Facts & Rumors # 590
March 22, 2025
Energy Transfer Wins $660 Million Greenpeace Lawsuit. In a win for the oil and gas pipeline company Energy Transfer, a nine-person North Dakota jury found the environmental group Greenpeace liable for more than $660 million in damages and defamation for the 2016 to 2017 Standing Rock protests against the Dakota Access
Constitution Pipeline Construction Beginning this year?? Energy secretary says Northeast natural gas pipeline project could start this year. Fox Business. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Friday that work on a proposed pipeline to bring natural gas through New York to help supply energy to New England could start by the end of this year. Wright said in an appearance on FOX Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria” that he thinks it’s “highly likely” that the so-called Constitution Pipeline, along with other unspecified pipelines, will move forward this year.
NY Gov. Hochul May Approve Constitution Pipeline. Big Green is alarmed that New York Governor Kathy Hochul trooped to The White House last Friday to have a private, off-the-record conversation with President Trump about a laundry list of things, but two primary items: the Constitution Pipeline and a tax on driving in parts of Manhattan during certain hours (called “congestion pricing”). Nobody is saying anything about the meeting, but the implication is that perhaps Hochul and Trump were engaged in “horse swapping”—Trump bends on congestion pricing if Hochul bends on allowing (even endorsing) the Constitution Pipeline. The prospect of Hochul caving on the Constitution has set the environmental left’s hair on fire.
Could Permitting Reform Be Coming??? Trump officials look to speed up permits after oil and gas meeting. E&E News. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum emerged from a meeting with oil and gas executives Wednesday to denounce an “onslaught” of regulation, saying the United States needs to permit critical infrastructure faster as the race to power artificial intelligence heats up. “Right now, we’re in an AI arms race with China,” Burgum told reporters gathered outside the White House after he joined President Donald Trump to talk with industry leaders. While Burgum said permitting was a focus at Wednesday’s meeting, he said the gathering didn’t dwell on commodity prices. The Interior secretary said there “was really no discussion” of the price of oil. Also covered by Reuters and Financial Post.
Mountain Valley Pipeline Claims Against Protesters Get Advanced. Bloomberg Law. Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC gained victories in two cases against protesters that had allegedly blocked access to its 300-mile-long natural gas pipeline. Judge Elizabeth K. Dillon of the US District Court for the Western District of Virginia on Monday denied the motion to dismiss from a group of protesters in one case and allowed one claim to survive in another against a single individual.
Trump Administration Approves Exports from Major LNG Project. The Hill. The Trump administration is authorizing a major gas facility to export the fuel abroad — clearing a major hurdle in getting the controversial project approved. The Energy Department approved a permit for the Calcasieu Pass 2 (CP2) gas export project to sell gas to countries with which the U.S. does not have a free trade agreement. The CP2 authorization marks the fifth gas-related approval since Trump took office. CP2 is the highest-profile gas project, and the largest, approved by the Trump administration so far.
U.S. Crude Oil Stockpiles Rise More Than Expected. Wall Street Journal. U.S. crude oil inventories rose more than expected last week, and gasoline stocks fell less than anticipated, according to data released Wednesday by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Commercial crude oil stocks excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve rose by 1.7 million barrels to 437 million barrels in the week ended March 14 and were about 5% below the five-year average for the time of year, the EIA said. Analysts surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had predicted crude stockpiles would increase by 500,000 barrels.
National Fuel Midstream’s Tioga Pathway Project Advancing to Construction. Thanks, MDN. National Fuel Gas Company (NFG), headquartered in Buffalo, NY, is the parent company for Marcellus/Utica driller Seneca Resources and the parent of midstream company NFG Midstream (and subsidiary Empire Pipeline). In November 2023, MDN first reported on NFG Midstream’s Tioga Pathway project, an estimated $90 million modernization and expansion project that will add 190,000 Dth per day (190 MMcf/d) of firm transportation takeaway capacity from northwest Tioga County, Pennsylvania (see NFG & Seneca Announce New Tioga Pathway Pipeline Project). The company filed with FERC last August to build the Tioga Pathway by 2026 (see NFG Qtly Update: Filing Tioga Pathway Pipe with FERC This Month). The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is getting ready to issue permits for the project, including a national Clean Water Act Section 401 Certification, indicating the project is advancing to the construction phase.
NatGas Production Lag Helps NatGas Prices. Record LNG exports, production lag help natural gas futures higher. Natural Gas Intelligence. April Nymex natural gas futures advanced Tuesday as production worries and strong LNG demand added fundamental support, while hedging may have come into play. At a glance: Natural gas futures up 3.4 cents, LNG feed gas deliveries climb and production sinks on the day. The prompt month contract settled up 3.4 cents at $4.052/MMBtu. April futures spanned $3.970-4.128, with the high posted late in the session.
TX LNG Permits Reinstated. DC Circuit walks back ruling against Texas LNG permits. E&E News. In an about-face Tuesday, a federal appeals court reinstated approvals for two liquefied natural gas export terminals in South Texas. The decision is a win for developers of the neighboring projects — Rio Grande LNG and Texas LNG — that had asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to reconsider its ruling last year axing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission authorizations.
Exxon’s Bullish on Permian LNG. Exxon’s Dan Ammann: Bullish on LNG as Permian drilling enters ‘new phase’ Hart Energy. The Permian Basin’s development has entered a new phase of manufacturing, where scale and engineering prowess are paramount, according to Exxon Mobil’s new upstream leader. Dan Ammann, formerly president of Exxon’s low carbon solutions business, took over as Exxon’s upstream president in February. He succeeded longtime Exxon upstream executive Liam Mallon.
PA March 10, to March 20, 2025
County Township E&P Companies
1. Fayette Luzerne EQT
2. Greene Springhill Rice
3. Greene Springhill Rice
4. Greene Springhill Rice
5. Greene Springhill Rice
6. Greene Springhill Rice
7. Greene Springhill Rice
8. Greene Springhill Rice
9. Tioga Jackson Rev Resources
10. Tioga Jackson Rev Resources
11. Washington Mount Pleasant Range
12. Washington Mount Pleasant Range
13. Washington Mount Pleasant Range
14. Washington Mount Pleasant Range
15. Washington Robinson Range
16. Washington Union EQT
OH March 9, to March 15, 2025
County Township E&P Companies
1. Carroll Lee EAP OHIO
2. Carroll Lee EAP OHIO
3. Carroll Lee EAP OHIO
WV March 10 to March 14, 2025
1. Harrison Arsenal Res.
2. Harrison Arsenal Res.
3. Harrison Arsenal Res.
4. Harrison Arsenal Res.
5. Harrison HG Energy
6. Ritchie Antero
7. Ritchie Antero
8. Ritchie Antero
9. Ritchie Antero
10. Ritchie Antero
11. Ritchie Antero
