The decision by the two lawmakers to join forces is a sign of the deep and varied opposition to the Obama administration’s proposed hydraulic fracturing mandates.  More »

You wouldn’t know it from the oil industry’s angry reaction, but the Obama administration’s latest plan to tighten standards for drilling on public lands gives more ground to the private sector at the expense of environmentalists who pushed for tougher protections. Analysts said that’s a fresh sign that the Obama administration supports shale gas development and the payoff that comes from increased domestic energy production.  More »

The Obama administration on Thursday unveiled a new plan to tighten standards for drilling on public lands and force companies to reveal the chemicals they use in the process, after making significant concessions to the oil industry.  More »

Legislation approved by a House committee on Wednesday would give lectric utilities a free pass for keeping the lights on and power flowing whenever the government orders them to continue operations — even if that means running afoul of environmental mandates.  More »

Federal regulators are on track to propose new standards for boosting the reliability and performance of emergency devices safeguarding offshore wells later this year — but that doesn’t mean the industry will have to comply overnight.  More »

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement Director James Watson talks about coming new regulations with FuelFix ahead of a speech at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston.  More »

A week-long drill testing how the oil industry and federal regulators would respond to an out-of-control Gulf of Mexico well wrapped up late Monday, with government officials deeming the exercise a success.  More »

The nation’s top offshore drilling regulators will visit the Offshore Technology Conference on Wednesday to tour the massive exhibit floor where more than 2,000 companies have their wares on display. The newly sworn-in interior secretary, Sally Jewell, will make an appearance, alongside Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement director James Watson and Tommy Beaudreau, the head of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.  More »

For years, offshore drilling foes have filed lawsuits challenging oil and gas development in areas around Alaska, but now that litigation is moving to new territories, potentially threatening activity in the Gulf of Mexico, a former regulator told the Offshore Technology Conference on Tuesday.  More »

The Obama administration is set to unveil federal regulations governing hydraulic fracturing and drilling on public lands within weeks, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said Tuesday.  More »

As the Obama administration prepares to unveil a plan to slash smog-forming sulfur emissions from gasoline, oil industry lobbyists are making a final push against the measure.  More »

In response to criticism from both the oil industry and environmentalists, the Obama administration is scrapping a 2012 plan to impose tough new mandates governing drilling on public lands.  More »