Key Takeaways Shell secures Petrovietnam Gas' first long-term LNG deal, strengthening its foothold in Vietnam's LNG market.Deal supplies 400,000 tons annually from 2027 to 2031, signaling Vietnam's shift away from spot LNG buying.LNG will feed the Thi Vai terminal, supplying gas-fired plants as Vietnam expands power capacity.Shell plc (SHEL) has strengthened its presence in Vietnam’s LNG market by securing Petrovietnam Gas’ first-ever long-term supply contract. The five-year agreement reflects Vietnam’s shi ...

Industry Overview - Natural gas prices have risen over 20% in 2025, driven by tighter balances and increasing demand [1] - The market is currently sensitive to weather forecasts, with small changes causing significant price movements [4][5] Price Movements - Natural gas prices rebounded approximately 10% during the Christmas holiday week, closing just under mid-$4.30 per million British thermal units [2][8] - Prices stabilized after a two-week decline, indicating a pause in the previous downtrend, primarily due to traders closing short positions [3] Demand and Supply Dynamics - Heating demand is expected to rise due to colder weather, while LNG exports are maintaining steady support [5][6] - U.S. natural gas production remains near record highs, which helps to keep supply balanced and limits significant price fluctuations [5] Company Highlights - **The Williams Companies**: Positioned to benefit from long-term natural gas demand growth, with a strong portfolio of large-scale projects and handling a third of U.S. natural gas [9][10] - **Cheniere Energy**: Holds a competitive edge with regulatory approval for LNG exports, backed by strong operations and long-term contracts, with a 26.4% increase in earnings estimates over the past 60 days [11][12] - **Excelerate Energy**: Focuses on LNG infrastructure and services, accounting for about 20% of the global Floating Storage Regasification Units fleet, with expansion into LNG-to-power and gas distribution [13][14] Investment Outlook - The current setup for natural gas is cautiously positive, with supportive factors limiting downside risk while allowing for potential gains if colder weather trends continue [6][7]

Petronas has strengthened its position in Asia’s liquefied natural gas market after signing a long-term LNG supply agreement with China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC), underscoring the continued importance of gas in the region’s energy transition. Under the sale and purchase agreement, Petronas LNG Ltd. will deliver 1.0 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of LNG to CNOOC Gas and Power Singapore Trading & Marketing, extending a partnership that has spanned years of LNG cooperation between the two state- ...

Industry Overview - U.S. natural gas futures have experienced a significant pullback, with prices settling just below $4 per million British thermal units after a more than 3% decline over the week [2][4] - The market remains sensitive to short-term weather changes, with warmer-than-normal temperatures expected to persist into early January, leading to reduced heating demand expectations [2][3] - Despite a large storage withdrawal of 167 billion cubic feet (Bcf), total inventories are still slightly above the five-year average, indicating adequate supply to meet demand [4] Supply and Demand Dynamics - U.S. natural gas production is near record levels, averaging around 110 Bcf per day in December, which has limited price increases despite consistent LNG export demand [5][6] - Traders are not currently concerned about a late-winter storage shortfall, viewing cold-weather price spikes as selling opportunities rather than indicators of a lasting price rally [6] Long-Term Outlook - The long-term outlook for U.S. natural gas appears more balanced, supported by LNG exports, pipeline demand, and global gas markets [7][8] - Short-term volatility is expected to continue, but companies linked to natural gas infrastructure and exports may present investment opportunities for those with a longer horizon [8] Company Focus - **Coterra Energy**: An independent upstream operator with over 186,000 net acres in the Marcellus Shale, Coterra's natural gas production constitutes more than 60% of its output. The company has an expected earnings per share growth rate of 27.8% over three to five years, compared to the industry's 17.2% [9][10] - **EQT Corporation**: The leading natural gas producer in the U.S., EQT has over 90% of its production from natural gas. The company has consistently beaten earnings estimates, with a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of approximately 16.7% [11][12] - **Excelerate Energy**: Focused on LNG infrastructure, Excelerate operates a significant portion of the global Floating Storage Regasification Units (FSRUs) fleet. The company is expanding into LNG-to-power and gas distribution, with a projected 2.4% year-over-year growth in earnings per share for 2025 [13][14]

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Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) is among the 12 Best Performing Dow Stocks in 2025.  BofA Remains Bullish On Chevron Corporation (CVX) TheFly reported on December 11, 2025, that BofA reduced its price goal for Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) from $183 to $180 while keeping a Buy rating. TheFly previously reported on December 1 that HSBC raised Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) from Hold to Buy with a price objective of $169. Separately, the Gorgon Joint Venture’s partners authorized the A$3 billion ($1.98 b ...

