Message From the Editor

This week federal regulators took the highly unusual step of delaying a decision on permits for Jordan Cove LNG, a major liquefied natural gas export terminal proposed in Oregon, after a string of permit denials from the state. The latest denial came from an Oregon land commission, which saw one Jordan Cove backer — at the center of a recent DeSmog investigation — abruptly resign from the commission in protest.

Meanwhile, Sharon Kelly returned from reporting in West Texas’ oil fields in time to cover the news that one fracking firm is officially calling it quits in an oil strike that was once valued at $80 billion.

That’s not too surprising if you’ve read Justin Mikulka’s recent analysis of why many fracking firms in West Texas’ Permian Basin are facing similar struggles.

Have a story tip or feedback? Get in touch: editor@desmogblog.com.

Thanks,
Brendan DeMelle
Executive Director

P.S. Did you know you can keep up with DeSmog on Instagram?

Jordan Cove Backers Double Down on Efforts to Push Project Following Federal Permit Delay

— By Sharon Kelly (6 min. read) —

Last Thursday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) took the highly unusual step of declining to move forward on permits for the proposed Jordan Cove LNG export terminal in Coos County, Oregon. If built, the $10 billion Jordan Cove project would become the largest source of global warming pollution in the state.

FERC commissioners voted 2 to 1 to postpone a decision on federal approvals for the project after a string of permit denials from the state of Oregon. Commissioner Bernard McNamee said he needed an additional week to review the latest denial, issued by the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) one day prior to FERC’s vote.

West Texas Fracking Boom Sputters as Apache Corp. Admits Firm Lost Billions, Cites Alpine High 'Challenges'

— By Sharon Kelly (7 min. read) —

Balmorhea, Texas — Less than four years ago, oil and gas company Apache Corp. announced an oil strike worth $80 billion in one of the most pristine reaches of West Texas — the “biggest oil find” of 2016 — which the company dubbed Alpine High.

Yesterday, Apache officially called it quits in Alpine High, as its business partner revealed that Apache has “no current plans for future drilling” in that field.

To Many's Dismay, Permian Produces More Gas and Condensate Instead of Oil and Profits

— By Justin Mikulka (8 min. read) —

As oil prices plummet, oil bankruptcies mount, and investors shun the shale industry, America’s top oil field — the Permian shale that straddles Texas and New Mexico — faces many new challenges that make profits appear more elusive than ever for the financially failing shale oil industry.

Many of those problems can be traced to two issues for the Permian Basin: The quality of its oil and the sheer volume of natural gas coming from its oil wells.

Oil and Gas Firms Reward Politicians When They Vote Against the Environment, Finds New Study

— By Dana Drugmand (3 min. read) —

It is no secret that many members of Congress particularly on the Republican side are in the pockets of their fossil fuel funders. The strategy of these special interests is to keep loyal lawmakers in their pockets through hefty campaign contributions, according to a new study exploring the purpose of oil and gas companies’ political campaign spending.

That study, published Monday and conducted by researchers at Yale University and the University of Cambridge, found that oil and gas companies spend more on congressional candidates who consistently vote against environmental protection and climate action.

Momentum Builds to Monitor Cancer Alley Air Pollution in Real Time After Exxon Refinery Fire in Louisiana

— By Julie Dermansky (8 min. read) —

A large fire at ExxonMobil's Baton Rouge oil refinery late on February 11 lit up the sky for miles and continued until dawn. The night of the fire, ExxonMobil representatives claimed that air monitoring inside the plant and in surrounding neighborhoods did not detect the release of harmful concentrations of chemicals, a claim echoed by first responders and state regulators. What unfolded, however, reinforced a growing community movement to require real-time independent air pollution monitoring at industrial facilities.

From the Climate Disinformation Database: Independent Women's Forum

Independent Women's Forum (IWF) is a 501(c)(3) think tank that portrays itself as a nonpartisan “research and education institute” but has extensive funding and ties to conservative Koch groups and foundations. The group is often at odds with prominent women's advocacy groups and has opposed teaching global warming in public schools. While promoting themselves as nonpartisan, both IWF and its 501(c)(4) sister organization, the Independent Women's Voice (IWV), may have played a “pivotal role” in helping elect President Trump in the 2016 election via a sophisticated electioneering effort in Wisconsin, according to a new report from True North Research.
Read the full profile and browse other individuals and organizations in our Climate Disinformation Database or our new Koch Network Database.