Appeals Court Blocks Biden Bid to Limit Oil Drilling Auction September 25, 2023 A federal court left in place an order forcing the Biden administration to expand an upcoming sale of offshore drilling rights in the Gulf of Mexico, while giving the government more time to hold the auction. The…
US natgas futures steady on healthy demand, lower supply
US natgas futures steady on healthy demand, lower supply Sept 25 U.S. natural gas futures steadied on Monday and consolidated gains from the previous session, buoyed by healthy demand and slightly lower output projections, even as the market transitions into the shoulder period for gas demand. Demand for power usually…
Increased U.S. natural gas production in 2023 is boosting LNG and ethane exports
Increased U.S. natural gas production in 2023 is boosting LNG and ethane exports Energize Weekly, September 20, 2023 Record U.S. natural gas production in 2023 is leading to a record ethane production and liquified natural gas (LNG) exports, according to the federal Energy Information Administration (EIA). The EIA is forecasting…
Legal assault awaits Biden’s Alaska lease cancellation
Legal assault awaits Biden’s Alaska lease cancellation 09/11/2023 An Alaska corporation is already teeing up a legal battle over the Biden administration’s decision to cancel contested oil and gas leases in a massive wildlife refuge. The Interior Department announced plans last week to revoke seven leases held by the Alaska…
California regulators OK gas storage expansion despite risks
California regulators OK gas storage expansion despite risks SEP 5, 2023 California regulators have approved a proposal to vastly increase natural gas storage at the site of the nation’s largest known methane leak, which sickened thousands of families and forced them from their Los Angeles homes in 2015. Despite opposition…
PHMSA Announces Proposed Rulemaking Affecting Natural Gas Distribution Systems
PHMSA Announces Proposed Rulemaking Affecting Natural Gas Distribution Systems August 28, 2023 On Aug. 24, 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) announced the forthcoming publication of a notice of proposed rulemaking intended to improve safety on gas distribution pipelines nationwide by improving…
Global oil and gas exploration spending is up at $50 billion in 2023 but reserves are down
Global oil and gas exploration spending is up at $50 billion in 2023 but reserves are down Energize Weekly, August 30, 2023 Conventional oil and gas exploration is on the upswing and spending is expected to reach $50 billion in 2023 – the highest in five years – but discovered…
Prairie Reports $2.4B Possible Reserves in Colorado
Prairie Reports $2.4B Possible Reserves in Colorado August 22, 2023 Prairie Operating Co. has reported a possible reserves basis of approximately 285.3 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe) at its non-producing position in Weld County, Colorado, citing an independent third-party evaluation. “The reserve report reflects the quality and scale of…
Inflation Reduction Act could unleash $3 trillion in renewable energy investments
Inflation Reduction Act could unleash $3 trillion in renewable energy investments Energize Weekly, August 23, 2023 The $1.2 trillion in incentives proposed under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will spur about $3 trillion investment in renewable energy technology over the next decade, according to Goldman Sachs Research. Goldman Sachs…
Chesapeake to complete Eagle Ford basin exit with SilverBow deal
Chesapeake to complete Eagle Ford basin exit with SilverBow deal August 14, 2023 U.S. natural gas producer Chesapeake Energy (CHK.O) said on Monday it would sell its remaining Eagle Ford assets to SilverBow Resources (SBOW.N) for $700 million, completing its exit from the south Texas basin. The company’s asset sales…
A surge in carbon capture and storage projects brings promise, mergers and challenges
A surge in carbon capture and storage projects brings promise, mergers and challenges Energize Weekly, August 16, 2023 Initiatives in the carbon capture market are surging with new projects, acquisitions, and a swell in government funding, but the sector could face challenges in permitting, capital costs and adequate subsidies, according…
North America Drops Multiple Rigs
North America Drops Multiple Rigs August 07, 2023 North America has gone back to losing rigs week on week, according to Baker Hughes’ latest rotary rig count, which was released on August 4. The region dropped 10 rigs week on week, taking its total count to 847, comprising 659 U.S.…
Strategists Project 9.3MM Barrel USA Crude Inventory Drop
