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Murkowski wants clarity on condensates

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, introduces bill that would clarify federal definition of condensate, an ultra-light form of crude oil cleared at times for exports from the domestic market. File Photo by UPI/Molly Riley. WASHINGTON, May 8 (UPI) — Federal law lacks a clear definition of condensate, a light form of oil found in shale and cleared for exports, a bill tabled by U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski read. Murkowski, R-Alaska, chairwoman of the Senate Energy Committee, introduced 17 separate energy measures. Among them, S. 1224 seeks to standardize the federal definition and policies regarding condensate . "Many federal agencies have conflicting definitions of what qualifies as ‘condensate’ and how it differs from ‘crude oil,’" a background on the so-called Condensate Act reads. "In common parlance, one man’s ‘heavy condensate’ is another man’s ‘light crude.’" When last year the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security, a division of the Commerce Department, […]

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Senator Murkowski plans bill to kill oil export ban

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski said on Thursday she will unveil a bill next week that would reverse the 40-year-old ban on U.S. oil exports. Murkowski, the Republican chairwoman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said she would unveil the bill on Tuesday, although it was uncertain when the measure would get a vote in her committee. Murkowski has been one of the biggest supporters of reversing the ban Congress passed in 1975 after the Arab oil embargo led to fears of energy shortages. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner ; Editing by Will Dunham )

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Curb gas flaring, U.S. lawmakers say

U.S. lawmakers press for better rules on controlling gas flared from federal deposits. Photo by Steve Oehlenschlager/Shutterstock WASHINGTON, May 7 (UPI) — The U.S. Interior Department needs to take steps to ensure gas associated with produced reserves isn’t wasted, or flared, bicameral leaders said. House and Senate Democrats issued a letter to U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewel urging her to review a report from the Government Accountability Office finding federal standards on gas capturing are behind the curve . The letter states most of the gas vented from federal lands is methane, a potent greenhouse gas. "Eliminating this waste not only would reduce greenhouse gas emissions equal to removing some 3.1 million cars from the road, but would generate $23 million annual for the [federal government]," the letter read. Jewell said in March her agency would propose "in the coming months" standards meant to cut emissions and reduce the […]

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Senate Passes Bill Giving Congress Review of Iran Nuclear Deal

ENLARGE Sen. John Cornyn leaves a Republican meeting after an agreement was reached to vote on the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act in Washington on Thursday. Photo: JIM LO SCALZO/EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY WASHINGTON—The Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly passed a bill establishing Congress’s right to weigh in on global negotiations to curb Iran’s nuclear program. The 98-1 vote capped weeks of bipartisan efforts to strike a delicate deal on the legislation and then protect it from unraveling on the Senate floor in what is likely the high-water mark for congressional consensus on the nuclear negotiations. The bill from Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R., Tenn.) would prevent Mr. Obama from waiving sanctions on Iran for 30 days while Congress initially reviews a final agreement to diminish Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Lawmakers would then be able to vote on whether to disapprove of the deal, or take no action. “I […]

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What the Senate’s Iran Legislation Means

What does the bill do? The legislation would require President Barack Obama to submit any deal with Iran to Congress within five days, and would prevent the president from waiving sanctions on Iran for 30 days while Congress initially reviewed a final agreement to diminish Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Lawmakers would then be able to vote on whether to disapprove of the deal, or they could take no action. If Congress passed a resolution rejecting any agreement, Mr. Obama would have 12 days to veto the measure. If he vetoed it, Congress would have 10 days to try to override his veto, which requires a two-thirds majority. Under the legislation, the administration would have to provide detailed reports to Congress on Iran’s terrorist activities and certify to lawmakers every 90 days that Iran is complying with the nuclear agreement. Congress is a whole branch of government. Why does it need […]

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In Pitch to End Crude Export Ban, Drillers Promise Cheaper Fuel

