PIPELINE NEWS
Enbridge: Enbridge responds to Line 5 Natural Gas Liquids release in Wisconsin
Toronto Star: New report casts doubt on whether oil industry needs Alberta’s proposed pipeline
Law360: DC Circ. Sides With FERC On Pipeline Project Approval
WIVT: Federal govt. pushes ahead for Constitution pipeline
KNOE: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission asks for comments on Franklin Farms Project
Des Moines Register: Ex-chair Erik Helland resigning from Iowa Utilities Commission
Forbes: America’s Gas Boom Has Two Buyers, One Pipeline
Carlsbad Current-Argus: Carlsbad Council Approves Oilfield Wastewater Pipeline Through Airport
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Reuters: Experts, lawyers puzzled over US-Venezuela oil deal, call for contract transparency
Wall Street Journal: Trump’s Venezuelan Oil Company Plans Massive Drilling Push
Utility Dive: California sues Trump administration over offshore wind ‘extortion racket’
Reuters: Trump says U.S. will refill Strategic Petroleum Reserve using Venezuelan oil
Nevada Public Radio: Environmentalists want more time for public comment on feds’ plan to rescind Roadless Rule
STATE UPDATES
Reuters: New York cannot enforce $75 billion climate ‘superfund’ law, US judge rules
Grist: The fossil fuel industry is spending record amounts to keep California from regulating it
Politico: A ‘sleeper issue’ in red states this fall: Diesel prices
Law360: Texas Court Sends Oxy Carbon Capture Claims To Arbitration
Colorado Sun: BLM will offer parcels near Aurora Reservoir for oil and gas drilling
KJZZ: Report warns of environmental impacts from proposed oil and gas lease near Grand Canyon
Monticello News: County officials decide how to divvy up $14M in oil spill money
Equation Campaign: Join the special film screening of vs. GOLIATH: Greater Chaco
EXTRACTION
Politico: Is electricity the new oil?
Harvard Media: Energy minister says Ottawa focused on getting oilsands projects built
EnergyNow: Oil Sands GDP Could Receive an Additional $110 Billion Boost Over Next Decade by Remaining in a Renewed Canada
Corporate Europe Observatory: A deadly alliance of Big Tech and Big Oil
Journal of Petroleum Technology: Why Scaling CO₂-EOR Remains Difficult
Reuters: ONEOK to buy Brazos Midstream’s Permian Midland Basin assets for $4.43 billion
The Sun Nigeria: Panic as oil spill pollutes Nembe Creek in Bayelsa
OPINION
National Post: The economic fantasies of Carney and Trump
Reuters: The Americas’ oil bonanza will outlast the Iran conflict
PIPELINE NEWS
Enbridge: Enbridge responds to Line 5 Natural Gas Liquids release in Wisconsin
8/31/26
“Today Enbridge crews continued to use a combination of nitrogen and trailer-mounted flare stacks to safely evacuate and burn off remaining vapors in the isolated one-mile section of Line 5 near a site impacted by a third-party line strike in northern Wisconsin. Extensive air monitoring at the flare site, the incident site, and in the surrounding area continues to show safe air quality outside of the evacuation zone and where crews are working. However, the exclusion zone remains around the active incident site, and the “no-fly” zone continues over the site issued by the Iron County Sheriff. On Tuesday, Aug. 25, a parked and unoccupied third-party subcontractor flatbed truck delivering equipment to the site rolled forward into an open excavation at a Line 5 valve project, striking the pipe and releasing natural gas liquids (NGLs), mainly propane and butane. NGLs are transported by pipeline as liquids, but when exposed to normal outdoor conditions, rapidly vaporize into gases. No one was injured. As a precaution, a nearby rural home was evacuated. The affected section of pipe was immediately isolated, and Line 5 remains shut down. Enbridge continues to progress towards the goal of safely restoring service to the pipeline by Sept. 5.”
