Andrew joined NGI in 2018 to support coverage of Mexico’s newly liberalized oil and gas sector, and his role has since expanded to include the rest of North America. Before joining NGI, Andrew covered Latin America’s hydrocarbon and electric power industries from 2014 to 2018 for Business News Americas in Santiago, Chile. He speaks fluent Spanish, and holds a B.A. in journalism and mass communications from the University of Minnesota.
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Articles from Andrew Baker
Legal Battles Loom as Biden Order Pauses Federal Oil, Natural Gas Leasing
The U.S. oil and gas industry reacted with dismay and the first of perhaps multiple lawsuits Wednesday ahead of an executive order (EO) by President Biden directing the Department of the Interior (DOI) to pause new oil and natural gas leasing on federal lands and offshore waters. The EO published Wednesday afternoon follows a 60-day…
January 27, 2021
Lower 48 DUC Well Inventory Down to Pre-Pandemic Levels as Oil Prices Recover
Lower 48 oil and gas producers have drawn down their inventory of drilled but uncompleted (DUC) wells to pre-pandemic levels, reflecting an improved commodity pricing and demand outlook, according to new analysis by Rystad Energy. After reaching a multiyear high of 6,548 wells last June, the DUC count in the country’s major oil regions fell…
January 26, 2021
New World Order for U.S. E&Ps as Biden Freezes Near-Term Federal Oil, Natural Gas Leasing
The Biden administration last week froze for 60 days awarding new oil and gas drilling permits, as well as leases on federal onshore and offshore property, likely heralding more permanent limits to be enacted down the road. The order mandating the freeze was signed by acting Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Scott de la…
January 25, 2021
U.S. Oil, Natural Gas Industry Warns of Economic, Environmental Fallout from Biden Freeze of Federal Leasing
The Biden administration has frozen awarding new oil and gas drilling permits, as well as leases on federal onshore and offshore property, for 60 days, likely heralding more permanent limits to be enacted down the road. The order mandating the freeze was signed by acting Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Scott de la Vega…
January 22, 2021
Mexico Natural Gas Players Call for More Connectivity, Independent Price Indexes
Mexico’s natural gas market has made tremendous strides in recent years, but more connectivity and independent price indexes are needed, according to some of the country’s most important pipeline operators and trading houses. NGI’s Christopher Lenton, senior editor for Mexico and Latin America, discussed the state of the Mexican market with a group of experts…
January 20, 2021
More Action Needed on Oil, Natural Gas Methane Emissions as Latest Decline Mainly Pandemic-Driven, IEA Says
Methane emissions from the oil and natural gas sector fell by an estimated 10% in 2020, mainly because of production curtailments in response to the Covid-19 crisis, according to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Methane Tracker 2021 report published Monday. Oil and gas operations emitted more than 70 million tons of methane into the atmosphere…
January 20, 2021
New PHMSA Rule to Ease Restrictions on Natural Gas Pipeline Operators
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) on Monday published a final rule in the Federal Register that relaxes inspection and reporting requirements for natural gas pipeline operators. The rule is meant “to ease regulatory burdens on the construction, operation and maintenance of gas transmission, distribution, and gathering pipeline…
January 14, 2021
Mexico’s Leading Private Natural Gas Producer Secures 2021 Work Plan Approval
Mexico’s upstream oil and gas regulator Comisión Nacional de Hidrocarburos (CNH) on Tuesday approved three exploration and production (E&P) work plans for 2021 that entail combined investment of $115.7 million. Servicios Múltiples de Burgos, S.A. de C.V. (SMB), a 50/50 joint venture between Tecpetrol SA and Industrial Perforadora de Campeche (IPC), obtained the green light…
January 13, 2021
Natural Gas ‘Bridge Fuel’ Narrative to Face Tougher Scrutiny Under Biden
With natural gas projected to play a major role in the global energy mix for decades to come, the incoming Biden Administration would need to mitigate the fuel’s environmental impacts as much as possible in order to fulfill his climate agenda, the most ambitious of any U.S. president in history. As a result, the industry…
January 8, 2021
Mexico’s CFE Blames ‘Intermittent’ Renewable Generators for Massive Blackout
Leaders of Mexico’s state power utility Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) on Tuesday blamed renewable energy and a brush fire for a massive Dec. 28 power outage that took 8,696 MW of electricity offline, causing about one-third of the country to lose power. Spokesman Luis Bravo Navarro said that while it’s normal for small sections…
January 6, 2021