Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the Israeli and Hamas negotiating teams signed a hostage release and ceasefire agreement in Doha. Netanyahu has instructed his security cabinet to gather on Friday and vote on the deal, after which the government will convene to grant its approval. A special task force has been told to prepare to receive the hostages returning from Gaza and the families of the captives have been informed that a deal had been reached, according to the statement. “The State of Israel is committed to achieving all the goals of the war, including the return of all our hostages – both living and dead,” Netanyahu’s office said.
Just discovered in Texas 250 million barrels of untapped crude.
- Study: the Three Forks reservoir may hold some 250 million barrels of untapped crude.
- Study: developing these reserves would require the drilling of 600 more wells in the Three Forks play.
- U.S. shale can still surprise with undiscovered resources, even as more and more reports emerge suggesting that prime acreage in the shale patch is running out.
North Dakota’s claim to oil fame has long been the Bakken shale, one of the top shale plays in the country. The Bakken is considered a rather mature play, but now, studies by researchers with the state’s Department of Natural Resources have opened up the prospect of a second life for the Bakken. It is called Three Forks—a reservoir that lies within the Bakken shale play and may contain as much as 250 million barrels of crude as of yet untapped. And that oil is not too deep in the ground either, the researchers determined. “The Three Forks Formation is a prolific unconventional oil and gas reservoir within western North Dakota and has been the target of approximately 8,000 horizontal wells through ~mid-2023,” the North Dakota Department of Natural Resources reports in an info sheet on the deposit. It goes on to note that most of the wells already drilled in the Three Forks Formation were drilled in the upper strata of the formation. In the middle layer, some 340 wells have been drilled, and in the lower layer, there have been only 50 wells drilled so far. The reason is simple enough. Since the discovery of the Parshall field in the Middle Bakken back in 2006, most drilling has been concentrated there. Then the upper Three Forks followed between 2008 and 2010. In the early 2010s, drillers moved on to the middle Three Forks, with some 360 horizontal wells drilled there to date, producing around 92 million barrels of oil and 238 billion cu ft of natural gas. That only represents a modest 2% of the overall drilling activity in the Bakken play and less than 2% of total output. What the state’s researchers did was evaluate existing wells in the area. They found sufficient evidence of untapped oil in most of the wells they studied. All in all, developing these reserves would require the drilling of 600 more wells in the Three Forks play—and outside it because the reservoir extends beyond it, according to the data.
“There have been about 20 wells drilled in this middle Three Forks unit per year for the last six years, but it probably should be double to triple that,” one of the researchers involved in the study, Tim Nesheim, told Inforum.
Nesheim added that many drillers may have assumed that additional drilling in the area would only lead to faster production of oil and gas rather than higher production. That assumption, he said, was inaccurate. “After we (Nesheim and Starns) did our work, we believe that it’s more than that, that when you drill middle Three Forks wells, you’re getting more oil out of the ground long term,” the researcher said. “You’re not just speeding up your recovery, but you’re adding to your long-term recovery.”“We’ve done some of the research, and our hope is that companies will take our work and build on it, kind of giving them enough of a head start to do more,” Nesheim also told the North Dakota publication. The results of the study add to the growing body of evidence that U.S. shale can still surprise with undiscovered resources, even as more and more reports emerge suggesting that prime acreage in the shale patch is running out. Indeed, some resources are being exhausted, but the North Dakota news suggests that there is still plenty of crude to keep the U.S. producing at or around current levels for years.
The first stage of the shale industry’s evolution is clearly over. That was the age of “Drill, baby, drill” when nothing mattered but trying to see just how much oil one could get out of the ground, expenses be damned. It was also the age of the massive debt piles, the cash-burning, and the increasingly grumpy shareholders. Now, the industry has moved on to the age of fiscal discipline, with production growth a lot more moderate, not only because some reservoirs are maturing and beginning to get depleted but because of a change in priorities, from production at all costs to shareholder returns at all costs. Even in this new environment, however, there have been surprises. Last year, supermajors reported record oil and natural gas output from the top shale basin, the Permian. They also spoke of their plans to raise that output even further. Meanwhile, independents were boosting their own guidance after seeing higher volumes and lower cycle times to bring wells online in the first half of 2024. Most of those gains were the result of efficiency improvements, but these efficiency improvements cannot be sustained on a permanent basis. Sooner or later, drillers will run out of space for efficiency gains. The prospect of untapped resources getting discovered yet in the shale patch, on the other hand, means more oil and gas for longer.
