Will all oil and gas companies have to adopt generative artificial intelligence (AI) at some point? That was the question Rigzone posed to Toni Fadnes, the Chief Transformation Officer (CTO) of Pions, which recently changed its name from eDrilling. Responding to the question, Fadnes told Rigzone, “those in an actual competitive environment, yes”. “Those, for example, national oil companies that will get ‘favorized’ by governments etc. do not need to get better, be better, reduce emissions, etc., because there are no real consequences,” he added. When he was asked when that ‘some point’ will be, Fadnes told Rigzone that “it will happen sooner than we think”. “Everything in this ‘AI revolution’ has gone faster than first assumed and it keeps on speeding up,” he added. “For example, we can already now shave 40-70 percent of a drilling engineer’s time, allowing them do what they are/were supposed to,” he continued. Rigzone has contacted the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP) for comment on Fadnes’ statements. At the time of writing, the IOGP has not responded to Rigzone. The IOGP describes itself on its website as the global voice of its industry, “pioneering excellence in safe, efficient, and sustainable energy supply”. “Our members, integrated energy companies, national oil companies, independent upstream operators, service companies, and industry associations operate around the globe, supplying over 40 percent of the world’s oil and gas demand,” the IOGP states on its site. In a release sent to Rigzone back in May by Fadnes, eDrilling announced that it had changed its name to Pions “to reflect the company’s broader vision, evolving technology, and growing ambitions”. The website of eDrilling has been updated to reflect the company’s rebrand. On the new website’s ‘about’ section, Pions states, “we build AI-powered engineers. Agents that think, act, and collaborate with

Google has signed an agreement for up to 3,000 megawatts (MW) of hydroelectric power across the USA from Brookfield Asset Management and Brookfield Renewable. The hydro framework agreement is the “first of its kind” and the “world’s largest corporate clean power deal for hydroelectricity,” Brookfield said in a statement. The first contracts executed under the agreement are for Brookfield’s Holtwood and Safe Harbor hydroelectric facilities in Pennsylvania, representing more than $3 billion of power and 670 MW of capacity, the company said. Under the agreement, Google can procure carbon-free electricity from up to 3,000 MW of hydroelectric assets that will be relicensed, overhauled, or upgraded to extend the asset’s useful life and continue adding power to the grid, according to the statement. The first contracted assets consist of hydroelectric facilities in Pennsylvania that Brookfield is re-licensing. Brookfield and Google will initially focus on the mid-Atlantic (PJM) and mid-continent (MISO) electricity markets, with the flexibility to expand into other U.S. regions, the statement said. The 20-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) for Brookfield’s Holtwood and Safe Harbor hydroelectric facilities in Pennsylvania will support Google’s operations across PJM. The transaction structure allows Brookfield to maintain existing commitments to power consumers such as Amtrak from the Safe Harbor facility, the company said. Amanda Peterson Corio, Head of Data Center Energy at Google, said, “At Google, we’re dedicated to responsibly growing the digital infrastructure that powers daily life for people, communities and businesses. This collaboration with Brookfield is a significant step forward, ensuring clean energy supply in the PJM region where we operate. Hydropower is a proven, low-cost technology, offering dependable, homegrown, carbon-free electricity that creates jobs and builds a stronger grid for all”. Brookfield Asset Management President Connor Teskey said, “Our partnership with Google demonstrates the critical role that hydropower can play in helping

Eni SpA said Wednesday it had signed an agreement to buy two million metric tons per annum (MMtpa) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for 20 years from Venture Global Inc.’s under-construction CP2 LNG in Cameron Parish, Louisiana. The Italian state-backed energy major expects deliveries, from phase 1 of the project, to begin by 2030. CP2 LNG is expected to start up 2027. “The agreement is Eni’s first long-term LNG supply from the United States and represents a significant milestone in Eni’s strategy to expand and diversify its global LNG footprint, enhancing portfolio flexibility. Part of these volumes will contribute to the diversification of Europe’s gas supplies”, Eni said in a statement online.  “Venture Global’s proven success in project delivery will support Eni’s ambitions to grow its LNG portfolio to approximately 20 MTPA [million metric tons per annum] of contracted volumes by 2030, and to expand its trading business while meeting the evolving needs of customers across key markets worldwide”. Arlington, Virginia-based Venture Global has already been supplying Italy with LNG through its Calcasieu Pass and Plaquemines LNG facilities, according to the company. “Italy is an important ally and trading partner to the United States, and we are grateful for the trust of Eni as our newest customer. This deal marks a significant milestone for the company and is further recognition of our growing global energy leadership and strong record of execution”, Venture Global chief executive Mike Sabel said in a separate press release on Venture Global’s website. Last week another European company, Germany’s state-owned SEFE Securing Energy for Europe GmbH, announced the finalization of an agreement to increase its offtake from CP2 LNG to three MMtpa. The deal adds 750,000 metric tons a year to the 2023 agreement between Venture Global and SEFE. “Venture Global is expected to become Germany’s largest

