Coronavirus

U.S. producers boosted output back up to the 2022 peak, but domestic demand also accelerated last week and is expected to continue climbing as Americans increase travel during the summer months. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said Wednesday production for the period ended May 13 totaled 11.9 million b/d, up by 100,000 b/d from…

Russia’s war in Ukraine threatens global crude supplies, but a resurgence of the coronavirus in China is curbing demand as the United States and other countries prepare to release oil from strategic reserves. The result: volatile prices. Brent crude prices on Tuesday climbed more than 6% to about $104/bbl intraday following OPEC Secretary General Mohammad…

Natural gas futures floundered on Tuesday as the domestic weather outlook shifted increasingly bearish, production ticked up and energy commodities broadly dipped lower amid pandemic flare-ups and the potential for a cease-fire in Ukraine. On its final day as the prompt month, the April Nymex gas futures contract lost 17.2 cents day/day and settled at…

In a year defined by rebounding energy demand and a strong but vulnerable economic recovery amid coronavirus vaccine campaigns, leading natural gas marketers posted nearly flat sales volumes in 2021, according to NGI’s Top North American Natural Gas Marketers ranking. The 22 natural gas marketers included in the latest survey reported combined sales transactions of…

Extreme weather events, supply shortages, post-Covid-19 demand growth and technical failures gave rise to roughly 4% of the world’s population, roughly 350 million people, experiencing major power outages in 2021, according to IHS Markit researchers. IHS Markit analyst Rama Zakariasaid some of the largest outages occurred in regions with a relatively reliable supply of energy,…

Even as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus spreads rapidly and threatens to at least stall travel and economic activity, forecasters are sticking to bullish expectations for demand in the year ahead while eyeing potential supply challenges. Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, eclipsed $88/bbl in Wednesday trading, reaching a high last seen…

Natural gas and oil producers in the United States are likely to increase their overall capital spending this year as they face a supply chain squeeze, labor issues and higher prices for services, but the mantra to remain disciplined has not changed.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled his proposed 2022-2023 budget proposal to continue confronting the state’s “greatest existential threats” – the pandemic and climate change – while bolstering economic growth. Specifically for energy, Newsom’s ambition under his California Blueprint is to create “an oil-free future” for California by reducing the state’s reliance on fossil fuels while…

U.S. oil producers, unfazed by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus and an anticipated lull in demand between the Christmas and New Year holidays, maintained production at a 2021 peak level during the final week of the year. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said Wednesday that domestic crude output held at 11.8 million b/d…