EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 6/26/25
PIPELINE NEWS
Bloomberg: Enbridge Says New Canadian Oil Pipeline Would Require Legal Changes First
Canadian Press: Enbridge says it would pitch new Alberta-B. C. pipeline only under right conditions
Alaska Business: Glenfarne Brings Thailand into Alaska LNG Pipeline Project
Morgan Messenger: Feds approve Columbia request to put new gas pipeline into service
WASHINGTON UPDATES
South Dakota Searchlight: GOP mega-bill stuck in US Senate as disputes grow over hospitals and more
E&E News: The latest megabill details on energy and environment
Reuters: US Senate parliamentarian says oil, gas projects can’t skirt environmental review
Politico: Republicans mull bipartisan backup plan after permitting push swatted from megabill
Salt Lake Tribune: Mike Lee explains his decision to downsize public lands sell-off plan amid backlash, Senate rules setback
Politico: Meanwhile, a group of actors set up a mock auction Tuesday to put a spotlight on a provision in the megabill that would allow federal land to be leased to offshore oil and gas companies
Politico: Another permitting bill on the move
E&E News: Interior urged to tighten offshore oil cleanup rules
Houston Chronicle: Trump's call for more oil amid Iran conflict falls flat in Texas
STATE UPDATES
Santa Fe New Mexican: New Mexico advocates celebrate decision to rule out public land sale but note issue isn’t dead
KALB: Pine Ridge Baptist Church to hold Carbon Capture Sequestration meeting
The Center Square: Hyundai details $6B steel mill in Louisiana, commitment to 'hydrogen economy'
WHYY: Delaware City Refinery receives violation for toxic emissions incident in March
EXTRACTION
The Tyee: How Alberta Fudges Its Climbing Oilsands Emissions
Press release: Energy Transfer Expands LNG Supply Agreement With Chevron by 1.0 Million Tonnes Per Annum From Lake Charles LNG
Gasworld: CCUS and carbon offset markets set to surge, says Wood Mackenzie
Carbon Herald: JPMorganChase Backs Large-Scale Carbon Removal With 1PointFive Deal
Building.co.uk: Balfour Beatty inks £833m deal to build Teesside carbon capture plant
DeSmog: Rachel Reeves Promised Oil Industry ‘Quid Pro Quo’ Over Windfall Tax in Private Meeting
Heatmap: Is It Too Soon for Ocean-Based Carbon Credits?
Bloomberg: A test of oil-eating microbes is underway at a retired fossil-fuel field in Central Valley
Phys.org: Breaking the ice on Arctic oil spill research
CLIMATE FINANCE
AL.com: Alabama-based energy company secures $2 billion investment
OPINION
Maine Morning Star: New England won’t be sacrificed to Big Oil
Gear Junkie: Rebranded but Still Rotten, Sen. Mike Lee Updates His Public Land Sell-Off
Canada’s National Observer: If oil giants are reluctant to invest in carbon capture, why should taxpayers?
PIPELINE NEWS
Bloomberg: Enbridge Says New Canadian Oil Pipeline Would Require Legal Changes First
Kevin Orland, 6/25/25
“Enbridge Inc. said any new Canadian oil pipeline would require legislative changes, including shortened timelines for approval,” Bloomberg reports. “The largest oil pipeline company in North America said new projects “require careful consideration,” but it didn’t rule out the possibility it might get involved in a future pipeline to expand oil exports from western Canada. “We will be there to build what is needed for our shippers, for Alberta and for Canada – that’s our job, our mission as a company – but only when the conditions make sense and the right framework is in place,” the Calgary-based company told Bloomberg in response to a question about whether it’s planning to propose an oil pipeline from Alberta to the British Columbia coast… “As one of Canada’s leading energy infrastructure companies, we will always assess projects that explore growing and diversifying markets for Canadian oil, provided there is a demand from industry and our customers,” the company told Bloomberg.”
