NGI’s Hub & Flow

CERAWeek and Washington: What Energy Policies Were Front and Center at Houston's Annual Industry Bonanza? -- with Chris Treanor

Energy and environmental policy expert Chris Treanor, executive director of the Partnership to Address Global Emissions (PAGE), joins NGI Senior Editor of LNG Jacob Dick to recap some of the highlights from CERAWeek by S&P Global in Houston and what could be ahead for the natural gas industry during this election year. Treanor and Dick discuss the need for constructive policies around LNG and natural gas generally, in order to meet climate goals while protecting energy security for the United States and its allies. Treanor shares his reaction to comments made by Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm at the conference, as well as his thoughts on the Biden administration’s pause of LNG export approvals.

Natural Gas Futures Broker Steve Blair’s Summer Price Outlook

In the latest episode of NGI’s Hub & Flow, NGI Senior Markets Editor Kevin Dobbs interviews Paragon Global Markets LLC’s Steve Blair, managing director of institutional energy sales.

 

Blair addresses production and supplies in storage, domestic weather and LNG demand, and sets the stage for the summer ahead in natural gas markets. 

 

Blair noted that, while prices are currently suppressed following a mild winter and record production during the heating season, natural gas output in recent weeks has come off record highs. Major producers such as Chesapeake Energy and EQT Corp. have publicly announced efforts to scale back production to align supply/demand. Forecasts, meanwhile, point to another hot summer. Longer term, LNG export facilities are poised to open soon on the Gulf Coast to meet growing global gas needs. Should demand rise in parallel with lower production, markets could rally.

 

Blair and Dobbs delve into the state of natural gas markets.

What Would Mexico's Energy Sector Look Like Under a Xóchitl Gálvez Presidency?

NGI senior editor Chris Lention interviewed Mexico energy expert Rosanety Barrios in the latest NGI podcast. Barrios is the head of the energy team for Mexican presidential candidate Xóchitl Gálvez, who remains behind in polling but is gaining ground on the establishment pick, Claudia Sheinbaum. Topics discussed included Gálvez’s plans for the energy sector, focusing on the role of natural gas. They dive into how natural gas pricing plays into energy security, as well as LNG export projects, the future of refineries and the burning of fuel oil. They discuss how Cenagas will be employed in a new government, including open access policies, the transformation of the state companies CFE and Pemex, jump-starting Mexico's natural gas production, and ultimately what Barrios would prioritize if she were to become Mexico's next Energy Minister.

Reading the Wall Street Tea Leaves: What Earnings Calls & Consensus Estimates Say About U.S. Natural Gas

What is the outlook for North American natural gas? We discuss this and more in NGI's latest podcast diving into energy company fourth quarter earnings reports, Wall Street’s consensus estimates and thoughts on the quarterly Nabors Industries Ltd. survey of major U.S. E&P customers and how predictive it is of rig counts.

LNG in Focus: Will the Red Sea Attacks Affect Global Natural Gas Markets?

Flex LNG CEO Oystein Kalleklev joins NGI's Senior LNG Editor Jamison Cocklin to discuss attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and how the security situation is impacting the global natural gas market. 

 

Flex owns a fleet of LNG carriers. The episode explores why the attacks have so far done little to disrupt LNG shipping and how that could change if they continue longer-term. Kalleklev also weighs in on the Biden administration's decision to pause U.S. export authorizations.

What Does A Pause of LNG Export Authorizations Mean for U.S. Development and Supply? w/ Rapidan Energy Group's Alex Munton

After the Jan. 26 announcement from the Biden administration that Department of Energy authorizations for new LNG export projects will be paused for an open-ended period, speculation has swirled about what that could mean for the industry and global supply.

Rapidan Energy Group's Alex Munton joins NGI's Jacob Dick to discuss what it means, why it happens and which developing projects might be the most impacted.

Mexico's Natural Gas Imports Hot Topic in Monterrey Amid Nearshoring and U.S. Pause of Export Licenses

At a recent energy conference in the booming border town of Monterrey, NGI Mexico Senior Editor Chris Lenton was among panelists exploring the changing dynamics of the Mexico natural gas market. In this podcast, NGI North America Senior Editor Andrew Baker interviews Chris on the main takeaways from the conference from his viewpoint along with major industrialists, businessmen, traders and government officials in Mexico. They discuss the upcoming election in Mexico, the overall mood in the country, how the market has changed under the six years of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and how the U.S. pause on export licenses for LNG could impact Mexico LNG projects and perhaps even pipeline shipments.

Mid-Winter Check-In: What is the State of the Natural Gas Market Following January Cold?

After one of the warmest Decembers on record, Old Man Winter arrived in grand fashion in January, sending temperatures plunging and natural gas prices skyrocketing. NGI Price & Markets Editor Leticia Gonzales is joined by Senior Markets Editors Kevin Dobbs, Chris Newman and Jodi Shafto to discuss the impacts the Arctic blast had on natural gas prices, production, storage, midstream infrastructure and the power grid. Is the natural gas market prepared for another frigid spell in February? NGI's Thought Leaders share their insights on the latest winter storm and the expectations for the rest of winter in the latest episode of NGI's Hub & Flow.

Natural Gas Price Outlook with Industry Veteran Tom Saal

In the latest episode of NGI’s Hub & Flow, NGI Senior Markets Editor Kevin Dobbs interviews Thomas Saal, senior vice president of energy at StoneX Financial.

Saal digs into supplies in storage, record production, speculators' impact, moderate winter weather-driven demand so far and LNG export activity – the myriad pieces that make up the winter supply/demand puzzle and how they may impact prices through the heating season and beyond.

Saal and Dobbs spoke shortly after the latest Energy Information (EIA) storage report was released on Thursday. EIA printed a 117 Bcf withdrawal for the week ended Dec. 1. It marked the second consecutive triple-digit pull of the season. Yet inventories remained nearly 7% above the five-year average for this time of year.

Record production in November that topped 106 Bcf/d, combined with mostly benign weather through the fall, accounted for much of the difference. But the overall natural gas picture is more complicated than that. Dobbs and Sall delve into more detail.

Mexico’s 2024 Natural Gas Outlook Appears (Cautiously) Optimistic

Mexico’s demand for U.S. natural gas continues to mount, and 2024 appears no different. Following a recent cross-border conference, NGI’s Christopher Lenton and Andrew Baker read the tea leaves regarding market sentiment while diving into the various factors driving Mexico’s growing demand for U.S. natural gas, including power generation, LNG projects and nearshoring, as well as the implications of Mexico’s upcoming presidential election.