| | | | | | |

Big Oil Asks U.S. Supremes to Shut Down Lawsuits re Global Warming

A coalition of major oil companies is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on a key aspect of numerous ongoing nationwide lawsuits filed by cities, counties, and states. The lawsuits by multiple “blue” states and cities accuse Big Oil companies of deceiving the public about their role in causing mythical manmade global warming. The companies being targeted are the biggest of the big, with deep pockets. It’s nothing more than elaborate shakedown. Sunoco, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Marathon Petroleum, ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66, and others have asked the Supremes to intervene in a climate case filed against them by the City and County of Honolulu. The case serves as an important precedent for a number of other cases.
Continue reading

| | |

NAPE Speakers Say Carbon Capture & Sequestration a Risky Business

Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is coming on strong everywhere, including the Marcellus/Utica. Two days ago, we told you that Tenaska is looking to lease 80,000 acres in the M-U for CCS (see Landmen Knocking Doors in PA, OH, WV to Sign for CCS, Pore Rights). We also told you about a Marcellus driller, BKV, that’s looking to move into CCS in a big way, although mainly along the Gulf Coast (see Bumpy Financial Road for BKV – Company Bets on Carbon Capture). CCS was a big topic at last week’s NAPE Expo in Houston, Texas. A panel of speakers discussing CCS said the space poses risks, but those risks can be mitigated with proper reservoir assessment.
Continue reading

| | | | | | |

Need a Great Job in O&G? Six Supermajors Hiring Right Now

Looking for a great job in the oil and gas industry? From apprentices and graduate opportunities to highly skilled professionals in IT and technology, sales and marketing, finance, upstream, and trading, bioenergy, EV charging, hydrogen… even so-called renewables and power — six oil and gas supermajors are hiring. They include BP, Shell, TotalEnergies, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and (yes, even our enemy) Saudi Aramco. They all want new employees. Find out more below.
Continue reading

| | | |

Another Powerhouse Merger: Chevron Buying Hess for $53 Billion

Not even a full two weeks ago, MDN brought you the news that Exxon Mobil, the #5 oil producer in the Permian Basin, is buying Pioneer Natural Resources, the #1 oil producer in the Permian, in an all-stock deal valued at $59.5 billion, plus assuming $5 billion in debt, for a total deal value of $64.5 billion (see Shale Megadeal: Exxon Buys Pioneer Natural Res. for $64.5 Billion). We told you that experts were predicting Exxon’s megamerger with Pioneer would touch off more mergers. And it has. Chevron announced via press release this morning that it is buying Hess Corporation in an all-stock transaction valued at $53 billion. Chevron doesn’t want to be left behind in the oil drilling wars.
Continue reading

| | | | | | | |

EHB to Review DEP Finding of No PFAS Contamination by Chevron Well

Last November, MDN told you about a lawsuit filed by a family in Washington County, PA, against Chevron (now EQT) for drilling and fracking done in 2011-2012 near the family’s home (see PA Lawsuit Blames Chevron Fracking for PFAS Chemicals in Water Well). The lawsuit alleges Chevron used PFAS or “forever chemicals” in the fracking solution, and that those chemicals had leaked into the family’s water well. The PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) investigated and found that water contaminated with PFAS from Chevron’s drilling more than a decade ago did NOT pollute the family’s water well (see DEP Finds Chevron Drilling Did Not Contaminate Water Well with PFAS). The family, using a well-known anti-Marcellus lawyer, appealed the DEP finding. The Environmental Hearing Board (EHB), a special court in PA that hears appeals of DEP decisions, said it would review the DEP’s findings.
Continue reading

| | |

Big Oil Says NatGas Here to Stay for Decades, Not Just Transition

The biggest of the Big Oil companies, including Shell, Chevron, and Exxon Mobil, are making it quite clear that natural gas is here for decades to come. Leftists tried to sell the B.S. line that natural gas is a “short-term bridge to greener energy sources.” When that lie began to fall apart, leftists got agitated and began to sputter nonsense about natgas being a whole lot dirtier than anybody thought. Again, their lies are falling on deaf ears–at least the ears of Big Oil. Unless the left can bully the world’s biggest governments into destroying some of the biggest companies in the world–oil and gas companies–the only opinion that matters is that of the oil companies themselves because they are the ones who will (or will not) do more drilling.
Continue reading

| | | | | | | |

DEP Finds Chevron Drilling Did Not Contaminate Water Well with PFAS

Last November, MDN told you about a lawsuit filed by a family in Washington County, PA, against Chevron (now EQT) for drilling and fracking done in 2011-2012 near the family’s home (see PA Lawsuit Blames Chevron Fracking for PFAS Chemicals in Water Well). The lawsuit alleges Chevron used PFAS or “forever chemicals” in the fracking solution, and that those chemicals had leaked into the family’s water well. The PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) investigated and recently released the results of its investigation into whether or not PFAS from fracking polluted the water well.
Continue reading