Toronto Star: New report casts doubt on whether oil industry needs Alberta’s proposed pipeline
Ryan Tumilty, 9/1/26
“With one month to go before the federal government must decide whether to fast-track Alberta’s proposed West Coast pipeline, a new report is questioning whether the oil industry even needs the new million-barrel-per-day project,” the Toronto Star reports. “The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), a global energy think tank, released its assessment on Tuesday, arguing that existing pipelines and cheaper expansion projects that are already proposed can handle Canada’s expected oil-production growth. The proposed pipeline “is unlikely to be needed to meet capacity needs in the future,” the report states… “But given the new pipeline’s price tag is estimated to be between $35 and $43 billion, the IEEFA report argues using it could be even harder for companies to justify… “As of the end of last year, Alberta produced 4.8 million barrels per day. In its study, IEEFA used growth estimates from the Canada Energy Regulator which forecast in its most ambitious scenario that Alberta would produce 6.7 million barrels per day. However, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said she wants to see the industry produce eight million barrels per day… “Heather Exner-Pirot, a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, told the Star the industry is likely waiting for the fall federal budget and will be looking for tax breaks letting them write off their capital costs faster… “They’re not in a hurry to announce greenfield projects ahead of the budget because they’re negotiating to get as sweet of a deal from the federal government in the budget as possible,” she told the Star. She told the Star capital-cost tax breaks helped the oilsands expand in the past, and in a global market might be necessary… “You don’t start at the pipeline and then see if you can fill it. There’s a commercial case to building a pipeline that’s driven by an increase in production and a demand for that production so this is a bit backwards,” George Vegh, senior fellow at the Munk School and former chair of the Canada Energy Regulator, told the Star.”
Law360: DC Circ. Sides With FERC On Pipeline Project Approval
Nadia Dreid, 8/31/26
“The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission made no mistake when it greenlit a project to improve the East Tennessee Natural Gas pipeline and to allow the energy company to push the cost of those improvements along to customers, the D.C. Circuit has ruled,” Law360 reports.
WIVT: Federal govt. pushes ahead for Constitution pipeline
Benjamin Yeargin, 8/31/26
“A longtime pipeline proposal that would stretch from Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, to close to Albany has taken a step toward becoming a reality,” WIVT reports. “The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has completed an environmental assessment for the Constitution Pipeline and the Wright Interconnect Project… “The E-A found that the pipeline would not significantly impact the quality of the environment for people. This is in stark contrast to the findings of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which previously refused to grant permits for the pipeline, citing potential threats to waterways that the pipeline would cross. New York has also been objecting to new natural gas infrastructure as it pursues its ambitious carbon reduction goals… “Public comments are welcome and encouraged about the potential environmental effects and solutions to lessen or avoid the impacts.”
KNOE: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission asks for comments on Franklin Farms Project
CJ Sartor, 8/31/26
“The staff at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is asking for comments on a proposed natural gas pipeline that will run through Richland Parish. It’s called the Franklin Farms Project,” KNOE reports. “The pipeline will be built and run by ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC. The company plans to run it through around 15 miles in the Franklin Farms, Bee Bayou, and Trio Farm area. Entergy’s new power generating plant in Richland Parish will receive the natural gas. It will deliver power to the Meta Hyperion Data Center.”
Des Moines Register: Ex-chair Erik Helland resigning from Iowa Utilities Commission
Donnelle Eller, 8/31/26
“The former chair of the Iowa Utilities Commission, who led the state agency through the controversial approval of Summit Carbon Solutions’ $9 billion carbon capture pipeline, is stepping down early,” the Des Moines Register reports. “The Iowa Utilities Commission announced Commissioner Erik Helland will resign effective Friday, Sept. 4, nearly three years before his term ends… “In 2025, Gov. Kim Reynolds replaced Helland with Commissioner Sarah Martz as the commission chair about a year after Helland, Martz and Commissioner Joshua Brynes agreed to Summit’s request for a permit to build a carbon capture pipeline across about 30 Iowa counties. The commission also agreed to allow the Ames-based company to use eminent domain to force unwilling landowners to sell access to their property for the pipeline. Ensuing controversy sparked Republican lawmakers to propose legislation curbing the use of eminent domain for carbon capture and other hazardous liquid pipelines… “Reynolds, who appointed Helland, Martz and Brynes, vetoed a bill in June 2025 that would have restricted the use of eminent domain for pipelines, saying the legislation was too broad and could damage economic development in Iowa.”
