National Petroleum Council ads

Yesterday, at the request of Energy Secretary Chris Wright, NPC released the first two subcomponent deliverables of NPC’s Future Energy Systems Study—an initiative to explore how the U.S. can expand the availability of reliable and secure energy for decades to come. Click below to see NPC's recommendations: https://lnkd.in/e-sq2Q5g https://lnkd.in/e_rBzBMe

At yesterday’s 135th NPC meeting, the Council released Bottleneck to Breakthrough, a comprehensive roadmap for revitalizing America’s permitting system. The study identifies systemic obstacles — from overlapping reviews to resource-constrained agencies — that hinder timely approval of critical energy projects. François Poirier, TC Energy President and CEO, and Chair of the NPC Permitting Committee, captured the urgency well: “A modern, transparent permitting process will accelerate investment, enhance reliability, and strengthen North America’s energy leadership.” These recommendations provide a durable framework for policymakers seeking to expand infrastructure, reinforce reliability, and keep America competitive. View the full report here: https://lnkd.in/e-sq2Q5g

This week, the National Petroleum Council released the first two subcomponent deliverables of NPC’s Future Energy Systems Study. These reports, backed by approximately 200 members, are timely, comprehensive analyses on permitting reform and gas-electric coordination. "America has extraordinary energy advantages. With smart infrastructure and smart policies, we can translate those strengths into opportunities for the American people. The NPC's data and expertise help ensure we get this right," Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said. "With America's natural gas abundance and infrastructure potential, we can drive down costs, reshore manufacturing, and grow opportunity. We want a fully energized country that expands prosperity here at home and supports peace abroad." As U.S. electricity demand accelerates at historic levels, these reports underscore the urgent need for smart infrastructure, smarter policy, and coordinated market design to maintain reliability and increase affordability. Reliable Energy: Delivering on the Promise of Gas-Electric Coordination outlines the structural misalignment between natural gas and electric markets, from contrasting incentives to fragmented oversight, and offers ten concrete recommendations to recalibrate the system for reliability. (https://lnkd.in/e_rBzBMe) From Bottleneck to Breakthrough: A Blueprint for Permitting Reform highlights how unpredictable, fragmented approval processes slow critical infrastructure and threaten long-term energy security. (https://lnkd.in/e-sq2Q5g) Together, these analyses provide a clear, actionable path for America to continue meeting the moment on reliability, affordability, and resilience.

Oil and Natural Gas produced from Shale Formations is an essential component of U.S. Energy. Managing Produced Water as part of this energy production is a growing challenge. The growth of U.S. oil and natural gas production has transformed the nation's energy system, enhancing energy security, reliability, and affordability and supporting economic growth. Over the past two decades, advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing have unlocked vast reserves of shale oil and natural gas, propelling the United States to become the world's leading producer of both commodities. Today, the U.S. produces more than 13 million barrels of oil per day and more than 122 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day and leads the world in both oil and natural gas production, a remarkable reversal from the energy scarcity concerns that defined much of the late 20th century. The incredible growth in domestic oil and natural gas production from unconventional shale oil and gas has also created a significant produced-water management challenge. In addition to hydrocarbons, oil and natural gas wells produce water. In some producing areas, such as the Permian, the water-oil ratio of many wells exceeds 5:1. This means more than five barrels of produced water are produced for every barrel of oil. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) requested that the National Petroleum Council (NPC) deliver a study that makes targeted, comprehensive recommendations in support of maintaining oil and gas production growth within the lower 48 US petroleum basins by reducing the overall rate of produced water injection, which has become constrained in key areas of the Permian Basin. The NPC Produced Water Report will be released in December.

The Geology Behind Natural Gas Storage Natural gas storage is not just an infrastructure question; it is also a geology question. Underground natural gas storage relies on specific geological formations, including depleted oil and gas reservoirs, salt caverns, and deep aquifers. These formations provide different combinations of storage capacity, deliverability, and flexibility, but they are not available in every region. That creates an important challenge for areas with limited or no suitable geology for natural gas storage. These regions may depend more heavily on pipeline capacity, gas supplies from storage facilities located elsewhere, and more limited above-ground storage options, potentially increasing their exposure to pipeline constraints or supply disruptions during periods of high demand. As natural gas demand continues to evolve, understanding where storage resources exist, and where they do not, is increasingly important to strengthen the resilience of the broader natural gas system. The NPC’s Natural Gas Storage Study examines these geographic and geological differences and explores opportunities to improve storage capabilities and strengthen access to reliable natural gas supply across the country. Look for the NPC Natural Gas Storage Report in early December.

Understanding the Natural Gas Value Chain Natural gas plays an important role across the U.S. energy system, providing energy for power generation, manufacturing, home and commercial heating, and other end uses. Natural gas moves through a complex supply chain, beginning with production, and continuing through gathering, processing, transmission, and local distribution before reaching U.S. consumers or being exported as liquefied natural gas (LNG). Natural gas storage is an important part of this system. Storage facilities can receive natural gas when supply exceeds demand and then ensure sufficient delivery when demand exceeds production. This flexibility helps connect the different parts of the natural gas supply chain and is critical to the reliability of both the natural gas and electricity systems. The NPC’s Natural Gas Storage Study examines natural gas storage within the broader energy system. The report will identify opportunities to improve the reliability and, affordability of natural gas supply and delivery systems. Look for the NPC Natural Gas Storage Report in early December.