Microsoft Warns 2025: The year to become Quantum-Ready
We find ourselves in an exciting and pivotal time. We are at the advent of the reliable quantum computing era. This past November, Microsoft successfully created and entangled 24 logical qubits in collaboration with Atom Computing. As our industry looks toward the next 12 months, the pace of quantum research and development is only going to accelerate, making this a critical and catalyzing time for business leaders to act. We’re seeing a growing need for business leaders to have the information and tools to understand better the depth of these amazing technical breakthroughs and the business applications and value they open up. In a business decision-maker study, 12% said their organizations were prepared to assess quantum opportunities. Clearly, there is an urgent need for leaders to get more information and better understand how technical advancements in quantum will enable real-world impact.
Leaders in global companies, investment funds, and governments across the world are making multi-billion-dollar investments in quantum computing. Those organizations that are in the throes of planning a comprehensive quantum-ready strategy are creating durable, competitive differentiation for their organizations and positioning themselves to harness the full power of quantum as it scales. Clearly, without strategic readiness, it’s a challenging proposition for leaders to assess the risks and returns, or to design effective and responsible quantum strategies that are necessary to create a full-on quantum roadmap for their organization.
NN: The Quantum Computer From Hell Is Here
Analysts Look at USA Sanctions Effect
Standard Chartered Bank Crude oil’s strong start to the year was reinforced on January 10 with the announcement of the latest, and most extensive yet, round of U.S. sanctions on Russia. Commodities research head Paul Horsnell, said in a report this week, that the new restrictions “roughly triple the number of directly sanctioned Russian crude oil tankers, enough to affect around 900,000 barrels per day”. “We do not expect Russia to be able to maintain the full extent of the flow, even with an increase in the use of shadow fleet tankers and ship-to-ship transfers, with perhaps an average 500,000 barrels per day of displacements over the next six months,” the Standard Chartered Bank analysts added in the report. “The global market had already tightened over the past three months, and the dislocation of Russian exports adds a further layer of prompt demand.”
Patti Financial market analysis Maria Agustina Markets Strategist Consultant to Exness, said the U.S. sanctions “are expected to reduce Russian oil exports, potentially cutting up to 700,000 barrels per day from global supply”. “However, actual disruptions might be smaller, as Russia and its key buyers explore alternative shipping arrangements,” Patti added in the analysis.
JPM Commodities Research team said the estimated value of open interest across energy markets “increased by four percent week on week ($29 billion) to $668 billion”. “The increase was predominantly driven by crude oil and petroleum products which experienced healthy inflows of $12 billion during the week across all trader types,” the note added. “This was further supported by strong price action across WTI/Brent crude oil markets which rallied by four percent week on week following the announcement that the U.S. will further tighten sanctions on Russian oil industry,” it continued.
J.P. Morgan’s oil strategists “have analyzed the announced sanctions in detail, arguing that it’s the enforcement that matters”. The note pointed out that the estimated value of open interest across natural gas markets increased by $3 billion week on week.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s website on January 10, the department said it took “sweeping action to fulfill the G7 commitment to reduce Russian revenues from energy”. In that release, Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen said, “this action builds on, and strengthens, our focus since the beginning of the war on disrupting the Kremlin’s energy revenues, including through the G7+ price cap launched in 2022”. “With today’s actions, we are ratcheting up the sanctions risk associated with Russia’s oil trade, including shipping and financial facilitation in support of Russia’s oil exports,” Yellen continued.
Israeli cabinet on hold as Hamas allegedly stalls hostage deal…… Netanyahu claims Hamas backtracked on part of deal
The Israeli government announced Thursday morning it had postponed its cabinet meeting, stating it would not convene until mediators confirm Hamas has agreed to all terms of a proposed hostage release deal. The meeting was expected to formally approve the deal between the parties. In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office accused Hamas of backing out of earlier agreements. “Hamas is reneging on the understandings and creating a last-minute crisis that is preventing an agreement,” the office added. The development comes after international mediators, including Qatar and US officials, announced that a deal was reached. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that unresolved issues remain, preventing Israel from moving forward. NN Deal No Deal
Netanyahu claims Hamas backtracked on part of deal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of backtracking on an agreement concerning prisoner release, AP reported. According to the ceasefire deal, Hamas is supposed to release dozens of Israeli hostages in exchange for Israel releasing several hundred Palestinian prisoners, as well as allowing the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the conflict in Gaza to return to their homes. Netanyahu stated that Hamas is now backtracking on a part of the agreement that would give Israel the power to veto the release of some prisoners. Netanyahu affirmed that he has instructed the Israeli negotiators to push for the earlier agreement to be honored.
