US auctions first Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas since 2023
On Wednesday, the Trump administration will conduct the first government sale of oil-and-gas drilling rights in Gulf of Mexico?since 2023. This is a test of the industry's appetite?for offshore acres at a moment when the United States?is trying to increase domestic fossil fuel production. The auction is one of the 30 required by President Donald Trump's tax-cut and spending bill that he signed in July.
Florida Republicans Oppose Trump's Offshore Oil Leasing Plan
Florida Republicans, led by Governor Ron DeSantis have said that they are opposed to a plan of the Trump administration which could allow for new oil and natural gas drilling off Florida's Gulf Coast.The reactions were in response to a proposal by the Interior Department published on Thursday, which contemplated future oil leasing in an eastern portion of Gulf of Mexico that is heavily used…
Trump Administration revokes Biden's limits on Alaskan oil drilling
The Trump Administration finalized on Thursday its rollback of Biden's limits on oil-and-gas drilling in Alaska, the largest area of public land that has not been disturbed by humans. This move is in line with the goal of President Donald Trump to reduce restrictions on domestic gas and oil development, especially in resource-rich Alaska. Biden's rule 2024 prohibited oil and natural gas leasing on 10…
Indigenous leaders from the Amazon to the Andes bring their demands to COP30
A boat with dozens of Indigenous Leaders arrived in Belem a few days before the UN's COP30 Climate Summit. They had traveled for weeks, from a glacier on the Andes mountains to Brazil's tropical coastline. They wanted to have a bigger say in the management of their territories, especially as climate change continues to escalate and other industries, such as mining, oil drilling, and logging, continue to push deeper into forests.
Indigenous leaders from the Amazon to the Andes bring their demands to the COP30
A boat with dozens of Indigenous leaders landed at Belem, Brazil, a day before the United Nations COP30 Climate Summit. They wanted to have a bigger say in the management of their territory, especially as climate change continues to escalate and more industries, such as mining, oil drilling, and logging, are pushing deeper into forests. Lucia Ixchiu said, "We are not just interested in securing money or funding," a K'iche Indigenous from Guatemala.
Poll shows that the majority of Brazilians are opposed to oil drilling near Amazon coast
According to a Datafolha poll commissioned by Eko (a corporate accountability group), a majority of Brazilians think President Luiz inacio Lula da Silveira should ban oil exploration near the Amazon rainforest coast, which is a sensitive eco-system and Brazil's most promising frontier for oil. The survey was conducted early in September as Brazil is preparing to host world leaders at this year's United Nations Climate Summit, COP30, in the Amazonian town of Belem.
RPT-Private Chinese firm producing oil in Venezuela under rare 20-year pact, source says
China Concord Resources Corp. has started developing two Venezuelan oilfields. The company plans to invest over $1 billion in an investment project that will produce 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day by the end of 2026. An executive involved directly in the project confirmed this. This is a rare private Chinese investment in an OPEC nation that has been struggling to attract foreign capital because of international sanctions against the government of President Nicolas Maduro.
Amazon rainforest is threatened by the axing of ministries, say indigenous Ecuadorians
Noboa announced that in July, more than a half dozen ministries would be combined. The number of ministries will drop from 20 to 14. This is an effort to reduce public spending. The Ministry of Women and Human Rights has also been folded into the Ministry of Government. Approximately 5,000 employees were laid off. Carolina Jaramillo, spokesperson for the government, stated that efficiency was the goal.
Indonesia is looking for new technologies to improve oil drilling
Officials said that Indonesia issued a new regulation on Tuesday to encourage investment by oil drilling technology providers to increase production at existing wells. Yuliot Tajung, the deputy energy minister, told reporters that this policy aims to reactivate idle wells as part of an effort to increase oil production to one million barrels per daily (bpd) by 2029-2030, from less than 600,000.
Norway Oil Drilling Workers agree wage agreement, averting a strike
Norwegian unions reached a wage agreement, which prevented a strike on floating offshore drilling rigs, which would have disrupted exploration. Unions and company representatives announced the agreement Friday evening. The unions said 438 workers from three rigs would strike if talks did not succeed, but that no immediate disruption in oil and gas production is expected. The Norwegian Shipowners' Association and Styrke…
The ethnic groups are angry about Tinubu's pardoning of the 'Ogoni Nine" by Nigerian President Tinubu
Nigerian Ogoni activists rejected on Friday a posthumous forgiveness for nine members of their community who were executed by the military dictatorship three decades earlier. They criticized President Bola Tinubu’s decision as insufficient and perpetuating injustice. Tinubu, in honor of Nigeria's Democracy Day, on the 12th June, pardoned nine men known as "Ogoni Nine", among them the writer Ken Saro Wiwa.