Canadian Press: Enbridge says it would pitch new Alberta-B. C. pipeline only under right conditions
Lauren Krugel, 6/25/25
“...But if pipeline companies are keen on proposing a new West Coast pipeline in the near future, they're not saying so publicly,” the Canadian Press reports. "We've been in active conversations with many pipeline companies, and I feel like we're pretty close to having either one or a consortium come forward," Smith told reporters on Tuesday… “ The CEO of federally owned pipeline operator Trans Mountain Corp. told reporters earlier this month that his company is among those Smith has spoken to about spearheading a new pipeline. But Mark Maki told CP "optimizing the existing kit" is a priority over building something new for now… “Richard Masson, an executive fellow at the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy, told CP it's hard to see how Smith can entice a private company to get on board… “He adds it would take two to three years of engineering, environmental and consultation work before a proposal is ready to be filed… “South Bow, which was spun off last year from TC Energy, is a smaller company and is unlikely to have the capacity for such an undertaking, Masson told CP. Trans Mountain — a Crown corporation — delivered its expansion last year at a massively higher cost than when it was first proposed. "So, not easy to see that happening unless the federal government says, 'We want you to do it, so do it,'" Masson told CP. As for other Canadian energy infrastructure players like Keyera Corp. and Pembina Pipeline Corp., a crude pipeline wouldn't be a fit as they're more geared toward natural gas, he told CP.”
Alaska Business: Glenfarne Brings Thailand into Alaska LNG Pipeline Project
6/25/25
“The largest publicly traded company in Thailand, PTT Public Company Limited, signed a cooperation agreement for strategic participation in the Alaska LNG project,” Alaska Business reports. “The agreement announced by Glenfarne Alaska LNG calls for procurement of 2 million tonnes per year of liquified natural gas exported from Alaska over a twenty-year term… “Days before Glenfarne’s involvement in the project, Taiwan’s state-owned petroleum company, CPC Corporation, signed an agreement to invest in Alaska LNG and buy gas exported from the state. Furthermore, Glenfarne says it has completed the first round of its strategic partner selection process, with more than fifty companies participating from the United States, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, India, and the European Union. These potential partners have formally expressed interest for more than $115 billion of contract value… “Glenfarne is actively engaged with pipeline contractors and partnering with Worley to complete the engineering to support a final investment decision for Alaska LNG, an 807-mile 42-inch pipeline.”
Morgan Messenger: Feds approve Columbia request to put new gas pipeline into service
6/24/25
“Federal energy officials have approved a June 4 request from Columbia Gas Transmission LLC to put their new gas pipeline from Fulton County, Pa. to Berkeley Springs, W.Va. into service,” the Morgan Messenger reports. “According to a letter filed on June 20 with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Columbia Gas is authorized to put the 3.4-mile pipeline into service… “The request to go in service was granted on an environmental condition… “Columbia has committed to resolve the groundwater spring that emerged beneath Berm Road in Washington County, Maryland, during the horizontal drilling process. As part of its commitment, Columbia has developed long-term mitigation measures to provide stabilization of the road and affected area of the surfaced underground spring, and continues consultation with multiple permitting agencies involved, including Maryland Department of the Environment, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Park Service, Washington County Department of Highways, and Washington County Department of Planning and Zoning.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
South Dakota Searchlight: GOP mega-bill stuck in US Senate as disputes grow over hospitals and more
Ashley Murray, Shauneen Miranda, Jacob Fischler and Jennifer Shutt, 6/25/25
“U.S. Senate Republicans appeared deeply divided Wednesday over how to establish a fund for rural hospitals to offset the budget impacts of Medicaid cuts in the “big, beautiful bill,” the South Dakota Searchlight reports. “...GOP senators haven’t yet reached agreement on how to structure the fund, or on dozens of other unresolved provisions in the sweeping package, even though leaders hope to begin voting as soon as Friday. Still up in the air were agreements on major provisions of the measure involving the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food aid program for low-income people and a proposed selloff of certain public lands… “Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson cast doubt on the short timeframe leaders have set to reach final agreement and move the bill through both chambers. “We’re still discussing some pretty fundamental issues,” Johnson said. “I’m just laying out the reality of the situation. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
E&E News: The latest megabill details on energy and environment
Andres Picon, Garrett Downs, Kelsey Brugger, 6/26/25
“Senate committees unveiled new language for their portions of Republicans’ megabill Wednesday, wiping out entire sections that didn’t comply with Senate rules and modifying other provisions to try to salvage them,” E&E News reports. “...Among the losses for Republicans are some proposals to repeal authorizing language for environmental programs in the Inflation Reduction Act. A rollback of EPA’s tailpipe emissions rule and language to limit permitting litigation for certain projects were also cut… “EPW ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) told E&E Democrats were continuing to challenge megabill provisions… “The parliamentarian has already denied Lee’s initial attempt at the land sales, and his new version, while far smaller in acreage sold, looks largely similar in structure to his earlier attempt… “Among the proposals axed was one that would have shielded companies from judicial review under the National Environmental Policy Act as long as the lead federal agency determined the project would not create significant impacts. Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough also killed a provision from the House Natural Resources Committee and ENR that would have allowed natural gas export projects to pay a fee to be considered in the national interest. She rejected a provision that would essentially exclude offshore oil and gas projects from NEPA review… “I suspect we’re not going to see big meaningful improvements from the reconciliation process on permitting reform,” Xan Fishman of the Bipartisan Policy Center told E&E. “To really see the kind of bipartisan change, it’s going to take bipartisan legislation.”
