EMG, Which Owns 30% of Ascent Resources, Blocked from Selling
Ascent Resources, formerly American Energy Partners, was founded by gas legend Aubrey McClendon and is a privately held company focused 100% on the Ohio Utica Shale. Ascent, headquartered in Oklahoma City, OK, is Ohio’s largest natural gas producer and the 8th largest natural gas producer in the U.S. The largest shareholder in the privately owned company is the private equity firm Energy & Minerals Group (EMG), with an “over 30% stake” in the company. EMG plans to sell that stake in one of its portfolio companies to another EMG company. Another (smaller) investor, the Abu Dhabi Investment Council, has sued to block the transfer, alleging a “conflicted sale” that will short-change existing investors. Read More “EMG, Which Owns 30% of Ascent Resources, Blocked from Selling”
In Q3 2025, U.S. E&Ps (drillers) successfully leveraged rigorous cost-cutting and capital discipline to maintain stable earnings despite commodity price volatility. With lifting costs down 16% since mid-2022, producers offset revenue pressures through efficiency and consolidation. RBN Energy reports that performance diverged by sector in 3Q: oil-weighted producers saw earnings rise 19% on stabilized crude prices and reduced impairments, while gas-weighted peers suffered a 27% earnings slump due to lower realizations. Total production increased 4.7%, mainly driven by oil majors. Looking ahead to Q4, the outlook shifts; oil producers face headwinds as prices dip toward $60/bbl, while natural gas producers anticipate a strong finish fueled by winter demand and rising Henry Hub prices. 
Here we go again. The environmental left is attacking the shale industry by accusing it of shipping drill cuttings (the leftover rock and dirt that comes out of a borehole) to local landfills in the Buckeye State (Ohio), where it will irradiate everyone and everything close to it. According to the left, drill cuttings “could be contaminated with radioactivity and other chemicals.” And, according to the same people, lack of regulations in Ohio “allows it [radioactive drill cuttings] to slip by regulators, especially in Ohio,” and end up in the same landfills as “household trash.” Is there anything to the claim that drill cuttings are radioactive and a threat to those who live near landfills? 
In October 2024, the Bidenistas announced seven hydrogen hub projects (from 33 finalists) that would receive a collective $7 billion in federal funding (see 
A commentator writing for Reuters warns that soaring U.S. natural gas prices and falling global values are squeezing profit margins for American LNG exporters, threatening future exports. The narrowing price gap between U.S. and European markets, driven by high domestic demand and global oversupply, has reached its lowest point since 2021. The prognosticator postulates that while immediate production cuts are unlikely, a surge in new global capacity by 2027 could force reductions in U.S. LNG exports. Furthermore, rising domestic prices pose a political challenge for President Trump, as his promise to lower consumer energy costs conflicts with market tightening driven by increased LNG exports and energy-intensive data centers. 
OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Glenfarne, POSCO finalize strategic Alaska LNG partnership; Macquarie places 20-year order from Texas LNG; Report shows Newsom prioritizes Beijing over Bakersfield; L.A. kicks coal as it fires up the world’s largest green hydrogen power plant; NATIONAL: Natural gas futures extend gains as U.S. grows cold; $5 psychological threshold still a relevant driver for natgas; Natural gas price forecast – $5.09 new high; New tool signals best time to buy business energy; Top journal retracts study predicting catastrophic climate toll; INTERNATIONAL: Crude settles higher despite Saudi price cut; Analysts see ‘5-10 years of decent growth’ for oil demand; There’s no green backlash, EU climate chief insists.