MDN’s Energy Stories of Interest: Mon, Sep 22, 2025 [FREE ACCESS]

MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: OOGA’s annual community charity event raises $25,000 for Utica Shale Academy; OTHER U.S. REGIONS: NYK increases CO2 credits purchase from Occidental; U.S. Northeast is relying less on electricity imports from Canada; Conroe’s natural gas pipeline lawsuit delivers national consequences; NATIONAL: U.S. natural gas futures extend losses; Exxon says demand makes case for fossil fuel growth; Comments on DOE climate science study; The US LNG industry risks becoming victim of its own success; Natural gas is America’s secret weapon in the AI power race; INTERNATIONAL: Oil drops as Trump, Xi meeting curbs tariff expectations; Turkey plans energy deals with USA; Nearly all “climate action” in Australia has reduced emissions by piddly 3.9% in 20 years; JP Morgan analysts look at global oil demand growth; Thousands of German residents take to the streets demand stop to natgas projects.

MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION

OOGA’s annual community charity event raises $25,000 for Utica Shale Academy
East Liverpool (OH) The Review
The Ohio Oil and Gas Association (OOGA) held its 7th annual community charity event, the OOGA Road Rally, at K1 Racing in Stark County, bringing together over 50 go-kart drivers and raising $25,000 for the Utica Shale Academy (USA). With venue sponsorship from Williams and lunch sponsorship from Blackstar, all funds went directly to the academy, which prepares students for careers in oil, gas, and beyond. OOGA leaders emphasized the event’s blend of fun, camaraderie, and meaningful impact, while Utica Shale Academy Superintendent Bill Watson praised the partnership for providing students with vital opportunities and resources for career readiness. [MDN: The Utica Shale Academy is an excellent high school that trains workers for the shale industry. Kudos to OOGA, Williams, and Blackstar for putting on this event.]

OTHER U.S. REGIONS

NYK increases CO2 credits purchase from Occidental
Rigzone/Jov Onsat
NYK Line has expanded its partnership with Occidental Petroleum’s 1PointFive to purchase additional carbon dioxide (CO2) removal credits from the Stratos direct air capture (DAC) project in Texas, the world’s largest planned DAC facility with capacity to capture 500,000 metric tons of CO2 annually. This marks NYK’s second agreement with Stratos, complementing its five-year deal with ENEOS starting in 2028 to secure credits tied to marine fuel. NYK says the credits will offset residual emissions beyond operational improvements. Stratos recently received Class VI sequestration permits and top-tier ratings for credit quality, strengthening confidence in its durability and scalability. [MDN: NYK Line is a Japanese shipping company. The whole purchasing of carbon credits (so you can keep on “polluting”) is going to come crashing down at some point, we think sooner rather than later. Occidental risks the entire company on this nonsense. Selling CO2 credits is the same thing as the Middle Ages practice of the Catholic Church selling indulgences, so you can keep on sinning and still get into heaven. In this case, buy a credit so you can keep on polluting, putting CO2 into the atmosphere (which isn’t really pollution). It’s a huge crock.]

U.S. Northeast is relying less on electricity imports from Canada
U.S. Energy Information Administration – Today in Energy
From January through August 2025, the U.S. Northeast has been importing significantly less electricity from Canada into ISO-NE and NYISO compared to 2022 levels—ISO-NE’s imports averaged under 40%, and NYISO’s dropped to about 25%. Two major causes are the persistent drought in Canada, reducing hydropower generation, and declining electricity demand in both regions. As a result, there are increasing instances when the Northeast actually exports power to Canada, especially during spring and fall when U.S. demand is lower. In 2025, Canadian imports supplied about 2–5% of NYISO’s electricity demand—down sharply from past years. [MDN: Interesting turnaround, and a good one. We should wean ourselves from using Canadian electricity. We ought to consider severing the grid so we’re no longer connected to Canada, in our humble opinion.]

Conroe’s natural gas pipeline lawsuit delivers national consequences
Washington (DC) Times/Michael McKenna
In Montgomery County, Texas, home to roughly 700,000 residents and a strong Trump-voting base, a dispute has arisen over the placement of the Blackfin Compressor Station near Bartholet Home Furnishings in Conroe. Despite legal approval from both the Texas Railroad Commission and the city itself, the Conroe City Council is backing the Bartholets’ lawsuit against the station, spending taxpayer money to oppose infrastructure critical to transporting natural gas from major production regions. This local NIMBY conflict highlights the tension between property concerns and essential energy needs, raising questions about fiscal responsibility, city leadership, and the broader impact on Texas’ role in American energy security. [MDN: Honestly, we wouldn’t want a compressor station right next to our business (or home), either. Somehow, both sides should work together to figure out a solution.]

