Oil and Gas Watch

Brendan Gibbons

Billions in Venezuelan oil revenue draw Congressional scrutiny as Iran war reshapes U.S. energy strategy

Three months after U.S. special forces extracted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from Caracas in a nighttime raid, the Trump Administration’s handling of billions of dollars in Venezuelan oil revenue has become the subject of Congressional scrutiny. Questions are being raised as the administration scrambles to unlock Venezuelan crude to offset a fuel crisis driven by the U.S. attack on Iran. The administration last month lifted sanctions on Venezuela’s oil put in place in January 2019, during Trump’s first term.

Brendan Gibbons

States sue over Trump 'energy emergency' order that fast-tracks wetlands destruction

On May 9, states led by Washington and California sued the administration over the order issued on President Donald Trump’s first day in office. The administration has used the order to speed up hundreds of permit applications to fill streams and alter wetlands for energy, mining, and construction projects, among other environmental reviews. The order came despite record-high oil and gas production in the U.S. under the Biden Administration.

Brendan Gibbons

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.

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.

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.

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.