Author: Graham Foster

One of the major operators of gas pipelines in the Delaware Basin is considering a sale following interest from Western Midstream Partners, a midstream energy company supported by Occidental Petroleum, according to sources familiar with the situation. Kinetik Holdings, valued at $7.2 billion and operating about 4,600 miles of pipeline in the Delaware section of the Permian Basin across Texas and New Mexico, is exploring this potential deal. The interest from Western Midstream has prompted Kinetik to start assessing whether other strategic or infrastructure buyers might be interested, though discussions are just beginning and no formal offers have been made.…

Japan is at a crossroads regarding its energy policy as it contemplates a return to nuclear power over a decade after the Fukushima disaster. Following the catastrophic events in 2011, all nuclear reactors in the country were shut down, leading to significant energy challenges and shifts in the energy landscape. Fast forward to today, and Japan faces increasing pressure to meet growing energy demands, especially as the world embraces artificial intelligence and seeks sustainable energy solutions. The need for low-carbon power sources is more pressing than ever, prompting a reevaluation of Japan’s stance on nuclear energy. Balancing safety concerns with…

Britain and France are currently in a disagreement over the costs associated with new power cables that will facilitate electricity trading across the Channel. Ofgem, the UK’s energy regulator, has rejected the French regulator’s demand that British consumers cover a larger share of the expenses, calling this stance “unacceptable.” Both nations already share power through three existing cables, and there are plans to enhance this interconnection to further strengthen their energy markets. They aim to add another 1 gigawatt of capacity. However, a recent announcement revealed that the project has hit a snag, as both regulators indicated they had not…

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright recently expressed strong interest in seeing a surge of investments in Venezuela during a meeting with the country’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, in Caracas. During a roundtable discussion, he emphasized that American companies are increasingly keen to explore business opportunities there. Despite the enthusiasm, Wright clarified that the U.S. government would not provide the security or financial guarantees that oil executives are seeking for investments in Venezuela. He noted that this visit marked the first time a high-ranking U.S. official had traveled to Venezuela since the arrest of the controversial leader Nicolás Maduro. Many U.S.…

Sir Tony Blair’s think tank is urging the UK government to lift its ban on new exploration licences in the North Sea and to eliminate the windfall tax on the oil and gas sector. The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, led by the former Prime Minister, believes that new exploration is essential to safeguard jobs and mitigate the decline of oil and gas production in the region. They argue that the windfall tax, first introduced by the Conservative government in 2022 and later extended by Labour, has discouraged long-term investments and should be phased out. The think tank states,…

Renewables Shift: Companies Embrace Natural Gas Generation The job market in the United States is seeing a surge, with 130,000 new positions added in January, providing reinforcement to Federal Reserve chair Jay Powell’s decision to pause rate cuts. Meanwhile, the influence of AI continues to reshape industries, particularly in software. In the energy sector, various companies are increasingly focusing on natural gas generation, marking an important transition amid a growing demand for electricity. Recently, major renewables firms have begun to invest more in gas, highlighting its role in meeting the rising energy needs. NextEra Energy, for instance, has announced plans…

Utility companies are increasingly relying on “demand response” strategies that ask businesses to reduce their energy use during peak times. Data centres, especially those used for training AI models, often operate at full capacity. This can lead to conflicts with residential energy consumption during busy periods, raising the risk of power outages. Firms like OpenAI are urging US regulators to expedite the approval process for flexible data centres, claiming it could lower costs for all users. “We need to be smarter about utilizing the unused capacity in the grid,” noted Daniel Eggers, executive vice-president at Constellation, which provides power to…

TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné has acknowledged that a new EU ban on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports might compel the company to halt all exports from its Siberian plant, impacting plans to sell to markets outside Europe. Initially, TotalEnergies hoped to reroute shipments from its Yamal LNG facility to buyers in Asia after the ban takes effect next year. However, Pouyanné stated on Wednesday that uncertainties regarding the ban’s implementation could lead to a complete stop of exports from Yamal, where TotalEnergies holds a 20% stake. “We will not be able to market Yamal LNG to Europe, or potentially…

China’s aluminium industry is undergoing a significant transformation, as production moves from traditional coal-intensive regions to areas with abundant renewable energy sources. This shift aims to produce cleaner aluminium and aligns with national goals for reducing carbon emissions. In 2024, China’s electrolytic aluminium output reached 43.8 million tonnes, making up about 60% of the world’s total production. Notably, around 13 million tonnes—about 30% of that output—now comes from new smelters located in regions like Yunnan, Sichuan, Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia, where clean energy is plentiful and costs are low. This ambitious multi-billion dollar initiative is designed to reduce the carbon…

Manufacturers are changing their focus from electric vehicle (EV) batteries to energy storage cells, aiming to benefit from the growing demand in this area, as EV sales decline. Ten factories in North America are being repurposed to create batteries more suited for energy storage systems. These adjustments come after cell manufacturers decided to cut enough capacity that could have powered two million EVs, according to market research firm CRU. Out of the ten plants, seven will mainly cater to the energy storage market. Energy storage systems utilize battery modules organized in racks, managed by specialized software. These systems are crucial…