Jackson A. Myers and Zakary Kadish are attorneys at the law firm MoloLamken. Imagine the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is considering proposed revisions to your regional transmission organization’s tariff. You support the revisions and get involved at the commission to advocate for them, but FERC rejects the proposal nonetheless. So, you petition a federal appellate court for review, asking the court to reverse FERC’s decision. You lose, but not because the court agreed with FERC’s order — it doesn’t even talk about that. Instead, the court says you couldn’t appeal in the first place, because you didn’t satisfy a legal requirement for seeking relief in federal court called “standing.” This unfortunate scenario is more than a thought exercise — it happened in April in Entergy Arkansas v. FERC, No. 22-1334 (D.C. Cir.). Entergy intervened at FERC to support a Midcontinent Independent System Operator proposal that would require distributors to source half their capacity from outside of MISO’s capacity auction, such as through bilateral contracting.  FERC rejected the proposal, so Entergy petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit for review. But Entergy didn’t initially explain why it had standing to appeal, as the D.C. Circuit’s rules require. FERC pounced, arguing that Entergy couldn’t bring the appeal at all. The court agreed, dismissing the case without even addressing FERC’s decision. Entergy Arkansas highlights a potential landmine when appealing a FERC decision:  Participating at FERC doesn’t mean you necessarily get to appeal the commission’s decision, because the requirements for suing in federal court — standing — are more restrictive than those at FERC.  Participating at FERC vs. in federal court Participation at FERC is wide open. Anyone may file a complaint challenging particular rates or RTO procedures. And anyone with “an interest” — self-defined — that “may be directly affected”

General Motors-backed Energy Exploration Technologies Inc. (EnergyX) has signed a binding conditional agreement to acquire Daytona Lithium Pty. Ltd. from Pantera Lithium Ltd. for AUD 40 million.  Daytona Lithium owns 35,000 gross acres on Arkansas’ side of the Smackover formation, which EnergyX sees as “North America’s most promising lithium region”. San Juan, Puerto Rico-based EnergyX already holds 12,500 acres on the Texas side. Last year the company announced Project Lonestar, to rise in the “Ark-La-Tex” region. The project aims to produce 50,000 metric tons per annum (MMtpa) of lithium hydroxide by 2030, with a first phase of 12,500 MMtpa to be put into operation by 2028. “The company has already had samples of lithium from its pilot plant in Austin, TX qualified by cathode customers”, EnergyX said.  “Now with a solid resource footprint for Project Lonestar™, EnergyX will vertically integrate its proprietary LiTAS® Direct Lithium Extraction technology platform to produce low-cost lithium for its growing customer base. EnergyX can unlock unprecedented efficiencies in lithium production, leveraging its patented technology portfolio to achieve faster extraction, higher recovery rates, and reduced environmental impact”. The parties expect to complete the stock and cash transaction in the third quarter, subject to approval by shareholders of West Perth, Australia-based Pantera. EnergyX will issue over 2.34 million shares priced US$9.5 per unit or AUD 34 million in total and pay AUD 6 million in cash in three installments. “This deal allows Pantera to retain strong exposure to the Smackover Play – now the most sought-after lithium province in the United States – while also gaining exposure to EnergyX’s large-scale Black Giant Project in Chile, which is well advanced and targeting production in 2027”, said Pantera executive chair Barnaby Egerton-Warburton. The project in Chile, where Energyx owns about 100,000 acres acquired 2023, targets to produce 7,500 MMtpa LCE in phase

Chinese state-owned oil and gas exploration and production company CNOOC Limited has brought in Zhang Chuanjiang as board chairman, non-executive director, nomination committee chairman and Chairman of the Strategy and Sustainability Committee effective July 8. Zhang previously served as Deputy General Manager and General Manager of the Ordos Coal-to-Liquids Branch of China Shenhua Coal to Liquid and Chemical Co. Ltd., Chairman of China Shenhua Coal to Liquid and Chemical Co. Ltd., and the Director of the Chemical Industry Operation and Management Center of China Energy Investment Corp. Co. Ltd.  Chuanjiang also served as Chairman of CHN Energy Ningxia Coal Industry Co. Ltd. from March to July 2020. From July 2020 to April 2024, he served as Vice President of China Datang Corp. Ltd., and from April 2024 to June 2025, as Director and President of the same company. Since June 2025, he has been Chairman of China National Offshore Oil Corp., Chairman and President of Overseas Oil & Gas Corp. Ltd. and Chairman of CNOOC (BVI) Ltd. Born in 1968, Chuanjiang holds a Master’s in engineering. Earlier CNOOC Ltd. announced the establishment of a joint operating company in Kazakhstan with Joint Stock Company National Company KazMunayGas (KMG). It was the result of a Contract for the Exploration and Production of Hydrocarbons in the Zhylyoi Subsoil Area with the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Zhylyoi Subsoil Area is partly in the Atyrau region and partly in the Kazakhstan sector of the Caspian Sea, covering around 958 square kilometers (370 square miles). The contract specifies a 9-year initial exploration phase. CNOOC Hong Kong Holding Ltd. and KMG each own a 50 percent interest. To contact the author, email [email protected] What do you think? We’d love to hear from you, join the conversation on the Rigzone Energy Network. The Rigzone

