Category:

Six Senate Democrats Ask DOI to Delay New Lease Sales in Arctic Waters

More As the race heats up for drilling in Arctic waters, several U.S. Senate members have requested the Interior Department to delay future oil and gas lease sales and permitting in the Arctic Ocean, including the proposed lease sale 237, until a thorough reevaluation of environmental risks is conducted. Six Senate Democrats, with Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Dick Durbin of Illinois leading the charge, published an addressed letter to Secretary Sally Jewel to suspend plans to auction new leases in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska’s northern coast in 2016, with Shell Oil Company being used as an example. “The myriad problems faced last year by Shell Oil Company as it attempted to drill exploration wells in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas demonstrated the unpredictability, harsh conditions, and heightened potential for human error that characterize any industrial activity in the Arctic Ocean,” the letter stated.  In September, the Bureau […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
Category:

Two case studies outline how Houston and Loveland are saving money with EVs in their fleets

Two case studies outline how Houston and Loveland are saving money with EVs in their fleets The Electrification Coalition released two case studies outlining how two cities— Houston, Texas and Loveland, Colorado —are saving money by using electric vehicles (EVs) in their vehicle fleets. The Electrification Coalition, launched in November 2009, is committed to promoting policies and actions that facilitate the deployment of electric vehicles on a mass scale in order to combat the economic, environmental, and national security threats posed by US dependence on petroleum. ( Earlier post .) City officials in Houston estimate that the city’s 27 Nissan LEAF electric vehicles will save the city $110,000 annually compared to internal combustion engine vehicles. A similar study examining Loveland, Colo. found that the city’s LEAFs will cost 41% less to own and operate than gasoline-powered vehicles. Houston first began using electric vehicles for the environmental benefits they offer, […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
Category:

Study: Fracking fluids could disrupt hormones, raise infertility risk

Fluid used in hydraulic fracturing — better known simply as fracking — contain chemicals that can disrupt the functioning of human hormones and lead to a greater chance of infertility, cancer and other health problems, researchers said Monday. Fracking has accelerated under the Obama administration, with supporters of the practice suggesting that the method of extracting oil and natural gas from shale rock by injecting thousands of gallons of highly pressurized fluids could provide a means to greater energy independence and a boost to the U.S. economy. But environmentalists decry the practice, arguing that not enough is known about the chemicals used in the process and that the risk of pollution outweighs any benefits. A new study, however, suggests that endrocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) — substances that can interfere with the body’s normal hormonal functions — are found in the cocktail that makes up fracking fluid. “More than 700 chemicals are […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
Category:

BP Announces Significant Discovery in Deepwater US Gulf of Mexico

Integrated oil and gas company BP PLC (BP.LN), said Wednesday it has made a significant oil discovery at its Gila prospect, which it co-owns with ConocoPhillips (COP), in the deepwater US Gulf of Mexico. Appraisal drilling, including completion of drilling through the Paleocene section, will be required to determine the size and potential commerciality of the discovery, BP said. The Gila discovery was made by an exploration well on Keathley Canyon Block 93, about 300 miles southwest of New Orleans, in 4,900 feet of water. BP owns a majority interest in the Gila discovery. BP said the well, which penetrated multiple Paleogene-aged reservoir sands, was drilled to a total depth of 29,221 feet. Mike Daly, BP’s global head of exploration, said: "Gila continues our successful drill out of the prolific Paleogene play system in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico." "Subject to successful appraisal, Gila, Tiber […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
Category:

Jury "at a standstill" in ex-BP engineer's trial

A deadlocked jury will return for a third day of deliberations in the case against a former BP engineer charged with deleting text messages to obstruct a probe of the company’s massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Jurors deliberated for more than eight hours over two days before telling U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval Jr. late Tuesday that they were "at a standstill" and having trouble reaching a verdict in the case against 52-year-old Kurt Mix, of Katy, Texas. About an hour after Duval instructed them to continue their deliberations, jurors asked to adjourn for the night and return Wednesday morning. Mix is charged with two counts of obstruction of justice. He didn’t testify at his two-week trial. © 2013 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
Category:

Jury “at a standstill” in ex-BP engineer’s trial

A deadlocked jury will return for a third day of deliberations in the case against a former BP engineer charged with deleting text messages to obstruct a probe of the company’s massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Jurors deliberated for more than eight hours over two days before telling U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval Jr. late Tuesday that they were "at a standstill" and having trouble reaching a verdict in the case against 52-year-old Kurt Mix, of Katy, Texas. About an hour after Duval instructed them to continue their deliberations, jurors asked to adjourn for the night and return Wednesday morning. Mix is charged with two counts of obstruction of justice. He didn’t testify at his two-week trial. © 2013 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
Category:

U.S. Has Failed to Maximize Revenue From Drilling

Government auditors criticized the U.S. Interior Department for considering and then delaying plans to raise the royalty rate for oil production on public lands, saying that’s resulted in “foregone revenue.” The department’s Bureau of Land Management scrapped plans in 2012 to raise the standard royalty rate on public lands to 18.75 percent from 12.5 percent, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report released today. That delay stands in contrast to Interior’s increase of royalties on offshore production in U.S. waters. The report “drives home the point that the Interior Department, and especially BLM, may not be keeping up with times,” Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden said in response to the report. Interior Department spokeswoman Jessica Kershaw said in response to the report that “it remains a high priority for the Department to modernize its regulatory regime in order to set onshore royalty rates and ensure a fair return to […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
Category:

Canada vows thorough review of Trans Mountain pipeline

Canadian Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver said no stone will be left unturned when reviewing Kinder Morgan ‘s bid to expand its Trans Mountain pipeline. Kinder Morgan announced it filed an application with the National Energy Board, a Canadian regulator, to expand the existing Trans Mountain pipeline. The company said its application included environment risk assessments. "Our government has been clear: we will only allow energy projects to proceed if they are found to be safe for Canadians after an independent, scientific, environmental and regulatory review," Oliver said in a statement Monday. Kinder wants to spend more than $5 billion to twin the existing pipeline from Alberta to British Columbia. The company said the expansion would at least double the corridor’s existing capacity of 300,000 barrels of oil per day. Advocacy groups in British Columbia have expressed concern about the potential environmental threat from […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
Category:

British energy minister publishes shale 'roadmap'

British Energy Minister Michael Fallon said Tuesday shale natural gas is part of his country’s energy future but it must be extracted responsibly. Fallon published a regulatory roadmap outlining ways in which oil and natural gas, including shale deposits, could be exploited in the country. "The government is keen to explore the potential for shale gas in the U.K., which could bring major benefit in terms of growth, jobs and energy security," he said in a statement. "However we must develop shale responsibly, both for local communities and for the environment." The British Geological Survey estimates there may be enough shale gas inland to last the country more than 40 years though only a small fraction of land is open for exploration. The 49-page report outlines ways in which oil and natural gas is regulated in the region. It says each application needs to […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
Category:

British energy minister publishes shale ‘roadmap’

British Energy Minister Michael Fallon said Tuesday shale natural gas is part of his country’s energy future but it must be extracted responsibly. Fallon published a regulatory roadmap outlining ways in which oil and natural gas, including shale deposits, could be exploited in the country. "The government is keen to explore the potential for shale gas in the U.K., which could bring major benefit in terms of growth, jobs and energy security," he said in a statement. "However we must develop shale responsibly, both for local communities and for the environment." The British Geological Survey estimates there may be enough shale gas inland to last the country more than 40 years though only a small fraction of land is open for exploration. The 49-page report outlines ways in which oil and natural gas is regulated in the region. It says each application needs to […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple