Gulf Coast’s Sleeping Giant, Freeport LNG, Begins to Wake Up
Earlier this week, we reported the exciting news that two shipments of LNG had been loaded and sailed from the Freeport LNG facility, which (until now) has been out of commission since June 2022 due to an explosion and fire (see Another Surprise! 2nd LNG Cargo Departs Freeport Facility). We have new news that a third cargo has loaded and left Freeport–once again using LNG that had been liquefied and stored prior to the shutdown in 2022. We now have word that a fourth LNG tanker is due to arrive at the facility next Monday. It seems the sleeping giant has awakened!
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Here’s a fact that mainstream media largely ignores: Households in the Boston area pay about 50% more for electricity than households across the nation. On average, Massachusetts residents spend about $276 a month on electricity. That is 37% higher than the national average. An op-ed appearing in the Washington Examiner says New Englanders need to get used to these high prices. High prices for electricity are here to stay (for New England)–at least well into the 2030s. Why? Lack of pipelines, blocked by New England politicians.
Here’s a scary reality: The U.S. federal government is the world’s single largest purchaser of goods and services. Federal contractors employ over one-fifth of the labor force in the U.S., and contribute billions of dollars to state economies. Knowing this, the Bidenistas are attempting to coopt the government’s purchasing power as a back-door way to implement Biden’s anti-fossil fuel agenda. The Bidenistas are pushing the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FARC) to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to require federal contractors to disclose their so-called greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and to set targets to reduce them. The Attorneys General of 22 states are pushing back–hard–against this blatantly illegal plan.
According to a new report published by the International Energy Forum (IEF) and S&P Global Commodity Insights, annual upstream oil and gas investment needs to rise by 28% to reach $640 billion by 2030 to ensure adequate global supplies. If it doesn’t, the world will see shortages. The Saudi Arabia-based IEF says a cumulative $4.9 trillion (!) will be needed from now until 2030 to meet market needs, even if the growth in oil and gas demand slows down.
The Institute for Energy Research (IER) is a not-for-profit organization that conducts research and analysis on the functions, operations, and government regulation of global energy markets. IER maintains that freely-functioning energy markets provide the most efficient and effective solutions to today’s global energy and environmental challenges and, as such, are critical to the well-being of individuals and society. A new study just published by IER (below) shows how restricting oil and gas development in countries like the U.S. with strict environmental standards pushes O&G development to countries with lower environmental standards. The end result is that the worldwide environment gets worse.
We have lamented, on many occasions, that New York State (our beloved home state) has simply gone to Hades. The state is now run by left-wing radicals. When you cross the border into NY, you are entering The Twilight Zone (a pun and nod to the talented Rod Serling, who was born and grew up in Binghamton, NY). Case in point: A radical member of the NY Senate, along with a member of the NY Assembly, have teamed up to introduce a truly frightening bill. Senate Bill S9612, introduced by the wacky Sen. Zellnor Myrie, a Brooklyn Democrat, would allow anyone to sue oil and gas companies claiming damage from mythical (and unproven) “climate change.”
Did you watch the Big Game on Sunday? We watched until half-time (routing for the Eagles, because they’re a PA team). However, you have to admit that Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback for the Chiefs, was truly impressive. The Chiefs deserved to win. Mahomes was named the MVP (most valuable player) of the game. We’d like to suggest there was another MVP, the real MVP, of Sunday night’s game in Phoenix, Arizona: natural gas.
We suppose you can file this story under the category of “damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.” We’re referring to hedging–the practice of locking in prices to sell gas you will produce in the future for a specific price now. Last year natural gas producers, including most (if not all) of Marcellus/Utica producers, were caught flat-footed when the price of natgas skyrocketed and their hedges were locked in for much lower prices. So as the hedges “rolled off,” many producers either elected not to hedge again, or hedged very little of their future production. And now prices have crashed again, meaning those producers are not protected and must sell most (if not all) of their production at very low market prices.
A financial analyst writing on the Seeking Alpha investors’ website wrote a detailed post outlining his thesis on why the price of natural gas is likely at the bottom now and will only go higher. He says that since natural gas prices are at or below breakeven levels for drillers, they are reducing their drilling rate. A negative shift in weather, falling rig counts, and the potential boost from Freeport exports may push natural gas back into a shortage over the coming months.
This post is kind of “in the weeds” with respect to reducing methane emissions from drilling, pipelines, and transportation. But we ask that you stick with us. As we have covered for more than a year, there are three main certification standards now in use by Marcellus/Utica (and other shale play) producers that want to prove the gas they produce is responsible, with low methane emissions. The three are: (1) Project Canary’s TrustWell Certification, (2) Equitable Origin’s EO100, and (3) The MiQ Standard (see 
The Biden EPA plans to allow private citizens to police oil wells and pipelines for methane leaks. Most of the time, that means Big Green groups will do the “policing.” And here’s how it will work: A radicalized group like the Sierra Club or Earthworks or NRDC or some other odious bad actor will set up equipment near oil and gas well sites or pipeline operations to report suspected “super emitter” leaks of at least 100 kilograms per hour. Once reported (likely a false report), the company involved would be required to perform a root-cause analysis within five days and take corrective actions within 10 days. All based on an accusation by an anti-fossil fueler. Methane snitches.
