Oil and gas leases blocked on Permian Basin state land most likely to produce fossil fuel March 11, 2024 Officials blocked oil and gas operations on southeast New Mexico lands within the Permian Basin as the State Land Office tangled with lawmakers on raising the amount companies pay to drill…
Ohio commission awards bids to frack oil and gas under state parks, wildlife areas
Ohio commission awards bids to frack oil and gas under state parks, wildlife areas Feb 26, 2024 An Ohio commission awarded bids to frack oil and gas under state parks Monday, despite statewide backlash and an ongoing investigation into possibly fraudulent support. The Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission…
Rebooted commission could breathe new life into bills challenging Virginia’s largest utility
Rebooted commission could breathe new life into bills challenging Virginia’s largest utility February 26, 2024 Virginia clean energy champions have their fingers crossed that members of a resurrected legislative commission won’t water down four utility-focused bills when they meet in the off-season to reshape the failed measures for next year’s…
U.S. Drillers Scale Back Operations as Gas Prices Tumble
U.S. Drillers Scale Back Operations as Gas Prices Tumble Feb 16, 2024 U.S. natural gas producers are beginning to reduce drilling and investment as low prices weigh on their returns. Reuters reports that natural gas prices in the U.S. hit the lowest in three and a half year, betraying drillers’…
US oil companies to merge in $26bn deal as firms rush to buy up drilling land
US oil companies to merge in $26bn deal as firms rush to buy up drilling land 12 Feb 2024 Two American oil and gas companies have said they will merge in a $26bn (£21bn) deal, the latest in a wave of acquisitions designed to buy up the best land for…
Lawmakers look to send more state funds to clean up New Mexico’s abandoned oil wells
Lawmakers look to send more state funds to clean up New Mexico’s abandoned oil wells Feb 5, 2024 A bipartisan New Mexico Senate bill intended to unlock more state funding for the clean up of abandoned oil and gas wells was endorsed by industry leaders during the 2024 Legislative Session.…
Record M&A in the fourth quarter of 2023 is driven by ExxonMobil and Chevron deals
Record M&A in the fourth quarter of 2023 is driven by ExxonMobil and Chevron deals Energize Weekly, January 31, 2024 Upstream oil and gas mergers and acquisitions hit a record $144 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023 driven by two mega-deals – ExxonMobil’s $65 billion acquisition of Pioneer Natural…
Chesapeake to become top US natural gas producer with $7.4 billion deal for Southwestern
Chesapeake to become top US natural gas producer with $7.4 billion deal for Southwestern January 11, 2024 Chesapeake Energy (CHK.O), agreed to buy smaller rival Southwestern Energy (SWN.N), in an all-stock transaction valued at $7.4 billion, a deal that will make it the largest independent U.S. natural gas producer. The…
Analysts Look at Oil Demand Growth in 2024 and 2025
Analysts Look at Oil Demand Growth in 2024 and 2025 January 09, 2024 In a new report sent to Rigzone, analysts at Standard Chartered projected that global oil demand growth “will stay above the longer-term average” in 2024 and 2025. The analysts forecast increases of 1.54 million barrels per day…
Energy Department has cyber threats to infrastructure in mind with $70 million funding offer
Energy Department has cyber threats to infrastructure in mind with $70 million funding offer JANUARY 5, 2024 The Department of Energy is offering $70 million in funds toward research and development for technology that would protect delivery infrastructure against cyber-related threats and other physical hazards, part of what a senior…
Coordination of Texas electric and natural gas sectors key in dealing with blackouts
Coordination of Texas electric and natural gas sectors key in dealing with blackouts Energize Weekly, January 10, 2024 Better coordination between the Texas electric and natural gas industries is key to getting individual generating facilities up and running – a so-called blackstart – after a cold-weather blackout, according to a…
New Mexico officials propose regulations for reuse of fracking wastewater
New Mexico officials propose regulations for reuse of fracking wastewater December 29, 2023 New Mexico environmental officials have proposed a new regulatory framework for reusing wastewater with a focus on the used, salty byproducts of oil and natural gas drilling in a major U.S. production zone. The Environment Department announced…
Hawaii completes assessment of Oahu energy system and critical infrastructure
Hawaii completes assessment of Oahu energy system and critical infrastructure December 29, 2023 The Hawaii State Energy Office (HSEO) recently concluded work on an initiative called the O‘ahu Energy System and Critical Infrastructure Vulnerability and Resiliency Assessment. The assessment involved a comprehensive hazard and risk assessment of O’ahu’s critical energy…
Major oil companies atop a cash-flow wave reduce debt, increase shareholder payouts
Major oil companies atop a cash-flow wave reduce debt, increase shareholder payouts Energize Weekly, December 20, 2023 The world’s five largest oil companies, riding a wave of high energy prices, pulled in $613 billion in cash flow between January 2021 and September 2023, which they used to reduce debt and…