| | | | | | | | | |

15 Biggest Natural Gas Pipeline Companies in the World

Here’s a question: What are the 15 biggest (by company revenue) natural gas-owning pipeline companies in the world? The U.S. has the biggest natural gas pipeline infrastructure in the world, covering a distance of 333,000 kilometers (206,917 miles). Even so, only one U.S.-based company is in the top 5 biggest pipeline companies. Can you guess which country takes the top 2 spots on the list?
Continue reading

| | | | | | | |

Senate Democrats Attack Big Oil Again, Propose Huge New Taxes

What can we say? Once again, the Democrat Party is trying to demonize fossil fuels and is going after “Big Oil,” proposing insanely high new taxes on a handful of oil companies because, for a single year (2022), they have actually made some money. All money and profits belong to the government in the left’s twisted worldview. A cabal of seven Senators led by Sen. Robert Menendez from New Jersey has launched this latest attack against our industry.
Continue reading

| | | | | | |

PA Lawsuit Blames Chevron Fracking for PFAS Chemicals in Water Well

click for larger version

Ever heard the term PFAS chemicals, or “forever chemicals”? We’ve seen lots of headlines over the past few years about PFAS but hadn’t really bothered to research it…until now. We’re always suspicious of these “flash mob” kinds of issues the mainstream media pushes. And with good reason. A recently filed lawsuit in Washington County, PA, Court of Common Pleas accuses Chevron of using PFAS chemicals in fracking that leaked into a local water well and has/is poisoning the landowner and his family. Here we go again.

11/10/22: Several important updates to this story have been added. See below.
Continue reading

| | | | | | | |

New Jersey Sues Big Oil in Attempt to Shut Down Free Speech

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution says: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” New Jersey is attempting to abridge the freedom of speech for Exxon Mobil, Shell Oil, Chevron, BP, ConocoPhillips, and the American Petroleum Institute (API). NJ has sued those entities claiming they knew that the products they manufacture and promote (oil and gas) have caused global warming and that these entities have lied, and continue to lie, about knowing. NJ wants to muzzle the right of the API and Exxon, et al., to freely defend themselves and stick up for fossil energy, claiming to do so endangers the public and harms the residents of NJ. It’s the most outlandish thing you’ve ever heard.
Continue reading

| | | | | | | | | | |

Natural Gas Marketed in North America Grows 2% in 2Q22

Each quarter NGI (Natural Gas Intelligence) runs the numbers and publishes a list of the top twenty-something natural gas marketers in the U.S. (in the case of 2Q22, the top 24). These are not necessarily the top producers of natural gas, although in some cases they are, but the top sellers (vendors, jobbers) of natural gas. NGI’s latest quarterly report for the second quarter of 2022 shows overall, the biggest sellers of natgas increased the amount of gas sold slightly (up 2%) compared with marketed gas from 2Q21.
Continue reading

| | | | | | | |

Desperate and Grumpy Biden Lashes Out at O&G Once Again

President Joe Biden is getting grumpy and thin-skinned in his old age. He thinks oil drillers and refineries should get up and tap dance on cue when he says so, even though he wants to bankrupt them and put them out of business a few years down the road. Leftwing media is catching on that the Bidenistas can’t demand more output now, requiring investments in the billions, while sending the loud message the same companies will be out of business in a few years as renewable nirvana takes hold (see Leftwing Media Finally Starts to Criticize Biden Admin re Energy). Oil and gas companies are refusing to play along, and that has Biden grumpy…
Continue reading

| | | | | | | | | | |

Natural Gas Marketed in North America Grows 1% in 1Q22

Each quarter NGI (Natural Gas Intelligence) runs the numbers and publishes a list of the 25 top natural gas marketers in the U.S. (or in the case of 1Q22, the top 24). These are not necessarily the top producers of natural gas, although in some cases they are, but the top sellers (vendors, jobbers) of natural gas. NGI’s latest quarterly report for the first quarter of 2022 shows overall the biggest sellers of natgas increased the amount of gas sold ever so slightly (up 1%) compared with marketed gas from 1Q21.
Continue reading

| | | | | | |

Russian Hackers Target EQT, LNG Producers Just Prior to Ukraine War

Hackers, believed to be “state-sponsored,” aggressively targeted computers belonging to current and former employees at two dozen major natural gas suppliers and exporters. The aim seemed to be an attempt to cripple U.S. LNG exporting ability. One of the targets of the attacks was EQT Corporation, the largest natural gas producer in the U.S. The activity occurred on the eve of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. You do the math to figure out who the “state sponsor” of the attacks was.
Continue reading

| | |

Big O&G Companies Force Some Employees to Get COVID-19 Vaccine

You can’t miss the breathless headlines, many of which are misleading, that big oil and gas companies are beginning to force employees to get vaccinated for COVID-19. What’s missing from the headlines, especially those touting Chevron’s new vaccine mandate, is the all-important word “some,” as in “some” employees who work in tight quarters for long periods (like offshore platforms) are being required to get vaccinated.
Continue reading