EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 7/1/26
(Note to readers: The next edition of “Extracted” will be published on Monday, July 6.)
PIPELINE NEWS
Reuters: South Bow, Bridger to develop new oil pipeline from Wyoming to Cushing, Oklahoma
Wisconsin Public Radio: Wisconsin regulators respond to drilling fluid spill on Enbridge’s Line 5 reroute
KCCI: Iowa Utilities Commission strips North and South Dakota terms from Summit carbon pipeline order
Northern Journal: With tens of millions at stake, feud over trans-Alaska pipeline value heads to court
New Orleans City Business: Louisiana groups sue over coastal gas pipeline permit
Calgary Herald: On the eve of Alberta’s pipeline application, Carney concedes emissions will be higher
Everything GP: TSB releases report on struck pipeline in northeastern B.C.
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Reuters: Trump urges gasoline retailers to lower prices, warns of ‘big problems’ if they don’t
E&E News: Supreme Court hands Trump new power over independent agencies that oversee energy development
E&E News: Automakers urge court not to reinstate Biden climate standards
CBS News Sacramento: Bureau of Land Management opens public California land for oil and gas leasing
Glenwood Springs Post Independent: BLM pursues changes to oil and gas leasing in hopes of spurring new development, but environmental groups have concerns
E&E News: DOJ renames environment division as Trump reshapes its mission
Press release: Federal Court Rules 8647 Flag and Anti-Trump Signs Are Protected Speech
New York Post: US oil reserve at half its normal levels, facing operational failure: bombshell watchdog warning
STATE UPDATES
NOLA.com: Air Products cancels $4.5 billion project to inject carbon dioxide under Lake Maurepas
WBRZ: Livingston, Ascension parish leaders disagree on shutdown of Air Products carbon capture projects
Ascension Business Report: The collapse of this $4.5B project in Ascension could reshape Louisiana’s industrial playbook
E&E News: Appeals court upholds New York gas appliance bans
Signal Ohio: Texas and Oklahoma companies to pay $242 million to frack 15,000 acres of Ohio public land
Pipeline & Gas Journal: BKV Brings Two Texas Carbon Capture Projects Online
WFMJ: ODNR: Oil well blowout caused West Farmington crude oil, salt brine spill
EXTRACTION
Reuters: US drives rise in global emissions as utilities turn back to coal, report shows
Reuters: Shell expects 65% rise in global LNG demand by 2050
Upstream: Major hydrocarbon release being investigated at Canada platform
Mongabay: As Amazon oil drilling begins, scientists warn of risks to a little-known reef
OPINION
Anchorage Daily News: The view from Alaska is worth more than a pipeline
Wood Mackenzie: Carbon capture continues to grow, despite challenges
PIPELINE NEWS
Reuters: South Bow, Bridger to develop new oil pipeline from Wyoming to Cushing, Oklahoma
Arathy Somasekhar and Amanda Stephenson, 6/30/26
“Canada’s South Bow and U.S.-based Bridger Pipeline plan to jointly develop a new oil pipeline from Guernsey, Wyoming, to Cushing, Oklahoma, the companies told Reuters on Tuesday. The project will be developed along a corridor acquired from another company, South Bow and Bridger said in an email. The companies said their priority was to engage landowners and communities along the proposed route.”
Wisconsin Public Radio: Wisconsin regulators respond to drilling fluid spill on Enbridge’s Line 5 reroute
Danielle Kaeding, 6/30/26
“Crews spilled up to 1,900 gallons of drilling fluid on Saturday as they were working on Enbridge’s Line 5 reroute in northern Wisconsin,” Wisconsin Public Radio reports. “The Canadian energy firm notified the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources about the release that occurred around 4:30 p.m. Saturday in the Iron County town of Gurney. The company contracted with Michels Pipeline Inc. to install a new 41-mile stretch of pipeline around the Bad River tribe’s reservation. The spill is known as an inadvertent return or unintentional release of drilling fluid that’s often called a “frac-out.” In an email obtained by WPR, Elizabeth Romfoe, the DNR’s northern region spill coordinator, relayed details of the incident to the tribe’s brownfield specialist Grant Whitman. “The estimated volume released is 1500–1900 gallons of the bentonite clay, mostly in the forested wetland. About 5-8 gallons entered Vaughn Creek,” Romfoe wrote… “Bad River Tribal Chairwoman Liz Arbuckle told WPR the spill is what she feared. “They (Enbridge) have talked repeatedly about how safe they are, and here we are a month or so into this project, and we’ve already got this,” Arbuckle told WPR… “Arbuckle told WPR the DNR should take enforcement action against Enbridge, and she’d like the court to freeze construction.”