Forbes: America’s Gas Boom Has Two Buyers, One Pipeline
Ken Silverstein, 9/1/26
“A $16 billion gas-fired power plant in Anderson County, Texas, backed by Japanese investment, highlights the intense competition for natural gas,” according to Forbes. “This facility, a partnership between Comstock Resources and NextEra Energy, aims to power burgeoning AI data centers and manufacturing. Simultaneously, international buyers like Japan’s Mitsui are securing long-term LNG contracts for their own AI infrastructure, creating dual pressure on U.S. gas supplies. While current production can meet both domestic and export demands, experts warn that this balance is precarious. The challenge lies in expanding gas production and pipeline capacity to keep pace with these rapidly growing sectors. Failure to do so by 2030 could lead to policy conflicts, higher domestic prices, and potential supply shortages, testing the nation’s ability to satisfy both domestic innovation and international energy commitments… “Rusty Braziel, executive chairman of RBN Energy, told Forbes data centers coming online through 2030 will add roughly 4 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of incremental gas demand—real, but modest next to new LNG capacity, on track to pull an additional 11 to 12 Bcf/d by the same year. Dollar for dollar, $10 billion in LNG export infrastructure drives roughly 13 times more gas demand than the equivalent spend on data centers.”
Carlsbad Current-Argus: Carlsbad Council Approves Oilfield Wastewater Pipeline Through Airport
Adrian Hedden, 9/1/26
“A pipeline used to transport oilfield wastewater will cross through the Carlsbad airport,” the Carlsbad Current-Argus reports. “The Cavern City Air Terminal is located near the southern city limits on National Parks Highway, an area where oil and gas production continues to expand.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Reuters: Experts, lawyers puzzled over US-Venezuela oil deal, call for contract transparency
Marianna Parraga and Mayela Armas, 8/31/26
“A massive long-term oil deal expected to grant the U.S. access to a fifth of Venezuela’s crude reserves has energy experts and lawyers questioning its legality and eventual execution, while calling on both governments for contract transparency,” Reuters reports. “The unprecedented pact, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday and confirmed by Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez, will put a whopping 65 billion barrels of recoverable oil under Washington’s control, a volume that surpasses total U.S. proved oil reserves of 46 billion barrels. The agreement did not pass through a competitive process, and its negotiation remained a secret until last week, even amid a sweeping reform of Venezuela’s primary hydrocarbons law and the migration of dozens of joint ventures and contracts to new terms, which authorities and operators have not completed… “Experts have expressed doubts over the deal’s legality, especially since the U.S., not Venezuela, is set to select the model and companies to operate the fields. “Despite being formally recognized by the U.S., the agreement can be brought to court in the future,” Juan Carlos Apitz, head of Central University of Venezuela’s law faculty, told Reuters.”
Wall Street Journal: Trump’s Venezuelan Oil Company Plans Massive Drilling Push
Collin Eaton, 8/31/26
“The Venezuelan oil company run by businessman Alejandro Betancourt plans to dispatch more than 50 drilling rigs to the Latin American country over the next few years, a massive rollout meant to turbocharge the country’s anemic crude production,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “Betancourt’s North American Blue Energy Partners, recently backed by the Trump administration, is aiming to move six drilling rigs into its Venezuelan oil fields by the end of 2026, according to an internal document viewed by The Wall Street Journal. Next year, it plans to deploy 12 more rigs and, in 2028 and beyond, an additional two rigs a month. The total is eventually expected to reach 52… “Under Trump’s plan, the U.S. would take a direct stake in NABEP, which plans to develop 17 Venezuelan oil fields that house some 65 billion barrels of oil, or one-fifth of the country’s reserves. NABEP aims to operate many of its fields independently, people familiar with the matter told the Journal.”
Utility Dive: California sues Trump administration over offshore wind ‘extortion racket’
Diana DiGangi, 8/31/26
“California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the California Energy Commission filed a lawsuit Friday against the Trump administration and the developer of Golden State Wind over the “buy back” agreement the two parties reached for an offshore wind lease off the state’s central coast,” Utility Dive reports. “...In April the developers reached an agreement with the Trump administration to receive $120 million in exchange for the lease being cancelled. The Trump administration has made similar deals with several offshore wind developers, starting with a March deal with TotalEnergies, a French multinational energy and petroleum company. Under that deal, TotalEnergies agreed to “relinquish” two offshore wind leases off the coasts of North Carolina and New York with a combined capacity of 4.2 GW in exchange for $928 million. “This ‘TotalEnergies model’ of buyout operates with the cynical logic of an extortion racket,” said California’s lawsuit filing. “The Trump administration first abuses its authority to make the offshore wind energy leases worth significantly less than what the developer paid at auction; then, offering the original bid amount in exchange for lease cancellation works as the proverbial unrefusable offer given these companies’ fiduciary responsibilities to their investors.” The lawsuit also criticized the deals the Trump administration has struck with these developers for the lease proceeds to be reinvested into other forms of energy generation — for instance, TotalEnergies agreed to invest the $928 million into U.S. oil, natural gas, and liqueified natural gas production.”
