News Topics: Govt & Regulatory

Monday, May 20, 2013 The European Union will review hydraulic fracturing and the environmental concerns surrounding the practice this year, EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger says.

Sunday, May 19, 2013 Japan is pledging $2 billion for energy and mineral projects in Africa as it seeks to catch up with years of Chinese investment.

Friday, May 17, 2013 Greenland's new government clarifies its stance on allowing more offshore oil exploration.

Friday, May 17, 2013 The Obama administration clears the way for broader natural gas exports by approving a $10B facility in Texas, a milestone in the US transition into a major supplier of energy for world markets.

Thursday, May 16, 2013 Petrobras, BP and Total rank among companies winning exploration blocks offshore Brazil in the nation's 11th bidding round, the first since December 2008.

Thursday, May 16, 2013 The Department of Interior seeks comments on the updated rule that would govern hydraulic fracturing on US federal and Indian lands.

Thursday, May 16, 2013 The US Senate confirmed Ernest Moniz, a nuclear physicist who has lauded the US natural gas boom, as the next US Energy Secretary.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013 Indonesia is looking to increase investment in new oil and gas projects via incentives.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013 Allegations of oil-price manipulation by large firms in the energy sector are "extremely concerning," UK Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman says.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013 Iraq's government criticizes a deal between Turkey and the Kurdistan region of Iraq to develop oil projects.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013 Policy makers in Washington should know that finding ways to expanded production on the OCS does not mean they are shirking their responsibilities to provide oversight.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013 Brazil saw record bidding at its first oil auction in five years as the growing promise of oil finds along the equator attracted huge interest in exploration blocks at the mouth of the Amazon River.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013 CNOOC pulls out of an auction of oil and natural gas exploration concessions in Brazil, the country's ANP says.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013 PetroChina confirms it withdrew a bid for an Australian coal-bed methane gas producer but said it would continue to invest in other Australia projects because of their commercial value and importance for energy security.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013 Turkey's state-run oil firm enters an agreement with ExxonMobil to develop joint projects in Kurdish-administered northern Iraq, the country's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says.

Monday, May 13, 2013 BP withdraws staff from Libya as a "precautionary measure" after receiving advice from the Foreign Office.

Monday, May 13, 2013 Iran has offered new, more alluring terms to reluctant Indian companies to win the investment it craves for its decaying energy sector suffering from tight Western sanctions.

Friday, May 10, 2013 Canadian Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver says the possibility of changes to a proposed European Union law that seeks to treat Canadian oil-sands crude as dirtier than conventional fuel have improved.

Friday, May 10, 2013 New Zealand's government expects a new law governing resource extraction to attract more interest from foreign oil and gas explorers.

Thursday, May 09, 2013 ANP Director Magda Chambriard reports significant interest in Brazil's upcoming 11th bidding round as Brazil pursues plans to double its oil and natural gas production.

Thursday, May 09, 2013 Due to recent events, BLM has delayed oil and natural gas leasing in California.

Thursday, May 09, 2013 BSEE Director James Watson and US Coast Guard Rear Admiral Joseph Servidio announce a new Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)to strengthen the working relationship between the two agencies.

Thursday, May 09, 2013 Landmark legislation intended to reform Nigeria's oil sector is set to introduce harsh fiscal terms that could deter $109B worth of new investment in the coming years, according to Nigeria's oil industry trade body.

Thursday, May 09, 2013 Oil and gas will remain a vital part of the UK's energy mix for decades, says UK Energy Secretary.

Thursday, May 09, 2013 Scotland's Energy Minister reckons that UK North Sea oil and gas production can continue until the end of the century, but only with the right policies from the government.

Wednesday, May 08, 2013 Four weeks on the job, Secretary Sally Jewel visits OTC to discuss the department's plans for the oil and gas industry.

Wednesday, May 08, 2013 Nigeria and South Africa have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at boosting the volume of oil and gas trade between the two countries, Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria's oil minister, says.

