MDN’s Energy Stories of Interest: Thu, Oct 2, 2025 [FREE ACCESS]

MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: POGLA O&G gas rights town hall meeting tonight in Montrose, PA; OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Black Bayou Energy Hub receives FERC certificate; NATIONAL: Natural gas price surges on short-covering rally; Consumers’ Research campaign warns Chubb Insurance is pushing a political agenda; NRDC in climate denial (forced smiles at ‘Climate Week’); U.S. government shutdown leaves energy markets on edge; INTERNATIONAL: Oil extends losses before OPEC+ meeting; Macquarie reveals latest oil price forecasts.

MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION

POGLA O&G gas rights town hall meeting tonight in Montrose, PA
Wyoming County (PA) Examiner
The Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Landowner Alliance (POGLA) will host an Oil and Gas Rights town hall meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 2 at the Montrose VFW, 16972 state Route 706. Doors open at 5:45 p.m. The event is free, but registration is required — either online at pogla.org/events, by phone at 717-205-2350 or at the door. POGLA town hall meetings discuss issues that matter to landowners with oil and gas royalties such as leases, setbacks, decimal interests, unit declarations, legal issues, legislative updates, estate planning and new developments. A question and answer session will follow. Light refreshments will be provided. [MDN: This is a great organization. If you live in either Wyoming or Susquehanna counties, it would be well worth your time to attend.]

OTHER U.S. REGIONS

Black Bayou Energy Hub receives FERC certificate
Black Bayou Energy Hub
Black Bayou Energy Hub has received a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from FERC, authorizing construction and operations of its underground gas storage project in Louisiana, which will include four salt-dome caverns with a combined working capacity of 34.7 billion cubic feet and deliver/inject rates up to 2.0/1.6 Bcf/day, connected via a 27-mile looped pipeline to 10 interstate lines. It also secured a $50 million structured capital commitment from Mercuria, positioning the project to advance toward a final investment decision (FID) backed by long-term commercial contracts and strategic infrastructure location. [MDN: This is a new salt dome gas storage facility less than 25 miles from several LNG export facilities.]

NATIONAL

Natural gas price surges on short-covering rally
Wall Street Journal
Natural gas futures settled up 5.2% to $3.476 per mmBtu, the highest level since mid-July. The big uptick came late in trading, as short-covering ramped up. “The changes in the longer-term forecast continue to trip short covering buyers to exit,” says BOK Financial in a note. The firm says that weather models have added as much as 17 heating-degree days, meaning that more natural gas is expected to be consumed than what was previously anticipated. In the short-term though, temperatures are expected to be above-average. [MDN: We like where the price is going.]

Consumers’ Research campaign warns Chubb Insurance is pushing a political agenda
Consumers’ Research
Consumers’ Research has launched a multimillion-dollar campaign targeting insurance giant Chubb, accusing it of prioritizing political and social agendas over its customers. The campaign includes national TV ads, billboards, and digital outreach in Washington, D.C., New York City, and New Jersey, highlighting Chubb’s support for climate policies, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and what critics call “radical gender ideology.” Executive Director Will Hild charged Chubb with undermining women’s protections, attacking democratic laws, and hurting America’s energy industry by restricting coal and natural gas coverage. The campaign seeks to hold Chubb accountable for advancing what it calls “radical woke ideology.” [MDN: It’s about time our side started outing sleazy organizations like Chubb. If you have insurance through them, change it!]

NRDC in climate denial (forced smiles at ‘Climate Week’)
MasterResource/Robert Bradley Jr.
The article argues that the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is engaging in denial by maintaining a faith-based “clean energy” narrative despite what the author views as its flawed economics, intermittency, land use, and grid fragility. It critiques NRDC President Manish Bapna’s upbeat rhetoric during Climate Week—claiming clean energy is cheaper, job-creating, and inevitable—and contends that such claims are fallacious. The author asserts that wind, solar, and batteries have had their chance since the 1970s–1990s and calls for a shift toward “consumer-chosen, taxpayer-neutral” energy alternatives. [MDN: So-called “Climate Week” in NYC was all dog-and-pony show put on for the mindless faithful. The people at the top offered false hope to keep the robots wound up.]

U.S. government shutdown leaves energy markets on edge
OilPrice.com/Charles Kennedy
The U.S. government shutdown has significant consequences for energy markets, removing critical data and delaying regulatory processes. The Energy Information Administration’s weekly petroleum and natural gas reports, vital for price discovery and risk management, will halt, forcing traders to rely on less reliable private surveys, increasing volatility. Suspension of economic data from agencies like the Bureau of Labor Statistics leaves markets and the Federal Reserve without employment and inflation signals, complicating demand forecasts. Financing costs rise as Treasury yields climb, while project permitting slows at agencies like FERC and BOEM. Globally, OPEC+ and refiners lose visibility, heightening uncertainty and price swings. [MDN: This “uncertainty” in the energy markets is a small price to pay for refusing to be blackmailed by the Democrats into spending another trillion dollars on insider pork that they demand. Sorry, but we don’t want our taxes funding healthcare for illegals, which is one of the things the Dems are demanding. Keep the whole darned thing shut down!]

INTERNATIONAL

Oil extends losses before OPEC+ meeting
Bloomberg/Mia Gindis, Veena Ali-Khan
Oil prices fell for a third straight day as concerns over oversupply and weakening demand pressured markets. West Texas Intermediate dropped nearly 1% to $61.78 a barrel, while Brent fell to $65.35. Traders speculated OPEC+ might accelerate output hikes despite the group denying such plans, adding to bearish sentiment. U.S. crude inventories rose by 1.79 million barrels, with gasoline demand hitting a six-month low, further weighing on futures. Analysts warned of a record surplus next year, citing bearish supply-demand balances, while Middle Eastern crude benchmarks also slipped amid expectations of increased regional supply, amplifying market pessimism. [MDN: One thing we’ve learned over the years (that these unnamed oil traders know, too) is that you can’t trust what OPEC+ thug dictators say. You must watch their actions.]

Macquarie reveals latest oil price forecasts
Rigzone/Andreas Exarheas
Macquarie has lowered its oil price forecasts for 2025 and 2026, citing expectations of a heavily oversupplied market. The firm now projects Brent to average $67.95 per barrel in 2025 and $60.75 in 2026, while WTI is forecast at $64.13 and $56.63, respectively—both down from earlier estimates. The report attributes price volatility to trade tensions, shifting OPEC strategies, and geopolitical conflicts such as Russia-Ukraine, alongside sub-trend demand growth and strong supply from the Americas. J.P. Morgan and the U.S. EIA also forecast declining prices, with Brent expected near $66–67 in 2025 and around $51–58 in 2026. [MDN: These forecasts are likely in the ballpark, provided nothing major happens on the geopolitical scene for the next year.]