News about oil and gas

Chord Energy (NASDAQ: CHRD) released preliminary 3Q26 results showing oil, natural gas and NGL volumes above the high end of guidance, with CapEx in line with expectations. The company repurchased $205MM of shares in 3Q26 at an average of $135.74 per share and another $44.3MM quarter-to-date in 4Q26 at an average of $142.32. It also announced the divestiture of non-operated Marcellus assets for total gross consideration of $550MM, including a $55MM deposit paid in 3Q26. As of 9/30/26, cash and equivalents were $804.7MM and total debt was $1,482.2MM; these figures are preliminary and unaudited.

Democrat Jon Rosenthal, a four-term state representative and oil field engineer, is running against Bo French, a conservative whose racially charged remarks have drawn national attention, for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates the state's oil and gas industry. If Rosenthal wins on Nov. 3, he would be the first Democrat elected to the commission since the 1990s, and he has pledged to pursue chronic polluters and expand oversight of natural gas facilities. French, who wants to deregulate the industry and let it produce more oil, has also pledged to cut regulations and DEI programs, though some experts warn that flooding the market could tank oil prices. Rosenthal's campaign has reportedly struggled to raise money compared with previous Democratic candidates, while French has not backed down despite criticism from his own party and the industry.

Democrat Jon Rosenthal, a Houston state representative and oil field engineer, is challenging Republican Bo French for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates the state's oil and gas industry. French, a conservative firebrand whose racially charged remarks about South Asian students drew national attention, has focused the race on Chinese-owned land, DEI, immigration and LGBTQ+ issues that the commission has little power over. Rosenthal has pledged to pursue chronic polluters, strengthen oversight of natural gas facilities, and create a wastewater fee to fund abandoned well cleanup, and would be the first Democrat elected to the commission since the 1990s. However, his fundraising has trailed previous Democratic candidates, and French has not backed down despite criticism from his own party. The winner of the Nov. 3 election will oversee a state agency with a half-billion budget.

Republican Bo French (56) and Democrat Jon Rosenthal, a four-term state representative from Houston, are competing for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission, the state's oil and gas regulator, in the Nov. 3 election. French's remarks about South Asian students at the University of Texas at Austin pushed the race into the national spotlight, and if Rosenthal wins he would be the first Democrat elected to the commission since the 1990s. Rosenthal pledges to pursue chronic polluters and create a fee on underground storage of oil and gas wastewater, though his fundraising has lagged behind previous Democratic candidates. French vows to lower electricity and gas prices, cut regulations and DEI programs, and let industry produce more oil, and he has not backed down despite criticism from his own party and the industry. The commission oversees a budget of about half a billion dollars.