WASHINGTON—U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Qatari Minister of State for Energy Affairs Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Nigerian Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Ekperikpe Ekpo, and Algerian Minister of State, Minister of Hydrocarbons Mohamed Arkab yesterday sent a letter to the Leaders of the European Commission, European Council, and European Union (EU) Member States, regarding the European Union’s proposed EU Methane Regulations (EUMR). Click here to read the letter or see the full text below. Open Letter to Leaders of the European Commission, European Council, and European Union (EU) Member States on the EU Methane Regulation Dear President von der Leyen, President Costa, and EU Member State Leaders: As your largest energy suppliers, we are committed to strengthening our economic and strategic partnerships and ensuring Europe’s energy security. We fully support your objectives of increasing EU economic competitiveness, prosperity, sustainability, and energy security through provision of reliable energy supplies for the European Union and its citizens. It is with these shared goals in mind that we write to urge the EU to take swift, necessary actions to clarify and to adopt targeted amendments to the EU Methane Regulation (EUMR), some of which have already been requested by several EU Member States, industry, and members of European Parliament. These amendments should also be preceded by the: (i) adoption of a stop the clock mechanism, to provide time to develop necessary methodologies and compliance pathways that work for all; (ii)grandfathering of new contracts signed while these additional legislative adjustments are underway; and (iii) removal of penalties for noncompliance during this transitional period. As a large and diverse importing region, the EU purchases oil and natural gas from a wide variety of exporters, the majority of which cannot meet the EUMR methane emissions measuring, reporting, and verification (MRV) requirements on the prescribed timeline.

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Dominance Financing (EDF) issued a conditional loan commitment to finance the purchase of long-lead time items needed to rebuild America’s commercial nuclear supply chain. The $17.5 billion American Nuclear Supply Chain Loans will help finance five eligible projects sponsored by utilities and energy companies nationwide to accelerate the deployment of 10 large-scale commercial nuclear reactors across the United States by up to three years. The project marks a major step toward advancing President Trump’s Executive Order, Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base, by supporting the objective of having 10 new large nuclear reactors with complete designs under construction by 2030. “Just over one year ago, President Trump directed the Energy Department and its agency partners to unleash the next American nuclear renaissance,” U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said. “To accomplish that mission, these conditional loans will play an important role in reviving the supply chain needed for America to once again build large-scale commercial reactors. They will also help accelerate the timeline of building those large-scale reactors by up to three years, lowering construction costs and ensuring the United States is able to deliver on President Trump’s bold and ambitious energy addition agenda.” Westinghouse’s AP1000® units are the only licensed large-scale advanced commercial reactors operating in the United States today. Long-lead items are complex components of a nuclear power plant that require the longest time for manufacturing and delivery.   EDF financing will support up to five loans, each loan supporting two reactors at a project site. Westinghouse will partner with up to five eligible utilities and energy companies nationwide to procure the long-lead items at a fixed price. Each project will be jointly owned by Westinghouse and a utility or energy company partner. Both Westinghouse and the partner are required to

BW Offshore completed the Interim Performance Test (IPT) for the BW Opal floating production, storage, and offloading vessel (FPSO) as part of the commissioning program for the Santos Ltd.-operated Barossa LNG project about 285 km offshore from Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia. The milestone is part of early-stage technical testing and adjustments following  first gas from the FPSO in September and the beginning of flow from subsea wells. BW Offshore confirmed that key production, processing, and utility systems on the FPSO were operating in an integrated manner and capable of delivering stable performance under production conditions. Following the restart of production in early May, BW Opal has continued gas production and export. Production is being managed in close coordination with Santos during this phase of the ramp-up and commissioning program. BW Opal contains a 358-m hull and accommodation for up to 140 personnel. It has gas handling capacity of 850 MMscfd and condensate handling capacity of 11,000 b/d. The FPSO will feed the Darwin LNG plant for the next two decades. The Barossa LNG project consists of the FPSO, a subsea production system, supporting in-field subsea infrastructure, a gas export pipeline, and a Darwin pipeline duplication. Up to eight subsea wells are planned (six wells from three drill centers) with contingency plans for an additional two wells. Gas and condensate is gathered from the wells through the subsea production system and then brought to the FPSO via a network of subsea infrastructure. Santos operates the Barossa LNG project (50%) with joint venture partners PRISM Energy International Australia Pty Ltd. (37.5%) and JERA Australia (12.5%).

