EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 1/8/25

PIPELINE NEWS

• Santa Barbara Independent: Santa Barbara Judge Keeps Sable Injunction in Place as Company Confirms No Oil in Pipelines

• RBN Energy: Producers, Midstreamers Preparing for Rising Tide of Permian-Sourced NGLs

• Wall Street Journal: Push for New Canadian Oil Pipeline Gets Boost From U.S. Action in Venezuela

• Pipeline Technology Journal: German and Dutch Gas Operators Agree to Build Cross-Border Hydrogen Pipeline Network

• Business Insider: East Africa’s $5bn oil pipeline, the world’s longest heated crude line, set to begin exports by October

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• E&E News: Trump quits pivotal 1992 climate treaty, in massive hit to global warming effort

• E&E News: Why Trump goes where George W. Bush wouldn’t on oil

• Politico: Trump: US will sell 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil

• E&E News: White House claims to end NEPA’s ‘regulatory reign of terror’

• Heatmap: Key Democrat lays out permitting reform conditions

• Press release: Ranking Member Heinrich to Deliver Floor Speech on Future of Permitting Reform

STATE UPDATES

• E&E News: Watchdog sues oil majors for gas price hike linked to California reg

• Oil City News: Crusoe, Tallgrass get green light for Wyoming AI energy campus

EXTRACTION

• Financial Times: Chevron and Quantum Capital Group line up bid for $22bn of Lukoil assets

• Carbon Herald: Chevron’s Gorgon CCS Project Posts Lowest Carbon Storage Levels On Record

• MLT Atkins: CCUS enhanced oil recovery – Small legislative change equals big economic and environmental impact

• Argus Media: Carbon capture can raise GHG savings potential: GCMD

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

• Quinte News: Enbridge Gas Ontario assists Prince Edward County Fire and Rescue in supporting firefighter training

OPINION

• Santa Barbara Independent: Feds Twist Logic and Language to Grease Sable’s Skids

PIPELINE NEWS

Santa Barbara Independent: Santa Barbara Judge Keeps Sable Injunction in Place as Company Confirms No Oil in Pipelines
Ella Heydenfeldt, 1/7/26

“A Santa Barbara County judge declined Wednesday to immediately lift the injunction blocking Sable Offshore Corp. from restarting its onshore oil pipelines, approved a compromise schedule that modestly accelerates the case, and compelled the company to confirm in court that no oil is currently flowing through the lines,” the Santa Barbara Independent reports. “At issue is whether Sable must continue complying with a July injunction Judge Donna Geck issued requiring the company to provide 10 days’ advance notice before restarting the pipeline operations, an order that was premised on oversight by California’s Office of the State Fire Marshal. Sable now argues that oversight has shifted exclusively to the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMS), rendering the injunction moot. “The court does not have jurisdiction,” Sable attorney Jeffery Dintzer of Los Angeles–based Alston & Bird told the judge, arguing that Las Flores pipeline system qualifies as an interstate pipeline under federal law. PHMSA, he said, has issued waivers that effectively displace the state fire marshal’s authority. Dintzer repeatedly emphasized the financial pressure on Sable, saying each day the injunction remains in place costs the Houston-based company millions. At one point, he told the court, “We could restart today.” “…Pressed directly by the court as well as opposing counsel, Sable was ultimately forced to answer one key question: whether oil has been flowing through the pipelines. After an initial vague answer, Dintzer finally responded with a resounding “No.”

RBN Energy: Producers, Midstreamers Preparing for Rising Tide of Permian-Sourced NGLs
Housley Carr, 1/6/26

“Even if Permian crude oil production were to stagnate over the next few years — a big if — the region’s output of NGLs would likely increase by half, from the current 3.2 MMcf/d to about 4.8 MMcf/d in 2030,” according to RBN Energy. “NGL shippers, all too aware of the double-barrel impacts of the Permian’s rising gas-to-oil ratios (GORs) and rising gallons of NGLs per Mcf of gas, have been supporting the development of new pipeline capacity from West Texas to the Gulf Coast, most recently evidenced by the plan to expand the throughput of the Bahia NGL Pipeline to a cool 1 MMb/d… “The Permian accounts for more than 40% of that NGL total because oil-focused drilling in West Texas and southeastern New Mexico generates vast amounts of NGL-saturated associated gas. And this is all-important: Over the past 10-plus years, the Permian’s GOR has increased from about 3.4:1 to 4.2:1, and the gallons of NGLs per Mcf of gas has risen from about 4.5 to 5.2. This trend toward gassier, more NGL-packed production continues, and we’ve calculated that — if you assume the basin’s average GOR continues to increase by 4% annually and that its average GPM rises by 4.5% a year — the Permian’s NGL output is almost sure to keep climbing even under the bleakest crude oil production scenario… “The most recent example is ExxonMobil’s November 20 announcement that it had reached an agreement to acquire a 40% undivided interest in Enterprise Products Partners’ new 550-mile, 600-Mb/d Bahia NGL Pipeline from West Texas’s Ector County to the Mont Belvieu fractionation hub east of Houston.”

