While U.S. land drilling remains a story of hundreds of active rotary rigs spread across Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and other states, deepwater drilling operates on an entirely different scale. A handful of specialized floating vessels working in thousands of feet of water continue to deliver a large share of […]

The Mother Road has gotten a multimedia studio dedicated to Route 66 news, events, colorful personalities, travelers, businesses and Americana archives. Frequency 66 is a media engagement studio and experience center at 601 Main Street in Galena, Kansas — right on Route 66, kitty-corner from Gearhead Curious and the Kansas Visitor Center. […]

Kansas Strong (Kansas Oil and Natural Gas Producers) will hold a free Oilfield Worker Appreciation Celebration on Friday, October 9, 2026, in Pratt, continuing a series of thank-you events the organization has run across the state through 2026. The celebration is open to all oilfield workers — both field and […]

The latest snapshot of U.S. oil and gas drilling activity shows a modest but meaningful uptick, with 595 active rigs nationwide for the week ended September 18. That’s a gain of four rigs from the prior week and 53 more than the same period a year earlier, according to the […]

Energy advisor, author and filmmaker Mark A. Stansberry has been added to the lineup for the Route 66 Roundtable and Social Networking Event, set for Thursday, October 8, 2026, at Reagan Smith on Route 66 in Oklahoma City. Stansberry will appear as a standalone presenter rather than as part of one of […]

At Cars at the Route, Italian photographer Roberto Rossi paused long enough to share the story behind a striking collection of images—photographs that aim to capture more than just the scenery of America’s legendary highway. Rossi, who hails from Italy and serves as president of the Route 66 Association in […]

On a stretch of historic Route 66 in Galena, Kansas, outside Gearhead’s Curios and across from the newly opened Frequency 66 studios, a low-riding classic stopped traffic—and sparked a friendly roadside conversation that captured the spirit of the Mother Road. The car in question was a 1954 Plymouth, owned by […]

In Galena, Kansas—smack in the middle of a famously short 13.2-mile stretch of the Mother Road—a group of motorcycle riders paused long enough for a spontaneous conversation that captured the spirit of Route 66 itself: international, resilient, and still capable of bringing people together. One of the riders, a paying […]

  On a sunny stretch of the legendary road in the Hometown of Route 66, a gleaming classic car drew crowds of admirers and camera phones. The standout was a striking 1976 Cadillac Eldorado convertible—one of the last true American convertibles from Cadillac’s golden era—and it happened to be for […]

Jay Leno got his driveway back on September 16. That’s the short version of what happened when Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1392 — “Leno’s Law” — at Leno’s Burbank garage, exempting classic collector vehicles from model years 1976 to 1985 from California’s smog checks. The exemption phases in […]

The couple hadn’t planned on stopping long. But the car did the talking before they did — a 1957 Pontiac Star Chief, polished enough to pull eyes off the highway and onto the chrome. “Is this your vehicle?” I asked. “Yes,” the driver said. “What kind is it?” “A ‘57 […]

On a quiet Saturday morning in the Hometown of Route 66, a group of three paused with their classic rides and cups of coffee while waiting for the rest of the Jefferson Highway / Route 66 caravan to catch up. Among them sat a striking 1953 Ford Custom Line, its […]

Sidewalks don’t usually fill up on a weekday for a caravan of unfinished, rusted-out cars. But that’s what happened in Galena, Kansas, when the 2026 Official Rat Rod Tour came through town behind a guided police escort — residents had folding chairs set up along the sidewalk, the kind of […]

Robbie McDonough, Vice President of Land and Government Relations at Crestwood Equity Partners, joined The Crude Life to discuss a community celebration and major announcement in Mandaree, North Dakota, on the Fort Berthold Reservation. Crestwood hosted a traditional community feed under a big tent to kick off a capital campaign for a […]

On August 6, 2026, ConocoPhillips announced a clean, planned leadership succession. Andy O’Brien, the company’s chief financial officer and executive vice president of Strategy and Commercial, will become president and CEO effective September 1. He will also join the board. Ryan Lance, after 14 years as CEO and more than […]

Japan’s decision this week to forgo any additional releases from its national crude reserves in September and October is a quiet but revealing signal about the current state of the global oil market. Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa made clear that Tokyo expects September crude procurement to drop […]