Reuters: Trump says U.S. will refill Strategic Petroleum Reserve using Venezuelan oil
David Thomas and Jarrett Renshaw, 8/30/26
“U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that oil from a recently struck deal with Venezuela will be used to replenish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which has been drawn down sharply in recent years to respond to global supply disruptions and high fuel prices,” Reuters reports. “...It is unclear how quickly the Venezuela deal could provide oil for the reserve or deliver any near-term benefit to U.S. motorists. The agreement Trump announced on Friday is aimed at reviving Venezuela’s battered oil industry, but it will require significant investment and infrastructure work before production can rise substantially. The reserve held about 290 million barrels as of August 21, near a 44-year low, after the United States drew down its stockpile under both the Biden and Trump administrations in response to global supply disruptions, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the conflict with Iran.”
Nevada Public Radio: Environmentalists want more time for public comment on feds’ plan to rescind Roadless Rule
Yvette Fernandez, 8/28/26
“With less than 30 days left, conservation groups are requesting the government extend the public comment period for its proposal to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule,” Nevada Public Radio reports. “Earthjustice filed the request on behalf of several environmental groups, including the Wilderness Society, the Sierra Club and others. The nonprofit says rescinding the landmark rule affects 45 million acres of national forest land — largely in the West — across 38 states… “In its letter to the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Earthjustice requests extending the public comment period to at least 120 days to increase the opportunities for the public to weigh in on the proposed rescission… “When the public rises up and speaks out and tells the administration, hands off our public lands, sometimes the administration will listen. We have to stand up for our public lands and make our voices heard,” Aaron Bloom, a senior attorney with Earthjustice, told NPR.”
STATE UPDATES
Reuters: New York cannot enforce $75 billion climate ‘superfund’ law, US judge rules
Nate Raymond and Jonathan Stempel, 8/31/26
“A federal judge ruled on Monday that New York cannot enforce a 2024 state law that sought to force fossil fuel companies to contribute $75 billion over 25 years into a fund to pay for damage caused by climate change,” Reuters reports. “Chief U.S. District Judge Brenda Sannes in Syracuse, New York sided with 22 Republican state attorneys general, as well as industry groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in finding the state measure preempted by federal law.” “...She said enforcing New York’s Climate Change Superfund Act risked upsetting the balance between preventing global warming, “a project that necessarily requires national standards and global participation,” and promoting economic growth, energy production, foreign policy interests and national security. “The Climate Act conflicts with the overriding need for a uniform rule of decision on matters influencing national energy and environmental policy, and basic interests of federalism,” she wrote.”
Grist: The fossil fuel industry is spending record amounts to keep California from regulating it
Joseph Winters, 8/27/26
“The fossil fuel industry isn’t just raking in record profits amid the war with Iran. In California, it’s also spending big to oppose climate and worker-safety legislation,” Grist reports. “According to analyses by a coalition of environmental groups called the Last Chance Alliance, oil and gas companies spent more than $17 million on California lobbying during the first half of 2026. That includes $10.3 million during the first quarter — a new record for the sector — and another $6.8 million during Q2. Much of the spending was directed against legislation proposing new costs and liabilities for the fossil fuel industry, like a state bill that would make companies pay for rebuilding following climate-intensified natural disasters. But other bills targeted were more milquetoast, seeking to clarify existing workplace-safety laws and ensure more thorough reporting of cleanup costs when oil companies want to decommission projects. Faraz Rizvi, campaign and policy director for the nonprofit Asian Pacific Environmental Network — a member of the Last Chance Alliance — criticized companies for “aggressively lobbying” against straightforward measures to protect communities and boost transparency. “They’re not actors that have consumers’ or communities’ interests at heart,” he told Grist.”