KCCI: Iowa Utilities Commission strips North and South Dakota terms from Summit carbon pipeline order
Suzanne Behnke, 6/30/26
“Two new orders came today from the Iowa Utilities Commission related to its 2024 approval of a proposed carbon pipeline in Iowa,” KCCI reports. “...In one order, the IUC says Summit must follow the rules and submit its new plan. The second ruling removes language about North and South Dakota’s part of the pipeline, but it still requires no construction can happen in Iowa until the pipeline gets IUC approval with a new route and the storage site for carbon dioxide meets regulatory requirements.”
Northern Journal: With tens of millions at stake, feud over trans-Alaska pipeline value heads to court
Max Graham, 6/30/26
“A high-stakes feud between Alaska’s major oil companies and three municipalities that collect taxes from those companies is now headed to court,” Northern Journal reports. “The fight is over the value of the trans-Alaska pipeline — a calculation that determines how much the companies owe in property taxes each year… “Both parties appealed an initial $10 billion assessment by Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration… The municipalities think the value was “improperly determined” by the board and is “considerably higher,” Robin Brena, an Alaska attorney who has long represented the municipalities in pipeline property tax matters, told the Journal… “The board’s determination and the Dunleavy administration’s earlier decision were “excessive” and “grossly overstate” the pipeline’s value, the appeal said.”
New Orleans City Business: Louisiana groups sue over coastal gas pipeline permit
6/30/26
“Louisiana fishermen, local environmental groups and the Sierra Club filed a lawsuit Friday in Cameron Parish challenging a coastal use permit for a proposed 44-mile pipeline, arguing state regulators failed to consider the project’s cumulative effects on climate change and coastal erosion,” New Orleans City Business reports. “The proposed Marais Pipeline would transport 1.9 billion cubic feet of methane gas per day to supply the Venture Global CP2 LNG export terminal, an approximately $33 billion project currently under construction along the Calcasieu Ship Channel near the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico. Filed in the 38th Judicial District Court, the petition argues that the 48-inch diameter pipeline would fill or disturb more than 800 acres of coastal wetlands, directly violating a legal precedent set by the same court last October. In that decision, which arose from a lawsuit challenging the coastal use permit for the Commonwealth LNG export terminal, Judge Penelope Richard ruled that state regulators must fully analyze cumulative climate change impacts before issuing coastal permits. Fisherman Involved in Sustaining our Heritage or FISH, a group based in Cameron Parish, contend state officials are ignoring the economic and health impacts on local residents in favor of serving corporate interests.”
Calgary Herald: On the eve of Alberta’s pipeline application, Carney concedes emissions will be higher
Steven Wilhelm, Reid Southwick, 6/30/26
“Just days before Premier Danielle Smith is expected to reveal her government’s bid for a new West Coast pipeline, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada’s emissions will be higher in the next few years than what Ottawa had previously envisioned,” the Calgary Herald reports. “In a video address posted on social media, Carney said Trudeau-era ambitions for emissions reductions were “not sustainable.” He said those policies would have made energy too expensive for Canadians while constraining the oilpatch, just as trading partners are looking to Canada for energy — and as the country seeks to diversify exports away from the United States… “The prime minister’s remarks came at a crucial time — on the eve of Canada Day, when Smith vowed to have a pipeline proposal ready and submitted to the federal Major Projects Office in Calgary… “Our neighbourhood hasn’t been this hostile since Canada was founded,” Carney said. “The world hasn’t been this unstable geopolitically since the end of the Second World War. “We must establish stability amidst this chaos.” “...Carney said nobody knows how long the global economy will rely on conventional energy. But, until then, as much of the fuel as possible should come from Canada… “So far, no private proponents have come forward with financial support for the line, which could carry one million barrels per day of Alberta crude to the British Columbia coast, feeding energy-hungry markets in Asia. Ottawa and Alberta have both said the line would need private backing.”