Every American taxpayer should pay attention to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve’s precarious state because it is a publicly funded national insurance policy that is rapidly losing its ability to pay out when needed—and the bill for fixing or replacing it will land on all of us. The SPR is not […]

MFA Oil Company raised $100,000 for Feeding Missouri in June, helping support hunger-relief efforts for families across the state. Feeding Missouri is a coalition of Missouri’s six regional Feeding America food banks. Through a statewide network of more than 1,200 community and faith-based organizations, it delivers hunger relief to every […]

Montana Renewables, LLC (MRL) joined the Minnesota SAF Hub in celebration of new supply to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). MRL will supply up to 30 million gallons of neat SAF annually through its existing Shell offtake agreement. MRL’s partnership with the Minnesota SAF Hub began in 2024, when the […]

I support fast-tracked permitting. I’ve spent enough time in this industry to know what a multi-year federal review does to a project’s economics, to a landowner’s patience, and to a small operator’s ability to compete with companies that can afford to wait. On paper, FAST-41 — the federal permitting reform […]

In the oil patch, numbers tell stories. And the latest numbers from 2025 tell a clear one: the United States remains the undisputed heavyweight champion of crude oil production. According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), American producers pumped 13.58 million barrels per day last year — […]

Terry and Julie Morris drove in from Crane, Missouri, towing a piece of 1970s history behind them, and by the time I clipped a lapel mic on for the first time — trying new things, right, that’s what Route 66 does to you — they were already deep into the […]

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) updated its outlook on or around July 7, forecasting Brent crude averaging around $74/bbl in Q3 2026 (significantly lower than prior estimates). U.S. crude production is expected to average about 13.6–13.8 million bpd in 2026, with records or near-records continuing in key areas like […]

In an era of explosive data center demand, record U.S. shale output, and the long shadow of energy transition rhetoric, one constant refuses to yield the spotlight: the Strait of Hormuz. As of today, geopolitical tensions centered on this narrow chokepoint continue to exert outsized influence on global oil prices, […]

Amid the rumble of engines and the shine of polished chrome at the AAA Route 66 Road Fest, one car stood out not just for its looks, but for its rarity: a 1970 Dodge Coronet owned by Rick Carter. Carter, a Claremore (OK) resident, brought his striking B-body Mopar to […]

At the bustling AAA Route 66 Road Fest in Tulsa, amid hundreds of gleaming classics rolling along the Mother Road’s centennial celebrations, one 1965 Ford Mustang stood out—not for blazing speed, but for the heartfelt story behind its wheel. Meet Courtney from Bartlesville, Oklahoma. A proud owner of this iconic […]

Saudi Aramco’s recent milestone at the Jafurah unconventional gas project marks a pivotal advancement in Saudi Arabia’s ambitious energy transformation under Vision 2030. On February 11, 2026, the state-owned giant announced the start of production from Phase 1 of this $100 billion development, initially yielding light oil condensate exports to […]

President Donald Trump’s recent directive to the Justice Department to investigate “big oil companies” for alleged price gouging at the pump marks another high-profile moment in the ongoing tension between Washington politics and the realities of the global energy supply chain. As crude prices have eased following the resolution of […]

In the span of just a few weeks, WTI crude has shed roughly one-third of its value, sliding from peaks near $114–$120 per barrel amid the height of U.S.-Iran hostilities to current levels hovering in the mid-$70s. The catalyst? A U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement that has reopened the Strait of Hormuz, […]

In the rolling hills and established fields of Ohio, generations of small conventional oil and gas operators have quietly powered American homes, fueled our economy, and kept energy affordable and reliable. These aren’t the massive shale plays that dominate headlines. These are family-run businesses, marginal wells, and independent producers who […]

Classic Thunderbird enthusiasts, mark your calendars! In September 2026, two of the premier Thunderbird clubs in the world are joining forces for what promises to be one of the most memorable gatherings in the marque’s history. The 2026 Thunderbird Convention will take place in beautiful Flagstaff, Arizona, from September 8–13. […]

Rumors of an impending motor oil shortage have swept across social media and local news outlets in recent days, sparking concern among drivers already grappling with elevated gas prices. What began as a single post on X has evolved into widespread discussion, with automotive shops, dealerships, and major manufacturers issuing […]