Alaska well-placed in global survey 12/23/2007
As reported in last week's issue of Petroleum News, Alaska trails Wyoming and Colorado among U.S. states, but edges out all Canadian provinces except Saskatchewan in a study of investment "friendlines...

Alberta getting nudged off center-stage as tax hikes prompt big EandP companies to shift capital spending to United States 12/23/2007
The verdicts are rolling in for Alberta's proposed new royalty regime as the leading EandP companies take the wrapping off their 2008 capital budgets. But, in the process, those companies are reinforcin...

Alaska delegation plans to block gas export 12/16/2007
Alaska's proposed natural gas pipeline will not be used for exporting gas outside North America, the state's congressional delegation vowed the week of Dec. 9. Alaska's senators and congressman said t...

China's Sinopec, Iran ink $2 billion Yadavaran deal 12/16/2007
China's biggest refiner, Sinopec, and Iran have signed a $2 billion agreement on developing the Yadavaran oil field, firming Beijing's business links with Tehran despite U.S. calls for sanctions over...

Access to federal lands could prevent gas shocks 12/09/2007
Rice University study recommends trading Alaska gas development for EandP access to closed Lower 48 federal lands
Spening federal lands to oil and gas exploration won't free the United States from its growing dependence on natural gas imports, but it could protect the country from future global supply disruptions...

Chinese bidder faces political hurdles 12/09/2007
Sinopec has pipeline expertise and financial muscle, but it does business in many politically unpopular places around the world
The surprise pipeline bid from a subsidiary of China's Sinopec could provide an interesting new link between Alaska and Asia's mainland. But it's unlikely to get out of the starting gate due to an imp...

Iran: OPEC will study currency basket 11/25/2007
OPEC will study the weak U.S. dollar's effect on the oil cartel's earnings and investigate the possibility of a currency basket, Iran's oil minister said Nov. 18. "We have agreed to set up a committe...

Ecuador's president urges political role for OPEC 11/25/2007
Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa, in his first public speech since his country's official re-entry into OPEC, said Nov. 18 that the 13-nation oil producer group must take on a more political role an...

President likely to veto OPEC lawsuit bill 11/25/2007
U.S. President George W. Bush is still likely to veto legislation allowing U.S. institutions to sue the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries over its alleged actions in pushing up oil prices,...

Margonelli's Oil on the Brain: A good start 09/02/2007
Oil on the Brain by Lisa Margonelli strives to demystify the "life" of oil as it moves along its journey from deep underground to our local gasoline station. The author follows the customary divisions...

Come-back-kid Marathon chalks up discoveries in deepwater Gulf 05/20/2007
Marathon Oil Corp. has steadily crawled back from a less-than-stellar exploration performance in deepwater Gulf of Mexico, posting worthy discoveries and farm-ins over the past several years as an ope...

Statoil puts footprint in Alberta oil sands 05/06/2007
Norwegian oil giant drawn by 'long-term' barrels in pouncing on privately held company with plans for bitumen production, upgrading
The Norwegian flag has been planted in the oil sands of northern Alberta, with Statoil making a bid to acquire high-flying North American Oil Sands for C$2.2 billion. Statoil, which is due to complete...

Global LNG supplies tight 05/06/2007
Wood Mackenzie: Keeping up with world demand will be challenging for decades
The supply of LNG for the world market will be tight for years or decades to come, even with huge new liquefaction facilities being constructed or planned in Qatar, Nigeria and elsewhere, according to...

Gas OPEC looms on horizon 04/15/2007
World's producing giants study delinking gas and oil prices, but insist price-fixing cartel is not part of the agenda; global gas trading holds key to commodity's future
It's been talked about for years, it's moved a step closer, but there's some distance yet to travel before countries controlling two-thirds of the world's global reserves move to an OPEC-style price-f...

BOOK REVIEW: Cussler novel boasts super seismic 03/18/2007
Fans of the almost 40 books written by Clive Cussler might wonder why readers of Petroleum News are interested in his latest improbable action adventure co-authored with his son Dirk. Given the techn...

Oil prices drop below US$59 a barrel 02/25/2007
Commodities strategist doesn't see anything that could push prices either way; upside pressure potential 'quite limited right now'
Oil prices fell Feb. 21 as traders anticipated a decline in fuel demand after forecasts of warmer-than-average weather in the United States. Light, sweet crude for April delivery lost 52 cents to US$...