Wednesday, November 19, 2025

United States News

US Natural Gas Futures Climb 4% with LNG Flows, Cold December Forecast

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U.S. natural gas futures climbed about 4% on Wednesday on near-record flows to liquefied natural gas export plants and forecasts for higher demand than previously expected as the weather turns colder than normal going into December.Front-month gas futures for December delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 17.9 cents, or 4.1%, to settle at $4.550 per million British thermal units (mmBtu).LSEG said average gas output in the Lower 48 states rose to 109.1 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in November…

Trump Administration proposes to relax rules protecting endangered species

The Trump administration proposed on Wednesday four new regulations that would rollback Biden's era regulations that strengthened the protections for endangered animals. This move aligns with President Donald Trump’s efforts to reduce what he calls burdensome federal regulations on businesses. Conservation groups warned that the changes could threaten the survival of endangered species, including Florida manatees and monarch butterflies.

Aramco signs preliminary US deal worth more than $30 Billion

Saudi Aramco, the oil giant, said that it signed 17 preliminary agreements with U.S. firms with a total potential value of over $30 billion during a trip to Washington by Saudi Crown Prince. In a press release, the company said that these projects include liquefied gas, financial services and advanced materials manufacturing, as well as procurement of materials and other services. Saudi Arabian and U.S. officials highlighted billions of dollars in new investments…

Trump administration could delay biofuel credit cuts as refiners balk

According to sources familiar with this matter, the Trump administration may delay for one or even two years the proposed cut in incentives for biofuels imported from the United States. This is due to pressure by U.S. refining companies who claim that the move would increase costs and reduce fuel supplies. The current delay could be welcomed by domestic oil refiners who have invested in bio-based diesel, but it would frustrate U.S. biofuel and agricultural producers.

US and Saudi announce new business deals during investment forum

Saudi Arabian and U.S. officials highlighted billions of dollars in new investments on Wednesday, coinciding the Saudi Arabian Crown prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Washington visit. According to the program for the event, the CEOs of Chevron and Qualcomm as well as General Dynamics, Cisco, General Dynamics, Pfizer, and Alphabet's Google will attend the U.S. Saudi Investment Forum in Washington. Also attending are senior executives from IBM and Andreessen Horowitz as well as Boeing…

Saudi Crown Prince tries to improve image of Saudi Arabia with top corporate executives

WASHINGTON, November 19 - Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, who was reintroduced to Washington by President Donald Trump with a glowing White House endorsement, will rub shoulders on Wednesday with some of the most powerful corporate executives in America. According to the program for the event, the CEOs of Chevron and Qualcomm will attend, along with senior executives from IBM and Alphabet's Google. Also attending are Boeing, Halliburton Adobe, Aramco State Street, Parsons Corp., and Salesforce.

INSIGHT- West scrambles fill the heavy rare earth gap, as China rivalry intensifies

Western efforts to create a domestic magnets supply chain in order to reduce their reliance on China, led by the massive U.S. support for Nevada-based MP Materials, are running into a major problem: a scarcity of heavy rare earth elements. United States and its allies are scrambling to find an alternative supply chain for super-strong rare earth magnetic components, which are essential in everything from electric vehicles and defence technology to electronics and windmills.

Elon Musk, Jensen Huang to talk AI at US-Saudi investment forum

According to a document that was seen by us, Elon Musk of Tesla and Jensen Huang of Nvidia will be taking part in a panel discussion about artificial intelligence and technology on Wednesday at the U.S. Saudi Arabia Investment Forum in Washington. The document stated that "This conversation will examine the emerging forces shaping a new wave of technological advancement, highlighting architectures, models and investments…

South Korea joins Stargate AI Data Centre Project in UAE

Seoul announced on Tuesday that South Korea had agreed to collaborate with the United Arab Emirates to build an artificial intelligence data campus, a project backed by the United States. South Korea announced that it would help build the computing power and energy infrastructure of the largest AI data centre outside the United States after South Korean president Lee Jae Myung met with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Can West Virginia be green when Trump supports coal mining?

He is a member of Economic Development Greater East, an initiative that promotes projects in a region devastated by the decline in coal production. He said he was a fourth-generation coal miner who had moved from one mining job to another in the past. He met EDGE's founder Jason Tart when he returned to Berwind and with their support, he opened a chicken business. Startups and non-profits, like EDGE, have taken on projects aimed at clean energy and land reclamation.