Reuters: US Senate parliamentarian says oil, gas projects can’t skirt environmental review
Valerie Volcovici, 6/24/25
“The massive U.S. tax and budget bill being finalized by Congress cannot pass a provision that automatically enables offshore oil and gas projects to skip over the federal environmental review process unless it gets at least 60 Senate votes, the body’s parliamentarian said on Monday,” Reuters reports. “...The parliamentarian has said that provisions in OBBB that deem offshore oil and gas projects as automatically compliant with the National Environmental Policy Act require would require a higher vote threshold… “She also flagged a provision that enabled gas exporters to pay to allow their projects to be deemed “in the national interest,” a time-consuming determination usually made by the federal government; a section that requires oil and gas leases to be issued to successful bidders within 90 days and one that removes the ability of the Interior secretary to reduce fees for renewable energy on federal lands as needing to face a higher vote threshold. Thune has said repeatedly that he will not overrule the parliamentarian.”
Politico: Republicans mull bipartisan backup plan after permitting push swatted from megabill
Josh Siegel, James Bikales, 6/24/25
“Republicans are being forced back to the negotiating table with Democrats after the Senate parliamentarian smacked down the GOP’s efforts to pass comprehensive permitting reform through the party-line reconciliation process,” Politico reports. “GOP lawmakers conceded they’ll have to once again pursue a long-elusive compromise with Democrats if they want to overhaul permitting rules that both sides argue are hampering energy and infrastructure development. But Democrats may not be as eager to deal this time because of GOP efforts to gut clean energy tax incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act. “We’ve got to do it bipartisan,” Senate Environment and Public Works Chair Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) told Politico… “Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough on Monday rejected several measures in the party-line bill aimed at speeding fossil fuel and mining projects as violations of the Byrd rule, which prohibits ‘extraneous matters’ unrelated to the budget from being considered in reconciliation. She previously deemed ineligible provisions exempting certain infrastructure projects from judicial review if they pay a fee.”
Salt Lake Tribune: Mike Lee explains his decision to downsize public lands sell-off plan amid backlash, Senate rules setback
Leia Larsen, 6/24/25
“...Appearing on the Charlie Kirk Show Tuesday, Lee said his proposal to build ‘freedom zones’ that support single-family homes and farmers on lands formerly managed by federal agencies had been the subject of a “massive misinformation campaign” started by the political left,” the Salt Lake Tribune reports. “The liberal campaign was “trying to dupe conservatives into believing it will somehow endanger the beautiful scenic landscapes that make the West so special,” Lee told the Tribune. His vision does not call for building condos in the middle of Yellowstone National Park, the Republican senator clarified… “The move proved unpopular among liberals and also rankled many conservatives. Late Monday, Lee announced on the social media platform X that he planned to make major revisions to his proposal… “A copy of the senator’s revised draft was not available as of Tuesday. Lee told his X followers to “stay tuned.” It appears Lee’s draft was doomed despite the backlash. Shortly after his post to X, the Senate parliamentarian ruled out its inclusion in the Republican-led megabill, as reported by E&E News.”
