The latest in Oil Production and Refining

Regulators approve Suncor oil sands expansions

2010-03-18T12:45:58Z

<div><p>CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - Regulators have approved three expansion stages at Suncor Energy Inc's Firebag oil sands project that will eventually add output of 188,000 barrels of bitumen a day, Suncor said on Thursday.</p><p>The production p...

More regulation needed for Canada oil sands: report

2010-03-17T15:15:47Z

<div><p>CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - Steam-driven projects to extract crude from Canada's oil sands, often held up as more environmentally friendly than mining, have major drawbacks of their own that require more stringent regulation to fix, an environmental think tank said on Wednesda...

Va. gov McDonnell signs offshore energy bills

2010-03-10T15:01:13Z

<div id="subtitle">Gov. McDonnell signs bills intended to promote Virginia as an East Coast energy power</div><div><p>Gov. Bob McDonnell signed into law Wednesday offshore drilling legislation intended to realize his goal of making Virginia the East Coast's energy superpower.</p><p>The bills supporting offshore oil and gas explora...

Obama pushes senators for climate bill

2010-03-09T17:00:26Z

<div id="subtitle">Obama meets with key senators in bid to advance climate legislation</div><div><p>President Barack Obama made a renewed push for a long-stalled climate and energy bill Tuesday, urging lawmakers at a White House meeting to pass a comprehensive bill this year.</p><p>Fourteen senators from both parties — including several who rem...

EPA chief slams attempted delays by lawmakers

2010-03-08T13:18:34Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Environmental Protection Administrator Lisa Jackson fought back on Monday against Senate attempts to challenge EPA's authority to regulate emissions while lawmakers work on a climate bill, saying delaying agency action would be bad...

EPA chief backs some offshore drilling in bill

2010-03-08T12:00:07Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. climate strategy should include incentives for offshore oil and natural gas drilling as long as the environment is not hurt, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson said on Monday.</p><p>"The energy strategy has to be varied and should i...

Environmentalists see "Avatar" in oil sands

2010-03-04T17:16:13Z

<div><p>CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - Environmentalists aim to hitch their stars to James Cameron's "Avatar" by trying to draw parallels between the sci-fi blockbuster and Canada's oil sands industry ahead of Sunday's Alberta, Gulf Coast</div><div><p>TransCanada executives said Wednesday they will consider letting Montana and North Dakota crude oil onto a proposed pipeline to the Gulf of Mexico<...

Senators seen ditching cap and trade in new bill

2010-02-27T14:00:23Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three senators are seeking to radically overhaul stalled climate legislation by proposing to dump broad cap-and-trade provisions and take a sector by sector approach to cutting greenhouse gas emissions, a White House official and leading U.S. newspaper reported.</p><p>Despite strong doubts a climate bill is possible...

BRITAIN FALKLANDS

2010-02-23T16:31:14Z

This photo taken late 2009 and made available by Diamond Offshore Drilling Monday Feb. 22, 2010 shows the semi-submersible oil drilling rig the Ocean Guardian under tow in British coastal waters. Oil exploration company Desire Petroleum PLC began drilling at a spot north of the disputed Colorado water rights bid, placing regional oil shale development on hold</div><div><p>Shell Oil Co. said Tuesday it is abandoning its quest for water rights from a northwest Colorado river to develop oil shale production, citing delays in the project due to the global economic downturn.</p><p>Colorado,

AP NewsAlert

2010-02-22T08:15:38Z

<div id="subtitle">UK oil exploration firm says it has begun drilling near Falklands despite Argentine objections</div><div><p>UK oil exploration firm says it has begun drilling near Falklands despite Argentine objections.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=69984765&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div> Copyright 2010 <a href="http://www.ap.org">AP News</a></div><...

Falklands population well protected: PM

2010-02-22T08:50:34Z

<div><p>Prime Minister Gordon Brown reasserted Britain's oil exploration rights in the Falkland Islands on Thursday and said the population there is "properly protected".</p><p>Argentina is ramping up the pressure ...

House panel to investigate hydraulic fracturing

2010-02-22T08:37:59Z

<div id="subtitle">House panel launches inquiry into oil, gas drilling technique known as 'fracking'</div><div><p>An oil and gas drilling technique that is becoming more widespread is drawing scrutiny from lawmakers concerned that it may pose a hazard to human health by tainting drinking water and harming the environment.</p><p>Top Democrats

Floridians protest offshore oil drilling

2010-02-22T09:40:17Z

<div><p>ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Reuters) - Thousands of Floridians demonstrated against moves to allow offshore oil drilling on Saturday along the east and west coasts of the state in a protest dubbed "Hands Across the Sand."</p><p>Organizer

Activist Group Protest Against Proposed Off Shore Drilling

2010-02-13T13:30:51Z

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - FEBRUARY 13: People hold hands on the beach as they participate in the state wide Hands Across the Sand protest on February 13, 2010 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The group is protesting off-shore oil drilling in Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Obama could destroy any hope of U.S. energy independence

2010-02-22T09:44:45Z

<div id="subtitle">Expect to find some screaming bargains among the surviving companies</div><div><p>The U.S. consumes nearly three times the amount of oil that it produces domestically on a daily basis. How can this statistic get any worse, you might ask? </p><p>Imagine in 2010 the Obama administration persuades Congress to pass a budget that results in a r...

Oil Prices

2010-02-11T21:15:57Z

FILE - In this May 1, 2009 file photo, operator Steve Pratt looks at a sample from offshore oil drilling platform "Gail," operated by Venoco, Inc., off the coast of California near Santa Barbara. Crude prices continued to rise Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010, as a European energy watchdog said global oil demand will grow this year more than...

French oil company Total makes Q4 profit of $2.8B

2010-02-22T10:09:19Z

<div><p>Total SA made a net profit of euro2.07 billion ($2.8 billion) in the fourth quarter as increased production and higher prices for oil offset a steep drop in refining operations, the company said Thursday.</p><p>Europe's No. 3 integrated oil company said its fourth quarter earnings compared to a euro794 million loss a year earlier.</p&a...

Feds take deliberate approach of oil shale leasing

2010-02-22T11:08:37Z

<div id="subtitle">Official says federal government is taking deliberate approach of oil shale leasing</div><div><p>Concerns and conflict over the first round of federal oil shale leases in the Rockies have made the government more deliberate in the second round, a federal official said Friday.</p><p>Alan Gilbert, a senior adviser to