Wall Street Journal: Push for New Canadian Oil Pipeline Gets Boost From U.S. Action in Venezuela
Robb M. Stewart, Paul Vieira, 1/7/26

“The Trump administration’s ambition of revitalizing Venezuela’s oil industry has renewed calls for Canada to quickly approve a pipeline that would boost the country’s crude exports and lessen its reliance on trade with the U.S.,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “Prime Minister Mark Carney has already pledged federal support for the prospect of a pipeline carrying oil from energy-rich Alberta to Canada’s Pacific coast, which would help anchor ambitions to double the level of exports to non-U.S. destinations over the next decade.”

Pipeline Technology Journal: German and Dutch Gas Operators Agree to Build Cross-Border Hydrogen Pipeline Network
Daniel Onyango, 1/8/26

“German gas network operator Thyssengas and Dutch counterpart Gasunie have signed a joint development agreement to explore and build cross-border hydrogen pipelines, marking a major step in the integration of Northwest Europe’s energy infrastructure,” Pipeline Technology Journal reports. “Announced on Monday, January 5, the partnership focuses on converting existing natural gas pipelines to transport hydrogen between the Netherlands and Germany, with Initial plans targeting connection points at Oude Statenzijl in the Dutch province of Groningen and Vlieghuis in Drenthe… “The initiative comes as Germany ramps up its “hydrogen core network,” a planned 9,000-kilometer (5,600-mile) system… “However, the project’s ultimate scale hinges on market demand. While the agreement establishes technical standards and organizational roles, operators noted that the pace of utilization will depend on energy-intensive industries making long-term purchase commitments.”

Business Insider: East Africa’s $5bn oil pipeline, the world’s longest heated crude line, set to begin exports by October
Olamilekan Okebiorun, 1/8/26

“Uganda and Tanzania are preparing to ship their first barrels of crude oil through the $5 billion East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) as early as October, a milestone that could transform energy trade across the region,” Business Insider reports. “The $5 billion EACOP project, spanning 1,443 kilometers to the Indian Ocean, is about 80% complete and targets significant development milestones by 2026. EACOP is positioned to be the longest heated crude oil pipeline globally, facilitating the transport of up to 230,000 barrels per day… “Despite sustained criticism from environmental and human rights groups, Ugandan and Tanzanian officials argue that EACOP reflects a strategic push for infrastructure-led growth and regional integration.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

E&E News: Trump quits pivotal 1992 climate treaty, in massive hit to global warming effort
Sara Schonhardt, 1/7/26

“President Donald Trump is withdrawing the United States from the world’s overarching treaty on climate change in a move that escalates his attempts to reverse years of global negotiations toward addressing rising temperatures,” E&E News reports. “The announcement to sever ties with the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change came as Trump quit dozens of international organizations that the White House said no longer serve U.S. interests by promoting what it called radical climate policies and other issues. Trump has pressured other countries to abandon their carbon-cutting measures, and the move appears to be his latest attempt to destabilize global climate cooperation. The 1992 UNFCCC serves as the international structure for efforts by 198 countries to slow the rate of rising climate pollution. It has universal participation. The U.S. was the first industrialized nation to join the treaty following its ratification under former President George H.W. Bush — and it will be the only nation ever to leave it… “David Widawsky, U.S. director of the World Resources Institute, called withdrawing from the UNFCCC “a strategic blunder that gives away American advantage for nothing in return.” The U.S. Senate ratified the U.N. framework 34 years ago, making it a rare environmental pact that was supported unanimously. That could complicate any future president’s efforts to rejoin the treaty. Some legal experts told E&E the Senate’s consent does not operate in perpetuity after the U.S. leaves a treaty. Others argue that if a president can unilaterally leave a treaty, a future president could rejoin it without a new vote.”

