WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO) today announced that the Department has executed its first-ever nonexclusive license with Latitude Energy Services for the Transport Integrated Gasification (TRIG™) technology. The license is limited to the power field of use. Latitude independently holds the rights to TRIG™ in the industrial field of use, which will be complemented by this license. The executed license marks a significant milestone in the technology transfer and commercialization of a federally co‑developed advanced coal gasification system, while creating a pathway for additional commercial deployment opportunities for America’s coal industry.  TRIG™ is a first‑of‑its‑kind gasification system jointly developed by DOE and industry partners. Designed specifically for low‑rank, high‑moisture coals, TRIG™ converts these abundant but traditionally harder-to-use resources into flexible fuel gas at higher efficiency, creating new opportunities to put America’s coal resources to work.  “TRIG shows what can happen when American innovation is paired with a clear path to commercialization,” said DOE Acting Assistant Secretary of the Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office Curt Coccodrilli. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are reinvigorating America’s coal industry by moving innovative technologies out of the laboratory and into the marketplace. By moving this DOE co-developed technology and a deep body of real-world technical data into the hands of industry, we are strengthening American energy security and extending U.S. energy leadership at home and around the world.”  TRIG™ is a ready‑to‑use platform backed by years of engineering, testing, and real‑world operational data. Companies adopting TRIG™ have access to the extensive information collected through DOE’s work on the Kemper County, Mississippi integrated gasification combined cycle project. Resources include plant designs, construction records, operational lessons, and more than 20,000 historical data logs that document TRIG™’s demonstrated performance and support commercial development decisions. With this first nonexclusive license, TRIG™ is now

Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales (YPF) has let an additional long-term agreement for two drilling rigs to Archer for work in Argentina. The 3-year drilling contract, which holds an option for an additional 2 years, is for the addition of the DLS-160 rig to Archer’s operations in Vaca Muerta, while securing the continued deployment of the DLS-rig 163 in support of YPF’s ongoing development activities in the basin. The contract expands Archer’s operating fleet of rigs in the region and has an estimated value of US$100-110 million over the full contract term, including the optional extension years, Archer said. Vaca Muerta oil production forecast Argentina’s Vaca Muerta play is on track to reach oil production of 1 million b/d by 2030 through infrastructure buildout, capital deployment, and operational learnings, according to a report by Wood Mackenzie.  Oil production is projected to grow quickly, led by YPF and core operators across key development areas, while gas production is projected to exceed 7 bcfd post-2030, with associated gas from oil-focused drilling as a major contributor to incremental supply.

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced its intent to deploy Defense Production Act (DPA) funding to accelerate the expansion of transmission capacity in Virginia and West Virginia, strengthening grid reliability and infrastructure essential to national defense. Virginia Energy’s Grid Enhancing Technologies for Virginia & West Virginia Large Load Growth project will receive up to $50 million in DPA funding to deploy advanced transmission technologies across existing power lines to increase electricity delivery capacity, reduce congestion, and support growing energy demand across the region.  The proposed project will deploy advanced reconductoring and Dynamic Line Rating technologies along existing transmission corridors, adding an estimated 290 megawatts of transmission capacity across Appalachian Power’s Virginia system, one to four years faster than conventional transmission upgrades. These improvements will make the power grid more reliable, lower electricity costs, and help ensure that communities, businesses, military operations, and government and defense-related industries across the region have dependable power, especially during times of high demand or power disruptions. Thanks to President Trump and the passage of the Working Families Tax Cut, $1 billion in federal funding has been appropriated for energy-related projects deemed critical to national security. Presidential Determination No. 2026-10  identifies transmission lines and conductors, substations, and power-control and protection equipment as essential to national defense. “President Trump is committed to doing everything possible to strengthen American energy security and lower costs for the American people,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “By deploying Defense Production Act funding to secure and expand electricity access in Virginia and West Virginia, the Trump Administration is strengthening the nation’s energy security for decades to come.”  “A stronger electric grid doesn’t always mean building more power lines. Sometimes it means making better use of the ones we already have,” said Office of Electricity Assistant Secretary Katie Jereza. “This investment will help unlock more power,