Feds propose 20-year ban on mining, oil and gas drilling on 225,000 acres in Thompson Divide
Feds propose 20-year ban on mining, oil and gas drilling on 225,000 acres in Thompson Divide Dec 12, 2023 The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management plan to remove 224,713 acres from possible mining or oil and gas drilling for the next 20 years would seem worthy of an…
Williams increases DJ basin gas gathering, processing assets through closed deals
Williams increases DJ basin gas gathering, processing assets through closed deals Nov. 30, 2023 Williams, Tulsa, Okla., closed two transactions that now position the company as the third largest gatherer in the Denver-Julesburg (DJ) basin, the company said in a release Nov. 30. The acquisitions have a combined value of…
IEA takes aim at oil and gas sector at COP28, industry offers an agreement to cut methane
IEA takes aim at oil and gas sector at COP28, industry offers an agreement to cut methane Energize Weekly, December 6, 2023 As the climate conference – COP28 – opened in Dubai, the International Energy Agency (IEA) fired a shot across the bow of the oil industry with an analysis…
Greek shippers exit Russian oil trade as U.S. tightens price cap scrutiny
Greek shippers exit Russian oil trade as U.S. tightens price cap scrutiny November 23, 2023 Three major Greek shipping firms have stopped transporting Russian oil in recent weeks in order to avoid U.S. sanctions now being imposed on some shipping firms carrying Russian oil, four traders told Reuters and shipping…
Clean energy jobs growth worldwide surpasses fossil-fuel sector jobs which saw a decline
Clean energy jobs growth worldwide surpasses fossil-fuel sector jobs which saw a decline Energize Weekly, November 29, 2023 Clean energy employment is growing more rapidly than fossil-fuel jobs across the globe and accounted for the majority of the 67 million jobs in the energy sector in 2022, according to an…
Global LNG market stable for this winter, but there will be more volatility down the road
Global LNG market stable for this winter, but there will be more volatility down the road Energize Weekly, November 22, 2023 Ample gas inventories in the U.S. and Europe and increased liquified natural gas (LNG) export and import capacity will likely meet global needs this winter, but growing demand over…
US plans to buy 1.2 million barrels of oil for Strategic Petroleum Reserve
US plans to buy 1.2 million barrels of oil for Strategic Petroleum Reserve November 13, 2023 The U.S. plans to buy 1.2 million barrels of oil to help replenish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve after it sold off the largest amount ever last year, the Energy Department said on Monday. The…
Fossil-fuel producing countries set to blow past climate targets for oil, natural gas, and coal
Fossil-fuel producing countries set to blow past climate targets for oil, natural gas, and coal Energize Weekly, November 15, 2023 Fossil-fuel producing countries are set to turn out double the amount of coal, oil, and natural gas between now and 2050 needed to keep the increase in global warming to…
Dominion plans large liquified natural gas facility in Person County near Rougemont
Dominion plans large liquified natural gas facility in Person County near Rougemont NOVEMBER 3, 2023 Dominion Energy, the main corporate actor behind the defunct Atlantic Coast Pipeline, plans to build the Moriah Energy Center, two 25-million-gallon liquified natural gas facilities on 485 acres in southeastern Person County, about two miles…
Mountain Valley pipeline delayed: 4 questions answered
Mountain Valley pipeline delayed: 4 questions answered 10/19/2023 Completion of the closely watched Mountain Valley pipeline will be delayed until next year, and its cost will exceed $7 billion, the project’s lead developer said Wednesday. The updates from Equitrans Midstream mark the latest twist in the saga of the controversial…
U.S. sets records for crude oil and natural gas exports in the first six months of 2023
U.S. sets records for crude oil and natural gas exports in the first six months of 2023 Energize Weekly, October 18, 2023 The U.S. set export records for both oil and natural gas in the first half of 2023, with Europe as the prime destination, according to the federal Energy…
Exxon’s blockbuster Pioneer merger needs Biden’s blessing
Exxon’s blockbuster Pioneer merger needs Biden’s blessing Oct 8, 2023 Exxon Mobil Corp. needs approval from the Biden administration before it can take over independent oil and gas producer Pioneer Natural Resources Co. in what would be the world’s biggest deal this year. That might not be such an easy…
Favorable economics, the need for new reserves boost global oil exploration investments
Favorable economics, the need for new reserves boost global oil exploration investments Energize Weekly, October 3, 2023 Global oil and gas exploration and production investments are set for a big rebound, according to energy analysts Wood Mackenzie and Rystad Energy. While not reaching the levels of the 2006-to-2014 boom years,…
Appeals Court Blocks Biden Bid to Limit Oil Drilling Auction
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…