E&E News: Why Trump goes where George W. Bush wouldn’t on oil
Mike Soraghan, 1/8/26

“As president and beyond, George W. Bush spent years fending off the idea that his motive for invading Iraq was to control its oil. His fellow Republican President Donald Trump didn’t spend a single minute as he explained the goals of his military action in Venezuela,” E&E News reports. “He’s cast aside his complaints about political repression and drug smuggling to focus on Venezuela’s supply of what he calls “liquid gold.” “We haven’t gotten to that yet,” Trump told reporters Sunday when asked about political prisoners in the country. “Right now, what we want to do is fix up the oil.” His unapologetic focus on oil is a stark reminder of how much the political landscape has changed since the previous Republican president. “It is unprecedented,” Allison Prasch, a professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, who studies presidential communication, told E&E. “I really tried to use that word sparingly, because everything is unprecedented, but I think that’s apt.” Trump has shifted from a foreign policy approach that advertised military interventions as a way to deliver freedom and democracy, done in conjunction with other western nations. On Wednesday, U.S. officials announced its plans to sell Venezuelan oil as news outlets reported a crackdown on dissent by the government the United States left in place. “Just try to imagine George W. Bush standing up and boldly proclaiming that he has started this war because of the oil alone,” Prasch told E&E.”

Politico: Trump: US will sell 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil
James Bikales, 1/6/26

“President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Venezuela’s interim government would be “turning over” billions of dollars worth of sanctioned crude oil to the United States, just days after it toppled leader Nicolás Maduro.” Politico reports. “The U.S. plans to sell the oil — between 30 and 50 million barrels — at market prices, Trump said in a Truth Social post, adding that he would personally control the proceeds to ensure they are being used to “benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States.” Trump said he was directing Energy Secretary Chris Wright to arrange the plan “immediately” and that the sanctioned crude would be “brought directly to unloading docks in the United States.” “…So much of Venezuela’s crude had been sanctioned and building up in storage facilities that it threatened to force the country to start shutting in production, market analysts said. Initial calculations put the worth of the oil at up to $2.5 billion, Rory Johnston, an oil analyst who writes the newsletter Commodity Context, told Politico… “Trump did not provide a timeline for the sales, but adding 30 to 50 million barrels of supply could be a shock to U.S. markets, which are already well-supplied amid record domestic production.”

E&E News: White House claims to end NEPA’s ‘regulatory reign of terror’
Hannah Northey, 1/7/26

“The White House is set to formally remove Thursday a trove of regulations flowing from the 1970 National Environmental Policy Act,” E&E News reports. “The Council on Environmental Quality’s final rule affirms the Trump administration’s decision to rescind rules around the bedrock federal environmental law — best known by its acronym, NEPA — placing that responsibility squarely with individual federal agencies. NEPA requires the government to consider a broad range of environmental impacts for major development projects. In the final rule, which was proposed months ago, the White House responds to more than 100,000 comments on NEPA changes. While some supporters stated that the CEQ is a body that should only consult agencies, others argued that the council limited public input while pulling back the rules and overlooked what authority the agency has.”

Heatmap: Key Democrat lays out permitting reform conditions
Matthew Zeitlin, 1/8/25

“In a Senate floor speech, Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico blasted the Trump administration’s anti-renewables executive actions, saying that the U.S. is “facing an energy crisis of the Trump administration’s own making,” and that “the Trump administration is dismantling the permitting process that we use to build new energy projects and get cheaper electrons on the grid,” Heatmap reports. “…Though he said he supports permitting reform in principle, calling for “a system that can reliably get to a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ on a permit in two to three years — not 10, not 17,” he said that “any permitting deal is going to have to guarantee that no administration of either party can weaponize the permitting process for cheap political points.” Heinrich called on Trump officials “to follow the law. They need to reverse their illegal stop work orders, and they need to start approving legally compliant energy projects.” He did offer an olive branch to the Republican senators with whom he would have to negotiate on any permitting legislation, noting that “the challenge to doing permitting reform is not in this building.”

Press release: Ranking Member Heinrich to Deliver Floor Speech on Future of Permitting Reform
1/7/26

“Today on Wednesday, January 7th, at 3:30 MT/ 5:30ET, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, will speak on the Senate floor on how the Trump administration’s actions to cancel and stall energy projects are killing jobs, skyrocketing electric bills, and threatening permitting reform. The speech comes as Donald Trump has suspended every permit for offshore wind projects and stalled the permits of more than 500 clean energy projects – exacerbating our nation’s energy affordability crisis.”

