Coal-to-Liquids Pilot, Gulf Coast Carbon Connect & Saudi Arabia's First Oil Lease Signed
Oil Prices Fall Amid U.S.–EU Trade Tensions and Gazprom Expands Baltic Sea Pipelines.
Welcome to Petro Playback, your daily digest of oil and gas stories—where we connect yesterday’s industry milestones to today’s innovations and challenges. From global concessions to synthetic fuels, and from masks to CO₂ infrastructure, July 22 delivers a snapshot of how energy continues shaping economies and communities.
Now, let’s explore the marrow of the industry—from the molecule to the marketplace.
🔹 Historical Highlights
1928 – Saudi Arabia's First Oil Lease Signed
King Abdulaziz granted California-Arabian Standard Oil (now Chevron) its first concession on July 22, laying the legal foundation for Saudi Arabia’s emergence as a global oil powerhouse through eventual Aramco development.
1979 – DOE Launches Coal-to-Liquids Pilot in Texas
On this date, the U.S. Department of Energy opened a coal-gasification pilot plant in La Porte, Texas, experimenting with synthetic fuels to decrease reliance on imported oil during vulnerability spikes.
2006 – Gazprom Expands Baltic Sea Pipelines
Gazprom announced a major Baltic pipeline expansion to supply Northern Europe, reinforcing Russia’s grip on regional energy markets and intensifying Europe’s geopolitical energy dynamics.
🔹 Petro Product Spotlight – Non-Woven Face Masks
Most surgical and N95-style masks rely on melt-blown polypropylene, a petroleum-based plastic that filters airborne particles. The spunbond layers add structure and durability, while the ear loops and elastic bands also originate from refined hydrocarbons. These masks illustrate how everyday health essentials depend on petrochemistry to keep air clean and lives safe.
🔹 Did You Know? of the Day
Crude oil fluoresces under UV light.
Many light aromatic crude types emit a greenish-yellow glow under ultraviolet illumination—helping geologists and environmental responders detect leaks and spills in soil and water simply by scanning at night.
🔹 The Crude Life Vault – Michael Smith, Lynnes Welding Training
Michael Smith, Lynnes Welding Training, Bismarck and Fargo, ND, shares his insight on the welding industry and how there is a need for more welders. With the increase in pipes, agriculture and manufacturing in the area, more certified welders are needed.
The demand for skilled trade workers, particularly welders, has seen a significant rise over the past two decades. This surge is driven by aging infrastructure, industrial expansion, and a retiring workforce.
To address the shortage, both government programs and private industry have launched numerous initiatives aimed at training new welders and encouraging young people to pursue careers in the trades. Additionally, welding training has undergone substantial evolution, integrating modern technology, improved techniques, and expanded tuition assistance programs.
🔹 Energy Community Spotlight – Converse County, Wyoming
Nestled at the southeast edge of the Niobrara shale play, Converse County has quietly evolved into a vital support hub for Wyoming’s oil and natural gas economy. Local service companies manage well-pad construction and saltwater disposal, while county crews maintain the network of feeder roads critical to rig transport and pipeline routes. With increased activity in upstream services and midstream staging, Converse County exemplifies how rural communities underpin energy systems—by staying resource-focused, hardworking, and infrastructure-ready.
🔹 Public–Private Partnership Spotlight – Gulf Coast Carbon Connect
A landmark regional carbon project, Gulf Coast Carbon Connect unites Chevron, Valero, bp, and Luminant with Texas state agencies and NGOs like the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program.
Summary: Developing a trunkline to transport captured CO₂ from Gulf Coast industrial plants to underground storage
Private partners: Chevron, Valero, bp, Luminant
Public partners: Texas General Land Office, Railroad Commission of Texas
NGOs: Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries
Funding: ~$3 billion total—$1.8B private, $1.2B public
🔹 Professional Quote of the Day
“We are in the business of fundamentals—and the fundamentals today continue to support long‑term investment in hydrocarbons.”
— Darren Woods, CEO, ExxonMobil
Woods underscores that even amid energy transition narratives, hydrocarbon supply fundamentals remain the sturdy backbone of global markets.
🔹 Oil & Gas Event Spotlight
2025 Rockies Petroleum Conference
📍 Laramie, WY – August 27–28
Returning to the University of Wyoming’s Gateway Center, this regional summit convenes producers, regulators, and service providers.
Sponsors: Wyoming Petroleum Association, local energy firms
Agenda: Technical breakout sessions, keynote addresses, vendor booths, and a golf tournament benefiting the Wyoming Petroleum Foundation.
Why it matters: It’s the go-to forum for Rocky Mountain region drilling trends, regulatory updates, and small-basins networking.
🔹 Top Petro‑Powered Headlines
🔹 Global Oil & Gas Emissions Standard Put on Pause After Shell Exit
Shell, Aker BP, and Enbridge have walked away from the SBTi’s proposed net-zero standard for oil and gas, delaying its rollout. Industry concerns over lifecycle impact and scope-trade-offs drove the suspension
🔹 Oil Prices Fall Amid U.S.–EU Trade Tensions
Brent fell roughly 0.75% to $68.69 and WTI dropped 0.76% to $66.69 as fears of a new U.S.–EU tariff round cooled global fuel-demand expectations
🔹 CEP Reports Major Oil Discovery Offshore Poland
Central European Petroleum announced a “major” find in its Wolin East concession area in the Baltic Sea—potentially the largest in Polish history
🧭 Final Thought
On July 22, we see how energy’s reach is both ancient and evolving—from early oil leases in the Arabian desert to coal-to-liquids experimentation; from fluorescent crude to CO₂ trunklines; from rural Wyoming pads to global gas terminals. In an era of change, hydrocarbon fundamentals still dictate economic resilience and community potential.
🛠️ Energy isn’t just a resource—it’s infrastructure, innovation, and intention all at once.
Petro Playback prepared and written by Jason Spiess. Spiess is an multi-award-winning journalist, entrepreneur, producer and content consultant. Spiess, who began working in the media at age 10, has over 35 years of media experience in broadcasting, journalism, reporting and principal ownership in media companies. Spiess is currently the host of several newsmagazine programs that air across a 22 radio stations and podcasts worldwide through podcast platforms, as well as a combined Substack and social media audience of over 500K followers. Connect with Spiess on LinkedIn
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In the late 70s DuPont built a plant in LaPorte to create syngas from residium, convert the syngas to methanol and acetic acid. Historically DuPont made methanol from natural gas. The second oil price shock hit at the same time and the plant was DOA, losing millions from the get go.