UT team will take close look at fracking

Arab oil producers say investment plans unaffected by MENA turmoil

Posted on May 9, 2011 at 12:30 pm by Bloomberg in Africa, Middle East

The investment-banking arm of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries said recent unrest in the Middle East and the North Africa won’t affect its plans to double outlays to about $700 million by 2014. More »

Gulf slowdown, cyber security, shale boom on tap at Houston energy event

Posted on May 9, 2011 at 11:44 am by Tom Fowler in General, Natural gas, Shale

Downtown’s Houston Club will play host to a range of speakers at its Energy Summit on Wednesday and Thursday, including ATP and Halliburton execs, Wood Mac CEO and Haynesville shale gas documentary director. More »

Energy tax breaks under attack: Bipartisan effort targets ethanol subsidies

Posted on May 9, 2011 at 10:42 am by Richard Dunham in Politics/Policy, Social

Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California and Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn have joined forces with Tea Party activists to kill $6 billion a year in ethanol subsidies, taking on the corn lobby and anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist. More »

Gasoline prices take a step down, more likely to come

Posted on May 9, 2011 at 9:36 am by Tom Fowler in Crude oil, Social

Pump prices took a baby step down over the weekend, the first signs of what may be a larger drop in prices. But if flooding from the mighty Mississippi hits major refineries, all bets are off. More »

Oil stocks go cheap; tax debate no threat to profits

Posted on May 9, 2011 at 7:21 am by Bloomberg in Politics/Policy

U.S. oil companies’ profits have grown so fast that they’ve become the cheapest equities in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, just as the debate about taxing crude producers heats up. More »

FuelFix Newslinks |05.09.11|

Posted on May 9, 2011 at 6:50 am by Tom Fowler in General

UT gets in the frac study game. Oil rebound expected. Few step up for worker fund. More »

All 14 bodies recovered from Mexican mine blast

Posted on May 9, 2011 at 12:29 am by Associated Press in Accidents, Coal

Mexican officials said the blast last week was caused by a buildup of gas. The national mine workers union said the mine’s work force was not unionized and accused the government of allowing mines to operate with unsafe conditions. More »

Japan scrutinizes nuclear risks, remains committed to atomic energy

Posted on May 8, 2011 at 11:23 pm by Bloomberg in Accidents, Asia, Nuclear

The March 11 earthquake and tsunami that crippled Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant have raised concern that nuclear stations in Japan aren’t adequately protected from natural disasters, but Japanese officials say atomic power will remain part of its energy policy. More »

Wind far, far away matters in downtown Houston

Posted on May 7, 2011 at 10:20 pm by chron.com Energy in Wind

When the wind shifts in Sarita or lightning strikes in Northern California, they know about it on the 40th floor of an office tower in Houston. The information is critical for Pattern Energy, which operates electricity-generating wind farms and is about to break ground in seven locales even more far-flung. More »

Gas prices may drop 50 cents by summer

Posted on May 7, 2011 at 5:20 pm by chron.com Energy in General

After rocketing up 91 cents since January, including 44 straight days of increases, the national average this past week stopped just shy of $4 a gallon and has retreated to under $3.98. A steady decline is expected to follow. More »

In the dark, death traveled one mile in 20 seconds

Posted on May 7, 2011 at 12:30 am by chron.com Chronicle in Accidents, People, Social

A random event set off the Alaska avalanche that ended the life of Houston energy-company manager and mountain climber Chris Lackey. More »