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, the Republican chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg The oil industry has a new sales pitch for you: Support efforts to lift the 40-year-old ban on U.S. crude oil exports, and reap the reward of cheaper gasoline. If you’re dubious, you’re not the only one. And that’s the challenge for critics of the export ban, who know they won’t get anywhere unless they can persuade consumers to come on board. The politics are clear. Because voters think the ban saves them money at the pump, most lawmakers won’t touch it. The industry’s top leaders and Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, the Republican chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee, hope to offset that idea using reports from the Brookings Institution and the U.S. government that say the opposite is true. “As long as lawmakers are fearful that there […]

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U.S. frontier energy plans under fire

Frontier developments planned in U.S. territorial waters criticized for lack of transparency and over complaints of state authority. Photo by num_skyman/UPI WASHINGTON, April 28 (UPI) — A South Carolina congressman’s question over state authority over maritime territory and concerns about transparency may curb frontier U.S. oil developments. U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford , R-S.C., was joined by state and local officials in expressing opposition to permits to conduct seismic testing to get a better understanding of potential oil and gas reserves off the coast of South Carolina. The U.S. Interior Department in February released a draft proposal for 2017-22 for access to federal waters. Ten leases are planned for the Gulf of Mexico, three for offshore Alaska and one, a debut, for waters in the Atlantic. Sanford said state authorities are sidelined from the federal decision-making process for operations off their coasts. "It makes little sense to even conduct tests […]

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Upper East Coast US Senate, House members oppose Atlantic leasing

Observing both Earth Day and the fifth anniversary of the Macondo deepwater well accident and crude oil spill , US Senate and House members—largely Democrats from Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states—introduced bills to stop federal offshore oil and gas leasing off the Atlantic coast. The measures were responses to the US Bureau of Ocean Management’s draft proposed 2017-22 Outer Continental Shelf management program, which would include a single Mid-Atlantic lease sale in 2021 ( OGJ Online, Jan. 27, 2015 ). “Imagine the devastation an oil spill in the Atlantic would cause—not just to my home state of New Jersey, but to states up and down the East Coast,” said Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), primary sponsor of S. 1042, the Clean Ocean and Safe Tourism (COAST) Anti-Drilling Act. “The Jersey Shore’s tourism industry alone generates $38 billion/year and directly supports almost half a million jobs,” he said in an Apr. 22 […]

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House GOP wants more Atlantic leases in offshore drilling plan

Obama administration’s latest offshore drilling plan proposes just 14 leases. Photo by Kyle Waters/Shutterstock WASHINGTON, April 16 (UPI) — The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an oversight hearing Wednesday on the Obama administration’s Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2017-2022. The U.S. Interior Department released a draft proposal in January for access to federal waters for exploration and drilling. While an Atlantic Ocean area was included for the first time, the proposal was met with frustration by Sen. Lisa Murkowski , R-Alaska, as the proposal came on the heels of the closure of parts of Alaska’s wilderness area to energy companies. "The Obama Administration often touts that it is committed to promoting oil and gas production on federal lands, including the Outer Continental Shelf," said Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee Chairman Doug Lamborn, R-Colo. "However their draft five year lease […]

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House passes Keystone XL legislation; will test veto pen

Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., may face presidential showdown as Keystone XL bill moves up the steps of Capitol Hill. UPI/Kevin Dietsch The House of Representatives passed the bill with a vote of 270-152. Twenty-nine Democrats joined House Republicans in the vote for the legislation. Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., was the only Republican to vote against the measure. A coalition of energy groups in the United States issued letters to the House in support of the legislation, which is meant to advance the construction of the pipeline meant to cross the U.S.-Canadian border. James P. Hoffa , president of the powerful Teamsters Union, said building the pipeline would bring net benefits to the United States. "If the pipeline is not built, important socio-economic benefits will not be realized," his letter reads. The House took up a Senate bill sponsored by Sen. John Hoeven , R-N.D., to build the pipeline. Hoeven […]

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