Steffy: Judge calls for `minimum of sealed records’ in BP Atlantis case

Oil rises to near $107 after US crude supply drop

Posted on March 21, 2012 at 7:42 am by Associated Press in Crude oil

Oil prices rose to near $107 a barrel today in Asia after a report showed U.S. crude supplies fell unexpectedly, a sign demand may be improving. More »

Reid says measure coming “soon” on axing oil, gas tax breaks

Posted on March 20, 2012 at 6:27 pm by Puneet Kollipara in Crude oil, Gulf oil spill, Natural gas, Offshore, Oil field services

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., says the Senate soon will consider a measure on repealing oil and gas industry tax breaks, a priority of President Obama’s. More »

Exxon Valdez to be junked years after giant oil leak

Posted on March 20, 2012 at 3:48 pm by Bloomberg in Accidents, Environment

Now called the Oriental Nicety, the vessel was sold for about $16 million. More »

Oil drops on Saudi supply promise

Posted on March 20, 2012 at 3:36 pm by Associated Press in Crude oil, Natural gas

Benchmark U.S. crude fell $2.48 to $105.61 per barrel. More »

Report: Phillips 66 to build new headquarters inside Beltway 8

Posted on March 20, 2012 at 1:52 pm by Simone Sebastian in Refining

The independent refiner set to spin off from ConocoPhillips this year will build a new office within the Sam Houston Parkway, according to a local real estate blog. More »

Mismanaged energy loans too solar-focused, Republicans say

Posted on March 20, 2012 at 12:30 pm by Bloomberg in Solar

The U.S. Energy Department mismanaged stimulus programs, putting taxpayer dollars at risk, according to two Republican reports released at a hearing where lawmakers debated who is responsible for rising gasoline prices. More »

Industry group: Obama should help lower gas prices

Posted on March 20, 2012 at 10:44 am by Zain Shauk in Keystone XL, Offshore

President Barack Obama could lower gas prices by opening up more federal land and offshore areas for oil drilling, American Petroleum Institute President Jack Gerard said today. More »

Feds: Fracking rules in April; no decision on onshore royalties

Posted on March 20, 2012 at 10:41 am by Puneet Kollipara in Crude oil, Environment, Hydraulic fracturing, Natural gas, Oil field services

The Interior Department has not made any final decision on raising the royalty rate for oil-and-gas production on federal lands, Bureau of Land Management Director Bob Abbey said Tuesday. Abbey also said his agency hoped to unveil its impending rules for hydraulic fracturing on federal lands in April. More »

Enterprise to add new fractionating capacity at Mont Belvieu complex

Posted on March 20, 2012 at 10:33 am by Don Mason in General

Enterprise Products Partners will add the seventh and eighth liquid natural gas fractionators at its Mont Belvieu complex, bringing the capacity there to 610,000 barrels per day. More »

Electric car supporters fight back against GOP attacks

Posted on March 20, 2012 at 10:22 am by San Francisco Chronicle in General

After a year’s success in casting bankrupt solar maker Solyndra as the prototype for President Obama’s energy policies, Republicans now are targeting what they have dubbed “Obamacars.” More »

UAE to build LNG terminal that bypasses key strait

Posted on March 20, 2012 at 10:17 am by Associated Press in LNG, Natural gas

An energy company in the United Arab Emirates said Tuesday it is developing a terminal to receive liquefied natural gas supplies on the country’s eastern coast, bypassing the strategically sensitive Strait of Hormuz. More »