Equinor Energy AS is considering further development of the Johan Sverdrup area resources in the North Sea. Production from discoveries in Tonjer west and east and Geitungen would form the basis for the maturation of a potential phase 4 development in the northern part of the field. The volumes would be developed via subsea tieback to existing Johan Sverdrup infrastructure. Tonjer lies in the northernmost part of the Geitungen terrace in the Johan Sverdrup area. Oil was discovered in the area, but volumes and potential have been uncertain. The drilling of two appraisal wells and a sidetrack have provided a more precise assessment of the resource base.  Preliminary estimates for Tonjer and Geitungen combined are 20-30 MMboe. Further analyses of subsurface data will form the basis for more precise resource estimates. Phase 4 is now being matured towards an investment decision with a possible production start-up in 2029. Johan Sverdrup Johan Sverdrup, which accounts for about one third of Norwegian oil production, lies on the Utsira High (Utsirahøyden) in the central part of the North Sea, 65 km northeast of Sleipner field in water depths of 115 m. The main reservoir contains oil in Upper Jurassic intra-Draupne sandstone. The reservoir depth is 1,900 m. The quality of the main reservoir is excellent with very high permeability. The remaining oil resources are in sandstone in the Upper Triassic Statfjord Group and Middle to Upper Jurassic Vestland Group, as well as in spiculites in the Upper Jurassic Viking Group. Oil was also proven in Permian Zechstein carbonates. Equinor is operator of Johan Sverdrup (42.62%) with partners Aker BP (31.57%), Petoro (17.36%), and TotalEnergies (8.44%).

Beacon Offshore Energy LLC is advancing two deepwater Gulf of Mexico developments, having drilled the first development well at Monument field and brought a second production well online at Zephyrus field. At Monument in Walker Ridge Block 315, the first development well reached a total depth of 32,250 ft and encountered 245 ft of net pay (true vertical thickness) in Lower Wilcox reservoirs, confirming pre-drill expectations for reservoir quality, the operator said. Beacon will continue drilling a second development well before completing the initial two-well program. First oil from the Wilcox development is expected before yearend 2026. Monument is being developed through a two-well, 17-mile subsea tieback to the Beacon-operated Shenandoah floating production system, which was designed as a regional host platform for developments in the northwestern Walker Ridge area, including Shenandoah, Monument, and Shenandoah South fields. Partners are Navitas Petroleum and Talos Energy Inc. At Zephyrus in Mississippi Canyon Block 759, production from the Zephyrus #2 well began in late April after the well was completed in first-quarter 2026. The well is producing from Miocene sands.  Combined with Zephyrus #1, which started production in late 2025, the field is expected to reach peak production of more than 20,000 boe/d. The Zephyrus development is tied back to the Shell plc-operated West Boreas subsea infrastructure, with production processed on the Olympus tension-leg platform in the Mars corridor. Partners are Houston Energy, HEQ II, Red Willow Offshore, Westlawn Americas Offshore, and Murphy Exploration & Production.

Greece approved Chevron Corp.’s farm-in to offshore Block 10, clearing the way for the US major to complete its acquisition of a 70% interest and operatorship from HELLENiQ Energy. Greece’s Ministry of Environment and Energy and the Hellenic Hydrocarbon and Energy Resources Management Co. (HHRE) said June 15 that all administrative approvals have been completed for the transfer of the interest and operatorship. Chevron and HELLENiQ submitted the request for approval May 28. The companies also requested a 15-month extension of the second exploration phase for the block, which lies offshore the Kyparissia Gulf in the southern Ionian Sea. Following completion of the transfer, Chevron will hold a 70% interest and serve as operator, while HELLENiQ will retain the remaining 30%. Geological, geophysical, and environmental studies have been completed on the concession, including acquisition of 1,210 km of 2D seismic data in 2022 followed by 2,416 sq km of 3D seismic covering 88% of the block. The partners will use the seismic data to evaluate potential drilling targets before deciding whether to proceed to a third exploration phase, which includes an exploratory well. Chevron and HELLENiQ are already partners in four offshore concessions south of Crete and the Peloponnese, making Block 10 their fifth joint offshore license in Greece. Chevron said the agreement advances its strategy of expanding its exploration portfolio in the Eastern Mediterranean. Greek officials said the investment reflects confidence in the country’s offshore licensing framework and supports its long-term goal of strengthening Greece’s role in regional energy supply if exploration proves successful.