Senators from refinery states try to stop Trump from shifting the renewable fuel obligation
According to a draft of legislation that was seen by the, oil refinery state lawmakers, led by Senator Mike Lee (a Republican from Utah), will introduce legislation to stop President Donald Trump from shifting renewable-fuel blending obligations away from smaller refineries and towards larger ones. The bill reflects the political divisions in the U.S. Biofuels Policy, which pits farm interests against the oil industry that supports U.S. productions of biofuels such as corn-based bioethanol. The current debate centers…
Oil Prices Steady as Ukraine Peace Process Stalls
Oil prices steadied on Friday amid uncertainty surrounding a potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, with prices remaining on track for their first weekly gain in three weeks.Brent crude futures were down 3 cents at $67.64 a barrel as of 1:00 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT). West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained 5 cents to $63.57.Both contracts gained more than 1% in the previous session. Brent has risen 2.7% so far this week while WTI is up 1.2%."Everyone is waiting for President Trump's next step," said UBS commodity analyst Giovanni Staunovo. "Over the coming days, it seems nothing will happen," he added.U.S.
Baker Hughes reports that the US oil and gas rig counts are stable this week.
Baker Hughes, a leading energy services company, said that the U.S. energy companies this week kept the number of oil rigs and natural gas rigs at a constant level. The number of oil and gas drilling rigs, which is a good indicator of future production, was 539 during the week ending August 15. Baker Hughes reported that oil rigs increased by one this week to 412 while gas rigs decreased by one to 122. Texas, which is the largest oil and gas producing state, saw its rig count drop by one, to 242, marking the lowest level since September 2021. In Wyoming, rig counts fell to 13 from 1, the lowest level since August 2024.
Baker Hughes reports that the US oil/gas rig counts fell for a fourth month, to a low of Oct 2021.
Baker Hughes, a leading energy services company, said that the U.S. has cut its number of operating oil and gas rigs for the fourth consecutive month to the lowest level since October 2021. The number of oil and gas drilling rigs, a good indicator of future production, dropped by seven in the week ending June 27. Baker Hughes reported that the number of rigs is down by 34 this week, or about 6% from this time last year. Baker Hughes reported that oil rigs dropped by six this week to 432, their lowest level since October 2021. Gas rigs also decreased by two, to 109.
Senate bill increases value of tax credits to use CO2 captured to produce more oil
The U.S. Senate committee proposed that the tax credit to capture carbon emissions when recovering oil be equal to the tax credit of $85/metric tonne for permanently burying these emissions underground. This would be a boon to oil and gas producers. In its draft bill, the finance committee, which is a key part of the Republican budget package, proposed a change to the 45Q tax credit. This was formerly part of 2022's Inflation Reduction act. The House of Representatives' version of the bill, which passed last month by one vote in that chamber, left the credit for enhanced recovery projects at 60/metric ton.
Trump's push to speed up reactor approvals has a profound impact on the U.S. nuclear industry
The U.S. president Donald Trump directed on Friday the independent nuclear regulator of his country to ease rules and speed up approvals for new power plants and reactors. He aimed to reduce licensing timelines from several years to only 18 months. The executive order was part of an ongoing series of executive orders aimed at boosting domestic nuclear energy production in response to the surge in demand for data centers and artificial intelligent. According to the senior White House official, the orders are also intended to reinvigorate the U.S. uranium enrichment and production. Here's a quick snapshot of the U.S.
The US claims that there are significant oil and gas reserves in Wyoming.
The U.S. Interior Department announced on Wednesday that a new federal assessment identified significant oil and gas reserves in Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado which are technically recoverable but have not yet been discovered. Interior Department announced on Wednesday. The U.S. Geological Survey's Mowry Composite Total Petroleum System, which is also known as the Mowry Composite Total Petroleum System, could boost domestic energy supplies and align with the Trump Administration's plan to increase drilling and mining on federal lands. The Mowry Composite TPS includes most of southwest Wyoming, as well as small parts of Utah and Colorado.
Executives say that AI will lead to cheaper and faster oil production. CORRECTED.
Executives at the CERAWeek Conference in Houston explained that artificial intelligence has accelerated oil and gas drilling, and has prompted companies to reconsider areas they previously deemed too expensive or difficult to develop. AI was a major topic in several sessions of the largest energy conference. Oil producers are looking for ways to stay profitable amid a plummeting price of oil and concerns that U.S. president Donald Trump's tariffs may slow down global energy demand. Ann Davies, BP’s senior vice-president of wells, revealed that the UK oil giant BP uses AI to predict problems and steer drill bits before they occur.
Executives say AI will lead to cheaper and faster oil production.
Executives at the CERAWeek Conference in Houston explained that artificial intelligence has accelerated oil and gas drilling, and is prompting companies take a second glance at areas they previously deemed too expensive or difficult to develop. AI was a major topic in several sessions of the largest energy conference. Oil producers are looking for ways to stay profitable amid a plummeting price of oil and concerns that U.S. president Donald Trump's tariffs may slow down global energy demand. Ann Davies, BP’s senior vice-president of wells, revealed that the UK oil giant BP uses AI to predict problems and steer drill bits before they occur.
US Supreme Court dismisses state climate lawsuits against oil companies
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a bid from 19 Republican-led state led by Alabama, to stop five Democratic-led state from pursuing lawsuits against major oil companies for deceiving public about the role that fossil fuels played in climate change. The justices refused to hear a case filed directly at the Supreme Court by Republican attorneys general. This case targeted cases filed against Exxon Mobil and other companies such as Chevron, ConocoPhillips Shell, BP, Shell, ConocoPhillips. These lawsuits were brought by California, Connecticut Minnesota, New Jersey, and Rhode Island.
