RBN Energy Blogcast

For months, the Trump administration and industry groups have been asserting that EU regulations on methane emissions could result in a sharp decline in — or even an end to — U.S. LNG flows to the EU.

Appalachia is churning out just over one-third of Lower 48 natural gas production and has the potential to produce considerably more. The big question is whether output will finally break out.

Some market observers see a massive wave of LNG supply ready to flood the market, but the fears of cargo cancellations may be exaggerated, with the “great wave” more like a gradually rising tide. 

Energy Transfer stitched together its Permian Express system over multiple years and it’s now a standout in the company’s midstream portfolio, able to carry 600 Mb/d of Permian crude to Nederland, TX.

Building and expanding refineries is a challenging task involving many moving parts. But even the best projects can unravel if politics shift, the economy sours, or another “black swan” event hits.

Expanded energy development in Alaska has been a priority since President Trump returned to office. We review the moves and how they fit into plans to accelerate Arctic exploration and development.

Buoyed by record crude oil flows and the expectation of further growth in Western Canada, Enbridge has been sanctioning more pipeline expansion projects and discussing plans to add more capacity.

Ovintiv, one of Western Canada’s largest natural gas and condensate producers, has upped its Montney position with a takeover of rival NuVista Energy, continuing the recent consolidation trend.

NGL production in British Columbia has been on the rise. Plans by NorthRiver Midstream to build a pipeline to fractionators in Alberta will give producers in the Montney more runway for growth.

Dangote eyes a massive expansion but still struggles to reach capacity. Dos Bocas faces steeper hurdles. New refineries worldwide keep hitting the wall as bold plans collide with tough execution.

The permitting process for carbon-capture projects is, in some ways, like navigating Houston’s notorious rush-hour traffic — if everyone tries to move at once, gridlock can quickly ensue. That’s true at both the federal level, where the EPA has more sequestration wells under review than ever before, and at the state level, where Louisiana just hit the pause button on its reviews. In today’s RBN bl...

The global petrochemical is currently experiencing a downturn, and this is showing up in earnings. These companies are reacting with cost reductions and capacity rationalizations.

A few days ago, HF Sinclair joined ONEOK, Phillips 66 and Kinder Morgan in planning pipeline projects to move more refined products to Western markets. It’s too soon to say how many of these projects will come to fruition, but what’s certain is that the effort to transport large volumes of products west from PADDs 2, 3 and 4 will significantly impact refinery economics across vast swaths of the U....

There’s been a lull in midstream M&A activity the past few months, but several companies in that space have been making significant adjustments to their portfolios, either by acquiring assets from others or selling ownership interests in their own businesses. There’s also been a lot of buzz about major deals that may be in the works. In today’s RBN blog, we’ll discuss a few of the more interes...

More propane production. More exports. More inventories. The U.S. propane market, already oversupplied, is becoming even more so, putting additional downward pressure on prices. At the same time, surging demand from LNG exports and gas-fired power generation is pushing natural gas prices higher. Electricity prices are climbing too, further tilting the scales in propane’s favor. The big question is...

Out of the blue, Plains All American has scooped up 100% of the EPIC Crude Pipeline. Plains had previously announced an agreement to buy a 55% stake in the Permian-to-Corpus-Christi pipeline from Diamondback Energy and Kinetik Holdings, and on November 5, it said it had closed on a deal to buy the other 45% from Ares Management. In today’s RBN blog, we’ll discuss what the acquisition means for Pla...

Two Denver-based E&Ps that each started out small but quickly expanded through a series of acquisitions will now combine to form one of the nation’s larger crude-oil-focused producers. With the planned merger of SM Energy and Civitas Resources, the pro forma company will be a significant player in the Permian, South Texas, the Denver-Julesburg and the Uinta. In today’s RBN blog, we’ll discuss...

The liquids pipeline rate index, which the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission uses to adjust the rates charged to shippers on the crude oil, refined products and NGL pipelines it regulates, is the most important rulemaking proceeding for interstate oil pipelines. In today’s RBN blog, we take a deeper dive into the rate index, the disruptions caused by recent attempts to adjust it mid-cycle, and...

The Trump administration has been easing regulations, accelerating project approvals, and proclaiming its undying support for the oil and gas industry. But much of the oil patch is in the doldrums. Crude oil prices are stuck in the low $60s/bbl, upstream capex and oilfield activity are down, and some U.S. producers are struggling. In today’s RBN blog, we’ll discuss the contrast between what the in...

Energy Transfer has built one of the largest crude oil midstream portfolios in the U.S., yet one of its most important assets — the West Texas Gulf Pipeline — often flies under the radar. The 72-years-young line is still a workhorse, moving crude from the Permian Basin to Longview and Nederland, TX, where it feeds into Energy Transfer’s massive Gulf Coast export hub. In today’s RBN blog, we’ll loo...

The eight-year legal clash over the coveted CITGO refinery assets just took another unexpected turn, leaving the potential sale up in the air. The winner of the auction for CITGO’s three large U.S. refineries, related pipelines and terminal assets remains uncertain as the auction faces additional legal hurdles. In today’s RBN blog, we’ll dive into the latest in the court case and what it could mea...

This past spring — 10 years after Williams Cos. first proposed the Northeast Supply Enhancement Project and one year after it scrapped plans for it — the effort to add 400 MMcf/d of natural gas pipeline capacity into New York City was revived. Since then, FERC has re-approved the project and regulators in New York and New Jersey have been mulling over whether to issue water-quality permits. In tod...

A bullish long-term outlook for rising natural gas demand and pricing has partially mitigated the current deep concerns about the steep erosion of oil prices. However, short-term gas pricing has proven very volatile, as the near-month NYMEX price has yo-yoed dramatically in October and the Energy Information Administration recently cut its January forecast. In today’s RBN blog, we present a new me...

For more than 30 years, Henry Hub in Louisiana has anchored natural gas pricing in the Lower 48. But in the past 10 years, its role has shifted in profound ways. It has gone from a domestic benchmark pricing location for a vibrant Gulf Coast producing region to a demand-driven market and an index for U.S. LNG exports. In today’s RBN blog, we look at how Henry Hub became so integral to the workings...

Several large-scale LNG export projects have reached a final investment decision this year along the U.S. Gulf Coast, with most expected to start up between 2029 and 2031. They will be supported by new pipeline capacity to deliver natural gas from producing areas, but how and where will production increase to meet this new demand? In today’s RBN blog, we detail the movement of gas throughout Texas...