Hamas has yet to issue a statement on the matter.
THE COMEING BITCOIN CRASH
THIS IS AN URGENT WARNING TO ALL BITCOIN OWNERS:
Q-DAY IS COMING…THE DAY WHEN QUANTUM COMPUTERS WILL STEAL ALL YOUR BITCOIN…UNLESS YOU ACT FAST!
Microsoft 2025: The year to become Quantum-Ready
“We find ourselves in an exciting and pivotal time. We are at the advent of the reliable quantum computing era. And we are right on the cusp of seeing quantum computers solve meaningful problems and capture new business value. As we look toward the next 12 months, the pace of quantum research and development is only going to accelerate, making this a critical and catalyzing time for business leaders to act.”
“Brace For Q-Day…The Day Your Bitcoin Will Be Stolen”
– Center for International Governance Innovation
A Special FREE Report is now available that can save you from financial ruin –- and even help you get filthy rich too
More about that after I tell you why your Bitcoin is in serious jeopardy of being ripped off – and soon!
So what exactly is Q-Day?
It’s when powerful new quantum computers finally break Bitcoin’s encryption code and rip off every last cent. It’s been all over the financial news, and analysts around the world are scared to death. Your Bitcoins will be stolen before you even know it. Worst of all, there may be nothing anybody can do to stop it.
Quantum Computing Breakthrough: Good News For Science, Medicine& Technology …But An Absolute Disaster For Bitcoin
A few weeks ago, Google introduced a new quantum supercomputer called Willow, I call it the BEAST, that changes everything. Unlike ordinary classical computers, Willow runs on the principles of quantum mechanics. Instead of bit, it uses qubits which allows it to make trillions of calculations in nanoseconds.
In a mind-blowing feat, Willow’s 105-qubit chip completed a calculation that would’ve taken our fastest supercomputer a mind-boggling 10 septillion years (that’s 10 followed by 24 zeros) a mere 5 minutes.
Major tech companies and governments are all in the race to build AI Quantum computers, such as Musk’s xAI, IBM’s HERON, and Microsoft’s AZURE are leading the investments in quantum computing. Hostile state actors like China and Russia have quantum AI computers. Pictured below is the China (They are spending 15 times the money as the US) quantum computer the ZuchongzhiZ
Most of the world is cheering because it will revolutionize the development of new medicine, optimize energy grids, automotive design and materials, aerospace, and almost everything else you can think of.
Quantum Computers Have Bitcoin Analysts Freaking Out
Because they can break previous encryption codes that classical computers couldn’t. Even scarier, it has already started
A bank of quantum computers in China and Russia as we speak are working to break the cryptocurrency encryption, allowing thieves to steal at least $3.8 trillion in Bitcoin.
Just so you don’t think I’m an alarmist, exaggerating or lost my mind completely…expert financial analysts and respected publications are all terrified about Q-Day.
“Bitcoin is a timebomb ready to explode.”
– Wall Street Journal
“Quantum computers come for Bitcoin.”
– Forbes
“Reported on Kent Carlos Perez-Delgado, a researcher at the University of Kent:”
“If I had a large quantum computer right now, I would essentially take over All the Bitcoin.”
– Fortune
“Bitcoin contributors should start preparing for the quantum future.”
– AllianceBernstein
the co-founder of the prominent cryptocurrency Ethereum, admitted that advancing quantum computing tech has “consequences across the entire Ethereum roadmap.”
– Vitalik Buterin
I hope I’ve now convinced you that the threat to Bitcoin is real and it’ll be here any day. Maybe even today or tomorrow.
5 minutes to steal all your bitcoin
“Q-Day might come in 2025, Tilo Kunz Executive Vice President of the Canadian cybersecurity firm Quantum Defense.”
– Tilo Kunz
The bottom line: It’s not a matter of if Bitcoin is hacked, but when.
Still Skeptical? Well, Did You Know That Bitcoin Was Hacked Before?
- Since 2011, Bitcoin has been ripped-off to the tune of a staggering $138,202,386,000
- Etherium losses to hackers: $1,175,082
- TOTAL: $142,315,183,000 at current Bitcoin prices
Still, that’s chump-change compared to what will be $3 Trillion stolen by quantum computers this year.
And the ripple effect would send the world into an economic crisis that would make the Great Depression pale in comparison.
Important Points to Consider
Still, that’s chump-change compared to what will be stolen by quantum computers. And the ripple effect would send the world into an economic crisis that would make the Great Depression pale in comparison.
So why hack Bitcoin? To quote bank robber, Willie Sutton, “because that’s where the money is.” All $3.8 trillion worth of Bitcoin –- including yours.