Everything GP: TSB releases report on struck pipeline in northeastern B.C.
Erika Rolling, 6/30/26
“The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has released its report on damage done to a pipeline in British Columbia’s northeast late last year,” Everything GP reports. “The incident happened on November 15, 2025, on a 16-inch-diameter pipeline operated by Westcoast Energy Limited Partnership that transports sweet natural gas near Blair Creek, about 151 km northwest of Fort St. John. Westcoast Energy Limited Partnership is an affiliate of Enbridge Inc… “TSB says the line was struck by a 20-inch-diameter pipe that was being used as shoring for an observation hole. The pipe was struck after a previously placed wooden post used to mark to location of the line was broken and moved, and a new stake was installed without re-exposing the 16-inch pipeline, resulting in inaccurate identification of the precise location.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Reuters: Trump urges gasoline retailers to lower prices, warns of ‘big problems’ if they don’t
Kanishka Singh, 6/29/26
“U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday gasoline retailers must get prices down immediately and warned that there will be “big problems” ahead if they did not do so.” Reuters reports. “Gasoline Retailers must get their Prices down, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “There will be no gauging, which is totally illegal. If Retailers don’t do this, big problems lie ahead! Start targeting around the $2.50 a Gallon number,” he wrote. Last week, Trump said he has instructed the Department of Justice to look into oil companies for not lowering gasoline pump prices in line with falling crude costs, accusing the companies of “gouging” customers.”
E&E News: Supreme Court hands Trump new power over independent agencies that oversee energy development
Lesley Clark, Kinnia Cheuk, Niina H. Farah, 6/29/26
“A nearly century-old precedent that has been in conservatives’ cross-hairs for years met its demise Monday, when the Supreme Court ruled to limit the independence of agencies like the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,” E&E News reports. “The ruling delivers more power to the executive branch, potentially giving Trump — and his successors — the authority to fire members of agencies that regulate the transmission of electricity, gas, oil and nuclear power… “That includes, she wrote, FERC, which has responsibility for managing the nation’s energy supply, along with the Chemical Safety Board, which investigates chemical disasters, as well as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. “It’s an extraordinarily consequential decision about the reach of presidential power, because agencies that had a degree of independence from the president no longer do,” Joel Eisen, a law professor at the University of Richmond, told E&E.”
E&E News: Automakers urge court not to reinstate Biden climate standards
Alex Guillén, 6/29/26
“The auto industry’s biggest trade group has told a federal court that reinstating Biden-era EPA greenhouse gas tailpipe rules would have “disastrous consequences” for the sector and consumers,” E&E News reports. “The industry pushback comes as a group of youth challengers seek to block the Trump administration’s repeal of the 2009 endangerment finding and all federal vehicle climate standards. In a break with environmental groups and Democratic-controlled states also challenging the repeal, the youth plaintiffs are seeking to stay the rule — effectively reinstating tailpipe standards — for the duration of litigation. The youth have raised constitutional issues with EPA’s repeal, while the other challengers are focused on statutory objections. In a friend of the court brief Monday, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation complained about long-term policy uncertainty and warned the court against reviving tailpipe rules suddenly.”
CBS News Sacramento: Bureau of Land Management opens public California land for oil and gas leasing
Carmela Karcher, 6/29/26
“Fracking and drilling could be coming back to California. Environmental advocates say it could be devastating to wildlife and communities,” CBS News Sacramento reports. “These are some of the most iconic and beautiful places in California that could see new drilling,” Center for Biological Diversity Attorney Hollin Kretzmann told CBS. “Drilling has a wide range of effects. It includes contaminating our water that we drink, contaminating the air that we breathe, and it has all kinds of effects on wildlife and the habitat that they need to survive.” “...BLM shared a statement with CBS News Sacramento, saying, “The BLM’s Record of Decision signed last week addresses a settlement agreement that required the BLM to analyze the environmental effects of oil and gas leasing and development prior to resuming leasing in the area. These lands have been open for leasing for many decades and this decision validates decisions made in the past. Through our NEPA process, we received comments from the public. These comments were addressed in the final document. We anticipate interest in established oil and gas fields where there is higher potential for development.”