STATE UPDATES

E&E News: Watchdog sues oil majors for gas price hike linked to California reg
Alex Nieves, 1/5/26

“California consumer attorneys have filed a class-action lawsuit against five major oil companies, claiming that they illegally hiked gas prices ahead of new fuel regulations taking effect,” E&E News reports. “Consumer Watchdog and two private law firms filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California last month, arguing that drivers overpaid for gasoline after fuel suppliers preemptively raised prices before updates to the state’s low-carbon fuel standard kicked in on July 1. The move comes after the California Air Resources Board released data in July — first reported by POLITICO — that showed state gas prices had jumped roughly 5-8 cents per gallon starting in January, as companies began incorporating rules designed to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels into their pricing ahead of time. That resulted in consumers paying over $300 million in unnecessary charges, according to CARB’s calculations. The lawsuit calls for the companies — Chevron, Valero, PBF Energy, Marathon Petroleum and Phillips 66 — to pay roughly $350 million in restitution and seeks an independent audit of their past LCFS cost reporting.”

Oil City News: Crusoe, Tallgrass get green light for Wyoming AI energy campus
Klark Byrd, 1/6/25

“Despite emotional testimony from rural neighbors regarding lost views and potential water contamination, Laramie County commissioners unanimously approved a multibillion-dollar data center and power generation hub near Terry Ranch Road,” Oil City News reports. “While developers pledged to protect local drinking water by drilling into deep aquifers and using closed-loop cooling, residents lamented the industrialization of pasture land that will soon house 2.7 gigawatts of on-site natural gas power generation… “Raymon Williams, project director for Tallgrass, told the board that the energy infrastructure alone represents a $7 billion investment, with the total capital expenditure for the campus expected to exceed $50 billion. He characterized the development as a “bring your own power” model designed to be “very self-sufficient for our industrial facility” without straining existing municipal utilities… “However, the scale of the project drew sharp criticism from those living on the county’s southern edge. Michelle Jessica, a nearby ranch resident, expressed a sense of loss over the changing landscape. “I have looked at pasture and cows for my entire life. To see this going in is tough,” Jessica said. “I don’t get to see the view. I get to see lights. I get to see dust. I get to see buildings.” Resource protection was another focal point of the hearing. Thomas White, who lives near Terry Ranch Road, questioned the developer’s plan to draw industrial water from the deep Lance Formation aquifer.”

EXTRACTION

Financial Times: Chevron and Quantum Capital Group line up bid for $22bn of Lukoil assets
Jamie Smyth and Oliver Barnes, 1/6/26

“Chevron and private equity firm Quantum Capital Group are teaming up on a bid to buy the international assets of sanctioned Russian oil company Lukoil,” the Financial Times reports. “If a deal is clinched, Chevron and Quantum plan to divvy up the assets between them, valued at $22bn by Lukoil, according to people familiar with the matter. The bid, which is spearheaded by Quantum, is for the whole portfolio of Lukoil’s international assets, including oil and gas production, refining facilities and more than 2,000 filling stations across Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Quantum and Chevron would own and operate the assets for the long term, a promise that was likely to win favour with the Trump administration, the people told FT.”

Carbon Herald: Chevron’s Gorgon CCS Project Posts Lowest Carbon Storage Levels On Record
Violet George, 1/8/26

“Chevron’s Gorgon carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility in Western Australia recorded its weakest performance to date during the 2024-2025 fiscal year, renewing scrutiny over the effectiveness and economics of large-scale CCS projects in the oil and gas sector,” the Carbon Herald reports. “According to Chevron’s latest annual performance review, the Gorgon facility sequestered approximately 1.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide during the period – less than half the volume captured in its first year of operation in 2019. The figure represents roughly 25% of the carbon dioxide removed from Chevron’s nearby associated gas fields, according to analysis reported by Renew Economy. The results continue a downward trend for the project. In the previous 2023-2024 fiscal year, carbon storage at Gorgon had already fallen to historically low levels, accounting for just 30% of the carbon separated from gas production, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). The latest data has intensified criticism from climate analysts who argue that CCS remains an expensive and inefficient climate mitigation tool, particularly when deployed alongside continued fossil fuel production.”

