Kevin Dobbs

Federal authorities must apply more scrutiny to potential impacts on greater sage grouse across hundreds of oil and natural gas leases in Wyoming and Montana before authorizing new drilling, a federal judge in Idaho has ruled. Magistrate Judge Ronald Bush ruled that the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM), under former President Trump, failed…

U.S. oil producers overall have been reluctant to ramp up output even as crude prices climb and demand rebounds. They have focused on generating cash flow and exercised patience as the economy recovers from the pandemic. But shortages of supplies needed for drilling and resulting inflation amid coronavirus fallout could extend the trend and keep…

An acceleration in travel and economic activity should hasten the resurgence in global oil demand in the second half of 2021, cutting into supplies and justifying increased crude production, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said Thursday.  In its closely watched Monthly Oil Market Report, the Saudi-led cartel affirmed expectations it reported a…

Demand for U.S. petroleum fell for a second consecutive week, while crude production rebounded, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said Wednesday. Refinery utilization, however, reached a 2021 high, the agency said in its Weekly Petroleum Status Report (WPSR). Refineries operated at 91.3% of their capacity and inputs averaged 15.9 million b/d during the week…

Robust needs for U.S. exports across Asia, Europe and Mexico – coupled with expectations for another sizzling summer domestically – could keep supply/demand balances tight and upward price pressure firmly in place this summer, industry experts said. The upbeat outlook developed across an LDC Gas Forums Southeast conference panel moderated Tuesday by NGI’s James Alston,…

The chief executive of the pipeline operator that was temporarily crippled by a ransomware attack last month apologized to Americans. During testimony before a Senate panel on Tuesday, he acknowledged that Colonial Pipeline was susceptible to hackers and that it is still grappling with challenges caused by the infiltration. “We are deeply sorry for the…

Nine out of 10 power and utility executives say their organizations lack enough technology-savvy employees needed to keep pace with an ongoing digital revolution across the industry, the results of a 2021 global survey show. The survey, conducted for Ernst & Young LLP (EY), found that 94% of the 159 executives polled said they need…

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) on Monday submitted an advisory bulletin to the Federal Register, emphasizing to pipeline and pipeline facility operators requirements to reduce methane emissions. “Minimizing methane emissions from pipelines will help improve safety and combat climate change, while creating jobs for pipeline workers,” said PHMSA…

NGL Energy Partners LP, which transports oil and also treats, recycles and disposes of water generated as part of the energy production process – said it got off to a slow start in calendar 2021 because of Winter Storm Uri and lingering effects of the pandemic. But the Tulsa-based company sees brighter days ahead with…