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,...

Hardscrabble to hardball 11/04/2007
Alberta premier draws on roots to tackle Big Oil; tells critics 'this isn't a compromise'
Ed Stelmach has done what none of his predecessors dared to do in the past 60 years - rewritten the province's oil and gas royalty regime. Whether inspired or foolish, that's not bad for a man often p...

CIBC economist sees $100 oil in 2008 10/07/2007
Oil prices could top $100 a barrel by the end of next year and remain above that point for years to come, the chief economist of Canadian investment bank CIBC World Markets said Oct. 2. Jeffrey Rubin...

BP protests proposed tax 09/30/2007
Suttles says Palin's plan makes Alaska less competitive when investment needed for existing fields, new developments
A study of government take by Wood Mackenzie released in June ranked Alaska among the least fiscally stable regimes in the world, BP Exploration (Alaska) President Doug Suttles told the Alaska Support...

Hikes would hurt oil sands 09/30/2007
Wood Mackenzie: Royalty, tax increases would undermine project values
A recent study published by respected international energy consultant Wood Mackenzie reflects industry's worst fears over government proposals to hike royalties and taxes on Alberta oil sands projects...

Alberta wants bigger take from oil 09/23/2007
Government panel says province doesn't get fair share from energy development, recommends tax bite should increase by 20 percent
The State of Alaska isn't the only government looking to raise its take of oil and gas revenues. A government-appointed panel has concluded that "Albertans do not receive their fair share from energy...

Statoil sees 'heavy' answers abroad 09/16/2007
Statoil is giving some definition to plans for turning its recently acquired North American "beachhead" into 200,000 barrels per day of synthetic crude production, helping the Norwegian giant sustain...

Oil prices baffle ExxonMobil boss 09/16/2007
Rex Tillerson, rated the most powerful oilman in the world because he occupies the posts of chairman and chief executive officer at ExxonMobil, candidly admits he doesn't have a clue where 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...

Total pulls out oil sands stops 08/12/2007
Total, Europe's third-largest oil producer, plans a two-stage, 200,000 barrels-per-day oil sands upgrader near Edmonton in a bid to head off looming shortages of construction labor and materials as co...

China quits sands pipeline in a huff 07/22/2007
Abandons role in plans to ship Alberta oil sands production to Chinese refineries, accuses Canadian government, producers of blocking Chinese access to markets; Enbridge says discussions continue with possible California, Asian buyers
In a scathing public attack on the Canadian government, China's giant oil company abandoned its role in plans to ship Alberta oil sands production to Chinese refineries. China National Petroleum Corp....

Chavez ripples head north 07/15/2007
Venezuelan strongman's policies give Exxon reason to expand in Alberta
The turmoil in Venezuela, as President Hugo Chavez moves to nationalize heavy oil ventures in the Orinoco Belt, could send some positive ripples in Alberta's direction. ExxonMobil, having decided to p...

Conoco: Talks with Venezuela could take months 07/08/2007
ConocoPhillips Chairman Jim Mulva said July 2 it could take several more months of negotiations with Venezuela to reach final compensatory terms for its multibillion-dollar investment in the country's...

Chavez vows to broaden Russian investment 07/08/2007
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called on Russian business leaders June 29 to boost their energy investment in his country, calling U.S. companies "vampires" and U.S. President George W. Bush a devil...

U.S. refiners turning to Canada for supplies 07/01/2007
Western Canada's oil producing sector is facing a pipeline capacity crunch by 2015, with United States demand expected to almost double to 3.1 million barrels per day and domestic demand headed for a...

Alberta's oil sands refuse to wilt 06/24/2007
Latest news involves Kuwait Oil's scouting trip, Western Oil Sands takeover rumors, Teck Cominco's oil sands output projections
Regardless of how much they come under attack, the Alberta oil sands show no signs of taking a time out. In the latest flurry of developments: • Kuwait Oil Co. made a scouting trip to Canada, looking...

Oil Patch Insider 05/27/2007
Alberta urged to tread carefully in royalty, tax changes; CH2M Hill eyes VECO
Chevron Canada doesn't regard Alberta's combined oil royalties and taxes as onerous by world standards, but President Mark Nelson warns that the fiscal regime is a delicate balancing act by the govern...

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...

Canada pipeliners race to Gulf Coast 04/15/2007
Turn to new markets, spurred by desire to shrink price differential between types of crude, fill vacuum created by Venezuela
The United States Gulf Coast beckons and Canadian pipeline companies are responding as the race to open a new market opportunity for Western Canadian crude moves into top gear. The reasons were laid o...

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...

MINING NEWS: Industry opposes Alaska mining tax reform 03/25/2007
Pebble controversy is raising public awareness of mining taxes; Rep. Seaton says legislative action could stave off ballot initiative
Should the mining industry's tax rate in Alaska be compared with that of the much larger oil and gas industry, because they both deal with non-renewable resources, or is it fairer to align mining w...

Canada's new green giants 03/18/2007
Alberta legislation could cost petroleum industry 'hundreds of millions of dollars;' sector on edge as it awaits federal regulations for greenhouse gas emissions
One half of a newly formed political tag team - Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach - flipped the petroleum industry on its back March 8, leaving Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to apply a possible...

Venezuela's Chavez decrees oil takeover 03/04/2007
President Hugo Chavez ordered by decree on Feb. 26 the takeover of oil projects run by foreign oil companies in Venezuela's Orinoco River region. Chavez had previously announced the government's inte...