Locator: 48629B.
Vicki Hollub, OXY:
Vicki Hollub, President and CEO of Occidental, has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the Dewhurst Award — the highest honour awarded by WPC Energy in recognition of outstanding leadership and contributions to the global energy industry.
She is the first woman in our 92-year history to receive this distinction, which will be formally presented at the 25th WPC Energy Congress, taking place from 26–30 April 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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Back to the Bakken
WTI: $65.56.
New wells:
- Wednesday, July 2, 2025: 3 for the month, 3 for the quarter, 440 for the year,
- 41250, conf, CLR, Thronson FIU 11-28H2,
- Tuesday, July 1, 2025: 2 for the month, 2 for the quarter, 439 for the year,
- 41251, conf, CLR, Thronson FIU 12-28HSL,
- 40796, conf, Grayson Mill, Bice 18-17 9H,
RBN Energy: FERC actions helping to ease the path forward for natural gas infrastructure.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) took several steps in June to slash red tape and speed the construction of natural gas projects in the U.S. interstate and export markets. This is the latest in state and federal efforts to reduce the years-long legal battles around energy infrastructure and quicken the development of vital projects such as pipelines and LNG terminals. In today’s RBN blog, we’ll highlight the recent efforts to remake and improve the permitting process.
First, a bit of background. As we’ve long discussed in the RBN blogosphere, the often-arduous permitting process for large-scale energy projects can take years — even decades (see Don't Pass Me By). Almost everyone acknowledges the benefit of having interested parties and stakeholders weigh in on major proposals to build or expand infrastructure, and credible regulations and appropriate safeguards are essential to the process, but permitting delays do more than just stymie progress and drive up project costs, they also put additional stress on infrastructure that’s already in place and can prevent some projects from ever becoming a reality.
The main reason federal authorities are trying to speed the permitting process is that the U.S. is expecting a rapid surge in natural gas and electricity demand. This summer alone, U.S. natural gas demand is forecast to average 98.7 Bcf/d, up 1.7 Bcf/d from last summer. Much of that is linked to rapid increases in power demand for data centers and artificial intelligence (AI), as detailed in Smarter Than You and Storm Front. In addition, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is forecasting natural gas exports to average 15.5 Bcf/d this summer, an increase of 3.2 Bcf/d from summer 2024. (For more, see our weekly NATGAS Billboard U.S. report.)
To address those concerns, FERC took two major actions on June 18:
Immediate One-Year Waiver of Order 871: FERC is making it easier for natural gas companies to continue project construction. Under Order 871, projects were put on hold while legal challenges were pending. By waiving that rule, FERC is allowing construction to continue for projects considered necessary — even if there are legal questions or appeals pending. This one-year waiver is temporary, but FERC is considering making it permanent, which would mean fewer regulatory roadblocks in the future.
