SEATTLE (AP) — Washington state's governor declared an emergency Wednesday to ensure enough jet fuel gets to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport after a leak shut down a major fuel pipeline.
The order temporarily waives and suspends state regulations limiting the number of hours commercial vehicle operators can drive when transporting jet fuel, Gov. Bob Ferguson's office said in a news release. The proclamation ensures safe-driving measures are in place, the release said.
The Olympic Pipeline was shut down on Nov. 11 because of a leak north of Seattle, between the cities of Everett and Snohomish. Operators notified the state of the leak and were working with state and federal agencies to contain, clean and repair it, the governor's office said.
There was no estimate for when the pipeline would resume delivering fuel normally. But if it doesn't start back up by Saturday, the governor's office said airport operations would be “significantly affected." The office did not share details on what that impact would look like.
The airport “has limited fuel on hand to sustain operations,” the governor’s office said, and since last week, airport officials have told incoming flights to fuel up to capacity before arriving because of the pipeline shutdown.
The 400-mile-long (644-kilometer-long) Olympic Pipeline is operated by BP Pipelines North America, Inc. It carries gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other petroleum products from refineries in northwest Washington to points in Washington and Oregon. It is the primary way petroleum is delivered to fuel distribution terminals in the Pacific Northwest west of the Cascades.
The air traffic control tower is seen at the distance as Alaska Airlines planes sit at the gates at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in SeaTac, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 1, 2026--
Barrell Energy Inc. and Barrell Lithium LLC (the "Companies") are pleased to announce a significant expansion of their strategic footprint in the premier lithium-producing region of the United States. Through aggressive, geologically-driven leasing efforts, the Company has now reached 52,000 net mineral acres across its two core Smackover Formation lithium projects.
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In tandem with this acreage milestone, Barrell Lithium LLC has successfully closed its Series B funding round, which was met with significant demand and finished oversubscribed. Supported by an elite group of private investors, this capital raise enables the Company to continue expanding its lithium leasing and solidify its large strategic position within the high-concentration lithium brine fairway of East Texas.
East Texas Drilling & Testing Results
Recent published reports confirm record-high lithium concentrations within the western portion of the Smackover Trend of East Texas. With values ranging from 600 to 806 mg/L, these concentrations are nearly double those observed in southwestern Arkansas. Furthermore, significant associated minerals were noted, with bromine levels reaching 3,700–4,800 mg/L and potassium concentrations between 11,100 and 16,800 mg/L.
Strategic Expansion & Geological Precision
The Company’s approach remains defined by a geologically focused methodology. By leveraging four decades of geological expertise and over five years of Smackover-specific evaluation into lithium source rock, structure, and reservoir quality, the Company targets high-potential prospects with precision. This effort is spearheaded by a local, seasoned land team based out of the Company’s leasing office in Atlanta, Texas, fostering strong community ties at the geographic center of the play.
“We are aggressively expanding our acreage across the Smackover Lithium Play, a pace that underscores our absolute confidence in this asset base," said Kirk Barrell, President of Barrell Energy. "By leveraging our deep geological expertise alongside a high-performance local land team and a seasoned investor group, we are scaling our footprint with maximum efficiency. Our priority is securing the strategic acreage required to expand this project and power the next generation of American energy.”
Market Dynamics & Domestic Security
The global energy market continues to underscore the vital significance of lithium. Over the past year, lithium prices have more than doubled, reflecting the relentless demand for critical battery minerals. As the United States remains firmly focused on securing US-sourced critical minerals, the Companies’ Smackover projects represent a vital contribution to domestic energy independence and the reduction of reliance on foreign supply chains.
Strategic Partnerships
With a robust land position, the Company is preparing for the next stage of development. The companies plan to formally commence the process to identify an operating partner in the third quarter (Q3) of 2026. This partner will work alongside the Company to drill, deploy advanced extraction technologies, and bring these domestic resources to market.
About Barrell Lithium LLC
Barrell Lithium LLC, a Texas company, was formed in 2024 by Barrell Energy Inc. to explore and develop lithium brine resources within the Smackover Formation in East Texas.
About Barrell Energy Inc.
Founded in 1997 by Kirk Barrell, Barrell Energy Inc. is a Texas-based private energy firm built on 40 years of geological and land acquisition expertise. The Company specializes in identifying and securing early strategic positions across a diverse energy portfolio, including oil and natural gas, lithium brine, carbon sequestration, and utility-scale solar. Our reach extends into natural gas power generation, battery storage, and data center development. Over the past 15 years, Barrell Energy and its portfolio companies have successfully executed $477 million in transactions covering 890,000 acres
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements regarding lithium brine leasing, exploration, development and production activities, anticipated and potential production and the economic potential of properties. Accuracy of these forward-looking statements depends on assumptions about events that change over time and is thus susceptible to periodic change based on actual experience and new developments. Barrell Energy Inc. and Barrell Lithium LLC caution readers that it assumes no obligation to update or publicly release any revisions to the forward-looking statements in this press release and, except to the extent required by applicable law, does not intend to update or otherwise revise these statements more frequently than quarterly. Important factors that might cause future results to differ from these forward-looking statements include adverse conditions such as well drilling that could lead to mechanical failures or increased costs, variations in the market prices of lithium products, drilling results, unanticipated fluctuations in flow rates of producing wells, lithium carbonate reserves expectations, the ability to satisfy future cash obligations and environmental costs, and other general exploration and development risks and hazards.
Smackover Lithium Trend