Glenwood Springs Post Independent: BLM pursues changes to oil and gas leasing in hopes of spurring new development, but environmental groups have concerns
Ali Longwell, 6/29/26
“The U.S. Department of the Interior is proposing changes to the Bureau of Land Management’s oil and gas leasing process,” the Glenwood Springs Post Independent reports. “While the industry is lauding the proposal as a repeal of punitive measures implemented during former President Joe Biden’s administration, environmental advocacy groups say it will stifle critical public participation and reduce incentives for companies to clean up drilling sites… “Among the proposed changes is reducing public participation from 90 days to 10 days. In the Federal Register notice, the Interior Department said the goal is to ‘significantly expedite’ the process… “In its June notice, the BLM is now proposing to rescind the waste prevention rule and return the bonding requirement to the previous $25,000 standard. This is in addition to other proposed changes, including filing fee changes, authorization of non-competitive leases after competitive auctions and more.”
E&E News: DOJ renames environment division as Trump reshapes its mission
Pamela King, 6/29/26
“...In a Sunday op-ed, the interim leader of the division announced that DOJ’s Environment and Natural Resources Division will now be known as the Energy and Natural Resources Division, reflecting his team’s commitment to defending President Donald Trump’s mission to unleash American fossil fuel production,” E&E News reports. “Energy security is national security,” wrote Adam Gustafson, principal deputy assistant attorney general of the division, in the Wall Street Journal. “Iran’s recent stranglehold on the global oil market shows that domestic energy production is critical to preserving our way of life and securing our prosperity. Thanks to President Trump, the U.S. is producing more of its own energy than ever.” It’s not the first time the division’s name has changed. The division was established in 1909 as the Public Lands Division and changed to the Lands Division in 1933, Land and Natural Resources Division in 1965 and Environment and Natural Resources Division in 1990… “In a press release touting the name change, DOJ highlighted recent ENRD priorities to keep coal-fired power plants running, buffer a major AI company from litigation and block state climate action.”
Press release: Federal Court Rules 8647 Flag and Anti-Trump Signs Are Protected Speech
6/30/26
“Late last night a federal district court in the District of Columbia issued a ruling that the National Park Service cannot interfere with an ongoing protest critical of Donald Trump. The court issued a decision prohibiting the Park Service from revoking the permit of Accountability NOW USA or confiscating and destroying the group’s property. Represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of D.C., Accountability NOW argued that threats by the Park Service to revoke their permit violated its First Amendment right to free speech. Accountability NOW has held a 24/7 demonstration on in D.C. since December 2025 calling for the impeachment and removal of Trump from office. Their protest includes signs that read, “Trump raped little girls,” and “Kids, if your parents are MAGA, they love child rapists.” The Park Service informed the organization that these signs are “obscene” and could lead to the revocation of their permit to protest… “In last night’s ruling, U.S. District Judge Randolph B. Moss granted Accountability NOW’s motion and entered a permanent injunction in its favor, finding that its signs and flags are protected by the First Amendment.”
New York Post: US oil reserve at half its normal levels, facing operational failure: bombshell watchdog warning
Emily Goodin, Josh Christenson, 6/29/26
“The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is at its lowest level since the 1980s after tens of millions of barrels of oil were drained from it in response to the conflicts in Ukraine and Iran, a government watchdog found,” the New York Post reports. “Additionally, the nation’s emergency energy stockpile’s operational ability is at risk due to aging infrastructure that hasn’t been replaced, per the US Government Accountability Office… “Additionally, there is no plan in place to replace the reserves or a method to identify where the oil and gas would come from to replenish the coffers… “The GAO report also noted there’s a growing list of needed upgrades and repairs to the actual storage facilities, which are in Louisiana and Texas, to keep oil and gas from leaking and to ensure it can be accessed as needed.”
