☕ Wildcatters Daily | June 24, 2026

Wildcatters Editorial

Good morning.

Wildcatters Intelligence: See the deal before the deal happens.

The most valuable information in oil & gas isn't what happened yesterday.

It's knowing what's happening before everyone else does.

Wildcatters Intelligence brings together market data, capital raises, operator activity, drilling trends, mineral transactions, industry news, and investment insights into one place, helping independent operators, brokers, landmen, investors, and mineral owners make better decisions.

Whether you're evaluating acreage, tracking operators, sourcing acquisitions, researching buyers, or raising capital, Wildcatters Intelligence gives you the information advantage.

Stop chasing data. Start making better decisions.

Leveling the playing field for independent operators, brokers, landmen, mineral owners, and investors, one insight at a time.

Explore the Hub: wildcatters.co/intelligence

The Sections We've Built

  • Today's Headlines: What happened in the last 24 hours.
  • Weekly Intelligence: The biggest stories shaping oil & gas, capital markets, and energy.
  • Capital Raises: Who's raising money. Who's buying. Who's selling. Who's deploying capital.
  • Deals & M&A: Acquisitions. Asset packages. Mineral portfolios. Royalty transactions.
  • Operator Intelligence: Rig additions. Permit activity. Production. Completions.
  • Mineral Market: Royalty values. County trends. Leasing activity. Buyer demand.
  • Oil Prices & Markets: WTI, Brent, Natural Gas, Diesel, Gasoline, Rig Count, SPR.
  • Economic Watch: Interest rates, Federal Reserve, Inflation, Treasuries, US Dollar.
  • Energy Around the World: Middle East, OPEC, LNG, Europe, China.

Today's Headlines

World

Oil drops as Hormuz shipping resumes and markets unwind the "war premium" Oil prices remained under pressure as more tanker traffic resumed through the Strait of Hormuz following the U.S.-Iran peace framework. Traders are shifting from pricing in supply disruption to pricing in additional barrels returning to market. Source: Reuters Link: Reuters

Ukraine strikes Russian energy infrastructure Ukraine continued targeting Russian energy assets, including refinery infrastructure, as fighting continued despite diplomatic efforts elsewhere. Energy infrastructure remains central to the conflict.

U.S. Markets

Wall Street resets after Fed signals rates could stay higher Markets sold off as investors digested a more hawkish Federal Reserve outlook under Chair Kevin Warsh. Higher borrowing costs pressured growth stocks, especially companies spending aggressively on AI. Source: Reuters Link: Reuters

SpaceX suffers its biggest post-IPO decline SpaceX dropped nearly 17%, its largest decline since going public, after announcing plans to raise billions in debt. The selloff raised broader questions about AI-related valuations and leverage across the technology sector. Source: Reuters Link: Reuters

Oil & Gas

Lower oil prices create winners beyond the oil patch One of the first industries benefiting from cheaper crude is airlines. Airline stocks rallied as Brent crude retreated toward pre-war levels, improving expectations for fuel costs and second-half earnings. Source: Reuters Links: Reuters | Reuters

OPEC says the world still needs more oil Even as prices fall, OPEC maintained its long-term outlook, forecasting global oil demand of roughly 124 million barrels per day by 2050 and calling for trillions of dollars in new energy investment. Source: OPEC Link: OPEC

EIA still expects elevated prices near term The U.S. Energy Information Administration continues to forecast a gradual easing in crude prices as supply returns, but it expects the normalization process to take time. Source: EIA Global Oil Outlook Link: EIA

What Matters for Independent Operators

The biggest story isn't simply that oil fell.

It's that the market is moving from geopolitical pricing back to economic pricing.

That means buyers will once again focus on:

  • Cash flow
  • PDP reserves
  • Operating costs
  • Decline curves
  • Acreage quality
  • Management execution

For independent operators, brokers, and mineral owners, that environment often creates more opportunity than periods driven purely by geopolitical headlines.