Shipping rates for commodities including crude oil and LNG have surged...
Shipping rates for commodities including crude oil and LNG have surged at year-end, driven by conflicts, sanctions and increased production. Daily earnings for crude transport have risen 467% this year, while LNG and iron ore shipping rates have more than quadrupled and doubled, respectively. Shipping executives expect the market to remain tight into early 2026, although uncertainty about the future market is leading to caution on fleet investment.
From WoodMac: Step-Outs in Western Haynesville, Eagle Ford to Dominate in ’26
Operators are set to expand beyond core acreage...
Operators are set to expand beyond core acreage in 2026, targeting appraisal zones to secure long-term inventory for power generation and LNG exports. Wood Mackenzie’s latest outlook identifies the Western Haynesville, southwest Eagle Ford, and deep Pennsylvania Utica as prime targets for increased wildcatting. While the Western Haynesville is projected to deliver significant volumes by 2035, the industry landscape is increasingly bifurcating into two commodities.
Oil-focused regions face headwinds, with total Lower 48 oil production expected to stall for the first time since the pandemic. Despite this, core Permian zones, including the Delaware and Midland Wolfcamps, are forecast to generate over 50% of U.S. onshore liquids next year. Efficiency gains remain a key driver, allowing operators like Diamondback Energy to maintain output despite a projected drop in the horizontal rig count to below 500.
Conversely, the M&A market is pivoting toward gas-weighted opportunities following a lackluster 2025. International players are expected to enter the fray, seeking physical hedges against LNG export volumes. As Permian-associated gas rises and dedicated gas plays accelerate, the market anticipates a firm floor under long-term pricing, driven by strategic capital chasing supply security.
Pennsylvania is rapidly becoming a hub for gas-powered data centers,...
Pennsylvania is rapidly becoming a hub for gas-powered data centers, driven by policy incentives, private investment and natural gas reserves, according to BloombergNEF. The state added 2.4 GW of data center capacity from March 2024 to March 2025, with major projects like the conversion of Homer City Generating Station into a gas plant and TECfusion's new facility in Upper Burrell. This surge is raising concerns about energy costs, grid strain and environmental impact, prompting some residents to push back.
Trump announces $12 billion in aid for farmers amid trade war. The...
Trump announces $12 billion in aid for farmers amid trade war. The assistance—which President Trump says will be paid for with tariff revenue—includes up to $11 billion for one-time payments to farmers of crops included in the Agriculture Department’s new Farmer Bridge Assistance program, and the other $1 billion will be for commodities not included in that program. The help for farmers, a voting bloc that supported Trump in 2024, comes as many are squeezed by both low crop prices and the tariffs that Trump imposed—especially soybean farmers, as exports to China dropped to virtually zero.
Alina Habba, a former personal attorney for President Trump, resigned yesterday from her role as the acting top federal prosecutor for New Jersey, following an appeals court ruling that she had been unlawfully installed in the position.
Berkshire Hathaway is moving around some executives as Warren Buffett prepares to retire, with Geico CEO Todd Combs leaving the firm and heading to JPMorgan.
The makers of the app ICEBlock, which revealed immigration officers’ locations, sued, alleging the Trump administration violated its free speech rights by getting it kicked out of Apple’s App Store.
President Trump plans to sign an executive order this week blocking states from making their own AI rules.
Japan issued and then ended tsunami warnings yesterday after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake off its coast.
Workers at the Louvre voted to strike, in case anyone was worried the museum hit by a recent flood and thefts was having too good a day.