Politico: Meanwhile, a group of actors set up a mock auction Tuesday to put a spotlight on a provision in the megabill that would allow federal land to be leased to offshore oil and gas companies
6/25/25
“Meanwhile, a group of actors set up a mock auction Tuesday to put a spotlight on a provision in the megabill that would allow federal land to be leased to offshore oil and gas companies,” Politico reports. “It’s part of a six-figure campaign driven by multiple groups, including the Gwich’in Steering Committee, the Alaska Wilderness League and Vet Voices Foundation. Although the parliamentarian ruled that the leasing of federal land to oil and gas companies also violated the Byrd rule, Monica Scherer, the Alaska Wilderness League’s senior director of campaigns, told Politico it “doesn’t change the fact that Alaska’s public lands are still on the chopping block in this awful budget bill.” “Today’s auction-themed action on Capitol Hill may have looked like satire, but it reflects the very real and reckless way lawmakers are treating some of the wildest, most iconic public lands in America.”
Politico: Another permitting bill on the move
6/25/25
“The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is slated to mark up a big water permitting package today,” Politico reports. “The Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today (PERMIT) Act wraps together a spate of GOP bills aimed at Clean Water Act permitting issues, including ones to restrict states’ ability to veto infrastructure projects, prevent EPA from preemptively or retroactively vetoing a 404 permit, and extend the length of pollution discharge permits from five years to 10… “The National Association of Manufacturers sent a letter today throwing their support behind the legislation, saying it provides “reforms that are critical to manufacturers’ ability to build, expand and hire in America.”
E&E News: Interior urged to tighten offshore oil cleanup rules
Ian M. Stevenson, 6/25/25
“Environmental groups have asked the Interior Department to take a firmer stance against offshore drilling companies that fail to clean up after themselves — despite the Trump administration’s push to roll back regulations,” E&E News reports. “The Center for Biological Diversity and other environmental groups petitioned Interior on Monday to forbid companies that have not cleaned up or plugged offshore platforms and wells from acquiring new leases in federal waters… “The request is unlikely to find traction in Washington, where the Trump administration has recently moved to ease bonding requirements on offshore drilling companies. That came despite a 2024 Government Accountability Office report that found companies have frequently failed to clean up oil and gas infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico — which President Donald Trump renamed the Gulf of America — once their drilling has finished.”
Houston Chronicle: Trump's call for more oil amid Iran conflict falls flat in Texas
James Osborne, 6/24/25
“President Donald Trump's call for more oil production Monday, following the U.S. bombing of nuclear facilities in Iran, isn't getting much traction among Texas oil companies,” the Houston Chronicle reports. “Todd Staples, president of the Texas Oil & Gas Association, told the Chronicle Tuesday while companies were grateful for Trump's efforts to boost the industry, ultimately crude prices would determine whether they increased drilling. "I believe companies are willing to respond should there be supply chain disruptions to the extent they give long term (price) signals," he told the Chronicle. "So major shifts can be justified." “...Exacerbating the problem, some oil executives told the Chronicle, are tariffs created by the Trump administration, which have raised the price of steel and other materials… “But even after the U.S. bombing of Iran and more than a week of attacks by Israel, prices have not risen to the point many oil companies would start expanding drilling operations, analysts told the Chronicle… “Even if oil executives wanted to drill to appease Trump, they would be restrained by their investors, who want to see high returns, not "unprofitable tribute," Clayton Seigle, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, told teh Chronicle.”
STATE UPDATES
Santa Fe New Mexican: New Mexico advocates celebrate decision to rule out public land sale but note issue isn’t dead
Cormac Dodd, 6/24/25
“Public lands supporters fill West San Francisco Street on Monday to protest U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and the GOP’s plan to sell of millions of acres of public land in the latest Senate budget reconciliation bill,” the Santa Fe New Mexican reports.”...The Utah Republican vowed, however, to revise the effort, which has stirred strong reactions in Northern New Mexico. Many advocates were cautiously optimistic about Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough’s determination… “An animated crowd of about 2,000 people protested the plan Monday outside a hotel in downtown Santa Fe, where the Western Governors’ Association was holding its annual meeting and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who would play a role in the land sales, gave a keynote address. Demonstrators, blocking city streets, chanted, ‘Not for sale.’ Members of American Hunters & Anglers also projected messages on the hotel Monday night calling out Burgum: ‘Public lands burgled by Burgum,’ one said.”
