RBN Energy Blogcast

The price of the D4 Renewable Identification Number has increased 130% so far in 2026, a response to a 70% increase in the minimum bio-based diesel volume mandate and a higher price premium for soybean oil. Today, we analyze the additional factors at play, from theoretical and practical standpoints.

M&A activity in the oil and gas minerals/royalty space had quieted during a prolonged wave of major E&P consolidation. As that activity winds down, rising realizations for both oil and gas have spurred a major consolidation among royalty trusts as well as a recent successful initial public offering.

A number of states have been early movers in the data center world, but several in the Northeast — while not yet major data center hubs — are laying the groundwork for a much bigger role. Today, we examine the plans of several states and how they could impact the region’s natural gas market.

Many hyperscalers now acknowledge that they will rely heavily on natural gas-fired generation to power their new data centers, at least for the near term. But that conflicts with “net zero” goals, so many AI giants are moving to mitigate the environmental impact of their fast-rising gas use.

Louisiana refineries don’t pipe in all the crude oil they need from the Houston and Nederland areas or the U.S. Gulf, or ship it in from abroad. Some depend on crude that is piped in from Longview, TX, and others get at least some of their oil from Capline, which moves crude south from Illinois.

For decades, the major integrated oil companies have been judged by their global scale, diversified business models and shareholder returns. But are their U.S. upstream businesses competitive? Today, we provide answers that may surprise many investors.

Liquids pipelines operate quite differently from their gas-pipeline cousins. They are regulated under a different law than gas pipelines, plus they face broader competition. As a result, they enjoy more flexibility in some respects but less in others than gas systems.

One of the biggest stories in the energy world right now is the rise of data centers and the massive amounts of electricity they require. Today, we zero in on their rise in the Northeast and preview our latest Drill Down Report on the changing dynamics in the regional gas market. 

The sourcing of crude oil for the 14 refineries in Louisiana has been shifting over the past few years and the pace of that shift is picking up as more U.S. Gulf production flows to Texas (and less flows to the Bayou State), new pipeline projects come online, and refineries modify their crude slates.

The price of the D4 Renewable Identification Number (RIN) has increased by 130% so far in 2026, accompanied by a 60% increase in the price of soybean oil and other renewable feedstocks. Today’s blog gives a high-level view of what is behind this year’s bull run in the D4 RIN and related commodities.

As anyone who drives a car that requires premium gasoline will surely tell you, the large difference between the prices of regular and premium grades shows no signs of going away. Today, we look at how the two were once priced, when they diverged, and what it likely means for future prices.

Midwestern states are important markets for natural gas producers in the Marcellus/Utica, as are states in the Mid-South, like Kentucky and Tennessee, and states in the Deep South. But expanding gas sales in those markets will require a lot more pipeline capacity, and that’s exactly what’s in the works.

Open seasons are a key part of marketing capacity for gas pipeline and storage projects, but they can also raise several regulatory questions. And the answers depend on what kind of open season it is. Today, we take a deep dive into the ins and outs of a gas project open season.

After years of prioritizing balance sheet repair and shareholder returns, upstream E&Ps are facing a dramatically different commodity environment. With cash flows rising, producers faced pressures to reassess priorities as hydrocarbon prices increased. Today, we look at how they responded.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on applying its “blanket authorization” rules to a lot more gas pipeline projects than in the past. In today’s RBN blog, we discuss the proposal and what the planned change would mean for pipeline owners and developers.

With a line of sight to expanding pipeline capacity from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, producers plan to grow crude oil production. Today, we go through all the Alberta oil sands growth projects planned over the next several years.

Rising demand for natural gas in the U.S. Northeast and regions to its south and west is spurring the development of gas pipeline projects that collectively will enable Marcellus/Utica E&Ps to ratchet up their production into the 2030s. In today’s RBN blog, we continue our review of these projects.

The NGL business is one of the most logistically complex segments of the energy industry. To really make sense of it you need to step back and look at the big picture. That’s exactly what our new U.S. NGL Infrastructure Map provides — a comprehensive view of the entire NGL value chain.

Three new U.S. LNG projects have reached a positive final investment decision this year: Venture Global’s CP2 Phase 2, Caturus’s Commonwealth LNG, and now, most recently, Delfin Midstream’s Delfin LNG, which will be the U.S.’s first floating LNG project. 

The early signs of a rebound can be seen in Venezuela, where crude oil production and exports are on the rise, although plenty of unknowns remain. Today, we look at how much Venezuelan crude is reaching the U.S., how the U.S. import slate has changed, and preview our latest Drill Down Report.

There’s an interesting aspect to the buildout of new Permian gas processing capacity, NGL pipelines, fractionators and NGL export terminals, namely that virtually all of the projects are being undertaken by midstream companies that handle NGLs along their entire value chain, from wellhead to water.

The Marcellus/Utica still has vast amounts of natural gas to supply the ongoing surge in demand from power generators and LNG exporters. But there’s a catch: A significant step-up in Appalachian production can only occur if new pipeline infrastructure is built to transport that gas to where it’s needed.

The U.S. is at the tail end of an incredible wave of LNG expansion that has so far seen nine new projects across seven terminals reach a final investment decision in a little over a year. Today, we take a closer look at the Commonwealth LNG project and what comes next for U.S. LNG development.

Given that the Iran war-driven surge in oil prices doubled Q1 E&P profits, a surge in capex to capture fatter cash flows seemed like a sure thing, but that would have been a losing bet. Today, we review oil and gas producers’ investment and production guidance and analyze potential future strategy.

The rapid buildout of Permian gas processing plants and other NGL-related infrastructure in Texas and southeastern New Mexico isn’t just continuing, it’s accelerating. In today’s RBN blog, we discuss the latest project announcements and why gas and NGL production in the Permian are still rising.