USGS Assesses 340+ Tcf of Gas in Bossier, EU Backs Hydrogen, Adnoc Navigates Hormuz

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has assessed 343.5 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable natural gas and three million barrels of oil in the Bossier Formation along the Gulf Coast, according to a release reported by Rigzone. The agency stated these gas resources are enough to supply the United States for more than 10 years at the current rate of consumption. Since production began, the Bossier Formation has produced 3.8 trillion cubic feet of gas, equal to nearly six weeks of U.S. consumption at the record-high 2025 level.

The new assessment was prompted by industry exploration drilling that revealed deep, highly over-pressured shale formations, the USGS noted. New plays, such as the Bossier Western Shale Gas Assessment Unit—sometimes referred to by industry as ‘Western Haynesville’ or ‘Waynesville’—show drilling into deeper, higher-pressured reservoirs can yield more resources than previously thought. USGS Director Ned Mamula stated the assessment points to significant undiscovered resources. The formation is widespread in the subsurface of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.

In other news, the European Union has awarded EUR 1.09 billion ($1.28 billion) in grants to nine cleaner hydrogen production projects under the third auction of the European Hydrogen Bank, Rigzone reported. The European Commission said the projects across seven countries are expected to provide almost 1.1 gigawatts of electrolyzer capacity and produce over 1.3 million tonnes of hydrogen over their first 10 years of operation. The selected projects will receive a fixed premium of between EUR 0.44 and EUR 3.49 per kilogram of hydrogen produced for up to 10 years.

Meanwhile, geopolitical tensions continue to disrupt global LNG trade. Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (Adnoc) has managed to keep limited liquefied natural gas exports moving through the Strait of Hormuz by concealing tanker locations, according to a Bloomberg analysis reported by Rigzone. At least two loaded tankers from Adnoc’s Das Island facility recently went dark to transit the strait. The waterway, which normally handles about a fifth of global LNG supply, has remained virtually shut due to the conflict, with vessels facing security threats including Iranian drone attacks.

Adnoc’s move contrasts with neighboring Qatar, which hasn’t shipped any LNG through Hormuz since late February and was forced to shut its massive Ras Laffan export facility in March. “Adnoc hasn’t declared force majeure, unlike QatarEnergy,” said Antonia Syn, a gas and LNG research analyst at Rystad Energy. She noted that invoking force majeure “formally reduces commercial pressure to attempt risky transits, and Adnoc appears determined to avoid fully conceding that gulf LNG is stranded.”

For Bakken operators, these developments highlight a global energy landscape marked by substantial new domestic gas resource assessments, growing international investment in alternative energy, and persistent supply chain volatility. The USGS Bossier assessment underscores the long-term domestic gas potential that could influence national market dynamics, while the EU's hydrogen subsidies signal a continued policy shift in key export markets. The ongoing disruption in the Persian Gulf underscores the fragility of global LNG flows, which can have knock-on effects for all natural gas pricing benchmarks.