KALB: Pine Ridge Baptist Church to hold Carbon Capture Sequestration meeting
6/25/25
“A church in Melder, Louisiana, is hosting an informative carbon capture sequestration and eminent domain meeting, according to a press release from Pine Ridge Baptist Church,” KALB reports. “The meeting will be held on July 1 at 6 p.m… “There is also an informational CCS meeting scheduled for Pineville High School on June 30 from 5:30 - 8 p.m. at the school auditorium.”
The Center Square: Hyundai details $6B steel mill in Louisiana, commitment to 'hydrogen economy'
Nolan McKendry, 6/23/25
“Louisiana's Clean Hydrogen Task Force on Monday was briefed by Hyundai officials who outlined their $6 billion vision for a hydrogen-integrated steel mill in Ascension Parish — what the company called a "catalyst for the hydrogen ecosystem" in the state,” The Center Square reports. “The proposed mill is projected to be operational by 2029, but company officials acknowledged significant challenges ahead, including the high cost of hydrogen production and uncertainty around future federal tax incentives. "Until we get these prices down, a smart investor or business person can't make some of these investments," Mark Zappi, executive director of the Energy Institute of Louisiana, told Center Square. Hyundai North America Senior Vice President Jim Park reaffirmed the company's commitment to the project despite changes to federal policy. When asked if the rollback of hydrogen production tax credits in President Donald Trump's proposed "Big Beautiful Bill" might slow progress, Park responded that Hyundai had an "unwavering commitment to the "hydrogen economy." "...Hydrogen presence across industries [will help] decarbonize business practices," Hyundai told Center Square, adding that investment across the hydrogen value chain could secure Louisiana's position as an energy transformation leader.”
WHYY: Delaware City Refinery receives violation for toxic emissions incident in March
Zoë Read, 6/25/25
“The Delaware City Refinery, one of the region’s top polluters, has received a violation for releasing toxic contaminants into the air in March after failing to operate a pollution control device,” WHYY reports. “The incident is unrelated to last month’s mechanical failure that caused sulfur dioxide emissions for almost three weeks. However, it involved the same piece of equipment that’s meant to prevent air pollution. “We’re concerned about this additional Notice of Violation and what it signals about the refinery’s operational safety,” Dora Williams, co-chair of Delaware Concerned Residents for Environmental Justice, told WHYY. “These [emissions] aren’t just numbers — they’re toxic burdens being released into the air our communities breathe,” she wrote to WHYY News. “When toxic releases happen, it’s most often Black, Brown, and low-income communities — along with workers on the frontlines — who are hit first and worst.” “...The refinery discharged high levels of carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide into the air for 10 hours on March 13, according to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.”
EXTRACTION
The Tyee: How Alberta Fudges Its Climbing Oilsands Emissions
Ian Urquhart, 6/26/25
“...When it comes to greenhouse gas or GHG emissions, Alberta’s United Conservative Party government selectively uses statistics to try to persuade the world of the ludicrous claim that Alberta is a climate change leader,” The Tyee reports. “A prime example is an early-June news release from Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz and Energy Minister Brian Jean headlined: “Report shows Alberta producing more oil and less emissions.” The claim makes sense only if you use “emissions intensity” as the yardstick for evaluating performance when it comes to reducing GHG emissions. But as I’ve noted before, the emissions intensity concept is a red herring. Reducing carbon dioxide emissions per barrel of oil (emissions intensity) doesn’t necessarily reduce total emissions… “The oilsands’ performance, as shown below, is one where emissions intensity today is lower than at any point in the industry’s history. Ministers Jean and Schulz want you to focus on that intensity, the orange series in the chart. This trend allows them to crow that “oilsands emissions continue to decline.” But what matters most to the pace of climate change is a different statistic: the actual number of tonnes of GHGs sent into the atmosphere. So while emissions intensity may be at a record low, look at where total oilsands emissions (the blue series) have gone. Up, up, up. In fact, oilsands emissions set a record high in 2023. The oilsands had never generated more greenhouse gases than the 86.5 million tonnes of carbon pollution sent skyward in 2023… “From 2015 to 2023 oilsands production grew by 35 per cent; oilsands emissions increased as well — by 21.7 per cent. These statistics confound the government’s narrative. Government communicators want the public to focus on the record low in emissions intensity. They want the public to totally ignore the record high in oilsands emissions.”