Australia’s Woodside Energy Group Ltd. has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hyundai Engineering and Hyundai Glovis covering LNG project development, engineering services and shipping logistics. “Woodside is pleased to be deepening our longstanding relationship with Hyundai through this agreement. We are confident the synergies and complementary strengths of our organizations will support the delivery of high-quality LNG solutions to meet growing global demand”, Mark Abbotsford, Woodside Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, said in a media release. Woodside said the parties will focus on advancing execution capability and extending their reach into priority LNG markets. “This agreement allows Hyundai Engineering to broaden our global LNG experience by working alongside a world-class LNG developer. We are confident in our ability to add value across the full engineering spectrum and deliver integrated solutions for Woodside projects”, Myoung-Kun Son, Hyundai Engineering Chief Operating Officer, said. Woodside’s success in LNG development, Hyundai Engineering’s broad experience in engineering, procurement, and construction, and Hyundai Glovis’s worldwide shipping capabilities together position the parties to effectively meet increasing LNG demand in Asia-Pacific markets and some new regions, Woodside said. “We are proud to partner with Woodside to explore long-term maritime solutions that support reliable LNG supply. Our global shipping footprint and expertise make us well-positioned to contribute to this strategic collaboration”, Taewoo Kim, Hyundai Glovis Head of Logistics Business, said. To contact the author, email [email protected] What do you think? We’d love to hear from you, join the conversation on the Rigzone Energy Network. The Rigzone Energy Network is a new social experience created for you and all energy professionals to Speak Up about our industry, share knowledge, connect with peers and industry insiders and engage in a professional community that will empower your career in energy. MORE FROM THIS AUTHOR

Tidewater Midstream and Infrastructure Ltd. said it has entered into a definitive agreement with Parallax Energy Operating Inc. for the sale of its Sylvan Lake gas plant and associated gas gathering infrastructure for total proceeds of approximately $4 million (CAD 5.5 million), subject to customary adjustments. The Sylvan Lake Gas Processing Facility is a non-core asset of Tidewater located in central Alberta, the company said in a news release. The transaction is expected to have an immaterial impact on Tidewater’s 2025 operating results, and the proceeds received therefrom are anticipated to be used to repay amounts outstanding on the company’s senior credit facility, Tidewater said. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter, subject to customary closing conditions and certain regulatory approvals, including the receipt of approval from the Alberta Energy Regulator, according to the release. “The disposition of the Sylvan Lake Gas Processing Facility represents yet another milestone for Tidewater as we look to optimize our asset portfolio and improve financial flexibility. In the first half of 2025, Tidewater announced cumulative non-core asset sales of approximately CAD 30 million, at what we believe to be very healthy and attractive valuation ranges. We believe these sales highlight the strength of Tidewater’s asset base, and look forward to further advancing the remainder of our non-core asset sales program,” Tidewater CEO Jeremy Baines said. First Quarter Net Loss Reported In May, Tidewater reported a consolidated net loss attributable to shareholders of CAD 31.8 million for the first quarter, compared to $11.3 million a year ago. The increase in net loss was “due to lower refined product sales and lower product margins offset in part by lower depreciation, interest expense, favorable changes in the fair value of derivative contracts, and higher income from equity investments,” the company said in its most

An industry-commissioned assessment found the importation of natural gas into New Zealand is technically viable, but one of the companies that ordered the study said Thursday building liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure in the country appears to be “more challenging than anticipated”. The study, commissioned following a rapid fall in domestic gas that prompted a reversal on climate policy, looked at conventional-scale LNG import infrastructure and smaller-scale solutions. The “New Zealand LNG Import Feasibility Assessment” was conducted by the United Kingdom-based Gas Strategies Group Ltd. with support from New Zealand-based Wood Beca Ltd. for about 10 weeks from mid-September 2024. For LNG importation through conventional-size vessels, capital cost estimates to build the needed infrastructure range from NZD 189 million ($113.75 million) to NZD 1 billion. The cost depends on port modifications at a given location, pipeline upgrades and onshore regasification installations. The range is “a significant investment given the uncertainty around how often LNG imports would be needed”, Clarus, one of the companies that commissioned the study, said in a statement online. “The global LNG trade has standardized around large vessels (carrying around 170,000-180,000m3, or 4.5 PJ of gas), with much of the storage and regasification equipment located on permanently moored ships (known as Floating Storage and Regasification Units or FSRUs)”, Clarus, formerly Firstgas Group, said.  The study identified six preferred sites across the North Island. “No single location in New Zealand has the existing combination of sufficient water depth, benign metocean condition and existing gas pipeline capacity to meet demand scenarios”, the first of two findings reports said. “Therefore, all locations will require financial investment to address one or more of these issues. “LNG imports are unlikely to be achieved in less than four years unless the existing permitting and consenting process is fast-tracked and / or some financial risk