STATE UPDATES
NOLA.com: Air Products cancels $4.5 billion project to inject carbon dioxide under Lake Maurepas
Alex Lubben, 6/30/26
“Air Products canceled its $4.5 billion Louisiana Clean Energy Complex, putting an end to a controversial hydrogen and carbon capture project that proponents saw as a jobs engine and opponents feared would pollute Lake Maurepas,” NOLA.com reports. “The project, one of many proposed in recent years to take advantage of clean-energy tax credits, aimed to pipe carbon dioxide emissions, a byproduct of its activities, through Louisiana wetlands and to the lake where it would be stored about a mile underground… “In a prepared statement, Air Products said the project wasn’t going to pay off the way it needed to… “The project drew criticism, particularly around its carbon capture component, which residents around Lake Maurepas strongly opposed. Environmental groups questioned whether the project would deliver on its promises. And some Republican political leaders raised concerns about how the project would impact constituents… “Also on Tuesday, Norwegian company Yara International announced that it would not acquire the ammonia component of Air Products’ Louisiana project, citing low projected financial returns… “Several companies have recently dropped their carbon capture ambitions. ExxonMobil on Tuesday dropped offshore leases in the Gulf of Mexico that it had acquired for potential carbon capture projects. SunGas Renewables dropped another project that involved carbon capture in Beaver Lake earlier this month. Greg Upton, the executive director of Louisiana State University’s Center for Energy Studies, told NOLA.com that the regulatory landscape has been shifting around carbon capture projects.”
WBRZ: Livingston, Ascension parish leaders disagree on shutdown of Air Products carbon capture projects
Logan Cullop, 6/30/26
“The parish presidents in Livingston and Ascension parishes disagreed on the outcome of Air Products halting operations across the state; one arguing it will lead to fewer jobs and the other claiming the stop protects the natural resources and community,” WBRZ reports. “...Lake Maurepas is a goldmine for the residents of Livingston Parish. They get to in their backyard, they get to perform recreational activities in their own parish, and we don’t need that to be industrial wasteland,” Livingston Parish President Randy Delatte told WBRZ. The project, which started in 2021, drew heavy criticism from residents near Lake Maurepas who were concerned that injecting carbon dioxide into the bed of the lake would disturb the fragile ecosystem and impact drinking water for people in the area. Delatte fought against Air Products, helping to pass a moratorium to stall the company’s progress and speaking to politicians to hopefully curb carbon capture projects in his parish. Delatte called Tuesday’s announcement “welcome news” for his constituents… “Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment, on the other hand, told WBRZ that his parish would now be missing out on economic opportunity. “This is a tough day for Ascension Parish and for Louisiana. We’re talking about the loss of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in potential investment,” Cointment told WBRZ.”
Ascension Business Report: The collapse of this $4.5B project in Ascension could reshape Louisiana’s industrial playbook
Jordan Arceneaux, 6/30/26
“The collapse of Air Products’ planned $4.5 billion Louisiana Clean Energy Complex is more than the loss of a single megaproject. It could reshape how companies view future carbon capture investments in Louisiana, according to economist Loren Scott,” Ascension Business Report reports. “...For Scott, the decision follows a growing pattern. “It wasn’t a total surprise,” Scott told the Report, pointing to the project’s long-running challenges surrounding its carbon capture and sequestration component. He notes another major Louisiana project, the SunGas proposed $2.5 billion Beaver Lake Renewable Energy methanol facility near Alexandria, was canceled earlier this month after facing market challenges and opposition to its carbon capture plans. Scott believes the canceled projects could prompt companies evaluating Louisiana projects to reconsider the state’s investment climate for developments that require carbon capture. “I think they’re going to start wondering about their future in the state,” he told the Report… “It had that feeling that kind of if this was happening here in Louisiana, then it was a good sign that this project was going to get going again, but unfortunately, that did not happen,” she told the Report… “Looking ahead, Scott expects the debate over carbon capture to intensify unless state leaders take a more active role in supporting the technology.”