Strategists Project 9.3MM Barrel USA Crude Inventory Drop August 01, 2023 Macquarie strategists projected that U.S. crude inventories will be down 9.3 million barrels for the week ending July 28 in a new report sent to Rigzone on Monday. “This follows a 0.6 million barrel draw for the week ending…
Global temperatures are rising in 2023 and so is worldwide consumption of coal and oil
Global temperatures are rising in 2023 and so is worldwide consumption of coal and oil Energize Weekly, August 2, 2023 As the world sizzles, with July the hottest month on Earth since records have been kept, consumption of coal and oil – the two main sources of climate-warming greenhouse gases…
US to Spend $700 Million for Oil and Gas Sector to Cut Methane Emissions
US to Spend $700 Million for Oil and Gas Sector to Cut Methane Emissions 7/24/2023 The U.S. government will provide up to $700 million in funding to monitor and reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, setting aside half of the amount for grants to states, two agencies…
US shale oil/natgas output set to fall for first time since December – EIA
US shale oil/natgas output set to fall for first time since December – EIA July 17, 2023 U.S. shale oil and natural gas production will fall in August for the first time since December, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in its monthly Drilling Productivity Report on Monday. Crude…
U.S. energy sector employment rebounds after pandemic led by the oil and gas sector
U.S. energy sector employment rebounds after pandemic led by the oil and gas sector Energize Weekly, July 19, 2023 Energy sector jobs in the U.S. rebounded from the pandemic by 2022, outpacing national job growth. While clean energy jobs grew fastest overall, the lion’s share of new jobs was in…
Biden administration announces $650 million to plug orphaned gas and oil wells
Biden administration announces $650 million to plug orphaned gas and oil wells 07/10/23 The Interior Department announced Monday more than $650 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to plug abandoned oil and gas wells. The $660 million in funding, available to 27 states, will go toward the plugging of so-called…
North America Sees Rig Loss Regression
North America Sees Rig Loss Regression July 03, 2023 North America went back to losing rigs week on week, Baker Hughes’ latest rotary rig count, which was released on June 30, revealed. According to the count, North America dropped 10 rigs week on week, with the U.S. losing eight week…
Suncor Energy cyberattack likely to cost company millions of dollars, expert says
Suncor Energy cyberattack likely to cost company millions of dollars, expert says Jun 26, 2023 A cybersecurity expert says a systems breach at Suncor Energy Inc. will likely cost the company millions of dollars before the issue is resolved. The cyberattack affected many of Suncor’s Petro-Canada sites across the country…
Global oil and gas investment rises even as demand slows risking overcapacity in the sector
Global oil and gas investment rises even as demand slows risking overcapacity in the sector Energize Weekly, June 21, 2023 Global demand for oil is set to slow in the next five years even as investment in oil industry infrastructure is projected to grow, risking an overcapacity in production, according…
More US natural gas producers join lower-emission gas trading hub
More US natural gas producers join lower-emission gas trading hub 13 June 2023 Two US natural gas producers have joined certified natural gas trading platform CG Hub, adding 1 billion cubic feet per day of liquidity through the service. Seneca Resources and Northeast Natural Energy joined the first commodities trading…
Supreme Court rejects challenge to California offshore fracking ban
Supreme Court rejects challenge to California offshore fracking ban June 5, 2023 The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear a challenge brought by the oil industry to court orders that ban fracking in federal waters off the California coast, in a setback to oil companies who argued the…
U.S. oil and gas auction brings nearly $80 million to federal coffers
U.S. oil and gas auction brings nearly $80 million to federal coffers 25/05/2023 The United States on Thursday carried out its first sale of oil and gas drilling rights on federal lands since President Joe Biden’s landmark climate change law was passed, attracting more than 78 million dollars in high…
Supermajors are scrubbing their greenhouse gas emissions by offloading dirtier assets
Supermajors are scrubbing their greenhouse gas emissions by offloading dirtier assets Energize Weekly, May 31, 2023 Seven of the world’s “supermajor” oil companies are cleaning up their greenhouse gas emissions in large part by offloading some of the dirtiest assets to small companies who are often poor environmental performers, according…