Politico: A ‘sleeper issue’ in red states this fall: Diesel prices
Mike Soraghan and Grace Yarrow, 9/1/26
“Republicans have been facing a problem with voters over high gasoline prices for months — but the economic pain from near-record diesel fuel prices looks set to hit at the worst possible time for them,” Politico reports. “...That matters for Republicans in particular because diesel prices hit first — and hardest — in rural areas and affect blue-collar businesses like farming and trucking before spreading to suburban dinner tables and the rest of the economy… “On Monday, the average price of a gallon of diesel was $5.60, up about $1 from early July and almost $2 higher than a year ago… “That shortage will be acutely felt by the farmers during the harvest, and so the inflationary consequences can be greater at harvest time,” Kevin Book, managing director at consulting firm ClearView Energy Partners, told Politico. At the same time, products will be on trucks headed to stores for the holidays, and many voters in places like Maine and Alaska will be preparing for winter by buying heating oil, which, like jet fuel, is similar to diesel… “Add to that a shortage of truck drivers, Dean Croke, principal analyst at DAT Freight & Analytics told Politico, and the combination could make diesel the “sleeper issue” of the nation’s energy inflation in the fall… “That squeeze suggests the affordability issue is going to get worse for Trump and congressional Republicans as they face inflation-weary voters in midterm elections.”
Law360: Texas Court Sends Oxy Carbon Capture Claims To Arbitration
Caroline Simson, 8/31/26
“A Texas appellate court has revived Occidental Petroleum’s attempt to arbitrate a multimillion-dollar dispute stemming from a project to deploy a technology aimed at reducing greenhouse gases in Australia, saying a tribunal in British Columbia must decide for itself whether it has jurisdiction,” Law360 reports.
Colorado Sun: BLM will offer parcels near Aurora Reservoir for oil and gas drilling
Mark Jaffe, 8/31/26
“Planned oil and gas development near the Aurora Reservoir — which has been vigorously opposed by local residents — is poised to grow as the federal government will auction off 600 acres of mineral leases west of the reservoir,” the Colorado Sun reports. “In its Sept. 8 auction, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management is offering two parcels covering 600 acres adjacent to Colorado State Land Board property where Crestone Peak has been approved to develop 108 oil and gas wells… “A grassroots group — Save the Aurora Reservoir, or STAR — hired an attorney and expert witnesses to appear before the ECMC. The fight over the pad lasted eight months and culminated in a series of seven hearings. The commission approved the pad on a 3-2 vote. “STAR believes, as do most Americans, that our public lands are for the benefit of the public NOT for corporations to pillage for profit,” the group said in a statement. “Many of the parcels being leased under this version of the BLM are concerning and additive to the problems that Colorado is already seeing from rampant oil and gas development.”
KJZZ: Report warns of environmental impacts from proposed oil and gas lease near Grand Canyon
Greg Hahne, 8/28/26
“...About 80,000 acres north of the Grand Canyon could be sold later this year for oil and gas drilling, as part of the Trump administration’s focus on fossil fuels to achieve ‘energy dominance,” KJZZ reports. “The new report comes from environmental groups Rocky Mountain Wild and the Center for Western Priorities. It says the lands included in the Arizona proposal contain biological resources and have cultural importance to tribal nations and Indigenous communities.”
Monticello News: County officials decide how to divvy up $14M in oil spill money
Lazaro Aleman, 8/31/26
“The Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners recently identified five key projects that they want to pursue, should the undertakings qualify for the $14 million or so in Restore Act funding that was allocated to the county several years ago as a result of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf,” the Monticello News reports. “After much back-and-forth on the issue on Thursday morning, Aug. 6 – including input from School Superintendent Jackie Pons – the commission voted to distribute the $14 million as follows: $2.5 million for jail reconstruction; $1.5 million for courthouse renovation and the balance of the money to be divided equally for construction of a new Emergency Operation Center (EOC), expansion of broadband connectivity and for establishment of a trade school here in conjunction with the school district… “Gramling is this county’s representative on the Gulf Consortium, the public entity created after the 2010 oil spill to manage and distribute the billions of settlement dollars that resulted from the federal government’s lawsuit against the companies responsible for the environmental disaster. The consortium is made up of representatives from the 23 counties in Florida with coastlines on the Gulf, including Jefferson County.”
