U.S. LNG Industry, Pipelines Prepare for Boom Years Under Trump
The U.S. LNG industry and natural gas pipeline operators expect the incoming Trump Administration to launch a new wave of capacity expansions that would cement America’s position as the world’s largest LNG exporter. President-elect Donald Trump is preparing an energy package to expand domestic oil and gas drilling on federal lands and offshore lease sales, in addition to expediting LNG export permits. You can expect Trump to unpause Biden’s pause on new LNG export approvals, likely on his first day in office. Read More “U.S. LNG Industry, Pipelines Prepare for Boom Years Under Trump”
Venture Global, which uses loopholes and excuses to avoid selling LNG cargoes to the companies that signed contracts to buy those cargoes, is about to launch an initial public offering (IPO). According to Reuters, Venture Global will pitch investors in its IPO this week. The company hopes to raise $2.3 billion, which values the company at $110 billion. 
MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: Democrats join Republicans in excitement to bring energy to Pennsylvania; New federal clean energy rebates are in limbo for residents of Pa.; NATIONAL: WTI hits 5-month high on supply risks; INTERNATIONAL: Europe threatens to trigger a global scramble for natural gas. 
After remaining at the same level for five weeks in a row, the Baker Hughes U.S. rig count lost five rigs last week, dropping from 589 to 584. The Marcellus/Utica rig count was a combined 34 last week—the same number for five weeks in a row. PA has operated 15 rigs for the past nine weeks, with the exception of one week, when the number briefly increased to 16 rigs (the week ending on Dec. 6). OH has operated nine rigs for the past six weeks, and WV has operated 10 rigs for an astonishing 18 weeks in a row, going back to Sep. 13. 
The prices natural gas is selling for, both the NYMEX futures price and the spot price at various trading hubs, continue to climb. Last Friday, the NYMEX “front month” futures contract (based on gas flows at the Henry Hub in Southern Louisiana) traded above $4/MMBtu for some of the day, but ultimately closed at $3.989, up 28.8 cents day/day. Just a little over a penny away from $4! That’s the highest closing price in two years. The physical spot price of gas trading at large northeastern cities, like Boston and New York, soared. Even the price for pipeline gas in places like northeastern and southwestern Pennsylvania hit highs not seen in nearly one year. 
We’ve read a number of articles warning the radical left is gearing up to launch a blizzard of lawsuits (i.e., lawfare) against the incoming Trump administration—particularly related to environmental and energy policies and regulations. It’s standard operating procedure for the left, which has taken to bastardizing our justice system in recent years. While the left often dreams about putting its political opponents in jail, not much has been done along those lines (see 
On Jan. 3, the Biden IRS issued its final clean hydrogen tax credit rule, otherwise known as the 45V Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit. We previously wrote about 45V back in June (see 
RBN Energy recently concluded a two-part series on LNG delays and what’s causing delays in bringing more export capacity online. Friday’s Part 2 of the series looks at recent court rulings and regulatory issues and their impact on U.S. LNG development. Yes, Joe Biden’s ill-timed “pause” on the Department of Energy issuing new export approvals certainly had a big impact (see 
Not only did New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, an extremist liberal, sign a ban on using carbon dioxide to frack wells in the state at the last minute before the end of the current legislative session (see 
At the end of December, Venture Global’s Plaquemines LNG export facility officially shipped its first cargo…to Germany. Unfortunately for Venture Global’s contracted customers, they will have to wait to receive their legally contracted shipments. Venture Global has admitted it will (as it has with the its Calcasieu Pass facility) pretend the Plaquemines LNG is not “commercially ready,” allowing the company to cream the market and make more money for the first couple of years (see 
For the week of Dec 30 – Jan 5, permits issued in the Marcellus/Utica rebounded from holiday lows. There were 30 new permits issued last week, up from just 12 issued the week before. The Keystone State (PA) issued nine new permits, with six going to Range Resources in Allegheny County and three to EQT, split between Lycoming and Washington counties. 
On June 14, 2024, the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) that runs from Wetzel County, WV, to Pittsylvania County, VA, announced the pipeline had, after a decade of planning and building, finally begun to flow Marcellus/Utica molecules (see 
We never cease to marvel at the genius of the oil and gas industry and those who seek to find better ways to drill. According to an Oil and Gas Investor article examining major shale play trends, drillers across the Lower 48 are drilling U-shaped double-long laterals, finding lower-cost new-well inventory in the acreage they already hold. And they’re doing it “problem-free.” Did you know there are two U-shaped wells in our region? There’s one in the Pennsylvania Marcellus (in Susquehanna County) and one in the Ohio Utica (Belmont County). Who knew?! 
Last August, MDN told you that the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2) officially received its first $30 million from the Bidenistas (see 
Last Friday, Republican Congressman August Pfluger (from Texas) introduced a new bill that will prevent any future president from banning fracking nationally without the consent of Congress. Pfluger’s “Protecting American Energy Production Act” would explicitly require an act of Congress to impose a fracking moratorium and prevent the president from doing so directly. We must ensure future administrations don’t repeat the catastrophic damage inflicted by the Bidenistas over the past four years. This is a good first step.