Stealing Bitcoin Is A Piece of Cake
So why is stealing Bitcoin so easy? As experts say, the new quantum computers make it a snap because they can run so many calculations so fast. While classical computers use binary 0s and 1s, quantum computers use Qubits that can be in two states — 0 and 1 — at the same time.
Weird, isn’t it? But it accounts for quantum computers’ amazing power.
As such, analysts now realize that SHA-256 encryption, which serves as a security measure protecting Bitcoin for miners, is no match for quantum computers.
On top of that, consider that there’s:
- No reserve.
- No government guarantee.
- No central computer or authority.
- Most people have no insurance.
- And nobody has seen the source code and nobody knows who even invented Bitcoin.
Now you know why everyone is panicing.
Bitcoin’s Quantum Weakness
Bitcoin is considered ultra-secure against classical computers, but particularly vulnerable to quantum computers. That’s because every time a transaction is made, a public key is available to everyone and a private key, visible only to the spenders, are generated.
This key combination is then digitally ‘written’ onto a ledger of monetary transactions (copy below) within the system – aka a blockchain.
But there’s a catch, a large gaping hole for hackers. The Bitcoin transaction is not fully secure until it has been integrated into the blockchain. There’s a vulnerability window that can be manipulated, not by regular computers but by quantum computers that once they had access, they would simply divert the funds to a different address.
And poof, just like that, your money’s gone. Easy peasy.
So Why Doesn’t Bitcoin Just Push Out A New Encryption Update?
As Fortune points out, Bitcoin’s decentralized nature could make pushing an encryption update an immense task. By the time they push out an update your money will be long gone.
This One Simple Move Can Protect You From the Bitcoin Disaster
THE COMING BITCOIN Q-DAY CRASH
In this timely and comprehensive report, you’ll get news and analysis you won’t find anywhere else. You’ll get all of Bitcoins “forbidden secrets” and believe me, it will blow you away.
Most of all, you’ll find out how to:
- Protect your Bitcoin so it won’t get stolen
- Hedge your Bitcoin so you don’t lose your money when it crashes
- Take your money out of the quantum computer hackers’ reach once and for all
- Make millions from the coming collapse even as others get wiped out
THIS MAY BE YOUR LAST CHANCE TO SAVE YOUR BITCOIN INVESTMENT AND GET FILTHY RICH IN THE PROCESS.
YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO WAIT A MINUTE LONGER. ACT NOW!
Nick Guarino
Financial Analyst & Startigic Advisor
Publisher of Publisher of The Wall Street Underground Celebrating our 30 year anniversaryCCC
Gaza ceasefire deal reached, report says
An agreement involving the exchange of hostages and a ceasefire between Hamas and the Israeli Defense Forces in the Gaza Strip has been reached, Axios reporter Barak Ravid announced on Wednesday, citing a US official. The agreement outlines an initial six-week period of ceasefire, during which Israeli troops will begin a phased retreat to the edges of the enclave. This process also involves the liberation of hostages currently held by Hamas in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel. It is claimed that Israel plans to free 30 Palestinian detainees in exchange for each civilian hostage and 50 per female soldier. The deal also mandates that 600 truckloads of humanitarian aid must be transported into Gaza on every day that the ceasefire is in effect. Earlier, the group’s leader Khalil Al Hayya delivered approval of the ceasefire agreement to mediators in Doha. The deal would halt a 15-month war that started on October 7, 2023, and killed over 46,700 Gazans.
Oil Rises as Crude Inventories Continue to Draw
Crude oil prices moved higher today, after the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported an inventory dip of 2 million barrels for the second week of the year. The change estimated by the EIA compared with a modest draw of around 1 million barrels for the previous week, which also saw sizable builds in fuel inventories that dragged oil prices lower. For the week to January 10, the EIA estimated an inventory build of 5.9 million in gasoline, with production averaging 9.3 million barrels daily. This compared with a build of as much as 6.3 million barrels for the previous week, when production averaged 8.9 million barrels daily. That build was the second sizable weekly one, after 2024 ended with a build of 7.7 million barrels in gasoline inventories. In middle distillates, the EIA estimated an inventory increase of 3.1 million barrels for the week to January 10, with production at an average 5.2 million barrels daily. The numbers compared with a build of 6.1 million barrels for the first week of the month and the year, when production averaged 5.2 million barrels. Even with the recent series of builds in fuels, however, both gasoline and middle distillate stocks remained below the five-year average for this time of the year, the EIA noted in consecutive weekly reports. Oil prices, meanwhile, took a dip earlier in the week after the EIA released the latest edition of its Short-Term Energy Outlook saying global supply would exceed demand both this year and next.