Equation Campaign: Join the special film screening of vs. GOLIATH: Greater Chaco
8/31/26
“Across the country, concerned community members of all stripes are standing up to the fossil fuel industry to fight for their land, their water, and their community’s future. Join us virtually tomorrow night, September 1st, from 8PM-9:15 ET / 5PM-6:15 PT for a special screening VS. GOLIATH: Greater Chaco, followed by a Q&A with frontline leaders featured in the episode and Dallas Goldtooth, moderated by Judith Le Blanc,” the Equation Campaign reports. “The sacred Greater Chaco region of New Mexico, ancestral homeland of the Pueblo and Diné (Navajo) peoples, is under siege from a relentless surge of oil and gas extraction. After a life-changing call to Standing Rock, young Sandia Pueblo leader Julia Bernal returns home to confront the same forces threatening her own community. Uniting with Diné elder Daniel Tso and an intergenerational coalition, they lead a powerful fight to defend tribal sovereignty and protect Chaco for future generations. The post-screening conversation will feature Diné elder Daniel Tso, Diné community organizer Mario Atencio, and Dakota/Diné activist, writer, and actor, Dallas Goldtooth, moderated by Judith Le Blanc, executive director of the Native Organizers Alliance.”
EXTRACTION
Politico: Is electricity the new oil?
Benjamin Storrow, 8/31/26
“Political fortunes once rose and fell with the price of gasoline. Today, they’re increasingly tied to the monthly electric bill,” Politico reports. “Politicians from Phoenix to London are scrambling to respond to voter angst over the cost of keeping the lights on… “And U.S. politicians of every stripe are turning against data centers, painting the energy-hungry facilities as the culprit behind rising utility bills in the run-up to November’s midterm elections… “Oil is still king of global energy markets — and politics — but its star may be dimming. Case in point: Oil prices have yet to hit analysts’ sky-high predictions as the Iran war pinches supply. “It’s a big macro market signal that oil is just not as geographically constrained or as essential as it used to be,” Eurasia Group chair Gerald Butts, who has served as an adviser to two Canadian prime ministers, including Mark Carney, told Politico. “Essentially, oil is not worth what it once was.” “...Paul Sankey, one of Wall Street’s top oil analysts, told Politico global transportation could be increasingly bifurcated, with America’s oil-reliant vehicles on one side, and China’s cheap EVs on the other. “The 20th century was the century of oil, and the 21st century will be the century of electricity.”
Harvard Media: Energy minister says Ottawa focused on getting oilsands projects built
Jon Tupper, 8/31/26
“Canada’s energy minister says Ottawa is moving to get major energy projects built while seeking new international customers for Canadian oil and gas as the country looks to reduce its dependence on the United States,” Harvard Media reports. “...We understand we are in a trade war,” federal Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson said, according to Harvard. “Our very best cards are our energy and natural resources…As the prime minister has said, we need to sell our energy and natural resources to all of our allies, not just the one we share a border with.” “He said work is also underway to optimize the Trans Mountain pipeline system to add another 300,000 barrels of capacity. Hodgson said Ottawa is also working toward getting a proposed new one-million-barrel-per-day pipeline to the West Coast listed by Oct. 1… “Hodgson said Ottawa sees further oilsands development proceeding alongside efforts to reduce the industry’s environmental impact, including carbon capture, utilization and storage… “What this government is doing is it’s supporting the growth of the oil sands in an environmentally responsible way, and it’s bringing all of Canada along,” Hodgson said.”
EnergyNow: Oil Sands GDP Could Receive an Additional $110 Billion Boost Over Next Decade by Remaining in a Renewed Canada
Lennie Kaplan, 9/1/26
“New modeling reveals that Alberta oil sands gross domestic product (GDP) could be boosted by an additional $110 billion or 25% over the next decade though a new economic deal that keeps our province within a united Canada, rather than pursuing Alberta independence,” according to EnergyNow. “The modeling assumes an increase in Alberta’s oil production to around 7.5 million barrels per day (mb/d) by 2035 if Alberta remains within Canada, roughly aligned with the Alberta government’s roadmap target of 8 mb/d by 2035. The level of Alberta oil production achieved by remaining in Canada is assumed to result in expanded pipeline egress and incentivize an estimated 16 Mt in annual carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the oil sands sector by 2035, according to my modeling. While there are continuing economic questions on whether this level of oil production is in fact achievable by 2035, it appears that investments in such projects as the West Coast Oil Pipeline (WCOP), other announced pipeline expansions and optimizations, brownfield and greenfield oil sands projects, and the Pathways CCS project could all be jeopardized by the significant uncertainties associated with Alberta independence.”
