NGI’s Hub & Flow

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Amid an increasingly positive outlook for natural gas, North American midstream companies stand ready to connect supply with demand markets in the Lower 48 and beyond. NGI's Leticia Gonzales, Kevin Dobbs, Josiah Clinedinst and Josten Mavez discuss the slew of pipeline, gathering and processing projects planned in the U.S., as well as the natural gas pricing dynamics driving those developments and the projects that lie ahead.

Join NGI's Patrick Rau for his quarterly review of North America natural gas earnings calls as he discusses whether the recent ExxonMobil/Pioneer and Chevron/Hess deals have ushered in the next wave of M&A activity among larger cap E&P names, the latest on U.S. LNG and an early look at 2024 U.S. producer activity.

Abaxx Chief Commercial Officer Joe Raia joins NGI’s Senior LNG Editor Jamison Cocklin to discuss Abaxx’s ongoing efforts to launch a new commodity exchange that will list LNG, nickel and carbon futures initially.

 

Abaxx’s new regulated futures clearinghouse will be the first launched in over a decade. Its plans to list physically settled contracts for the three major LNG markets in Northwest Europe, North Asia and the Gulf Coast comes as the global gas market is searching for a better benchmark to manage increasing risk and volatility. Those contracts are coming closer to being a reality after the company completed its latest round of financing to secure nearly $20 million.

In the latest podcast, NGI's Mexico Editor Christopher Lenton interviews Tony Payan, Director, Center for the United States and Mexico at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. The focus of the podcast is on the upcoming presidential election in Mexico. The race is down to Claudia Sheinbaum of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's Morena party and Xochitl Gálvez of the opposition coalition who is rising rapidly in polling. Who might win is the big question, but also what are their positions, and how might each differ from López Obrador? It promises to be a fascinating period between now and June's vote, and this podcast is essential listening as a guide on what to expect.

In the latest episode of NGI’s Hub & Flow, Senior Markets Editor Kevin Dobbs interviews Steve Blair, senior account executive at Marex North America LLC. Blair addresses possible production cuts, supplies in storage, weather demand, Australian LNG strikes, war in Russia and more – setting the stage for winter supply/demand and what may happen with prices through the heating season.

As Blair noted, many analysts think falling rig counts are starting to contribute to lower output estimates. At the same time, winter weather is around the corner and new LNG export facilities are poised to open soon on the Gulf Coast. If these demand drivers develop in concert with lower production, markets could rally. Blair and Dobbs explain why.