Baker Hughes and Frontier Infrastructure form a carbon capture partnership
Baker Hughes announced on Monday a partnership between Frontier Infrastructure and the United States' largest carbon capture and storage solutions (CCS). Oilfield Services provider adds that it will provide technology solutions for carbon capture projects, power generation and datacenters. Baker Hughes announced that it will leverage key technologies in well design, carbon dioxide compressing and long-term monitoring for Frontier's Sweetwater Carbon Storage Hub to be located in Wyoming. The company said it would use gas turbines for 256 megawatts in order to meet the increasing demand of electricity across the U.S.
Trump appoints US Oil Advocate to Lead Public Land Bureau
Kathleen Sgamma is a vocal advocate of oil and gas for Western States. She will be heading the Interior Department Bureau of Land Management which oversees the use of nearly 250 million acres of country's public lands. Sgamma is the head of Western Energy Alliance which represents oil companies operating on federal land. He had criticized Biden's and Obama's efforts to reserve public land for conservation rather than open more acres for energy developments. Sgamma, as the head of BLM, will be responsible for overseeing federal leasing programs in oil and gas, mining and grazing, and renewable energy.
Looney, former BP boss, to lead US data company Prometheus Hyperscale
The U.S. data company announced on Sunday that former BP CEO Bernard Looney will chair Prometheus Hyperscale. Prometheus Hyperscale announced that Looney, the former CEO of British energy giant BP, resigned from his position in 2023, after serving four years as the company's chief executive, for failing to disclose all details about past personal relationships. He will now provide strategic guidance in developing the growth plans of the data-driven firm. Prometheus Hyperscale announced that Looney's new position will include assisting with work at the company’s $10 billion flagship data center in Evanston Wyoming.
Trump selects Burgum as Interior Secretary
Donald Trump, the president-elect, announced on Thursday that North Dakota governor Doug Burgum will be his choice for Interior Secretary. Burgum is a former wealthy software executive. Trump, dressed in a tuxedo, said that the Department of Interior would be headed by him. He added that an announcement would be made on Friday. Burgum has presented himself as a conservative businessman who is traditional. He was a candidate for the Republican nomination for president before quitting. Now he is a Trump loyalist, attending fundraisers and promoting Trump on TV.
US federal energy revenues to fall 10% by 2024 but remain among the highest ever
The U.S. Interior Department reported that federal revenue from energy production in public lands and water fell 10% to $16.4 billion during the last fiscal year. Interior Department announced on Friday. This was the fourth-highest year since 1982, and the lowest total since 2021. Biden's administration has implemented policies that will help the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, while reducing new leasing of federal lands. Donald Trump, the President-elect Donald Trump, has pledged to increase oil and gas production through a relaxation of regulations. In the fiscal year that ended September, the U.S.
TerraPower has held informal discussions with Turkey and other countries about small reactors
TerraPower, the Bill Gates backed company that is looking to build small modules reactors for nuclear power, has held informal discussions with several countries in Europe including Turkey. A company spokesperson confirmed this on Thursday. In an earlier report, it was reported that Turkey has been drafting a new law to encourage the construction of SMRs as a complement to plans to build nuclear power plants. TerraPower's spokesperson responded to a question by saying that they had "had informal conversations" with many European countries including some Turkish stakeholders…
Gates-backed nuclear company, ASP Isotopes, plans plant to manufacture nuclear fuel
TerraPower, a Bill Gates-funded reactor company, and ASP Isotopes announced on Wednesday that they had struck a deal for the production of a new fuel. This fuel is currently only produced in Russia in commercial quantities, but will be used in a future generation of nuclear power stations. Both major U.S. political groups support nuclear power, but Russia is the sole major supplier of fuel for the new reactors that companies are planning to build, which is called HALEU (high assay low-enriched uranium). Companies in the United States are racing to produce HALEU to meet the demand for next-generation small modules reactors…
US energy deals fall to $12 billion in Q3 after a year-long frenzy
Enverus, a leading analytics firm, said that U.S. oil deals slowed dramatically in the last quarter as a result of fewer firms being offered and a consolidation wave lasting ten months. Andrew Dittmar, principal analyst at Enverus Intelligence research, reported that the quarter ending Sept. 30 saw the lowest number of deals in six quarters. After 2023, when $192 billion was spent on deals in West Texas and New Mexico's Permian Basin, the biggest shale formation in the U.S. He added that these mega deals are causing acquirers to review their portfolios in order to eliminate unwanted assets.
Maguire: Slow rollout of charge points could stall US EV sales momentum
The United States has seen a 140% increase in electric vehicle sales since 2023. However, further growth could be hindered if public charging stations are not rolled out more evenly and at a slower pace. According to the Alternative Fuels Data Center, U.S. electric vehicle registrations will reach just over 3.5 millions by September 2024. This is up from 1.4m registrations in 2023 and represents the steepest growth rate ever in EV adoption in the country. AFDC data show that the number of public EV chargers has increased by just 22% in the same time period to 176 032 units.
Maguire: Slow rollout of charge points could stall US EV sales momentum
The United States has seen a 140% increase in electric vehicle sales since 2023. However, further growth could be hindered if public charging stations are not rolled out more evenly and at a slower pace. According to the Alternative Fuels Data Center, U.S. electric vehicle registrations will reach just over 3.5 millions by September 2024. This is up from 1.4m registrations in 2023 and represents the steepest growth rate ever in EV adoption in the country. AFDC data show that the number of public EV chargers has increased by just 22% in the same time period to 176 032 units.