US terminal operator warns that its ethane and butane exports could fall
Enterprise Products Partners said on Thursday that the U.S. Department of Commerce's requirement for it to apply for a licence to export to China could hurt its ethane-and-butane exports. Reports on Wednesday said that the United States had ordered a wide range of companies to cease shipping products, such as ethane or butane, without a permit to China and revoked permits already granted to some suppliers.
Norway's oil-drilling unions are seeking wage mediation in order to avoid a strike
Employers and three unions reported that wage talks with 7,500 oil drilling employees in Norway failed on Wednesday. This could lead to a strike later this year. The Norwegian Shipowners' Association's (NSA) talks with the Safe, Styrke, and DSO unions are to resume at a future date, which is yet to be determined, under the mediation of a state appointed mediator. Geir Sjoeberg, the NSA's lead negotiator…
Norway Oil Drilling Unions Seek Mediation to Avoid Strike
Two unions have said that wage negotiations involving 7,000 oil drilling employees in Norway failed early on Wednesday. This could lead to strike action later in the year, which would disrupt exploration. The unions have announced that the talks between the Norwegian Shipowners' Association and the Safe and Styrke unions will be resumed at a future date, under the direction of a mediator appointed by the state.
Trump Administration kicks off plan to expand offshore drilling
The U.S. The U.S. Donald Trump ordered the government to find ways to increase U.S. oil production. He argued that previous administrations had curtailed drilling unnecessarily to combat climate changes. He also rescinded the efforts of former president Joe Biden to stop oil drilling in the Arctic, and large areas along the U.S. Atlantic Coast and Pacific Coast. In a recent press release, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated that "Under the leadership of President Donald J.
US wants to increase offshore oil drilling through easing of pressure rules
The U.S. Interior Department announced on Thursday that it had implemented new guidelines regarding pressure differentials allowed in certain types of oil drilling, in part of Gulf of Mexico. The department expects the changes to boost U.S. output of oil. The Energy Dominance Council, led by Doug Burgum, Interior Secretary to President Donald Trump, is seeking ways to reduce costs for oil and natural gas producers…
Baker Hughes reports that US drillers added oil and gas rigs in the US for a second consecutive week.
Baker Hughes, a leading energy services company, said that U.S. firms added oil and gas rigs this week for the second consecutive week for the first since February. The number of oil and gas drilling rigs, a good indicator of future production, increased by two in the week ending April 25. Baker Hughes reported that despite this week's increase in rigs, the total count is still 26 or 4% lower than this time last year.
Norway Parliament orders restart of frontier oil and Gas Exploration Licensing
The Norwegian Parliament on Tuesday directed the Labour Minority Government to launch a round of new oil and gas exploration licenses in frontier areas, setting the stage towards increased oil drilling. Norway is now Europe's biggest natural gas supplier following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 2022. It provides about 30% of all gas imported to the European Union. The Centre Party, who quit the government last January…
Brazil's Petrobras to simulate emergency plan for Foz do Amazonas basin
The Brazilian Environmental Agency Ibama approved on Monday the state-run Petrobras concept for an emergency plan that would assist local fauna if there was an oil spillage in the Foz do Amazonas Basin. This move allows Petrobras a simulation of their plan. It could be the final step before Ibama decides on a drilling license for the company in the northernmost part of Brazil’s Equatorial Margin. Petrobras considers this area to be the most promising oil frontier.
Texas oil drilling applications at 4-year low as producers consider OPEC+ increase, trade war
Enverus, a consultancy, said that oil and gas drilling permits in Texas, which is the leading U.S. state for oil production, dropped to their lowest level since February 2021. This was due to concerns about rising OPEC+ supply and a trade conflict continuing to impact crude prices. Enverus reports that operators in Texas filed 570 new drilling permits in April, down from the 795 applications submitted in March, and the lowest number of new permits since February 2021.