Bill Spindle

2 weeks ago | ciphernews.com | Bill Spindle

There are two things to note about the chart above. One is easy to spot; the other is less so. What leaps out is the sharp rise in U.S. oil exports after 2015. That’s when the United States Congress lifted prohibitions on exporting oil that had been in place since 1975. Equally important to note, though, is that exports grew only slightly in 2024. They hit a new record, barely, rising just 1%. That raises the question of where exports go from here. Forcefully upward, if Donald Trump has his way.

3 weeks ago | ciphernews.com | Bill Spindle

NEUQUÉN, Argentina — Argentina is wrangling with the push and pull of the global energy transition, where opportunities and risks abound. That much was obvious during my three weeks of reporting recently in a nation with a turbulent political history, running from populist legends Juan and Evita Perón to today’s controversial President Javier Milei. I saw two faces of Argentina’s fast-expanding energy industry.

3 weeks ago | ciphernews.com | Bill Spindle

HOUSTON — A trio of countries has orchestrated the global trade in liquified natural gas as it’s grown into an energy mainstay for the world over the last 30 years. The Persian Gulf emirate of Qatar built the foundation, the United States has added flexibility and Japan is providing the demand. In the process, the shipped natural gas trade has reshaped worldwide energy markets and geopolitics.

3 weeks ago | ciphernews.com | Bill Spindle

NEUQUÉN, Argentina — From his office deep in Argentina’s Pampas region, Gustavo Medele, the minister for mining and resources for Neuquén Province, puzzles over the future of natural gas. He’s far from the only one. Medele’s province sits atop what’s known as the Vaca Muerta, a geological formation that contains some of the world’s richest oil and gas reserves.

1 month ago | ciphernews.com | Bill Spindle

Clean energy grew virtually everywhere last year, but especially in China. Investments in the global energy transition crossed $2 trillion for the first time in 2024, yet the pace — 11% higher than a year earlier — was slower than other recent years, according to a from BloombergNEF. What’s more, total global investment levels are running far off the pace of what would be needed to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. That would require 63% more investment than actually took place, BNEF said.