ExxonMobil's acquisition of Pioneer signals the company's confidence that the world will continue to rely on fossil fuels well into the future
Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** ExxonMobil doubles down on oil and gas
------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, October 12, 2023
Oil and gas development in the Permian Basin in New Mexico, blake.thornberry via Flickr ([link removed]) /CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 ([link removed])
ExxonMobil, which has known for decades ([link removed]) that burning fossil fuels drives climate change, is doubling down on fossil fuels. The company announced on Wednesday that it will purchase Pioneer Natural Resources for $59.5 billion. The boards of both companies have agreed to the deal, but it is still subject to regulatory approval ([link removed]) .
Pioneer is a major player in the Permian Basin, which underlies southeastern New Mexico and western Texas. The acquisition will more than double ExxonMobil's acreage in the Permian and give it "the largest footprint of high-return wells" in the basin, according to ([link removed]) Pioneer's chief executive officer Scott Sheffield. ExxonMobil's oil and gas production in the Permian is expected ([link removed]) to reach two million barrels per day by 2027 and continue for the next 15-20 years ([link removed]) .
In addition to reshaping the industry landscape in the Permian, the move also signals ExxonMobil's confidence that the world will continue to rely on fossil fuels well into the future. In August, ExxonMobil released its energy outlook ([link removed]) which predicted ([link removed]) that oil and gas would still meet more than half of global energy demand in 2050 and that the world would fail to meet the science-based goal of keeping warming below two degrees Celsius.
** Quick hits
------------------------------------------------------------
Exxon to buy Pioneer for $59.5B, reshaping U.S. oil industry
The Guardian ([link removed]) | New York Times ([link removed]) | Washington Post ([link removed]) | Financial Times ([link removed])
Ute Mountain Utes march on White Mesa as Energy Fuels prepares to reopen mines
Times-Independent ([link removed])
NM lawmakers consider rulemaking to ban 'forever chemicals' in oil and gas
Carlsbad Current-Argus ([link removed])
Report calls for more wildlife crossings to decrease collisions
Montana Free Press ([link removed])
Water temporarily restored to unincorporated community cut off by Scottsdale, AZ, but challenges remain
Arizona Republic ([link removed])
California grants protection for rare flower after outcry over gold mining
Los Angeles Times ([link removed])
Vibrant fall foliage is an indicator of water conditions
Colorado Sun ([link removed])
2023's Fat Bear Week queen is 128 'Grazer'
Washington Post ([link removed]) | Los Angeles Times ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
------------------------------------------------------------
” What's more valuable than gold? Protecting life from extinction.”
—Nick Jensen, California Native Plant Society, Los Angeles Times ([link removed])
** Picture This
------------------------------------------------------------
@alaskanps ([link removed])
Wilderness is a place to question the status quo.
Are we separate from wilderness?
“To some people, the word “wilderness” conjures thoughts that we are separate from nature, that the woods are unknown, untouched, perhaps mysterious, or even dangerous. This may create feelings of fear, excitement, adventure, longing for connection to nature… but when all thoughts of the individual components dissolve and we let go of the attachments or judgements we’ve given them, all we see is the beauty of the natural surroundings. We feel right at home, we want to care for and not take from the land, and we realize that we are not separate from nature but a part of it. The wilderness and all that it encompasses is not a mystery; it is us and it is home. It’s as familiar as looking in the mirror.”
-Karen Evanoff and Michelle Ravenmoon in “Respecting Elnena.”
Wilderness can mean different things according to our own worldview, but it can remind us of our collective stewardship responsibilities and interconnectedness.
Wilderness invites you to pause for reflection and question the status quo.
NPS Photo/K. Knick
============================================================
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Medium ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
Copyright © 2023 Center for Western Priorities, All rights reserved.
You've signed up to receive Look West updates.
Center for Western Priorities
1999 Broadway
Suite 520
Denver, CO 80202
USA
** View this on the web ([link removed])
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