Wednesday, May 08, 2013 The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has no plans to increase its presence in the Arctic, Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says.

Wednesday, May 08, 2013 Tullow Oil is weeks away from an agreement with the Ugandan government on the final outline of a plan paving the way for investments of some $12B to develop the country's nascent oil sector, Chief Executive Aidan Heavey says.

Tuesday, May 07, 2013 BSEE, Noble Energy and HWCG announce the successful completion of a full-scale deployment of critical well control equipment to assess Noble's ability to respond to a potential subsea blowout in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.

Tuesday, May 07, 2013 A Mozambique government official anticipates ratification of the nation's updated petroleum law by year-end ahead of its upcoming licensing round.

Tuesday, May 07, 2013 When Shell sought permission from the US government to drill for oil in the icy waters of the Arctic Ocean, it agreed to follow a special set of standards to control oil spills in a challenging environment.

Monday, May 06, 2013 Hess steps up an ongoing push for its director nominees after two proxy advisory firms last week recommended shareholders back the board slate put forth by dissident holder Elliott Management Corp.

Monday, May 06, 2013 Norwegian PM Jens Stoltenberg laid out plans for a modest tax cut for mainland businesses while increasing taxes on oil companies and multinationals, as it looks to maintain a competitive business climate.

Monday, May 06, 2013 Panelists at OTC discuss how the benefits outweigh the risks of offshore development and that the federal government is hindering America's quest in becoming energy independent.

Monday, May 06, 2013 Speaking to Rigzone, Scottish Enterprise says that Scotland is becoming a major services hub for the international oil and gas sector.

Monday, May 06, 2013 Statoil warns proposed change to tax breaks threatens the attractiveness of future projects on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

Monday, May 06, 2013 The federal government is poised to pass Investment Canada amendments that will broaden its definition of "state-owned enterprises".

Friday, May 03, 2013 Proxy advisory firm ISS recommends shareholders vote for directors nominated by a dissident Hess Corp. (HES) investor, delivering a blow to the oil company's incumbent board less than two weeks before its annual meeting.

Friday, May 03, 2013 Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell visits an offshore drilling rig and production platform in the Gulf of Mexico, capping a two-day visit to the Department's regional offices that oversee oil and gas development in federal waters.

Friday, May 03, 2013 The rising wave of shareholder activism claims another corporate chieftain: Ray Irani, the executive chairman of Occidental Petroleum and one of the most highly paid executives of the last decade.

Friday, May 03, 2013 Venezuela's government could revoke contracts of 10 small partner companies in the nationalized oil industry if they fail to meet the state's demands to increase production.

Thursday, May 02, 2013 An Ontario court rejects an attempt by Ecuadorean plaintiffs to collect a multibillion-dollar environmental award from Chevron in Canada.

Thursday, May 02, 2013 Kenya could be six years away from becoming Africa's latest oil producing nation, the International Monetary Fund said in a recent report.

Thursday, May 02, 2013 Oil sector services firm Aquaterra Energy says its managing director has been appointed to the UK's new Oil and Gas Industry Council.

Thursday, May 02, 2013 The central government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government agree a tentative deal to resolve a dispute over payments to foreign oil companies.

Wednesday, May 01, 2013 BP confirms the Mexican government as a plaintiff as it receives more than 2,200 additional civil lawsuits over the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

Wednesday, May 01, 2013 Norway's Petroleum Safety Authority orders BP to review its management system for the Norwegian Continental Shelf after hydrocarbon leak on Ula P platform last September.

Tuesday, April 30, 2013 Egypt will adopt a new licensing policy for its future exploration contracts signed with foreign companies that will allow it to obtain a bigger share of the production, Oil Minister Osama Kamal says.

Tuesday, April 30, 2013 BSEE Director Jim Watson directs an unannounced exercise to deploy critical pieces of state-of-the-art well control equipment to the ultra-deep seabed of the Gulf of Mexico.