• U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures were at $51.69 per barrel at press time, down 67 cents, or 1.3 percent. International Brent crude futures were down nearly 1 percent, or 53 cents, at $60.921 per barrel. U.S. bank Morgan Stanley cut its 2019 oil price forecasts by more than 10 percent, pointing to weakening economic growth expectations and rising oil supply, especially from the United States. The bank now expects Brent to average $61 a barrel this year, down from a previous estimate of $69, and U.S. crude to average $54, against a prior forecast of $60.
• Athabasca Minerals Inc. appointed Dana Archibald to the position of chief operating officer. Archibald joins Athabasca as a key executive leader, supporting Robert Beekhuizen, chief executive officer, in managing the performance of existing operations, and realizing the corporation’s growth in its project-development program, joint ventures and acquisition initiatives in both the conventional aggregates and silica sand sectors of its portfolio.
• Clean water activists placed giant “Post It Note” style To Do lists in many locations around Tallahassee, Fla., to remind newly elected Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) of his campaign promise to push for a statewide fracking ban. Floridians Against Fracking delivered a letter to DeSantis last week urging him to take the necessary take steps to protect Floridians from the “dangers of fracking.”