Big Digital Energy

Hosted by collide.

Business News

Website RSS feed

Episodes

198

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

About the show

Welcome to Big Digital Energy with Chuck Yates, Mark Meyer and Kirk Coburn. Weekly news in energy covering oil and gas and cleantech.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 15, 2026Episode 20146 min

Lee Raymond Dies, Oil's Pavlovian "Deal" Swoon & Gunvor's $300M Enron Sequel | BDE 26.06.12

Lee Raymond gets his due first, the Exxon legend who turned the Valdez disaster into a safety overhaul and still holds the record for oil's biggest merger. Then it's whether the Iran deal is real or another oil market head fake, why trading houses like Gunvor are buying gas wells instead of pipelines, and the data center that paid fifty five million just to get its power line built four months early. Waha gas math, flaring pain, and a questionable David Lee Roth show close it out.Click here to watch a video of this episode.Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.Apply today at collide.ioClick here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 Remembering Lee Raymond04:58 The Bonneville and the triplets06:40 Moving Exxon from Manhattan to Texas08:08 The 357 million dollar retirement fight10:13 Is the Iran deal real16:01 Oil markets and the Trump deal tracker17:52 Trading houses buying gas assets21:22 The Enron playbook returns23:49 Credit capital moves into gas25:56 Gas to power and selling electrons31:08 Waha gas below zero and flaring33:55 Pipeline egress and the BTU problem37:04 The 55 million dollar Twinkle Line40:55 David Lee Roth and learning to Claude codehttps://twitter.com/collide_aihttps://www.tiktok.com/@collide.iohttps://www.facebook.com/collide.iohttps://www.instagram.com/collide.iohttps://www.youtube.com/@collide_iohttps://bsky.app/profile/collide-ai.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/collideai

May 29, 2026Episode 20048 min

Paxton vs Talarico Goes Nuclear, ERCOT Chokes Data Centers & BP Burns Its Boss | BDE 26.05.28

BP just fired its chairman after eight months, and that somehow is not even the wildest thing this week. The Texas Senate race opens with Ken Paxton and James Talarico already swinging, vegan campaign ads and all. ERCOT's interconnection queue is buried under 410 gigawatts of data center dreams at a 1.5 percent approval rate, so off grid gas starts looking real. Plus a quant trading lab built with Claude, Cushing draws getting tight, the shaky Iran ceasefire, and a Wuhan study with some nerve.Click here to watch a video of this episode.Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.Apply today at collide.ioClick here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 - Texas Senate race kicks off, Paxton vs Talarico08:22 - Welcome and a little name dropping09:38 - Summer mode and baseball season10:46 - Building a trading lab with Claude15:02 - ERCOT's data center interconnection logjam25:52 - BP fires another one at the top33:45 - Iran strikes and the shaky ceasefire37:40 - SPR and Cushing draws getting tight43:44 - Iran's pollution plume and a Wuhan studyhttps://twitter.com/collide_aihttps://www.tiktok.com/@collide.iohttps://www.facebook.com/collide.iohttps://www.instagram.com/collide.iohttps://www.youtube.com/@collide_iohttps://bsky.app/profile/collide-ai.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/collideai

May 22, 2026Episode 19947 min

Microsoft Kills Claude Code, Tank Bottoms Loom & NextEra's $67B Dominion Grab | BDE 05.22.26

Venezuela is suddenly back on the table after being branded un-investable, and the tone shift has Mark and Kirk picking apart who blinked and why Exxon's posture lines up with Chevron's quiet move next door. Summer driving season is squeezing crude inventories, Microsoft pulled the plug on Claude Code licenses, NextEra swallowed Dominion for $67 billion, Devon dropped $2.6B on a Delaware lease sale, and XAI is running 46 turbines without federal permits. Physics keeps showing up uninvited.Click here to watch a video of this episode.Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.Apply today at collide.ioClick here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 Nantucket, baseball, and barehanded line drives01:38 Venezuela back in play and Exxon's un-investable reversal10:31 SPR draws, tank bottoms, and summer driving season16:33 Sparkling water inflation check17:03 Microsoft cancels Claude Code and the AI energy bill22:22 Strait of Hormuz, insurers, and Iran's slow rebuild24:33 Devon spends $2.6 billion on a BLM lease sale27:17 Delaware Basin economics and Taylor Sheridan as an oil man33:07 NextEra buys Dominion in a $67 billion deal37:14 Nantucket property taxes and the ratepayer problem40:07 XAI's 46 turbines, the EPA, and Colossus 244:30 Texas vs Massachusetts taxes and Memorial Day sign-offhttps://twitter.com/collide_aihttps://www.tiktok.com/@collide.iohttps://www.facebook.com/collide.iohttps://www.instagram.com/collide.iohttps://www.youtube.com/@collide_iohttps://bsky.app/profile/collide-ai.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/collideai

May 14, 2026Episode 19840 min

Reacting to Joe Rogan's Deranged Oil Take, Climate Doomsday Dies & Claude Mead Caged | BDE 05.14.26