NATIONAL

U.S. natural gas futures extend losses
Wall Street Journal
U.S. natural gas futures extended its loss to three days with little change in midday temperature outlooks and continuing concerns about high inventories following this week’s above-consensus storage build. The EU unveiled a list of new sanctions against Russia, including ending purchases of Russian LNG after 2026—a year earlier than previously planned. The decision, if effective, could be positive for U.S. natural gas prices in the longer term. Nymex natural gas for October delivery settled down 1.7% at $2.888/mmBtu. [MDN: Down in the $2.80s. Yuck. Sooner or later, it will rise above $3 again. Let’s hope it’s sooner.]

Exxon says demand makes case for fossil fuel growth
Bloomberg/Kevin Crowley
Exxon Mobil Corp. reaffirmed its long-term commitment to fossil fuels, projecting oil and gas will remain about 55% of the global energy mix through 2050 despite growth in renewables. Speaking at the BloombergNEF Barrel of Tomorrow summit, upstream president Dan Ammann said Exxon will double liquefied natural gas sales by 2030, expand production in Guyana and the Permian Basin, and launch its Golden Pass LNG project soon, with additional projects in Mozambique and Papua New Guinea under review. Ammann argued demand will not materially change, and Exxon’s strategy of sticking with fossil fuels has proven stronger than peers’ renewable pivots. [MDN: Finally, a Big Oil company that gets it. Fossil energy is the future, not the past. Good on Exxon for admitting it openly, and not chasing after the fool’s gold of unreliable renewables.]

Comments on DOE climate science study
MasterResource/Robert Bradley Jr.
The article supports the DOE’s 2025 report “A Critical Review of Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions on the U.S. Climate”, arguing that it provides a needed counterbalance to climate alarmism. The author emphasizes the report’s optimistic view of CO? and stresses the importance of energy—especially fossil fuels—as essential to human prosperity. He also highlights widespread recognition among mainstream climate scientists about the limits and uncertainties of climate models—particularly regarding equilibrium climate sensitivity, cloud feedbacks, parameterizations, and scale issues. The author argues that models are often tuned, small-scale processes are poorly represented, and many projections depend on assumptions whose accuracy is difficult to verify. [MDN: The DOE’s report is real science, not the political B.S. dressed up as science the Democrat left has peddled for years.]

The US LNG industry risks becoming victim of its own success
Reuters/Ron Bousso
The U.S. LNG industry, having rapidly expanded to become the world’s top exporter, now faces challenges from its own success. Global LNG capacity is projected to grow by 60% by 2030, with half of that increase coming from the U.S., potentially leading to a significant oversupply by 2026. This glut could drive down global prices, adversely affecting American producers who already face higher costs compared to competitors like Qatar. Additionally, domestic factors such as reduced renewable energy deployment and increased electricity demand from AI-driven data centers are expected to raise U.S. gas prices, creating a conflict between export commitments and domestic energy needs. [MDN: These doom and gloom analyses by commentators always make the same mistake. They underestimate the power of the capitalist free market and American ingenuity. “Oooo, be careful, you’re about to start producing too much.” Or, “Oooo, be careful, you’re about to short domestic supplies too much.” And these problems, if they do appear, are short-lived due to the free market (which self-corrects).]

Natural gas is America’s secret weapon in the AI power race
OilPrice.com/Tsvetana Paraskova
Top U.S. natural gas producers and pipeline operators anticipate accelerated development of gas infrastructure to meet rising electricity demand and curb soaring consumer bills, which have outpaced inflation for three years and are projected to continue through 2026. Despite record domestic energy production in 2024–2025, high prices persist, prompting calls for new pipelines and power plants, particularly in Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Louisiana. Growth in AI-driven data centers and onshored manufacturing is boosting electricity demand, expected to rise 2.4% annually through 2030. Natural gas, due to its abundance and flexibility, is positioned to capture most of this growth, though renewables will also contribute. [MDN: Natgas is the clear winner in generating power. Leave unreliable renewables for others like Canada and Europe. They can have it.]