E&E News: Appeals court upholds New York gas appliance bans
Alex Guillén, 6/30/26
“A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld a New York law banning natural gas appliances in new buildings,” E&E News reports. “The ruling is a win for the state and is heating up a disagreement between courts over whether federal energy conservation law preempts state-level laws and city ordinances banning fossil fuel infrastructure in new builds. The conflict could spark interest from the Supreme Court… “Groups including the National Association of Home Builders sued over the law. The case also challenged a state law directing New York’s building code council to adopt rules barring fossil fuel appliances in new buildings statewide. Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration agreed to pause implementation during the legal proceedings.”
Signal Ohio: Texas and Oklahoma companies to pay $242 million to frack 15,000 acres of Ohio public land
Jake Zuckerman, 6/29/26
“State officials selected winning bids Monday worth a total of $242 million from a handful of out-of-state oil and gas companies to frack about 15,000 acres of state-owned preserved wildlife areas and state parkland in eastern Ohio,” Signal Ohio reports. “...The $242 million comes before royalty payments that call for the companies to pay the state between 18% and 19% of all oil and gas produced. The meeting, as has become commonplace, took place over shouts, jeers and heckling from a crowd of environmentalists, who say the OGLMC is something of a rubber-stamping clearing house that inevitably ends up voting for development. “You know what we would find helpful. If you jump off a bridge,” one yelled, loud enough to seem to startle the commissioners. Acceptance of the bids came despite near-unanimous opposition to the projects in public comments considered by the OGLMC itself. “Public lands are meant for conservation, recreation, and long-term stewardship, not short-term extraction,” said Rebecca Montag in a public comment. “Continuing to approve these projects threatens water quality, ecosystems, and public trust in this process.”
Pipeline & Gas Journal: BKV Brings Two Texas Carbon Capture Projects Online
6/30/26
“BKV Corp. has placed two new carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) facilities into commercial operation in Texas, expanding its portfolio to three operating projects and increasing its annual carbon dioxide (CO₂) sequestration capacity by more than 120,000 metric tons,” Pipeline & Gas Journal reports. “The newly commissioned Eagle Ford and Cotton Cove facilities capture CO₂ from natural gas processing operations and permanently inject it into underground geologic formations… “Combined, the two facilities are expected to sequester more than 120,000 metric tons of CO₂ annually… “The company has previously stated a goal of reaching an annual CO₂ injection rate of 1.5 million metric tons by 2028.”
WFMJ: ODNR: Oil well blowout caused West Farmington crude oil, salt brine spill
Camille Sipple, 6/29/26
“WFMJ has learned that a crude oil and salt brine spill in West Farmington was caused by an oil well “blowout”, according to a report from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management… “Blowouts can be catastrophic. If a spark or any open flame comes in contact with the oil during a blowout, it could trigger an explosion… “The spill affected roughly three acres of the owner’s property, and ODNR’s report stated that there was “no threat to public health and safety.” The incident triggered an evacuation of the area at the time, as officials worked to contain the spill. Residents were able to return to their homes later that night… “According to reports from WFMJ after the incident, several neighbors struggled to clean up their properties from the spill — one woman explained that her drinking water, accessed through a cistern system, was rendered unusable.”
EXTRACTION
Reuters: US drives rise in global emissions as utilities turn back to coal, report shows
Seher Dareen, 6/30/26
“The United States accounted for about a third of the rise in global carbon emissions in 2025, as higher gas prices pushed power producers back to coal, an Energy Institute report showed,” Reuters reports. “U.S. coal consumption jumped 10% last year, reversing a shift towards cleaner fuels and helping lift overall emissions. Global carbon emissions from the energy sector rose 1.1% to 35,806 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. More than a third of this increase came from the U.S. North America’s increase bucked the 10-year trend of emissions falling by 0.7%... “Global oil consumption rose 1.3% in 2025 to 103 million barrels per day, compared with a 1.1% increase in 2024, while production grew 3.5%.”