Corporate Europe Observatory: A deadly alliance of Big Tech and Big Oil
8/31/26
“...This unholy alliance of Big Tech and Big Oil promises to capture, transport and store the emissions from these gas plants,” according to the Corporate Europe Observatory. “Carbon capture, however, is the ultimate moving goalpost: always promised but never here, despite billions in public subsidies. Exxon claims it is the “only realistic game in town” for low-emission data centres – but the oil giant’s actions tell a very different story. Carbon capture is a paper tiger: presented by big polluters as a strong solution, but flimsy and weak on closer inspection. At the end of a summer of deadly heatwaves and uncontrollable wildfires, make no mistake: new fossil gas to power data centres just means new emissions. Worsening the climate crisis, and amplifying its deadly impacts… “You can see the appeal for multi-billion euro polluting industries: forget about transforming or overhauling their business models, and instead picture a neat little CO2-catcher that siphons off the climate pollutant so it can be zipped away though pipelines, and stored safely away forever, climate change be gone!... “Practical problems with carbon capture have led to its repeated failure to materialise at scale, for decades. Projects consistently underperform or fail to emerge – and major proponents of the tech, fossil fuel companies like Equinor, keep scaling back… “Meanwhile, the injection of CO2 deep into the earth’s rock can trigger earthquakes, and there are very real risks of CO2 leaking from underground storage, and from the pipelines – or ships – carrying it there. This could be lethal for the climate, and for human and animal life… “Advised by fossil fuel lobbyists, the EU has fallen for the idea of creating a market for this hazardous waste gas, underpinned by a vast CO2 pipeline network. Yet the idea that CCS will decarbonise energy-intensive industries not only ignores how complex and costly this would be, it disregards the need to reduce production and consumption as part of a just transition to a more sustainable economy. Instead of asking what industry we need, or who it benefits, carbon capture offers a (largely imaginary and wholly inadequate) sticking plaster over the social and environmental harms inflicted by powerful, polluting corporations. A sticking plaster that is now being applied in the case of data centres. Don’t ask, what are they for? Who are they benefitting? What harm are they causing? No, just whack a new fossil gas power plant up and say you have plans to capture its emissions.”
Journal of Petroleum Technology: Why Scaling CO₂-EOR Remains Difficult
Trent Jacobs, 9/1/26
“...The Permian Basin facility, expected to be the world’s largest DAC plant with a nameplate capacity of 500,000 metric tons of CO2 per year, was initially targeted to begin operating in 2024. The startup date was later pushed to mid-2025, which ended up slipping once again,” the Journal of Petroleum Technology reports. “...The lengthy delay reflects not only the challenge of scaling emerging technologies such as DAC, but also serves as a general reminder of the often long and difficult process of integrating carbon capture, storage and utilization (CCUS) projects with oilfield operations. A point source for the emissions usually needs to be relatively close to the oil field to keep midstream costs manageable. Then there’s the cost of capturing technology, which can be expensive to install and maintain. In a low-price environment, justifying these added expenses can be too high a bar for management… “Occidental has outlined plans for three shale CO2-EOR projects, two in Texas and one in New Mexico, with additional developments hoped to come in the future. Early pilot results saw production gains of 40 to 50% above baseline levels, which represent a big enough carrot for the company to go after with new CO2 infrastructure… “The US supermajor has recently proposed a 900-mile “carbon superhighway” designed to transport captured shale CO2 from industrial facilities across Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi to other locations for EOR, permanent storage, and commercial beverage manufacturing. ExxonMobil has said CO2 volumes and quality will be monitored as they enter and move through the system, likening the process to vehicles passing through toll booths… “ExxonMobil’s plan hinges on an existing network of several hundreds of miles of CO2 pipelines it bought from what was a pure play CO2-EOR operator. In other words, it did not sprout overnight. Also, almost no countries offer the kind of government incentives or generous tax breaks that the US and Canada do for this type of operation.”
Reuters: ONEOK to buy Brazos Midstream’s Permian Midland Basin assets for $4.43 billion
Sumedha Mukherjee, 8/30/26
“ONEOK said on Sunday it has agreed to buy Brazos Midstream’s Permian Midland Basin natural gas gathering and processing assets for around $4.43 billion, more than doubling the U.S. pipeline operator’s processing capacity in the region,” Reuters reports. “The acquisition comes as pipeline operators in the U.S. are benefiting from increased oil and gas output in the Permian Basin, and rising natural gas demand amid record LNG exports… “The acquired Brazos Midland assets will add to ONEOK’s existing Permian Basin platform, which is currently supported by 14 active drilling rigs from leading Permian producers including ExxonMobil, Diamondback Energy and Double Eagle. ONEOK, which transports natural gas, natural gas liquids, refined products and crude oil through its 60,000-mile-long network of pipelines, said Apollo will invest $9 billion in exchange for a Class B interest in a newly formed holding company, ONEOK Holdings, L.L.C.”
