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As the Middle East conflict continues and energy stability remains uncertain in the Persian Gulf, energy security remains steady in the U.S., fueled by the Gulf states of Texas and Louisiana.
The Texas oil and natural gas industry continues to break production records and Texas and Louisiana lead the U.S. in liquefied natural gas exports, providing a steady supply of energy resources at home and abroad.
As the conflict escalated, oil futures trading on Wall Street fluctuated.
On Sunday, the U.S. benchmark, West Texas Intermediate, saw oil futures increase to $78.50 a barrel after the U.S. struck Iranian nuclear facilities. After Iran launched missiles at a U.S. military base in Qatar on Monday, it dropped to $68.51/b, the largest one-day drop since April.
Brent Crude Futures, a global benchmark, increased from $69/b to $74/b in one day earlier this month. As of Tuesday morning, the WTI was trading 4.7% down at $65.41 per barrel; Brent crude was trading 4.4% down at $68.24.
“If a resolution is not achieved in the conflict between Isarel and Iran, retaliatory actions could include closing the Strait of Hormuz, which handles approximately 26 percent of global oil trade,” Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association president Ed Longanecker warned.
Despite market uncertainty and Middle East conflict, “the Texas oil and natural gas industry continues to maintain its focus on providing reliable energy to meet demand here and abroad,” Longanecker said.
“Very few alternative options exist to move oil out of the strait if it is closed,” the U.S. Energy Information Agency says.
The strait connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It’s bordered by Iran on one side and Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE and Oman on the other.
“The strait is deep enough and wide enough to handle the world’s largest crude oil tankers, and it is one of the world’s most important oil chokepoints,” the EIA says.
"In 2024, an average of 20 million barrels a day (b/d), or 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption, was transported through it.
“Chokepoints are narrow channels along widely used global sea routes that are critical to global energy security,” EIA says. “The inability of oil to transit a major chokepoint, even temporarily, can create substantial supply delays and raise shipping costs, potentially increasing world energy prices. Although most chokepoints can be circumvented by using other routes – often adding significantly to transit time – some chokepoints have no practical alternatives. Most volumes that transit the strait have no alternative means of exiting the region, although there are some pipeline alternatives that can avoid the Strait of Hormuz.”
Between 2022 and 2024, volumes of crude oil and condensate transiting through the strait declined, the EIA notes, partially because OPEC+ countries voluntarily cut crude oil production several times, decreasing exports from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE.
Crude transports through the strait last year and the first quarter of 2025 comprised “more than one-quarter of total global seaborne oil trade and about one-fifth of global oil and petroleum product consumption,” the EIA says. One-fifth of global LNG trade also transited the strait last year, primarily from Qatar, it adds.
As conflict escalated in the Middle East, LNG shipping costs reached their highest level in eight months, Reuters reported.
Prior to the conflict, U.S. domestic crude oil production reached an all-time high of 13.5 million barrels per day in the second quarter of 2025, led by Texas, according to EIA data. Oil production increased this year after already hitting a record 13.2 million barrels per day in 2024.
Nearly all production growth in the U.S. has come from the Permian Basin in west Texas, as it has in the last several years, The Center Square reported.
The U.S. is the top LNG exporter in the world due to Louisiana and Texas Gulf port infrastructure and exports, The Center Square reported. Louisiana’s growing port infrastructure is critical to Trump administration energy plans, The Center Square reported.
“Energy security is national security and Texas barrels don’t just fill demand – they build confidence. In times of geopolitical stress, reliability becomes a strategic asset at home and abroad,” Texas Oil & Gas Association President Todd Staples said.
“The robust Texas oil and natural gas industry is essential to provide consumers with the greatest protection from price swings due to military and geopolitical conflicts. Our robust oil production, world-class refining capacity, and extensive pipeline and fuel distribution infrastructure help to insulate all Americans from the impact of global conflicts. While we are not entirely immune from impacts to production and delivery disruption, Texans and all Americans are more energy secure than ever before.”
He also said that for U.S. allies abroad, “Texas'’ responsible production, transparency and dependable logistics have made America the reliable supplier the world needs. Texas has proven it can deliver in a crisis and demand for our LNG, refined fuels and petrochemicals remains high among our allies who value U.S. energy security and stability."
“The stabilizing contribution of Texas’ strong energy foundation is unmistakable in these uncertain times.”