Press release: Energy Transfer Expands LNG Supply Agreement With Chevron by 1.0 Million Tonnes Per Annum From Lake Charles LNG
6/25/25
“Energy Transfer LP today announced its subsidiary, Energy Transfer LNG Export, LLC (Energy Transfer LNG), has signed an incremental Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) with Chevron U.S.A. Inc. (Chevron) for additional LNG supply from its Lake Charles LNG export facility. The 20-year agreement for 1.0 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) increases Chevron’s total contracted volume from Energy Transfer LNG to 3.0 mtpa, following the initial 2.0 mtpa agreement signed in December 2024. As with the first SPA, the LNG will be supplied to Chevron on a free-on-board (FOB) basis and the purchase price will consist of a fixed liquefaction charge and a gas supply component indexed to the Henry Hub benchmark. The obligations of Energy Transfer LNG under the SPA remain subject to Energy Transfer LNG taking a positive final investment decision (FID) as well as the satisfaction of other conditions precedent… “Recent agreements also include a Heads of Agreement (HOA) with MidOcean Energy for approximately 5.0 mtpa and an SPA with Kyushu Electric Power Company for 1.0 mtpa. The Lake Charles LNG export facility would be constructed on the existing brownfield regasification facility site to capitalize on four existing LNG storage tanks, two deep water berths and other LNG infrastructure. Lake Charles LNG would also benefit from its direct connection to Energy Transfer’s existing Trunkline pipeline system that in turn provides connections to multiple intrastate and interstate pipelines.”
Gasworld: CCUS and carbon offset markets set to surge, says Wood Mackenzie
Anthony Wright, 6/26/25
“The global carbon capture, utilisation and storage market is predicted to grow 28-fold by 2050, according to a new study from research and consultancy group Wood Mackenzie,” Gasworld reports. “This growth fits with separate analysis from the group, which found that the global carbon offset market is forecast to hit at least $150bn in the next 25 years… “She added that CCUS was now widely recognised as a serious decarbonisation solution by government and industry, with around $1.2 trillion in investment expected by 2050, primarily in point-source capture and emerging carbon removal value chains. Meanwhile the average carbon offset price is expected to increase more than fivefold by 2050… “The carbon offset and CCUS markets are on the cusp of a transformative era,” Mhairidh Evans, Vice President, Global Head of CCUS research, told Gasworld. “As these markets mature, they will become cornerstone elements of global climate strategies.”
Carbon Herald: JPMorganChase Backs Large-Scale Carbon Removal With 1PointFive Deal
Vasil Velev, 6/265/25
“In an important step towards reaching its corporate climate goals, JPMorganChase has agreed to buy 50,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits from 1PointFive, a carbon capture firm affiliated with Occidental Petroleum,” the Carbon Herald reports. “Spread over the next decade, the credits will come from 1PointFive’s STRATOS facility in Texas, one of the first commercial Direct Air Capture (DAC) plants in the U.S., expected to start operations this year… “JPMorgan plans to use the credits to offset its operational emissions, while also helping to build market confidence in large-scale DAC projects.”
Building.co.uk: Balfour Beatty inks £833m deal to build Teesside carbon capture plant
Dave Rogers, 6/26/25
“Balfour Beatty has been confirmed as construction partner for a scheme to build a gas-fired power station with carbon capture and storage on Teesside,” Building.co.uk reports. “A joint venture called Net Zero Teesside Power, a tie-up between energy firms BP and Equinor, reached financial close with the government late last year on the deal which involves building two carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects on the north-east coast. Balfour Beatty’s deal is worth £833m with main construction set to commence later this year for completion in 2028. At peak, Balfour Beatty will employ 1,500 people.”
DeSmog: Rachel Reeves Promised Oil Industry ‘Quid Pro Quo’ Over Windfall Tax in Private Meeting
Sam Bright, 6/19/25
“Chancellor Rachel Reeves told a fossil fuel giant that the industry would receive a “quid pro quo” in return for higher taxes on its windfall profits, DeSmog can reveal. In a meeting with the Norwegian state energy company Equinor on 27 August last year, Reeves suggested that the government’s carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) subsidies were a payoff for oil firms being hit with a higher tax rate. Minutes of the meeting obtained by DeSmog state that Equinor CEO Anders Opedal raised concerns over the Energy Profits Levy – also known as the “windfall tax” – and “its impact on the value” of Equinor’s UK portfolio. In response, Reeves said that raising the windfall tax from 35 percent to 38 percent was a “manifesto commitment”, but stated that “Equinor should recognise the quid pro quo – the funds raised enable government investment in CCUS etc.”... “Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer MP claimed that Reeves and the Labour government had been “caught out making promises in a secret exchange deal which goes against the interests of the British people”. Denyer added: “In public they claim to be taxing fossil fuel giants more fairly by raising the windfall tax, but behind closed doors they are giving back with dodgy deals to allow the fossil fuel corporates to continue with business as usual under the guise of CCUS – an expensive distraction and largely unproven technology.”