The Sun Nigeria: Panic as oil spill pollutes Nembe Creek in Bayelsa
Femi Folaranmi, 8/30/26
“There is panic in several fishing communities in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State following an oil spill from crude loading operations at Nembe Creek oilfield,” The Sun Nigeria reports. “The Nembe Creek oilfield within Oil Mining Lease 29 (OML) is operated by Nembe Exploration & Production Limited, formerly Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Limited. A field report by Environmental Conservation Agriculture and Rural Development (ECARD) stated that it observed crude oil along the creek and mangrove banks. Its Lead Field Monitor, Chief Alagoa Morris, said the pungent smell of crude oil became noticeable about two kilometres from Nembe Creek during the visit… “He said women from the affected communities later protested at the Aiteo facility, demanding relief materials, assessment of damages and compensation… “The women leader, Mrs Ebi Otokolo, said the pollution had made the river waters unusable for fishing, domestic activities and other livelihood purposes. She said residents had been forced to remain indoors because of the crude oil odour, while fishermen could no longer access their means of livelihood.”
OPINION
National Post: The economic fantasies of Carney and Trump
Margareta Dovgal, 8/31/26
“Economic illiteracy, on both sides of the Canada-U.S. negotiating table, is the biggest threat to continental security,” Margareta Dovgal writes for the National Post. “Let’s start with the Canadian side. His doctorate in economics notwithstanding, nothing so plainly illustrates Prime Minister Mark Carney’s economic deficiencies as Ottawa’s apparent treatment of the successor to the long-abandoned Keystone XL pipeline in recent trade negotiations… “But under Carney, building a pipeline that allows our most valuable trade commodity to get to market is seen as a great sacrifice. We know the U.S. wants and needs our oil, but Carney would have us believe that we would be doing the Americans a favour by giving them the privilege of buying our commodities… “So far we have a combination of anonymous American and Canadian sources talking to the media, and a vibrant online rumour mill filling in the blanks. Carney’s statements since the deal collapsed have been concerningly vague and light on details. Canadians deserve better. We shouldn’t accept without scrutiny the idea that pipelines are trade concessions, rather than a safe, necessary, common and obvious form of critical infrastructure for an energy-producing nation… “Canadian products need as much market access as we can get. It shouldn’t have taken a trade war to realize that we need westward and southward capacity for our most valuable commodity — energy. The United States, meanwhile, needs secure industrial inputs, making pipelines a win-win situation for both countries.”
Reuters: The Americas’ oil bonanza will outlast the Iran conflict
Ron Bousso, 9/1/26
“From Canada to Argentina, oil producers across the Americas have enjoyed a windfall during the Iran war by capturing market share lost by Middle Eastern exporters. The renewed focus on energy security globally could transform this emergency response into a lasting structural change,” Ron Bousso writes for Reuters. “Oil production in the Americas has become a viable alternative to the Middle East’s vast hydrocarbon resources since the outbreak of the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz six months ago, which disrupted roughly a fifth of global oil supplies. The shift is one of the most striking changes in the global energy landscape in decades. The Hormuz closure immediately triggered a scramble to replace lost Middle Eastern barrels, with the Americas emerging as the primary beneficiary. Crude exports from the region, stretching from Canada in the north to Argentina in the south, have risen to a record-high average of 11.7 million barrels per day (bpd) so far in 2026, up from 10.3 million bpd in 2025, and nearly double the volume a decade ago, according to Kpler data. The U.S. leads the pack with exports averaging 4.4 million bpd this year, followed by Brazil at 2.5 million bpd… “But the shock has exposed the risks of overdependence on Middle Eastern supplies. Given Asia’s wartime scars, the lesson may linger. Even if Gulf exports eventually recover, Asian importers will likely want to avoid becoming too reliant again on any single region – especially one with vulnerable maritime chokepoints and a high risk of conflict. Sourcing a larger share of crude from the Western Hemisphere is more expensive because Gulf crude retains a geographic advantage. But that cost may increasingly be seen as an insurance premium against future geopolitical disruption. This shift in global energy trade patterns was made possible by the remarkable growth in oil and gas production across the Americas over the past decade.”