Gas hits $7.90 a gallon in LA and Joe Rogan blames Big Oil, so Chuck and Mark grab the mic to set the record straight on California's fuel island, refinery shutdowns, and why nationalizing oil sounds great until you actually think about it. From there it's the death of climate model RCP 8.5, Anthropic's Claude Mead and the Glass Wing trusted partner group, EIA's call for higher residential power bills, and Geraldo Rivera's wild plan for the Strait of Hormuz.Click here to watch a video of this episode.Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.Apply today at collide.ioClick here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 Rogan's gas price rant and California's fuel island08:25 Nationalize oil? The shale revolution counterargument13:13 John Fogerty backstage and the stolen guitar16:33 Climate models, RCP 8.5, and a PSA about your PSA26:25 Claude Mead, Glass Wing, and OpenAI's Daybreak30:51 EIA outlook and rising residential power bills34:27 Geraldo, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Zapruder filmhttps://twitter.com/collide_aihttps://www.tiktok.com/@collide.iohttps://www.facebook.com/collide.iohttps://www.instagram.com/collide.iohttps://www.youtube.com/@collide_iohttps://bsky.app/profile/collide-ai.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/collideai

May 7, 2026Episode 19754 min

Iran Trade "Syndicate," SPR Drops Below 400M, & Musk's Memphis AI Power Play | BDE 05.07.26

Kirk and Mark fly solo while Chuck takes a break, and there is plenty to chew on. Crude took a hit on Iran peace talk leaks, and a suspiciously timed 925 million dollar short has even Marjorie Taylor Greene calling out insider trading. From there it is the upcoming Trump and Xi summit, SPR refill chatter on DoD lands, the voodoo science of reserves accounting, exec comp tied to flaring mitigation, and where Anthropic fits in the gigascale power buildout. Click here to watch a video of this episode.Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.Apply today at collide.ioClick here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 - Cold open and Chuck on assignment01:15 - Iran headlines and crude's air pocket04:35 - The Trump and Xi summit ahead07:00 - SPR refill ideas and DoD lands13:00 - The voodoo science of reserves21:00 - Goldman, BP and the reserve replacement game25:00 - Exec comp and flaring mitigation30:00 - AI tooling and grid intermittency38:00 - Anthropic and the speed to power race46:30 - An engineering project, not a science fair53:30 - Wraphttps://twitter.com/collide_aihttps://www.tiktok.com/@collide.iohttps://www.facebook.com/collide.iohttps://www.instagram.com/collide.iohttps://www.youtube.com/@collide_iohttps://bsky.app/profile/collide-ai.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/collideai

May 1, 2026Episode 19646 min

Permian Gas Goes Negative, Brent Tops $100, UAE Dumps OPEC & LIV Golf Implodes | BDE 05.01.26

Petroleum inventories are screaming lower, the SPR is down under 400 million barrels, and gas prices are creeping up just in time to sour the midterms. The guys break down the UAE walking away from OPEC+, Saudi PIF pulling the plug on LIV Golf, the brewing knife fight between AI data centers and the petrochemical industry over Gulf Coast gas turbines, and Permian gas trading at less than nothing. Plus a salute to David Allan Coe.Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.Apply today at collide.ioClick here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 SPR draws and screaming inventory declines03:00 Gas prices and the run-up to summer driving season04:30 Valero Port Arthur refinery still bleeding diesel and jet05:30 Sub-billion M&A is rocking, Shell-ARC headlines the corporate deal07:30 Kirk on the war, chokepoints, and food price spillover11:00 UAE walks away from OPEC+16:50 Saudi PIF defunds LIV Golf19:30 The painful path back for LIV defectors22:30 Cracks in Saudi's regional grip23:30 Mary Barra still betting GM on EVs, and the hybrid case27:00 What implodes next, NATO and the EU on the list28:20 A wild idea, privatize the Strait of Hormuz31:15 Big Tech's $750B data center CapEx party33:40 The knife fight, AI versus petrochem for gas turbines41:30 Brent over $100 while Permian gas trades negative43:30 In memoriam, David Allan Coehttps://twitter.com/collide_aihttps://www.tiktok.com/@collide.iohttps://www.facebook.com/collide.iohttps://www.instagram.com/collide.iohttps://www.youtube.com/@collide_iohttps://bsky.app/profile/collide-ai.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/collideai

April 24, 2026Episode 19550 min

Trump Begs Shale to Drill, Heathrow Jet Fuel Hell & EOG Cracks the Buda | BDE 04.24.26