Heatmap: Is It Too Soon for Ocean-Based Carbon Credits?
Katie Brigham, 6/25/25
“The ocean is by far the world’s largest carbon sink, capturing about 30% of human-caused CO2 emissions and about 90% of the excess heat energy from said emissions. For about as long as scientists have known these numbers, there’s been intrigue around engineering the ocean to absorb even more. And more recently, a few startups have gotten closer to making this a reality,” Heatmap reports. “Last week, one of them got a vote of confidence from leading carbon removal registry Isometric, which for the first time validated “ocean alkalinity enhancement” credits sold by the startup Planetary — 625.6 to be exact, representing 625.6 metric tons of carbon removed. No other registry has issued credits for this type of carbon removal. When the ocean absorbs carbon, the CO2 in the air reacts with the water to form carbonic acid, which quickly breaks down into hydrogen ions and bicarbonate. The excess hydrogen increases the acidity of the ocean, changing its chemistry to make it less effective at absorbing CO2, like a sponge that’s already damp. As levels of atmospheric CO2 increase, the ocean is getting more acidic overall, threatening marine ecosystems. Planetary is working to make the ocean less acidic, so that it can take in more carbon… “Matt Long, CEO and co-founder of [C]Worthy, told Heatmap that he thinks it’s both appropriate and important to start issuing credits for ocean alkalinity enhancement — while also acknowledging that “we have robust reason to believe that we can do a lot better” when it comes to assessing these removals.”
Bloomberg: A test of oil-eating microbes is underway at a retired fossil-fuel field in Central Valley
Michelle Ma, 6/24/25
“Microbes can break down everything, including methane and plastic. Now, a startup is pioneering their use to consume oil and produce clean hydrogen,” Bloomberg reports. “Houston-based Gold H2 has completed a field trial at a retired oilfield in California’s San Joaquin Basin, successfully producing hydrogen underground using its novel biotechnology in what it says is a world first. The most common form of clean hydrogen is produced using machines that can split apart water, but the process is expensive compared with producing it with fossil fuels. Gold H2 is working to bring down costs of the green fuel by utilizing existing resources and infrastructure. The startup introduces a proprietary blend of microbes and nutrients into nearly depleted oil reservoirs. The microorganisms then break down the oil in the reservoir, excreting hydrogen in the process that the startup can pump to the surface. The startup’s value proposition to an oil company is, “Let’s utilize this oil that you’re unable to produce, and rather than go and abandon these assets, let’s produce what’s down there in a clean and cost-effective manner,” Chief Executive Officer Prabhdeep Singh Sekhon told Bloomberg.”
Phys.org: Breaking the ice on Arctic oil spill research
Nicole MacDonell, University of Manitoba, 6/24/25
“This past winter, researchers from the Center for Earth Observation Science (CEOS) at the University of Manitoba (UM) completed the first-ever controlled oil spill experiment at the Churchill Marine Observatory (CMO). This was a major milestone in a larger effort to understand how oil behaves in the Arctic, and how Arctic microbes might help clean it up,” Phys.org reports. “...Oil pollution in Arctic environments is not well understood, emphasizing the urgent need for this type of work. With climate change accelerating the loss of sea ice in Hudson Bay and the Arctic Ocean in general, the region is facing increased shipping activity, heightening the risk of oil spills… “By early December, they introduced 113 liters of diesel, the same type of fuel oil that is commonly used by ships in the region, under the ice in the experimental pool. Over several weeks, the team of chemists, microbiologists, and remote sensing experts monitored how the diesel moved, changed, and was broken down.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
AL.com: Alabama-based energy company secures $2 billion investment
William Thornton, 6/24/25
“Diversified, a natural gas and liquids production company, announced Monday an agreement with Carlyle to invest up to $2 billion in natural gas and oil assets across the U.S.,” AL.com reports. “The assets are what is known as proved developed producing, or PDP. This means that the assets are being actively extracted and sold, have existing infrastructure, and are economically viable under current economic conditions… “Earlier this year, Diversified Energy announced an agreement to acquire Texas’ Maverick Natural Resources, creating a company with combined assets of about $3.8 billion… “Carlyle ABF has deployed approximately $8 billion since 2021 and has approximately $9 billion in assets under management as of the first quarter of this year.”