CVS Health is pushing back against claims from Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill and Gov. Jeff Landry that the company engaged in deceptive, anticompetitive practices, calling the state’s lawsuits “without merit” and pledging to defend itself vigorously.
In a statement provided to The Center Square, CVS said its communications with Louisiana customers were lawful and did not rely on personal information from the Office of Group Benefits, which manages health benefits for state employees.
“To be clear, we did not use any Office of Group Benefits member information, and we agree with Governor Landry and Attorney General Murrill that OGB data should not be used for this type of outreach,” the company said. “Our communication with CVS customers, patients and members of the community was consistent with the law.”
The company said it launched the messaging campaign to alert customers about a potential disruption in access to its pharmacies, which include 119 retail locations in Louisiana, home delivery services, long-term care pharmacies and specialty pharmacies.
“Our customers were clear: They want access to CVS Pharmacy, and our colleagues were clear: They want to serve their friends, families, and neighbors in Louisiana,” CVS said.
The remarks come in response to three lawsuits announced by Murrill, which accuse CVS of misusing prescription-related contact information to oppose a bill in the Legislature, engaging in anticompetitive “vertical integration,” and using unfair pricing tactics that harmed independent pharmacies across the state.
Murrill and Landry argue the text message campaign violated consumer privacy and was a deceptive attempt to lobby against House Bill 358, which aimed to limit the power of pharmacy benefit managers such as CVS Caremark.
Landry, whose wife received one of the text messages, called the effort an abuse of patient trust.
“Their goal is not to cut costs for patients -- it’s to inflate profits for shareholders,” Landry said.
CVS denied that characterization and defended its business model, which combines pharmacy services, health insurance, and benefit management under one umbrella.
“Our integrated model delivers value to members, patients, customers, and clients by providing better access, affordability, and advocacy for those we serve,” the company said. “By combining health care delivery, pharmacy, health care benefits, and pharmacy benefit management, we make it easier for people to have what they want the most: a connected care experience.”
The company also rejected accusations that its pricing practices are predatory toward independent pharmacies, arguing that its retail pharmacies offer the lowest cost in Louisiana’s state contract -- an average reimbursement of $141 per prescription, compared to $149 for independent pharmacies.
“Removing CVS Pharmacy from Louisiana will increase the cost to the state by more than $4.6 million,” the company said.
CVS further noted that it won the most recent contract to manage the OGB’s pharmacy benefits through a competitive bidding process, scoring 5% higher than the second-place bidder.
On claims that CVS relies on a foreign-based group purchasing organization to inflate costs, the company said its GPO is based in the U.S.
As for the broader effort by the state to regulate PBMs, CVS said, “A properly functioning competitive market should not mandate higher reimbursement rates to less efficient pharmacies.
The result would be an increase in the number of more expensive independent pharmacies and higher costs for consumers.”
Murrill maintains that CVS’s business model undermines competition and hurts Louisiana communities.
“We’ve lost pharmacies around our state, and we’ve had to come in and surround those areas with additional services, sometimes that even costs us more money,” Murrill said. “So, whatever we can justify we’re going to seek.”
The lawsuits are part of a wider crackdown on PBMs in Louisiana, which also includes lawsuits against OptumRx and Express Scripts and a new law imposing stricter transparency requirements.
Together, the three companies control about 80% of the PBM market nationwide.

The following are the radio dispatch logs from the Morgan City Police Department. To report unlawful or suspicious activity, call the Police Department at 985-380-4605.
Tuesday, June 24
7:42 a.m. 1000 block of Victor II Boulevard; Warrant.
8:03 a.m. 200 block of Wren Street; Complaint.
8:46 a.m. 1000 block of First Street; Animal complaint.
9:12 a.m. 1000 block of Victor II Boulevard; Medical.
9:18 a.m. 2000 block of La. 70; Theft.
9:20 a.m. 700 block of Belanger Street; Medical.
9:24 a.m. 2000 block of Allison Street; Hit and fun.
10:29 a.m. 1000 block of Ramos Street; Assistance.
10:37 a.m. 900 block of Seventh Street; Shoplifting.
12:10 p.m. 1000 block of Victor II Boulevard; Patrol request.
12:16 p.m. 1000 block of North Victor II Boulevard; Vehicle accident.
1:38 p.m. 7000 block of La. 182; Complaint.
2:07 p.m. 300 block of Barrow Street; Medical.
2:44 p.m. Barrow/Third streets; Fight.
2:58 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Arrest.
3:05 p.m. 300 block of Mallard Street; Mental disturbance.
3:21 p.m. 1000 block of Fourth Street; Medical.
4:07 p.m. 2000 block of Keith Street; Animal complaint.
4:34 p.m. 500 block of Barrow Street; Complaint.
4:52 p.m. 2000 block of Federal Avenue; Disturbance.
4:59 p.m. 2000 block of La. 70; Stand by.
5:04 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Complaint.
5:32 p.m. 6000 block of La. 182; Medical.
5:46 p.m. 2000 block of La. 70; Suspicious person.
7:35 p.m. 1600 block of Parlange Street; Complaint.
8:09 p.m. 200 block of Mallard Street; Complaint.
9:35 p.m. 2300 block of La. 70; Alarm.
9:40 p.m. Clothilde Street; Suspicious person/vehicle.
9:47 p.m. 6600 block of La. 182; Complaint.
10:47 p.m. 6400 block of La. 182; Alarm.
Wednesday, June 25
1:15 a.m. 700 block of Belanger Street; Medical.
1:34 a.m. 11000 block of Brashear Avenue; Alarm.

Idela G. Brashear, 86, a native of Berwick and resident of Morgan City, died Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at her residence.
Visitation will be Friday from 9 a.m. until services at 11 a.m. at Mt. Era Baptist Church in Morgan City. Burial will follow in Morgan City Cemetery.
She is survived by daughters, Suzette Brashear of Youngsville and Mary Pool of Morgan City; brothers, Burnell Gray Jr. of San Francisco and Dwayne Gray of Gray; sisters, Sheila Gray and Gladys Ruffin, both of Morgan City, and Hazel Morris of Baton Rouge; nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, three daughters, two sons, parents, four siblings and four grandchildren.
Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.