Kinder Morgan Inc. on Wednesday reported $615 million in adjusted net income attributable to common shares for the second quarter, up 13 percent from the same three-month period last year thanks to higher volumes of transported natural gas and refined oil products. The adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.28 was in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Kinder Morgan closed lower at $27.91 on the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday. Adjusted net profit attributable to Kinder Morgan was $619 million. This metric is different from the company’s adjusted net profit attributable to common stock, which is equal to adjusted net profit attributable to Kinder Morgan minus net profit allotted to participating securities and adjusted net profit in excess of distributions for participating securities.  Before adjustment for nonrecurring items, net profit attributable to Kinder Morgan was $715 million, up from $575 million for Q2 2024. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization grew six percent from $1.86 billion to $1.97 billion. Kinder Morgan’s natural gas pipelines carried 44.59 trillion British thermal units per day (Btupd) during Q2 2025, up from 43.12 trillion Btupd in Q2 2024, while sales volumes also rose to 2.83 trillion Btupd. Its products pipelines transported 1.02 million barrels per day (MMbpd) of gasoline, 369,000 bpd of diesel fuel and 325,000 bpd of jet fuel – up from one MMbpd, 354,000 bpd and 313,000 bpd respectively. “The Natural Gas Pipelines business segment’s improved financial performance in the second quarter of 2025 relative to the second quarter of 2024 was due primarily to continued higher contributions from both our Texas Intrastate system and Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP)”, said Kinder Morgan president Tom Martin. “Natural gas transport volumes were up 3 percent compared to the second quarter of 2024 primarily due to LNG deliveries on TGP, as well as new

Calgary, Alberta-based Touchstone Exploration Inc. said that its Central Block asset in Trinidad and Tobago had gross production volumes averaging 2,969 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), or 1,930 boepd net, in the first quarter, The production consisted of approximately 16.74 million cubic feet per day (MMcfpd) of natural gas and 179 barrels per day (bpd) of natural gas liquids (NGLs), Touchstone said in a news release. The entity, acquired from Shell Trinidad Central Block Limited approximately $28.4 million and now renamed Touchstone Trinidad Central Block Ltd., holds a 65 percent operating interest in the onshore Central Block exploration and production license onshore in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Heritage Petroleum Company Limited holds the remaining 35 percent participating interest.   The Central Block asset includes four producing natural gas wells and a gas processing facility, according to the release. Based on preliminary field estimates, second-quarter gross production averaged 3,023 boepd, or 1,965 boepd net, consisting of approximately 17.05 MMcfpd of natural gas and 181 bpd of NGLs, the company said. Touchstone said that natural gas from the Central Block is sold under two separate contracts: one linked to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export pricing and the other to domestic market pricing, primarily for supplying Trinidad’s petrochemical sector. LNG sales are subject to vessel availability, which the company referred to as liftings. From January through April, 11 LNG liftings, including the associated liquids, were completed, totalling around 2.2 million British Thermal Units (MMBtu). An additional 11,065 MMBtu was sold into the domestic market, the company stated. Further, Touchstone said it completed site surveys for two additional well pads, each capable of supporting up to four drilling locations. The company said it is currently awaiting government construction approvals. Touchstone President and CEO Paul Baay, said, “We are pleased to

The market is underestimating the chance of disruption to Russian gas flows. That’s what analysts at Standard Chartered Bank, including the company’s commodities research head Paul Horsnell, think, a report sent to Rigzone by the Standard Chartered Bank team late Tuesday revealed. “The ‘Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025’, introduced by U.S. senators Lindsey Graham (Republican) and Richard Blumenthal (Democrat), has 85 co-sponsors in the Senate (out of 100 senators),” the analysts stated in the report. “In a joint statement on 14 July the two senators noted President Trump’s decision to implement 100 percent secondary tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil and gas if a peace agreement is not reached within 50 days but pledged that they will continue to work on ‘bipartisan Russia sanctions legislation that would implement up to 500 percent tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil and gas’,” they added. “Market reaction to President Trump’s announcement was muted, perhaps as part of general trader fatigue in relation to proposed actions against Russia that were subsequently delayed or significantly watered down,” they continued. “There remains skepticism that the U.S. will take actions that might drive oil prices higher; however, we think it is much easier for the U.S. to put pressure on Russian gas flows as this would likely result in higher U.S. LNG exports at higher prices,” they said. “With a strong head of bipartisan steam behind measures in the Senate, we think the market is underestimating the chance of disruption to Russian gas flows,” the Standard Chartered Bank analysts noted. In the report, the analysts went on to state that they estimate that the EU’s net imports of Russian pipeline gas averaged 79.8 million cubic meters per day (mcmpd) in the first 14 days of July, based on European Network of Transmission System Operators for