Chevron’s $7.6B purchase of PDC Energy creates the biggest oil and gas company in Colorado
Chevron’s $7.6B purchase of PDC Energy creates the biggest oil and gas company in Colorado May 23, 2023 Chevron Corp. is buying PDC Energy in a $7.6 billion deal that will make it by far and away the largest oil and gas producer in Colorado and continues a trend in…
Winter rains lift California hydropower outlook, easing regional demand for natural gas
Winter rains lift California hydropower outlook, easing regional demand for natural gas Energize Weekly, May 17, 2023 Heavy rains have filled California reservoirs and boosted the prospect for hydropower – welcomed news to the rest of the West, which saw natural gas prices soar last winter as California utilities scrambled…
Republicans ask watchdog to assess US oil reserve management
Republicans ask watchdog to assess US oil reserve management May 08, 2023 Two Republicans on Monday asked a congressional watchdog to assess the Biden administration’s management of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and audit its modernization program, saying sales from the SPR have undermined U.S. energy security. Senator John Barrasso, ranking…
Oil and gas M&A deals down 50 percent to $14.8 billion quarter-over-quarter in Q1 2023
Oil and gas M&A deals down 50 percent to $14.8 billion quarter-over-quarter in Q1 2023 Energize Weekly, May 10, 2023 Oil and gas industry mergers and acquisitions (M&A) flagged in the first quarter of 2023 with a 35 percent drop in deals to 74 and the value halved to $14.8…
Standard Chartered Dubs Latest USA EIA Data Highly Bullish
Standard Chartered Dubs Latest USA EIA Data Highly Bullish May 02, 2023 In a new report sent to Rigzone on April 28, analysts at Standard Chartered said the latest Energy Information Administration (EIA) weekly data was “highly bullish” according to the company’s U.S. oil data bull-bear index, which they said…
Pa.’s natural gas production curbed by capacity limits
Pa.’s natural gas production curbed by capacity limits APR 25, 2023 Pennsylvania natural gas production fell by two percentage points in 2022 as pipelines run at full capacity and future development slows. Although the state maintains its number two status nationwide — just behind Texas — industry advocates say politics…
Tennessee raises felony charge for ‘interfering’ with oil and gas pipeline projects
Tennessee raises felony charge for ‘interfering’ with oil and gas pipeline projects APRIL 16, 2023 In the past four years, Tennessee has passed multiple laws aimed to protect fossil fuel projects from community challenges, like the law that preempts local governments from blocking fossil fuel projects, or the one that…
Dominion Energy Utah starts hydrogen blending in Utah pipelines
Dominion Energy Utah starts hydrogen blending in Utah pipelines Apr 04, 2023 Dominion Energy Utah (DEU) has begun hydrogen blending in Delta, Utah, pipelines as part of the ThermH2 project. The project gas entered its first phase which is focused on blending hydrogen in the utility’s Training Academy to confirm…
North America Drops 38 Rigs
North America Drops 38 Rigs March 28, 2023 North America dropped another 38 rigs week on week, according to Baker Hughes’ latest rotary rig count, which was released on March 24. The count showed that Canada decreased its rig figures by 42 week on week, while the U.S. added four…
White House threatens veto for Republican energy package
White House threatens veto for Republican energy package 03/27/23 The White House on Monday threatened a veto of a House Republicans’ energy package, known as H.R. 1, if it makes it to President Biden’s desk. “H.R. 1 would take us backward. Therefore, if presented to the President in its current…
Embargoes and price caps send Russian oil searching for new markets in Asia and Africa
Embargoes and price caps send Russian oil searching for new markets in Asia and Africa Energize Weekly, March 22, 2023 Embargoes and price caps on Russian oil and petroleum products are taking a bite out of the country’s exports and revenues, which are down 42 percent year-over-year to $11.6 billion…
Biden Budget Proposes Elimination of Oil, Gas Tax Subsidies
Biden Budget Proposes Elimination of Oil, Gas Tax Subsidies March 14, 2023 U.S. President Joe Biden’s 2024 budget proposes to eliminate tax subsidies for oil and gas, a White House fact sheet has revealed. “The president is committed to ending tens of billions of dollars of federal tax subsidies for…
Oil And Gas Firms Failed To Cut Back On Flaring In 2022
Oil And Gas Firms Failed To Cut Back On Flaring In 2022 March 3, 2023 Despite bold promises from several oil and gas firms, many failed to reduce their natural gas flaring in 2022. With increasing pressure from environmental organisations and governments to reduce carbon emissions, will 2023 be any…