Lukoil to Sell International Assets

© Eric Akashi - stock.adobe.com

Russia's Lukoil is selling its international assets after the U.S. imposed sanctions on the company.Washington refused to approve the sale of assets to Swiss commodity trader Gunvor, throwing Lukoil's operations in disarray and leading to a scramble of potential buyers.The U.S. Treasury cleared potential buyers to talk to Lukoil until December 13. They will need separate approval for specific deals. U.S. oil major Chevron is studying options to buy some global assets of Lukoil, sources have said. U.S.

Bousso: TotalEnergies' ROI-TotalEnergies power play shows Big Oil how to make energy transition work

TotalEnergies of France is betting heavily on renewables and power, positioning itself as a leader in the global energy demand wave. It also offers investors an alternative to its rivals who are doubling down on gas and oil. Since 2022, the strategies of European oil companies have been in a constant state of flux. The sanctions and full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine created a shock to the energy system that shifted the focus from long-term energy transformation to near-term security.

Glencore reduces Century Aluminum stake from 33% to 33% following tariff-driven rally

Glencore cut its stake in Century Aluminum from 10% to 33%. This has resulted in millions of dollars in profit following the share price rally that was sparked by U.S. Tariffs on Aluminium Imports. On June 4, U.S. president Donald Trump increased the tariffs on aluminum imports from 25% to 50% in order to encourage investment in the production of this metal in the United States. The largest shareholder in Century is Glencore, a London-listed company.

Bousso: TotalEnergies' ROI-TotalEnergies power play shows Big Oil how to make energy transition work

TotalEnergies of France is betting heavily on renewables and power, positioning itself as a leader in the global energy demand wave. It also offers investors an alternative to its rivals who are doubling down on gas and oil. Since 2022, the strategies of European oil companies have been in a constant state of flux. The sanctions and full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine created an energy shock which prompted governments to focus on the near-term security rather than the long-term transition.

Source: CEOs of Chevron Qualcomm and Pfizer will attend US-Saudi event.

According to a source with knowledge of the event, CEOs from Chevron and Qualcomm will be attending the U.S.-Saudi Arabia Investment Forum in Washington this week, during the visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Bin Salman is expected to highlight the increasing business ties between Saudi Arabia and the United States during his first visit to the U.S. in 2018. The event will take place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Nov. 19.

EIA: US oil and gas rig counts slow despite record production

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported on Monday that drilling activity in the U.S. has declined even though production is at record levels. The EIA reported that the number of active drilling rigs has decreased from 750 in December 2020 to 517 by October 2025. This is due to operators' response to lower natural gas and oil prices, and improved drilling efficiency. According to the report, since December 2022 oil-directed drilling rigs fell 33%, to 397.

Energy Transition' Future: Fractured, Bumpy and Long

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As COP30 kicks off its second week in Brazil, much has changed since the landmark Paris climate agreement was penned 10 years ago.The spirit of cooperation that once reigned has been shattered by economic rivalries and a stark divergence in climate policies among the world’s biggest polluters.The landmark UN COP21 climate agreement signed in Paris on December 12, 2015 saw 195 nations commit to setting binding targets to reduce…

China finds bigger role as US sidesteps Brazil climate summit

China has stepped into the spotlight as a leader of the global warming fight, with the United States missing the U.N.'s annual climate summit in New York for the first three decades. The country's pavilion dominates the entrance of the sprawling COP30 grounds in Brazil’s Amazonian city of Belem. Executives from its largest clean energy companies present their visions of a greener future in English to large audiences, while its diplomats work behind the scenes to facilitate constructive discussions.

USDA reduces US corn and soybean outlook but farmers will reap record-large corn harvest

Farmers in the United States are expecting to harvest a record corn crop, even though the U.S. Department of Agriculture lowered slightly its forecast on Friday for U.S. soybeans and corn, the first official estimates of these two crops of the country since mid-September before the harvest began. The grain and soybean markets fell, as traders expected the government would forecast deeper cuts in the nation's crop. USDA, however, reported that supplies of corn were increasing more than consumption.

Kimmeridge, an activist investor, takes a stake in US energy company Devon

Kimmeridge Energy Management, an activist investment firm, has acquired a stake in Devon Energy of the United States. This was revealed by a stock exchange filing on Friday. Kimmeridge held 5.66 million Devon shares at the end of September according to the filing. According to calculations, this would equate an approximately 0.9% share in Devon. It is also the 14th largest shareholder of Devon according to data provider LSEG.