Chuck and Mark rip through a week where the White House hauled oil and gas execs in for a drill baby pretty please moment, and capital discipline still isn't bending for $100 oil. They pick apart Trump's energy executive order and its cycle time problem, flag EOG quietly locking up Madison County's Buda play, unpack Paul Sankey on Heathrow jet fuel and Australia's refining collapse, then close with Rick Perry's push to legitimize ibogaine treatment for addiction and PTSD.Click here to watch a video of this episode.Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.Apply today at collide.ioClick here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 Tex-Mex talk and black hoodies04:16 Drill baby pretty please13:14 Industry messaging and the greedy myth18:49 Trump's energy executive order25:22 Budagate and EOG in Madison County26:30 Sankey on Heathrow and Australia30:46 Blame game politics and gasoline sticker shock37:17 Rick Perry's push for ibogainehttps://twitter.com/collide_aihttps://www.tiktok.com/@collide.iohttps://www.facebook.com/collide.iohttps://www.instagram.com/collide.iohttps://www.youtube.com/@collide_iohttps://bsky.app/profile/collide-ai.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/collideai

April 14, 2026Episode 19450 min

Iran Talks Collapse, $100 Oil Rips & Ro Khanna's Windfall Tax Disaster | BDE 04.14.26

Chuck's back, freshly upgraded to co-founder, and Kirk and Mark have plenty to catch up on. This week the guys dig into the Iran nuclear standoff, JD Vance's Islamabad trip, what $100 oil actually means for US producers, Ro Khanna's windfall profits tax proposal, the case for moving BP to Houston, and a proper sendoff for Astros legend Phil Garner.Click here to watch a video of this episode.Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.Apply today at collide.ioClick here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 - Chuck returns as co-founder03:30 - Iran, Strait of Hormuz, and nuclear talks09:00 - US oil production and export capacity23:40 - Windfall profits tax debate30:30 - Tesla, autonomous driving, and gas prices32:30 - OJ Simpson and Fox News tangent38:35 - BP, activists, and the case for Houston46:00 - Remembering Phil Garnerhttps://twitter.com/collide_aihttps://www.tiktok.com/@collide.iohttps://www.facebook.com/collide.iohttps://www.instagram.com/collide.iohttps://www.youtube.com/@collide_iohttps://bsky.app/profile/collide-ai.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/collideai

March 31, 2026Episode 19348 min

$100 Oil & Drillers Still Won't Drill, Fertilizer Crash & Harold Hamm's Bet | BDE 03.31.26

Oil markets are under siege and Kirk and Mark aren't sugarcoating it. From the Iran supply shock draining global inventories to the fertilizer fallout quietly heading for your grocery bill this fall, no topic is off limits. They also break down why US producers aren't just drilling on command, the capital discipline story behind the rig count, and Continental Resources' Mercury Pecos Power project proving Harold Hamm still runs circles around everyone.Chuck's latest blog:https://collide.io/old-man-coffee/18-months-ai-s-coming-divide-haves-vs-have-nots-and-it-s-already-uglyClick here to watch a video of this episode.Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.Apply today at collide.ioClick here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 Welcome and Mark's big news02:07 Iran supply shock and global oil markets10:20 US producers and the drilling pressure debate20:17 Fertilizer prices and food supply fallout22:38 Energy policy critics and the IEA29:52 EU energy vulnerability31:02 Retail gas prices and demand destruction37:31 Continental and Mercury's Pecos Power project45:08 ERCOT opportunity and molecule-to-megawatt plays47:31 Wrap uphttps://twitter.com/collide_aihttps://www.tiktok.com/@collide.iohttps://www.facebook.com/collide.iohttps://www.instagram.com/collide.iohttps://www.youtube.com/@collide_iohttps://bsky.app/profile/collide-ai.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/collideai

March 27, 2026Episode 19250 min

Big Tech's Dirty Energy Secret, Avatar's O&G Shark Tank & The AI Divide | BDE 03.27.26

Kevin Krausert, CEO and Co-Founder of Avatar Innovations Inc., brings a story that starts with a vegan roughneck and ends with a venture studio that's quietly changing how oil and gas companies innovate from the inside out. Chuck and Kevin get into the Avatar model, some clever bets that actually paid off, the coolest ideas that flopped, and why Kevin thinks AI early adopters in energy are about to leave everyone else in the dust.Click here to watch a video of this episode.Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.Apply today at collide.ioClick here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 - Vegan Roughneck Origins03:16 - Big Tech's Energy Wake-Up Call07:14 - What Avatar Innovations Actually Is08:33 - How the Program Works11:10 - Bragging Rights: Production Optimization Win14:25 - Turning Oilfield Emissions Into Beer CO215:13 - Smart Grid Splice Monitoring Tech18:26 - How to Get Into the Avatar Program22:00 - AI-Optimizing Condensate Stabilizers24:05 - The Shale Revolution and Suspending Convention27:14 - Who Drives Innovation in Oil and Gas30:03 - AI as the Single Source of Truth35:38 - Building AI Sandboxes for the Oilfield38:09 - Open CLAW and Observations from Nvidia GTC39:51 - What a VC Legend Taught Chuck About Markets42:04 - The Best Ideas That Didn't Work45:58 - Know Your Loss Point Before You Start49:30 - How to Connect With Kevin and Avatarhttps://twitter.com/collide_aihttps://www.tiktok.com/@collide.iohttps://www.facebook.com/collide.iohttps://www.instagram.com/collide.iohttps://www.youtube.com/@collide_iohttps://bsky.app/profile/collide-ai.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/collideai