MLT Atkins: CCUS enhanced oil recovery – Small legislative change equals big economic and environmental impact
Randy Brunet, Matthew Douglas, Scott Masson, Thomas Collopy, 1/7/26

“Firstly, in the MOU between the Alberta Government and Government of Canada signed in November 2025, the Government of Canada commits to (emphasis added): Extend federal ITCs and other policy supports to encourage large scale CCUS investments, including Pathways and enhanced oil recovery in order to provide the certainty needed to attract large additional sources of domestic and foreign capital,” according to MLT Atkins. “It is important to note the legislative change to support this commitment is not yet in place. Secondly, in Alberta, the Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction Regulation (TIER) further complements this approach by providing incentives for facilities that reduce emissions through CCUS and EOR… “Expanding the federal ITC to include EOR helps create a more attractive trading market for captured CO2 supporting the development of critical infrastructure such as CO2 storage facilities… “The Government of Canada’s Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is a cornerstone policy designed to position the country as a global leader in carbon capture technology… “Including EOR in the ITC would incentivize further investment in EOR technology, making it more financially viable for traditional energy producers. This would lead to more efficient oil extraction, increased domestic energy supply and greater energy security. Moreover, by encouraging oil producers to adopt carbon capture technologies, Canada can simultaneously advance its environmental goals and economic interests…”By amending the ITC to include EOR, the Federal Government can unlock greater energy productivity, strengthen energy autonomy and provide powerful incentives for traditional energy producers to embrace carbon capture technology.”

Argus Media: Carbon capture can raise GHG savings potential: GCMD
1/8/26

“On-board carbon capture and storage (OCCS), coupled with CO2 utilisation in the form of downstream product displacement, can outperform permanent storage in life cycle assessment (LCA), a study by the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) explained,” according to Argus Media. “OCCS can be an effective mid-term option for shipping to decarbonise and to reduce “tank-to-wake” emissions, with most ships still expected to be operating on conventional fuels. The study, Project Captured, used data from the world’s first ship-to-ship (STS) offloading of liquefied CO2 captured on board a ship with an OCCS system. The liquefied CO2 would eventually be transported overland to be used downstream as industry feedstock. Without a waste heat recovery system (WHRS), this pilot achieved 7.9pc greenhouse gas (GHG) savings with a 10.7pc onboard capture rate, resulting in 582 kg of CO2 equivalent (kgCO2e) per tonne of CO2 captured and offloaded. GHG savings was equal to 0.84t of CO2 emission avoided per tonne of CO2 captured and offloaded. Another 375 kgCO2e/t of CO2 captured and offloaded was introduced from offloading and transport, particularly from truck transport of more than 2,200km, which contributed to half of the captured emissions at 194 kgCO2e/t.”

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

Quinte News: Enbridge Gas Ontario assists Prince Edward County Fire and Rescue in supporting firefighter training
Alana Cameron, 1/7/26

“Enbridge Gas Ontario (Enbridge Gas) is helping Prince Edward County Fire and Rescue purchase firefighting training materials, through the Safe Community Project Assist–a program with the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council (FMPFSC) that supplements existing training for Ontario volunteer and composite fire departments in the communities where Enbridge Gas operates,” according to Quinte News. “Safety is at the heart of everything we do at Enbridge Gas–it’s one of our core values we live by,” says Mike Cooney, Supervisor – Operations, Enbridge Gas. “We’re proud to support Ontario firefighters with emergency response training that helps them strengthen their skills, stay prepared, and continue protecting the vibrant communities they serve.”

OPINION

Santa Barbara Independent: Feds Twist Logic and Language to Grease Sable’s Skids
Nick Welsh, 1/7/26

“…With oil pipelines, it’s the same thing. An interstate pipeline, by definition, has to penetrate the boundaries of at least two states. An intrastate pipeline, by contrast, is content to stay within the borders of just one,” Nick Welsh writes for the Santa Barbara Independent. “…But confusion over these two (inter- versus intra-) has been expertly engineered and exploited in Santa Barbara by outside powers focused on the county’s vast oil wealth. This confusion explains how and why so much oil needlessly spilled along our coast back in May 2015. That same confusion — again deliberately and expertly engineered — also explains how Sable Offshore is now poised to restart the same corrosion-prone pipeline… “In a naked power grab, the federal agency charged with pipeline safety enforcement just proclaimed that the two pipelines implicated in the 2015 rupture were in fact “interstate pipelines” and not “intrastate,” which for the past 10 years had been the very clear understanding… “For Sable, Christmas came early. If not a godsend, PHMSA’s action qualified as a bailout… “Here’s the kicker. In its 40-year history, the two pipelines in question have never — not once — been operated as an interstate pipeline. No oil that’s ever traveled in the pipeline ever went out of state… “Sable and PHMSA argue that because oil from federal waters five miles off the coast will be shipped by pipelines to the Santa Ynez Unit, that qualifies as “interstate.” It’s certainly a novel and creative argument. But the California Coastal Commission, for one, ain’t buying it.”