NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The federal government will offer 23.5 million acres off of Texas for oil and gas leases in August. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management says that’s all the available waterbottom in the western Gulf of Mexico. Spokesman John Filostrat (FIL-oh-strat) says the agency has not chosen a date or location. Last August marked the smallest sale ...
Read More »Author Archives: Ben Karkela
Appeals court won’t overturn wind farm fraud conviction
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A federal appeals court is rejecting an effort by a Salt Lake City man to overturn his conviction for bilking investors in a fraudulent wind farm business, just days after rejecting a similar appeal from the man’s sister. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver on Monday rejected the latest appeal from Robert Arthur ...
Read More »Pipeline opponents plan rally; want NY to deny permit
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Members of environmental groups plan to rally at the state Capitol as they continue efforts to stop construction of a 124-mile natural gas pipeline from Pennsylvania to eastern New York. Opponents of the Constitution Pipeline want the Cuomo administration to deny a water quality permit for the project. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approval of the project ...
Read More »New Hampshire, Massachusetts in nuclear plant exercise
SEABROOK, N.H. (AP) — The states of New Hampshire and Massachusetts will be taking part in a full-scale emergency planning exercise regarding the Seabrook Station Nuclear Power Plant this week. The event allows federal teams to examine the ability of local, state and utility officials to protect the health and safety of the public living near the power plant in ...
Read More »At a glance: Settlement is latest milestone after BP spill
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal judge gave his final approval Monday to an estimated $20 billion settlement over BP’s massive 2010 oil spill. Here’s a look at some of the legal milestones since a deadly explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig killed 11 workers and led to millions of gallons of oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico: ...
Read More »More Texas jobs lost as oil bust continues
More than 1,100 Texas jobs have been cut in the past few weeks, according to reports by the Texas Workforce Commission. Oil major BP plans to cut at least 500 jobs in Harris County this year. The layoffs are expected to happen in June at three Houston locations. BP spokesman Jason Ryan said about 4,000 total upstream jobs will be ...
Read More »Ohio gas prices going into workweek up from month ago
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio’s average price for regular gas going into the workweek is up slightly from the state’s average this time last month. The price per gallon in Ohio was about $1.98 in Monday’s survey from auto club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and WEX Inc. That’s up 7 cents from the state average of around $1.91 ...
Read More »Air Products to book charge, exit energy-from-waste business
Air Products will book a pre-tax charge ranging from $900 million to $1 billion in its fiscal second quarter, as the industrial gas supplier leaves its energy-from-waste business. The Allentown, Pennsylvania, company said Monday the charge stems mainly from writing down assets from the business. Air Products also expects a modest future tax benefit from the write-off. Company officials said ...
Read More »Interview: Turkish Cypriot leader: gas may fund peace deal
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus’ potential wealth from newly found offshore gas reserves could be used to partly fund a costly deal reunifying the ethnically divided island, the leader of the breakaway Turkish Cypriots said Monday. Mustafa Akinci said natural gas could boost energy cooperation between Israel, Cyprus and Turkey and foster peace in a tumultuous region, but warned unilateral ...
Read More »OPEC official: Oil production freeze deal likely to be reached
KUWAIT CITY (AP) — Kuwait’s OPEC governor is saying members of the oil cartel and other producing countries likely will reach a deal later this month for a production freeze as crude prices sit below $40 a barrel. The state-run Kuwait News Agency quoted Nawal al-Fuzai on Tuesday as saying that oil ministers of OPEC nations and several non-OPEC nations showed interest ...
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