Q&A: Is Venezuela on the verge of losing its prized foreign asset, Citgo?
After at least three consortia revised their bids in June and a U.S. Court completed the second round of bidding in an auction of shares of Citgo Petroleum, owned by Venezuela, creditors are hopeful that they will receive payment for some outstanding Venezuelan debt. The auction of the seventh largest U.S. refiner was organized by a court in response to a case Crystallex, based out of Canada, brought eight years ago against Venezuela.
Energy companies race to Southeast Asia for gas to meet AI power demand
Energy companies are investing in gas exploration and production to meet the rising demand for power from a growing population and the proliferation of data centers in this region. As countries pursue different paths of energy transition, European majors are pivoting back to conventional fuels that are more profitable. Southeast Asian governments also want to increase the affordability of local gas to improve economic growth and energy security.
Overview of Iran's major gas fields and oil infrastructure
Israel attacked an installation in Iran's South Pars Gas Field on Saturday. This was the first attack against Iran's oil-and-gas sector, as part of a long-term operation that the Israeli government warned would take place to stop Tehran from developing an atomic bomb. Iran has temporarily suspended gas production at the South Pars Field, Iran's share of the world's biggest natural gas reserve. The field is located beneath the Gulf, and it's shared with Qatar, a major gas exporter.
Origin profits hit by Australia Pacific LNG price reduction for Sinopec
Origin Energy announced on Friday that Australia Pacific LNG had agreed to reduce the price of liquefied gas sold to Sinopec in China for the remaining ten years of their contract. Origin stated that the agreement was reached after a price review of their 20-year contract, out to 2035. "This has resulted in an improvement in the JCC-linked contracts slope, effective as of 1 January 2025," Origin added.
OPEC+ targets US shale again with output increases
Saudi Arabia and Russia, the group's leaders, are also pushing a secondary objective behind OPEC+’s plan to increase oil production and punish overproducing allies: taking on U.S. shale to win back market shares from the United States. OPEC’s last price war against U.S. producers ten years ago failed, as technological and drilling breakthroughs allowed U.S. shale firms to cut costs, lower prices, and take market share away from the 12-member groups in the years that followed. The U.S.
Wall St Week Ahead: Fed outlook is in focus as US stock rally picks-up speed
Investors are hoping that the Federal Reserve will continue to lower interest rates over the next few months. The rally has erased the fall caused by President Donald Trump’s tariffs. S&P 500 has not changed much since April 2, when Trump announced his "Liberation Day tariffs" and sent the stock market into a tailspin. The Fed's monetary policy statement is expected to remain unchanged on Wednesday.
Wall St Week Ahead: Fed outlook is in focus as US stock rally picks-up speed
Investors are hoping that the Federal Reserve will continue to lower interest rates over the next few months. The rally has nearly reversed the decline caused by President Donald Trump’s tariffs. The S&P 500 has been down about 1% since the "Liberation Day", when Trump announced his tariffs. This led to some market volatility that was unprecedented in 50 years. The Fed is expected to keep borrowing rates the same when it announces its monetary policy on Wednesday.
Trump administration sues Hawaii and Michigan to block planned lawsuits on climate change
The Trump administration sued Hawaii and Michigan in an attempt to prevent them from suing major oil companies for their role in climate changes. They accused the Democratic-led state of overreach, and threatening domestic energy production. A lawsuit has not been filed by either state. Hawaii Governor Josh Green said to a local television station that Hawaii plans to sue fossil-fuel companies by Thursday.
The Trump administration sueded Michigan to stop a planned climate change lawsuit
The Trump administration sued Michigan to stop it from suing oil companies for their role in climate change. They claimed that the Democratic-led Michigan was blocking domestic energy production. In a late-night lawsuit filed in Michigan, the U.S. Department of Justice said that the state's intention to sue would have an "extraordinary extraterritorial scope" and undermine federal regulations on greenhouse gas emissions as well as the administration's goals for foreign policy.
Origin Energy Australia reports a 10% decline in revenue for Q3 due to lower APLNG prices
Origin Energy reported a 10% decline in revenue from its Australia Pacific LNG Project (APLNG), as falling LNG prices and lower LNG volumes impacted the top line. Since the beginning of 2025, prices of liquefied natural gases have been under pressure due to a tepid winter season in Asia. This has been exacerbated by fears of a global economic recession following President Donald Trump's tariff policy.