The rig count in Canada fell by 5 units to 217 rigs working for the week ended Oct. 16, according to data from Baker Hughes. All 5 rigs were gas-directed, bringing the number of rigs drilling for gas in Canada this week to 65. The oil-directed rig count in Canada remained unchanged at 150. The overall US drilling rig count was unchanged this week at 603 rigs working. That number is up 55 units from this time last year. In the US, 3 fewer rigs were drilling for oil, bringing the total count to 459. That number is up 41 units from this time last year. The number of gas-directed rigs increased by 1 to 133 working for the week. This time last year, 121 rigs were drilling for gas in the US. There were 589 rigs drilling on US land this week, down 1 unit from last week and up 61 from the year-ago period. One additional rig was drilling offshore this week for a total of 13. The number of rigs drilling in inland waters remained unchanged at 1. Leading the major oil-and gas-producing states in rigs added was Utah with a 5-unit gain to end the week with 20 rigs working. The count is up 7 units from this time in 2025. Louisiana added 2 rigs to end the week with 40 units working. Texas ended the week with 3 fewer rigs working for a total of 278. The count is 41 units higher than this time last year. New Mexico dropped 3 units to end the week with 96. Oklahoma, Wyoming, and California each dropped a single unit to end the week with respective counts of 50, 16, and 5.

Oil demand in Southeast Asia and Africa has fallen sharply since the outbreak of the Middle East war, as disrupted trade flows, tighter fuel supplies, and higher prices weigh on consumption, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). South America, by contrast, has remained relatively resilient, benefiting from its lower dependence on Middle Eastern oil supplies. In its October Oil Market Report, IEA said Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America together accounted for about 17.8 million b/d of oil demand in 2025. Assessing consumption trends remains challenging because timely reporting is limited across many emerging economies. Southeast Asian oil demand declined by an estimated 260,000 b/d, or 3.7%, year-on-year (y-o-y) during March-August 2026, compared with prewar expectations for 2.3% growth. The roughly 6-percentage-point deterioration reflects the region’s exposure to disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz. Apparent demand fell by an even steeper 6.3%, suggesting substantial unobserved draws from product inventories. IEA expects Southeast Asian demand to decline by 160,000 b/d, or 2%, in 2026 before rebounding by 270,000 b/d in 2027, supported by economic growth in Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand. African demand reverses Africa experienced a similarly sharp reversal. Following estimated demand growth of 3.4% in the 12 months before the war, regional consumption contracted by 2.5% y-o-y during March-August. Apparent demand fell by about 6%. The region’s dependence on imported refined products, particularly diesel and gasoline, has increased its vulnerability to supply disruptions and higher prices. Trade patterns have shifted toward lower imports and increased product exports, including middle distillate shipments from Nigeria. Nigerian oil demand fell by 150,000 b/d, or nearly 30%, y-o-y in July. IEA expects consumption to decline by almost 60,000 b/d in 2026 to 470,000 b/d before recovering by a similar amount in 2027. Egypt, Africa’s largest oil consumer, recorded a demand

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO) and Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs (IE) today announced nearly $11.1 million in federal funding for eight projects selected for negotiation through the Partnerships for Academic-Industry Career Training (PACT) Initiative. The projects will create or expand hands-on training and industry-recognized credentialing programs designed around regional workforce needs, helping prepare American workers for critical jobs that support oil, natural gas, coal, and geothermal energy industries. “President Trump’s American energy dominance agenda relies on workers with the practical skills to build, operate, maintain, and modernize the systems that power our economy,” said DOE Acting Assistant Secretary for Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Curt Coccodrilli. “These projects will bring industry and educators together to ensure training reflects real-world needs. By investing in job-focused training, the Department of Energy is helping develop the workforce we need to strengthen U.S. energy resilience and supplies.”  “The Tribal energy workforce is vital to unleashing America’s energy resources,” said IE Director Eric Mahroum. “Through targeted jobs and training, Tribes are growing the next generation of Tribal energy leaders. Tribal colleges and universities are essential partners in this mission, and we are proud to select two of these institutions as they prepare workers to tackle the critical energy challenges facing America.”  The selections include almost $8.8 million for six HGEO-supported projects and approximately $2.3 million for two IE-supported projects. By bringing together colleges, technical institutions, employers, and workforce partners, PACT is designed to build a stronger pipeline of skilled workers needed to advance President Trump’s commitment to expand domestic energy production to provide more affordable, reliable, and secure energy to the American people.  Learn more about the selected eight projects here.