INTERNATIONAL

Oil drops as Trump, Xi meeting curbs tariff expectations
Bloomberg/Mia Gindis, Veena Ali-Khan
Oil prices fell for a fourth day, with West Texas Intermediate settling at $62.68 a barrel, as optimism over easing U.S.-China tensions reduced fears of secondary U.S. tariffs on Russian crude buyers. President Trump and President Xi Jinping agreed to meet at the upcoming APEC summit, lowering expectations of punitive U.S. measures against China despite its continued Russian oil purchases. While Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy assets and global tariff calls provided some price support, market sentiment remains capped by oversupply concerns. Adding pressure, a stronger dollar and U.S. interest rate cuts, coupled with labor market warnings, dampened energy demand outlooks. [MDN: Oil continues to trade in a narrow range in the $60s. Reporters try to find different reasons for minor ups and downs, but the fact remains, it’s stable right where it is.]

Turkey plans energy deals with USA
Bloomberg/F.Kozok, S.Hacaoglu
Turkey is preparing to sign new energy deals with the U.S. as early as next week [meaning this week], including potential pledges to boost imports of American liquefied natural gas, in a bid to reset strained relations with Washington. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also seeks a meeting with President Donald Trump during the UN General Assembly. The move reflects Ankara’s balancing act between reliance on Russia, which supplied 41% of its gas last year and is building Turkey’s first nuclear plant, and growing ties with the U.S., now its top seaborne energy supplier. Talks also involve U.S. firms on LNG and small modular reactors. [MDN: About darned time these other countries got the message that they need to curry favor with the U.S. or risk being shut out of our markets and risk getting a cold shoulder from us. Trump is building respect for the U.S. around the world, after YEARS of disrespect by our so-called friends. LNG is the primary way other countries are trying to curry favor.]

Nearly all “climate action” in Australia has reduced emissions by piddly 3.9% in 20 years
Jo Nova
The article argues that over the past 20 years, Australia has spent “blockbuster billions” on wind, solar, and batteries, yet those technologies have only cut national emissions by about 4% during that period; in contrast, trees and forests have accounted for 24% of the reduction. It suggests that the impact of technological climate policies has been modest compared to natural carbon sequestration from trees, implying resources might have been allocated inefficiently. [MDN: Another great post from Jo Nova detailing how Australia has blown billions on chasing after ways to reduce emissions, and the money was WASTED. Trees themselves have handled far more CO2 reductions than all of the cockamamie plans by the Aussies. They should be ashamed.]

JP Morgan analysts look at global oil demand growth
Rigzone/Andreas Exarheas
Global oil demand averaged 104.4 million barrels per day through September 17, up 520,000 barrels year over year, according to J.P. Morgan analysts led by Natasha Kaneva. The figure closely matched their forecast of 104.5 million barrels, with year-to-date demand growth at 0.8 million barrels per day, nearly in line with estimates. Indicators outside the U.S. show resilience, with strong Chinese port activity, modest global flight growth, and stabilized petrochemical imports in East Asia. However, U.S. demand is softening, with declining container arrivals and reduced cargo flight volumes, creating headwinds for jet fuel consumption. August demand averaged 105.2 million barrels. [MDN: The unstated observation is that oil use worldwide continues to grow. That’s the takeaway. Contrary to the left’s insistence that oil use has peaked and is diminishing, the facts say otherwise.]

Thousands of German residents take to the streets demand stop to natgas projects
VOI – Waktunya Merevolusi Pemberitaan
On September 20, thousands of Germans protested nationwide, demanding stronger government action against climate damage and an immediate halt to all new natural gas projects. Organized by Fridays for Future, the demonstrations drew over 50,000 participants across 80 cities, including 4,300 in Berlin, 5,000 in Hamburg, and 1,500 in Munich. Protesters criticized Energy Minister Katherina Reiche and the central right-wing coalition’s plan to build a 20-gigawatt gas power plant by 2030, accusing the government of spreading doubt about renewable energy and favoring fossil fuels. Activists called the policy harmful, costly, and obstructive to climate protection efforts. [MDN: These protesters are demented. There’s no other word to use. Do they prefer sitting in the dark? Are they really that dumb? This is why Germany is sinking into oblivion faster than any other European country.]