave's AI Infrastructure With Chen Goldberg (2026-09-23)

Commentary in the episode is Derrick and Packer's read, labeled as such; the numbers are the sources'. If something changes once fuller contracts are filed or TCEQ reports on Oct 19, we'll say so on the show.

If this helped you tell a press-release megawatt from a spinning one, a rating or short review wherever you listen helps other folks in the patch find us.

Silicon & Shale — where the oil patch meets the algorithm. [email protected]

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit siliconandshale.substack.com

Derrick and Packer dig into TotalEnergies' multi-year partnership with Mistral: more than EUR 100 million for frontier and agentic AI dedicated to reservoir exploration and engineering.

The conversation covers what proprietary reservoir models change versus last week's org-scaffold / GPU-commodity frame, where agentic scenario generation stops and engineer sign-off starts, and why IOC-frontier-lab deals keep IP on the operator side.

Sources consulted for this episode:

- [TotalEnergies newsroom - TotalEnergies announces a partnership with Mistral to develop frontier AI models dedicated to reservoir exploration and engineering (2026-09-15)](https://totalenergies.com/newsroom/totalenergies-annonce-un-partenariat-avec-mistral-en-vue-de-developper-des-modeles-de-frontiere-dintelligence-artificielle-dedies-a-lexploration-et-a-lingenierie-des-reservoirs-498514/?lang=eng)

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit siliconandshale.substack.com

Derrick and Packer examine the week’s E&P developments, applied AI, and the automation ideas worth testing.

The episode focuses on the operational implications, where AI actually helps, and what should remain under human review.

Sources consulted for this episode:

* [Crude Realities (Digital Wildcatters) — Chevron Bets 7 Billion on Venezuela, Citadel Hunts Shale Oil & No Iran Deal | BDE 09.08.26](https://bde.collide.io/episodes/chevron-bets-7-billion-on-venezuela-citadel-hunts-shale-oil-no-iran-deal-bde-09-08-26)

* - [Upstream Oil and Gas — AI in Oil & Gas: From Mainframes to Large Language Models with Patrick Bangert, OXY | Ep 357](https://feeds.oggn.com/ai-in-oil-gas-from-mainframes-to-large-language-models-with-patrick-bangert-oxy-ep-357/)

* - The Energy Gang — A new market for AI compute: What GPU futures could mean for energy (episode link unavailable)

* - [The Neuron — BONUS: Apple’s AI Era Starts Now? Meta’s Free AI Agent + OpenAI’s $1M Math Fight](https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-neuron/episodes/BONUS-Apples-AI-Era-Starts-Now—Metas-Free-AI-Agent—OpenAIs-1M-Math-Fight-e3on86t)

* - Moonshots with Peter Diamandis — Why Jensen Huang Believes We’ve Reached AGI and Inside OpenAI’s German Website Hijack | #287 (episode link unavailable)

* - No Priors — Coinbase’s Everything Exchange: Agentic Finance, Stablecoins, and Tokenization with CEO Brian Armstrong (episode link unavailable)

* - [Practical AI — Computer-Use Agents and the Future of the Agentic Internet](https://share.transistor.fm/s/72586f97)

* - The Artificial Intelligence Show — #238: How a 700-Person Bank Is Using AI to Build Apps, Agents, and Digital Employees (episode link unavailable)

* - [The Artificial Intelligence Show — #237: GPT-6 Astra, NYC Bans AI in Schools, Trump Goes All-In on Data Centers & Lawyers Under Pressure to Pass on AI Savings](https://podcast.smarterx.ai/)

* - Using AI at Work — Why AI Pilots Fail: How to Escape AI Pilot Purgatory and Scale Enterprise AI with Ronnie Kwesi Coleman (episode link unavailable)

* - the startup ideas podcast — You’re using GPT-6 Astra WRONG (episode link unavailable)

* - the startup ideas podcast — Local AI Clearly Explained (episode link unavailable)

* - [All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg — AI Kills Everybody or Doomer Psyop? OpenAI’s Math Breakthrough, Nike’s $200B Collapse](https://allinchamathjason.libsyn.com/ai-kills-everybody-or-doomer-psyop-openais-math-breakthrough-nikes-200b-collapse)

* - [The Neuron — OpenAI Astra, Local AI, and the Hardware Race](https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-neuron/episodes/OpenAI-Astra—Local-AI—and-the-Hardware-Race-e3ojqma)

* - [Hard Fork — The Ezra Klein Show: The A.I. Revolt Is Here](https://www.nytimes.com/column/hard-fork)

* - Moonshots with Peter Diamandis — Ask the Mates anything | MOONSHOTS AMA #289 (episode link unavailable)

* - Moonshots with Peter Diamandis — Should we slow down AI progress? | MOONSHOTS #288 (episode link unavailable)

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit siliconandshale.substack.com

Derrick and Packer examine the week’s E&P developments, applied AI, and the automation ideas worth testing.

The episode focuses on the operational implications, where AI actually helps, and what should remain under human review.

Sources consulted for this episode:

* Crude Realities (Digital Wildcatters) Venezuela Crude for the SPR, Bessent vs Druckenmiller & Oil Talked Down | BDE 09.01.26 https://bde.collide.io/episodes/venezuela-crude-for-the-spr-bessent-vs-druckenmiller-oil-talked-down-bde-09-01-26

* - Upstream Oil and Gas — Energy, Drones, and Robotics with Sean Guerre, Innovate Energy Network | Ep 356 — https://feeds.oggn.com/energy-drones-and-robotics-with-sean-guerre-innovate-energy-network-ep-356/

* - Oil and Gas This Week — Oil and Gas This Week | Sep 3 2026 | Ep 410 — https://feeds.oggn.com/oil-and-gas-this-week-sep-3-2026-ep-410/

* - The Energy Gang — Demand for power generation and grid equipment is booming. Can the industry keep up? (episode link unavailable)

* - the real deal landman show — Episode 46: From the Ground to the Cloud with Ryan Fitzgerald (episode link unavailable)

* - The Neuron — BONUS: Claude Fable 5.1 LIVE: Testing Anthropic’s New AI Agent — https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-neuron/episodes/BONUS-Claude-Fable-5-1-LIVE-Testing-Anthropics-New-AI-Agent-e3oben4

* - Hard Fork — The A.I. Mob That Attacked Hugging Face + METR’s Ajeya Cotra — https://www.nytimes.com/column/hard-fork

* - Practical AI — Less about Models; More about Architecture — https://share.transistor.fm/s/ec79b4ac

* - The Artificial Intelligence Show — #235: OpenAI-Hugging Face Hack Involved 100s of Agents… — https://podcast.smarterx.ai/

* - The AI Report — The AI Breakthrough Nobody Saw Coming — https://play.cdnstream1.com/s/radiocustoms/the-ai-report/the-ai-breakthrough-nobo-3cbf5b

* - All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg — GPT-6 Hits AGI? Tech Euphoria 2.0 Venezuela Oil Deal — https://allinchamathjason.libsyn.com/gpt-6-hits-agi-tech-euphoria-20-sf-mansion-shortage-nyc-bans-ai-in-schools-venezuela-oil-deal

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit siliconandshale.substack.com