Woodside Tug Contract, Data Center Power, Iberdrola Growth Round Up Energy News

Australian energy company Woodside has awarded a contract worth over AUD 300 million (approximately $215 million) to Green Tug Towing to build four tugboats for its Louisiana LNG project, according to Rigzone. While this is a Gulf Coast infrastructure investment, it underscores the global demand for liquefied natural gas export capacity, a market that can influence pricing and development plans for associated gas produced in the Bakken formation.

Separately, the International Energy Agency reported that global data center electricity use surged in 2025, Rigzone noted. This rising demand for reliable, always-on power is a key driver for natural gas generation, which provides critical grid stability. For Bakken operators, increased power demand supports the argument for natural gas as a essential partner to renewable energy growth, potentially bolstering the value of gas capture and pipeline projects in North Dakota.

In power generation news, Spanish utility Iberdrola raised its total generation capacity to nearly 59 gigawatts. Rigzone reported that the company's U.S. portfolio saw the biggest growth, adding 693 megawatts, and that battery energy storage led growth by technology across its global portfolio. This expansion in U.S. generation and storage capacity highlights the evolving energy mix. For the Bakken, such investments in grid infrastructure and storage can facilitate the integration of associated gas and support industrial electricity demand in the region, including from potential data center development.

These developments collectively point to an energy landscape where logistics for exports, escalating power needs, and diversified generation are interconnected. Bakken oil and gas production is ultimately tied to these broader market and infrastructure trends, which affect the long-term outlook for the region's resources.