Natural gas is at $3.02/MMBtu after hitting a low of $2.81 and then hitting a high of $3.50. It’s not great, but it’s not horrible. Cold weather forecasts would help a bit here.

Gas storage is at 3,721 Bcf, a little above last year’s 3.695 and even more above the five-year average of 3,567, though we’re sitting right between the five-year average and the five-year high.

Drilling rigs are at 547, significantly up from last month’s 539.

If you feel bad about the lease that you negotiated, just keep in mind that Lycoming County, PA negotiated for $4000/acre and a 2% royalty. That is not a typo. Two percent. Not twenty. Not twelve. Two. That’s after three years of negotiations and with representation by a law firm.

Ah-ha! The linked article explains why EQT is buying LNG. In short, EQT has agreed to provide a number of European buyers with LNG, and EQT isn’t going to just provide that from its own production.

The WV DEP classified the proposed Tucker County data center as a “synthetic minor source” of emissions. Environmental groups are saying it should be classified as a major source of emissions.

The drilling industry here in West Virginia is working to get some regulations repealed that impact its use of above-ground storage tanks. I personally haven’t delved deeply enough into this issue to have an opinion. I’m not a fan of regulations, but I am a fan of clean water, so whether these are useful, needed regulations is the question. It’s not an easy question to answer without more data than I have.

EQT wants to take back the title of top producer.

The Panama Canal is going to build a natural gas pipeline.

An ammonia plant that was proposed for Mingo County, WV, a while back won’t be built, but they’re thinking of building power plants for data centers instead.

Mon Power says they are exploring putting a 1,200 MW natural gas power plant in West Virginia.

The proposed natural gas power plants in Clarksburg and Morgantown will be great for the West Virginia economy.

Some of OPEC’s members agreed to increase production slightly. The price of oil actually went up, though, since it seems that traders had thought OPEC would boost output quite a lot.