REFILE-ConocoPhillips plans layoffs as part of broad restructuring
ConocoPhillips plans to reduce staff. The company announced this on Tuesday. This is part of a broader effort to control costs and streamline operations following its $23 billion purchase of Marathon Oil. Job cuts are a sign of the pain that the oil and gas sector is experiencing as it faces higher costs and lower revenue due to prices hovering around $63 per barrel. Many companies claim they can't drill profitably at oil prices below $65 per barrel.
Oil below $60 puts US producers in a tough position regarding growth and capital returns
Analysts have warned that a drop in oil prices to below $60 per barrel as a result of an intensifying trade war could cause anxiety throughout the U.S. Oil Patch, forcing companies to take additional measures, including reducing share buybacks or capital expenditures. Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate futures (WTI) fell to their lowest levels since February 2021 as tariffs introduced by U.S.
ConocoPhillips is looking to sell assets in Oklahoma worth more than $1 billion, according to sources
People familiar with the situation said that ConocoPhillips has begun exploring the possibility of selling oil and gas assets it acquired from Marathon Oil when it bought the company for $22.5 billion last year. Sources said that the energy producer hired Moelis & Co as an investment bank to manage the sale of the assets. However, they added that talks were at a very early stage, and a deal was not guaranteed.
Gas giants claim that Australia's opposition plan to reserve supplies may worsen the shortage
Gas giants around the world said that a proposal made by Australia's coalition of opposition to force producers to divert more gas from exports into the domestic market in an attempt to win votes would discourage investment and not solve the looming gas shortages. The conservative Liberal-National Coalition has pledged to lower power bills by implementing a gas reservations scheme. The center…
EIA: Alaska crude oil production will grow in 2026 for the first time since 2017.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration forecast on Wednesday that Alaska's crude oil production would increase in 2026. This is the first time since 2017. If realized, it will be the largest production since 2002. The 29 wells of the ConocoPhillips owned Nuna project are expected to produce combined 20,000 barrels per day (b/d) at its peak. Meanwhile, Santos and Repsol who jointly own the Pikka Project plan to produce up to 80…
Trump hosts top US oil executives as trade wars threaten
Donald Trump, the U.S. president, will be hosting top oil executives in the White House this Wednesday to discuss plans for boosting domestic energy production amid falling crude prices and trade wars. This will be Trump's first meeting with oil and gas executives since he returned to the White House in January for his second term. According to a source familiar with planning the event, it will include members of American Petroleum Institute (API)'s executive committee.
Trump's Energy dominance aims to attract more global companies to the US
Executives said that the market upheaval caused by U.S. president Donald Trump's protectionist policies on trade has not dampened interest from foreign investors in the U.S. Energy Industry. They praised his promise to reduce regulations and support fossil energies. Trump made energy dominance the cornerstone of his administration. He declared a national emergency on his first official day in office, and pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement.
Experts say that Trump's tariffs against steel and aluminum will increase costs for US energy companies
The proposed U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs will increase costs for U.S. Oilfield Services companies that rely on this metal for their operations. Oilfield service firms like ChampionX and Patterson UTI are the backbone for the North American oil and natural gas industry. They provide essential equipment and services to drill, produce and maintain. Steel is the lifeblood of these industries - drilling platforms…
US Supreme Court dismisses state climate lawsuits against oil companies
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a bid from 19 Republican-led state led by Alabama, to stop five Democratic-led state from pursuing lawsuits against major oil companies for deceiving public about the role that fossil fuels played in climate change. The justices refused to hear a case filed directly at the Supreme Court by Republican attorneys general. This case targeted cases filed against Exxon Mobil and other companies such as Chevron…
ConocoPhillips sells Ursa and Europa Fields interests to Shell for $735 Million
ConocoPhillips announced on Friday that it will sell its interest in the Ursa Fields and Europa Fields for $735,000,000 to Shell as part of its plan to streamline the company's portfolio. After its $22.5 billion acquisition of Marathon Oil, the company is looking to sell non-core assets in order to reduce debt. Conoco announced earlier this month that it would be selling its Lower 48 non-core assets for $600,000,000.