Based on that forecast, the EIA projected the average 2025 price for Brent crude at $74 per barrel, with West Texas Intermediate seen at an average $70 per barrel in 2025.
For its forecast, the EIA assumed that OPEC+ would roll back its production cuts and that non-OPEC production would continue leaping forward. The market, meanwhile, seems more preoccupied with the effect of the latest U.S. sanctions on Russia, which could curb global oil supply by close to 1 million barrels daily. Apparently, traders don’t currently share the EIA’s expectations of excess supply.
EIA Weekly Petroleum Report
Summary of Weekly Petroleum Data for the week ending January 10, 2025
U.S. commercial crude oil inventories (excluding those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) decreased by 2.0 million barrels from the previous week. At 412.7 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 6% below the five year average for this time of year. U.S. crude oil refinery inputs averaged 16.6 million barrels per day during the week ending January 10, 2025, which was 255 thousand barrels per day less than the previous week’s average. Refineries operated at 91.7% of their operable capacity last week. Gasoline production increased last week, averaging 9.3 million barrels per day. Distillate fuel production decreased last week, averaging 5.2 million barrels per day. U.S. crude oil imports averaged 6.1 million barrels per day last week, decreased by 304 thousand barrels per day from the previous week. Over the past four weeks, crude oil imports averaged about 6.5 million barrels per day, 3.3% less than the same four-week period last year. Total motor gasoline imports (including both finished gasoline and gasoline blending components) last
week averaged 450 thousand barrels per day, and distillate fuel imports averaged 219 thousand barrels per day. Total motor gasoline inventories increased by 5.9 million barrels from last week and are slightly below the five year
average for this time of year. Finished gasoline inventories and blending components inventories increased last week. Distillate fuel inventories increased by 3.1 million barrels last week and are about 4% below the five year average for this time of year. Propane/propylene inventories decreased by 4.7 million barrels from last week and are 7% above the five year average for this time of year. Total commercial petroleum inventories decreased by 3.4 million barrels last week. Total products supplied over the last four-week period averaged 20.2 million barrels a day, up by 1.1% from the same period last year. Over the past four weeks, motor gasoline product supplied averaged 8.5 million barrels a day, up by 0.8% from the same period last year. Distillate fuel
product supplied averaged 3.6 million barrels a day over the past four weeks, up by 5.8% from the same period last year. Jet fuel product supplied was up 6.4% compared with the same four week period last year
Final draft of Gaza truce deal presented to sides after ‘breakthrough’, official says
DOHA/CAIRO, Jan 13 (Reuters) – Mediators gave Israel and Hamas a final draft of a deal on Monday to end the war in Gaza, an official briefed on the negotiations said, after a midnight “breakthrough” in talks attended by envoys of both outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump. Biden said a ceasefire and hostage release deal he had championed was on “the brink” of coming to fruition and Hamas said it was keen on reaching an agreement. “The deal … would free the hostages, halt the fighting, provide security to Israel and allow us to significantly surge humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians who suffered terribly in this war that Hamas started,” Biden said in a speech to highlight his foreign policy achievements. The official briefed on the talks, who did not want to be otherwise identified, said the text for a ceasefire and release of hostages was presented by Qatar to both sides at talks in Doha, which included the chiefs of Israel’s Mossad and Shin Bet spy agencies and Qatar’s prime minister. Another round of talks is planned in Doha on Tuesday morning to finalise remaining details, with Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Biden’s envoy Brett McGurk expected to attend, as they had on Monday, the official said. An Israeli official said negotiations were in advanced stages for the release of up to 33 hostages as part of the deal. The Hamas delegation in Doha issued a statement after a meeting with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani saying talks were progressing well.
Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters the negotiations were at a “pivotal” point, with gaps between two sides slowly getting removed. “I think there is a good chance we can close this … the parties are right on the cusp of being able to close this deal,” he said.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the sides were “closer than we’ve ever been” to a deal, and the ball was in Hamas’ court. “We are very hopeful that we get it over the finish line, finally after all this time,” he told MSNBC, adding that the proposed deal was based on a framework Biden put out in May. Blinken said negotiators wanted to make sure Trump would continue to back the deal on the table so Witkoff’s participation has been “critical.” Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and his Religious Zionism party, a hardline nationalist party which has opposed previous attempts at a deal, said all its members would oppose a deal that didn’t achieve Hamas’ “destruction” and the latest proposal endangered Israel’s national security.