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Weatherford International plc, which exited bankruptcy in December, is facing more turmoil as CEO Mark McCollum was forced out days ahead of the annual meeting.

French supermajor Total SA, one of the largest global natural gas producers, said Monday it has joined the Getting to Zero Coalition to work toward a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from shipping by 2050, including helping to improve liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure.

Driven by plummeting oil prices and the shutdown of local economies from the coronavirus pandemic, Latin America’s rig count fell a further 27 rigs month/month to 62 in May, according to the latest figures from Baker Hughes Co.

Global oil demand has begun to recover from the impacts of a still raging pandemic, but Lower 48 upstream activity is unlikely to return to pre-Covid levels anytime soon, if at all, according to ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance.

The Permian Basin in May reported the largest monthly decline in oil and gas permits ever, down 47% from April, as applications by large-cap operators fell to their lowest levels in history, off by almost three-quarters, Evercore ISI said Tuesday.

Massachusetts Attorney General (AG) Maura Healey last Thursday asked the state’s Department of Public Utilities (DPU) to open an investigation into phasing out natural gas amid the transition toward alternative fuels by 2050.

Facing a 13.3% national unemployment rate and the negative impacts of continuing Covid-19 mitigation efforts, President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order (EO) directing federal agencies to “take all reasonable measures to speed infrastructure investments and to speed other actions in addition to such investments that will strengthen the economy and return Americans to work,” including setting aside some Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act restrictions.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a proposed order that it said would codify best practices for benefit-cost analysis in rulemakings and provide clarity for states, local communities and industry.

Natural gas futures were slightly lower but still range bound to finish the week as the July Nymex contract swung in a less than 10-cent band before settling Friday at $1.782, off 4.0 cents day/day. August was down 3.1 cents to $1.886.