Reuters: Shell expects 65% rise in global LNG demand by 2050
Marwa Rashad, Stephanie Kelly and Emily Chow, 6/30/26
“Global liquefied natural gas demand is expected to rise by around 65% by 2050, driven largely by Asia as countries seek lower-emission alternatives to coal and data centres boost power demand, Shell said in an annual report on Tuesday,” Reuters reports. “Global demand is likely to reach nearly 700 million metric tons a year by that date, the world’s largest trader of the superchilled fuel said in its 2026 LNG Outlook. LNG trade, which reached 422 million tons in 2025, had been set to increase in 2026, it added. However, severe disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has shut in around one-fifth of global monthly LNG supply since the Middle East conflict began. As a result, global LNG trade in 2026 could be similar to last year’s level if shipping through the strait returns to normal this summer, before returning to growth in 2027, Shell said… “To meet rising demand, significant additional investment will be needed in new LNG export projects through the 2030s and 2040s, with around 200 million tons per year of new supply required in addition to projects already under construction. “While more investment in both supply and demand infrastructure is needed, the long-term outlook remains strong and LNG will continue to be a stabilising force in the global energy system,” Cremers said.”
Upstream: Major hydrocarbon release being investigated at Canada platform
Iain Esau, 6/29/26
“Canadian authorities have released details on a ‘major’ oil spill that took place last month on the Hibernia platform offshore Newfoundland & Labrador,” Upstream reports. “More than 1500 litres of oil released in incident classed as having potential for fire, explosion and fatality.”
Mongabay: As Amazon oil drilling begins, scientists warn of risks to a little-known reef
Suzana Camargo, 6/29/26
“Brazilian state oil and gas company Petrobras has started drilling in the Equatorial Margin after years of political, scientific and environmental disputes over the risks posed by oil exploration at the mouth of the Amazon River,” Mongabay reports. “Researchers warn that the Amazon Reef system harbors a wealth of biodiversity and has not been widely studied, despite being close to Petrobras’s exploration block. Scientists disagree about the composition and extent of the Amazonian reefs, while environmentalists denounce attempts to downplay their ecological importance. Experts warn that an oil spill could reach mangroves, small-scale fisheries, and even neighboring countries, due to strong marine currents in the area.”
OPINION
Anchorage Daily News: The view from Alaska is worth more than a pipeline
Liz Colvecchio, 6/30/26
“In June, a letter was published by a photographer who advocated for building a gas pipeline in Alaska (“After 40 years of waiting, it’s time to build the line,” June 18). As a young person who has lived here all my life, left for higher education and chosen to return to serve my community, I am appalled by the suggestion that this is the right decision for our state,” Liz Colvecchio writes for the Anchorage Daily News. “When I was a child, I believed that people who think these projects are beneficial simply saw things differently than I did, but still wanted the best for our community. As an adult, I see that perspective was naïve, and that profit is sometimes the ultimate motive for this support. I believe that building a gas pipeline will not only feed a data center project that will degrade our environment and put vulnerable communities and animal species at risk, but will also not create a significant number of long-term jobs that young people struggle to find. I wish my fellow Alaskans who are older than me would consider that we should advocate for each other, for our health systems, our environment and our unique needs more than out-of-state billionaires.”
Wood Mackenzie: Carbon capture continues to grow, despite challenges
Ed Crooks, Vice Chair Americas, 6/30/26
“Carbon capture has become a hot political issue in Louisiana. Because it is a way to reconcile continued fossil fuel use with falling greenhouse gas emissions, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) has benefited from bipartisan support in the US, “ Ed Crooks writes for Wood Mackenzie. “…But the industry is still capable of stirring up political controversy. In the Republican primary contest to choose a candidate for a US Senate seat for Louisiana, one contender made opposition to carbon capture and storage a key plank in his campaign… “The assessment from The Center Square news service was that his opposition to carbon capture had helped him, but not enough to offset his opponent’s support from President Donald Trump and other leading Republicans. The public and political resistance to CCUS, even in a heartland of the US oil and gas industry such as Louisiana, is a symptom of the challenges the industry is facing… “It usually needs government support to be economically viable, and in many places there is still scepticism about its benefits and risks… “As things stand, carbon prices around the world are generally not high enough to justify investment in CCUS without additional support… “Even so, Wood Mackenzie still expects strong growth in the CCUS sector over the coming decades, as an essential part of any global strategy to address climate change… “CCUS cannot be a complete solution to the challenge of global warming.”