MDN’s Energy Stories of Interest: Thu, Oct 9, 2025 [FREE ACCESS]

NATIONAL: U.S. natural gas futures pull back ahead of storage data; Dallas Fed survey flags theft in the oil field; Trump reloads an ‘America First’ energy agenda while reasserting sound science; INTERNATIONAL: Oil rises on U.S. stockpile drop; The Pope blessing Arctic Sea ice reveals a curse; Trump, Meloni, Milei say UN climate scam must go; Turkey’s gas shift threatens Russia and Iran’s last big European market.

NATIONAL

U.S. natural gas futures pull back ahead of storage data
Wall Street Journal
U.S. natural gas futures give back gains from the previous two sessions in choppy shoulder-season trade. “Just when it looked like bulls had taken out strong resistance of $3.50 on Nov‘25 contracts, sellers stepped in to plunge prices to back to the middle of the recent $3.25-$3.50 price range,” NatGasWeather.com says in a note. “We expect trade to remain volatile the next few sessions, especially with tomorrow’s EIA weekly storage report on tap to see if last week’s bullish miss carries over to this week, or if it was a one-off number.” Analysts in a Wall Street Journal survey predict a 75 Bcf storage injection, below the 94 Bcf five-year average for the week. Nymex natural gas settled down 4.7% at $3.333/mmBtu. [MDN: Down but certainly not out. We’re still well above the important $3 mark.]

Dallas Fed survey flags theft in the oil field
Rigzone/Andreas Exarheas
According to the Dallas Fed’s third-quarter Energy Survey, 41% of oil and gas executives reported experiencing theft in the oil field over the past year, with crude oil, piping valves and wiring, and equipment being the most commonly stolen items. Most affected firms described the impact as “low.” The survey, conducted from September 10 to 18 among 80 exploration and production firms, highlighted growing concerns over oilfield theft. In response, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed several bills into law, including measures to create theft prevention units and a petroleum theft task force, aimed at safeguarding the state’s vital energy industry and supporting regional economic growth. [MDN: An interesting development. First we have read about widespread theft happening in the oilfield.]

Trump reloads an ‘America First’ energy agenda while reasserting sound science
Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT)/Kevin Mooney
Trump’s renewed “America First” energy agenda hinges on an Energy Department report and the anticipated reversal of the EPA’s “Endangerment Finding,” which he argues is based on flawed climate models. The article says that model projections, especially in places like the Corn Belt, vastly overstate warming compared to observational data, exposing deep bias in climate science. Five independent scientists involved contend that CO? is wrongly categorized as a pollutant and that natural variability—particularly solar influences—has been underestimated. Rescinding the regulatory authority enabled by the Endangerment Finding, the piece asserts, could save billions and curtail what it sees as economically harmful climate policies. [MDN: We’re finally returning climate science to real, in-the-field observational science. It’s time to leave behind computer models based on fantasies.]

INTERNATIONAL

Oil rises on U.S. stockpile drop
Bloomberg/Mia Gindis, Omar El Chmouri
Oil prices rose to a one-week high as U.S. stockpile data showed declines in crude and refined products, while broader market strength supported gains. West Texas Intermediate climbed 1.3% to $62.55 a barrel and Brent gained 1.2% to $66.25. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported a 763,000-barrel drop at Cushing and the largest distillate decline since June. However, price increases remain limited by expectations of abundant global supply as OPEC+ boosts output, U.S. production hits records, and Russian exports surge. Goldman Sachs maintained a bearish outlook, forecasting a global surplus and Brent averaging $56 in 2026. Exxon Mobil also advanced exploration plans in Iraq’s Majnoon field. [MDN: With apologies to TobyMac and his 2022 song Cornerstone (we substituted “price” for “sun”): “The price goes up, the price comes down; This old world keeps spinnin’ ’round; I’m here travelin’ down this long and winding road.”]

The Pope blessing Arctic Sea ice reveals a curse
Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT)/Joe Bastardi
The author reflects on how he evolved from distrusting Ronald Reagan to embracing conservative thought after discovering media distortions of Reagan’s views and exploring the writings of William F. Buckley. Drawing on Buckley’s idea that spiritual leaders lose authority when they place one foot in the “City of Man” and another in the “City of God,” the author criticizes the current pope for engaging in worldly issues such as climate politics. He argues that by aligning with secular environmental agendas and figures like Al Gore and John Kerry, the pope undermines spiritual credibility and weakens the Church’s divine mission. [MDN: The author, Joe Bastardi, is a meteorologist and a superb guy. He’s also a lifelong Catholic and expresses his disappointment with Pope Leo XIV for wandering into climate politics instead of sticking with the Bible. We concur.]

Trump, Meloni, Milei say UN climate scam must go
RealClearEnergy/Duggan Flanakin
At the UN General Assembly, President Donald Trump sharply criticized the UN’s climate and environmental policies, calling renewables a “joke” and “climate change” the greatest con in history. He accused China of exploiting green policies to dominate manufacturing while Western nations cripple their economies with costly energy restrictions. Trump cited Germany’s retreat from all-green policies as proof of their failure and ridiculed Europe’s carbon reduction claims amid economic decline. Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Argentina’s Javier Milei echoed his rejection of UN overreach and radical environmentalism, while African leaders, notably Nigeria’s Heineken Lokpobiri, urged investment in fossil fuels to power real development. [MDN: The UN finally got some world leaders delivering some truth for a change. Climate change IS a hoax perpetrated by the left to control people. That’s what it all boils down to. A mass-brainwashing exercise. China is happy to sell us solar panels and windmills while it constructs coal- and gas-fired power plants. Open your eyes!]

Turkey’s gas shift threatens Russia and Iran’s last big European market
Reuters/Can Sezer
Turkey is reorienting its gas strategy by boosting domestic production and LNG imports—especially from the U.S.—with plans to cover over half its demand by 2028, a shift that risks eroding its role as a major European market for Russian and Iranian gas. Russia’s long-term pipeline agreements with Turkey are nearing expiry, and Iran’s contract is to lapse mid-2026, prompting Ankara to seek more flexible, diversified supplies. While Russia retains dominance in pricing, Turkey is preparing to burn its legacy imports domestically and re-export other volumes to Europe. [MDN: Trump’s pressure on Europe to end its dependence on Russian gas is working.]