Venture Global has claimed Shell has no evidence of Venture Global being involved in any wrongdoing, following the supermajor’s submission of an appeal to an earlier court ruling, in which the court sided with the U.S. LNG producer. In its challenge to the first ruling, Shell referred to a third party that had testified that Venture Global had unexpectedly decided to postpone the commissioning of its second LNG facility, Reuters reported, citing the U.S. company’s statement. The supermajor also alleged th ...

Core Insights - Investors with significant capital have adopted a bearish outlook on ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) as indicated by recent options trading activity [1][2] - The sentiment among large investors is notably divided, with 25% bullish and 50% bearish positions observed [3] Options Trading Activity - Benzinga's options scanner identified 8 unusual options trades for ConocoPhillips, comprising 3 put options totaling $117,530 and 5 call options totaling $368,597 [2][3] - The projected price targets for ConocoPhillips are between $82.5 and $97.5 based on the analysis of volume and open interest in these options contracts [4] Volume and Open Interest - The average open interest for ConocoPhillips options is 2,052.12, with total trading volume reaching 3,588.00 [5] - A chart detailing the progression of call and put option volume and open interest for high-value trades within the $82.5 to $97.5 strike price corridor over the last 30 days is available [5] Company Overview - ConocoPhillips is a US-based independent exploration and production company with operations primarily in Alaska and the Lower 48, as well as in Canada, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa [10] - The company has substantial integrated LNG production and marketing activities across various regions [10] Current Market Position - Two market experts have recently provided ratings for ConocoPhillips, with a consensus target price of $111.0 [11] - An analyst from UBS maintains a Buy rating with a price target of $117, while an analyst from Johnson Rice has downgraded their rating to Hold with a revised target of $105 [12] Stock Performance - The current trading volume for ConocoPhillips is 2,489,896, with the stock price at $92.92, reflecting a 0.04% increase [14] - RSI indicators suggest that the stock may be approaching overbought conditions [14]

Industry Overview - Electricity demand in the U.S. is projected to grow at an annual rate of 2.5%, which is five times faster than the previous decade, highlighting the increasing importance of energy infrastructure and security [2] - The surge in energy demand is driven by the rapid expansion of data centers that support artificial intelligence algorithms [1] Company Insights EQT Corporation - EQT Corporation is a leading natural gas producer in the U.S., involved in the exploration, production, transportation, and sale of natural gas [5] - The company has a market capitalization of $38 billion, with a current price of $59.56 and a gross margin of 40.73% [6][7] - Natural gas is recognized as a cleaner-burning fuel, providing reliable baseload electricity and is increasingly favored by utilities and industrial customers due to its cost-effectiveness [7][8] Vistra Energy - Vistra Energy is one of the largest power producers in the U.S., serving over 5 million customers and operating as a merchant power company [9] - The company has a market capitalization of $57 billion, with a current price of $166.63 and a gross margin of 38.78% [10][11] - Vistra's business model allows it to profit from rising wholesale electricity prices, particularly in regions experiencing high demand and supply constraints [11][12] ExxonMobil - ExxonMobil is one of the world's largest energy companies, with significant investments in oil and gas, including natural gas production in the U.S. [13] - The company has a market capitalization of $491 billion, with a current price of $116.49 and a gross margin of 22.11% [14][15] - ExxonMobil aims to become a leading seller of high-value liquefied natural gas (LNG), with plans to double its LNG sales to 40 million metric tons per annum by 2030 [16][17]

Core Insights - Fluor Corporation, in partnership with JGC Corporation, has successfully completed Train 2 of the LNG Canada Project, marking the completion of the first phase of Canada's first LNG mega-project in Kitimat, British Columbia [1][2] Group 1: Project Completion and Significance - The handover of Train 2 demonstrates the commitment to safety, quality, and schedule performance by the workforce involved in the project [2] - The LNG Canada facility is designed to export Canadian natural gas to global markets, emphasizing environmental performance, Indigenous engagement, and economic development in British Columbia [2][3] Group 2: Economic Impact - Over $3.3 billion CAD has been spent on goods and services contracted with Indigenous businesses and joint ventures, along with more than $550 million CAD with local area businesses [2] - The facility has an annual production capacity of up to 14 million tonnes of LNG, benefiting from access to abundant natural gas and an ice-free harbor [3] Group 3: Joint Venture Structure - LNG Canada is a joint venture involving multiple stakeholders: Shell (40%), PETRONAS (25%), PetroChina (15%), Mitsubishi Corporation (15%), and Korea Gas Corporation (5%) [4] Group 4: Company Background - Fluor Corporation has over 75 years of experience in Canada, providing engineering, procurement, fabrication, and construction services for major projects in various sectors [5] - Fluor reported revenue of $16.3 billion in 2024 and is ranked 257 among Fortune 500 companies [6]