SoCalGas planning to increase prices in 2024
SoCalGas planning to increase prices in 2024 Feb 27, 2023 As a winter storm continues to move through California, prompting many residents to turn up the heat, Southern California Gas Company announced plans to increase its prices next year. The nation’s largest natural gas company announced that it would hold…
War-roiled LNG markets see a major swing to Europe in 2022 and tight supplies in 2023
War-roiled LNG markets see a major swing to Europe in 2022 and tight supplies in 2023 Energize Weekly, February 22, 2023 The Russian invasion of Ukraine and a pandemic economic hangover has roiled global liquefied natural gas (LNG) markets in ways that could lead to a short-term dearth, but a…
Hydrogen is supplementing natural gas, but critics remain wary
Hydrogen is supplementing natural gas, but critics remain wary FEB 6, 2023 A public utility is experimenting with blending small amounts of carbon-free hydrogen into natural gas lines in some Minnesota homes, but critics argue the procedure remains largely an exercise in hot air. As first reported last week by…
Number of oil and gas mergers and acquisitions hits a 17-year low in Q4 of 2022
Number of oil and gas mergers and acquisitions hits a 17-year low in Q4 of 2022 Energize Weekly, February 1, 2023 The volume of oil and gas sector mergers and acquisitions fell to a 17-year low in the last quarter of 2022 as deal value for the quarter declined 13…
Biden administration threatens veto of GOP bill restricting strategic oil reserve releases
Biden administration threatens veto of GOP bill restricting strategic oil reserve releases Jan 23, 2023 The Biden administration is threatening to veto Republican-led legislation that would restrict the release of oil from the country’s emergency reserve. “If Congress were to pass H.R. 21, the president would veto it. He will…
US House passes bill to ban US strategic oil reserve sales to China; Senate path unclear
US House passes bill to ban US strategic oil reserve sales to China; Senate path unclear 12 Jan 2023 The US House of Representatives advanced legislation Jan. 12 aimed at preventing crude oil from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve from ending up in China, sending the measure to the Senate…
Winter Storm Elliott stressed regional electric grids across the U.S. in different ways
Winter Storm Elliott stressed regional electric grids across the U.S. in different ways Energize Weekly, January 18, 2023 Winter Storm Elliott, the bomb cyclone with freezing temperatures and blizzard conditions that swept across the U.S. east of the Rockies, sparked a wave of outages with its impacts varying from regional…
Why natural gas prices — and bills — are soaring in Southern California
Why natural gas prices — and bills — are soaring in Southern California JAN. 9, 2023 Southern California Gas Co. and San Diego Gas & Electric have issued stark warnings to customers that their January natural gas bills could double, citing factors for historically high wholesale costs that include sinking…
Colorado co-ops say Xcel Energy mismanaged natural gas supplies during 2021 storm
Colorado co-ops say Xcel Energy mismanaged natural gas supplies during 2021 storm Energize Weekly, January 11, 2023 The fallout from the soaring natural gas prices created by Winter Storm Uri in 2021 continues as four rural Colorado electric cooperatives have filed a complaint with federal regulators saying they were overcharged…
To replace Russian gas, Europe builds more LNG capacity and boosts U.S. imports
To replace Russian gas, Europe builds more LNG capacity and boosts U.S. imports Energize Weekly, January 4, 2023 In the dash to replace Russian natural gas supplies, liquefied natural gas (LNG) import capacity in the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) is set to expand by a third…
Energy efficiency investments jump in 2022 spurred by energy security concerns
Energy efficiency investments jump in 2022 spurred by energy security concerns Energize Weekly, December 28, 2022 Global investment in energy efficiency – from building renovations to public transport to electric vehicle infrastructure – increased 16 percent in 2022, reaching $560 billion as efficiency gains grew fourfold, according to the International…
US to Become Net Exporter of Crude Oil in 2023
US to Become Net Exporter of Crude Oil in 2023 19 December 2022 The United States has become a global crude oil exporting power over the last few years, but exports have not exceeded its imports since World War II. That could change next year. Sales of U.S. crude to…
