- At press time, Brent crude fell 49 cents, or 0.6%, to $81.54 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was down 77 cents, or 1%, to $78.69 a barrel.
- A piece of land in rural North Carolina owned by former N.C. Rep. Wilma Sherrill and her husband Jerry Sherrill is reportedly being drilled for samples. The secretive project may be the start of a new frac sand operation, according to an article by the Winston-Salem Journal.
- Victory Nickel Inc. announced that its subsidiary Victory Silica Ltd.’s initial application to have a previously announced property under an exploration and option agreement with Short Grass Ranches Ltd has not been approved. The municipal planning commission cited concerns about traffic, noise and dust on the local community. The company is continuing to examine its options to identify its own source of domestic sand as well as revisiting the permitting of the Short Grass property.