Oil and Gas Watch News

News Briefs

May 21, 2025
Oil & gas drilling down in the Gulf of Mexico despite administration’s push

Though the Trump Administration has sought to expand drilling and leasing for fossil fuels in the Gulf of Mexico, production is flat and the number of drillships is at a seven-year low.

May 21, 2025
Decade after massive oil spill, company restarts production off California coast

After a 10-year shutdown following a 2015 spill that fouled 150 miles of coastline, a Texas company restarted offshore oil production last week.

May 21, 2025
Researchers find high levels of toxins a month after northern Colorado well blowout

Researchers at Colorado State University identified much higher levels of benzene and other toxins in the air near a well blowout site north of Fort Collins than initially reported.

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News Articles

Brendan Gibbons
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May 14, 2025

Company announces major shakeup of controversial Louisiana hydrogen plant

A controversial hydrogen production plant planned in Louisiana is on hold as the company considers divesting from plans to make ammonia and capture carbon from the facility and bury it under a wildlife refuge and fishing area. The project is part of a wave of proposed hydrogen production facilities planned across the U.S., most of which would use natural gas combined with carbon capture meant to keep the resulting carbon dioxide (CO2) from reaching the atmosphere.

Tom Pelton
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May 8, 2025

In an ironic twist, drilling has declined under Trump’s “Drill, Baby, Drill”

Despite recent announcements that the Trump Administration will accelerate environmental reviews for energy projects, drilling in the U.S. is down slightly so far under Trump. The number of active drilling rigs in the U.S. is down about 4 percent in the first quarter of the year, compared to the first quarter of 2024 under former President Joe Biden. The number of wells drilled and wells completed—meaning oil and gas have begun flowing—are both down 2 percent.

Ari Phillips
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April 30, 2025

California pipeline that burst in 2015 is now being rebuilt against state orders

The California Coastal Commission recently issued an $18.2 million fine against a Texas-based company for unpermitted construction on a pipeline network that has been dormant since a major spill in 2015. The network of pipelines connects to three offshore oil platforms called the Santa Ynez Unit and was the source of the Refugio Oil Spill, which released more than 100,000 gallons, caused significant environmental damage to about 150 miles of coastline, shut down beaches for two months, and killed over 550 seabirds.

Ari Phillips
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April 24, 2025

America's largest gas plant grows out of artificial intelligence's hunger for power

After the smokestacks and cooling towers that served Pennsylvania’s largest coal plant were torn down last month, an enormous gas-fired power plant was announced at the site about an hour east of Pittsburgh. If completed, it will become America’s largest methane-powered electric generation facility – and a continuing source of greenhouse gas emissions. More than 200 proposed natural gas power plants have been announced recently across the U.S. to help power the AI data center market.

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