The Trump administration has unveiled a five-year offshore leasing plan that would reopen federal waters off California and Florida to oil and natural gas drilling for the first time in decades, a move applauded by the American Petroleum Institute. "After years of delay in federal leasing, this is a historic step toward unleashing our nation's vast offshore resources," API President and CEO Mike Sommers said. The plan, which has prompted strong pushback from coastal state leaders and environmental advocates, includes six lease sales off California between 2027 and 2030, more than 20 off Alaska and newly designated drilling zones in the Gulf of America off Florida.

ExxonMobil has agreed to buy a 40% stake in Enterprise Products Partners' 550-mile Bahia natural gas liquids pipeline from West Texas to Enterprise's Mont Belvieu fractionation hub for about $650 million. The companies also plan to boost the pipeline's capacity from its initial 600,000 barrels per day to 1 million bpd and build a 92-mile link to Exxon's Cowboy gas processing plant in Eddy County, N.M., with completion expected in late 2027.

The North American Electric Reliability Corp. has warned that rising electricity demand from data centers could lead to blackouts across the US during extreme winter conditions. Power consumption has increased by 20 gigawatts since last winter, primarily due to the expansion of AI use, but supply has not kept pace. The imbalance raises the risk of energy shortfalls, particularly if severe winter storms occur. Regions such as Texas, the Southeast and the Northwest are at elevated risk.

US natural gas liquids production climbed to a record 7.7 million barrels per day in August, exceeding the nation's 6.8 million bpd of fractionation capacity and heightening the risk of system bottlenecks. Midstream companies are expanding NGL export capacity to capture rising global appetite for US hydrocarbons, but East Daley Analytics analyst Julian Renton warns the mismatch between supply and processing capacity could force oil and natural gas production shut-ins.

The threat of cyberattacks against US critical infrastructure is escalating as modern battlefields become increasingly digital and borderless, writes security expert Dan Cronin. Adversaries are increasingly using advanced cyber tools to disrupt essential services, with recent incidents attributed to Iran-affiliated and pro-Russian actors targeting industrial control systems. The integration of AI into both attack and defense strategies further complicates the threat landscape, requiring a comprehensive approach to infrastructure protection.

The American Petroleum Institute has released a bulletin endorsing ordinary portland cement as a reliable barrier for wells in carbon capture, utilization and storage projects. The bulletin compiles research demonstrating the chemical and mechanical stability of Portland cement under conditions typical of Class VI wells, which are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Alaska's latest North Slope oil and natural gas lease auction awarded a record 271 leases for $16.9 million in high bids, the highest total since 2014, according to the state's Division of Oil and Gas. Independent companies, including newcomers like Duncan Resources and Frontier Exploration, dominated bidding, though established producers such as Repsol and Oil Search (Alaska) also secured tracts. State leaders say the strong performance signals renewed momentum for Alaska's oil and gas industry.

US producers and investors are showing renewed interest in Canadian oil and natural gas assets, as suggested by a run of multibillion-dollar transactions involving Baytex Energy, Ovintiv and private equity-backed Cygnet Energy. Companies are attracted to longer-life wells in the Montney and Duvernay shales, discounted valuations and expanding export capacity, though Canada's complex regulatory environment and pipeline constraints remain key considerations. "They're signing confidentiality agreements; they're coming into data rooms and they're evaluating opportunities," said TD Securities' Scott Barron.

The American Petroleum Institute, Shell, ExxonMobil, the US Chamber of Commerce and other industry stakeholders are urging the Trump administration to preserve the Environmental Protection Agency's greenhouse gas reporting requirement. They expressed concern that rolling it back could result in inconsistent state-level requirements, which could complicate compliance and threaten access to global markets. "While opportunities exist to reduce burdens associated with the GHGRP, the program benefits the US oil and natural gas industry," API said in its comments.