OPINION
Maine Morning Star: New England won’t be sacrificed to Big Oil
Erica Fuller is senior counsel in Conservation Law Foundation’s Ocean program, 6/24/25
“Do you remember the shocking images from the Exxon Valdez or Deepwater Horizon oil spills? The oil-slicked birds, the wrecked beaches, the empty fishing boats, and worst of all, the stories of lost lives? The Trump administration wants to bring polluting and dangerous oil and gas offshore drilling back — including to our New England shores,” Erica Fuller writes for the Maine Morning Star. “Here at the Conservation Law Foundation, we’re joining a lawsuit to stop this reckless plan… “In one of the most outrageous moves coming out of the Trump administration, the president has issued a series of executive orders pushing to open our iconic coastal waters to oil and gas drilling. They want to exploit the waters of the Outer Continental Shelf, which make up much of the ocean surrounding the U.S. They want to loosen rules designed to protect the marine environment and the coasts. They even want to review national marine sanctuaries and monuments, the national parks of the sea, to see if we can plant some oil derricks on them as well. That means oil rigs in our lobster grounds. Pipelines cutting through fragile marine sanctuaries. The constant threat of spills on our coasts.”
Gear Junkie: Rebranded but Still Rotten, Sen. Mike Lee Updates His Public Land Sell-Off
Rachelle Schrute is an avid hunter, angler, amateur wild game cook, and professional wild game eater, 6/24/25
“Senator Mike Lee is backpedaling … sort of. After proposing a sell-off of 3 million acres of public land, he was met with a massive backlash from hunters, anglers, ranchers, and public land users across the country,” Rachelle Schrute writes for Gear Junkie. “...It’s a win for now, but let’s not get comfortable. Lee is already hinting that this fight isn’t over. In a post on X, he’s scrambling to clean it up by pretending he’s listening to ‘the American people’ and ‘Hunter Nation.’ He wants a gold star for walking back the worst parts of his plan. He’s not getting one. This is still a public land grab, just dressed up in softer language.”
Canada’s National Observer: If oil giants are reluctant to invest in carbon capture, why should taxpayers?
Adrienne Tanner, 6/26/25
“When Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that the feds would be interested in pipeline projects for “decarbonized oil,” the folks at the Pathways Alliance must have felt their hearts skip a beat. The oilsands consortium took it as a sign that the federal government might embrace a pitch by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to approve a new pipeline to the west coast in exchange for a carbon capture and storage project the producers have talked about since 2022, but never started,” Adrienne Tanner writes for Canada’s National Observer. “...But if the oil giants are as convinced as they claim to be about the efficacy of carbon capture and storage, why isn’t the Pathways project already up and running? First, it’s hugely expensive; an anticipated $16.5 billion before the inevitable cost overruns. Second, it’s a relatively new technique with a spotty record. And finally, the companies know oil is a sunset industry — with peak oil just around the corner, they can no more justify billions for carbon capture than they can new oilsands plants… “Their runway is simply too short to justify spending on carbon capture, so they are looking to us to pay. Industry claims the grants and tax credits on offer from the feds is not enough and that funding from a carbon credit market created just for them is too risky… “The federal government has bent over backwards developing complex economic incentive programs to try to make the Pathways Alliance project happen and may even greenlight a new pipeline to further sweeten the pot. But it’s not clear why the federal government would trust the oil companies to pony up their share of the money for carbon capture, given they haven’t so far… “A new pipeline to further aid the extraction of some of the world’s dirtiest oil is a costly mistake for the climate. And trusting that the Pathways Alliance partners will fund a carbon capture project and get it operational soon enough to mitigate the damage is a longshot bet.”