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Major oil, gas and coal interests have been disrupted by Pres. Clinton's creation of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah. The national monument, which encompasses 1.7 mil acres, is estimated to contain coal reserves measuring a minimum of 11.36 bil tons as well as substantial oil and gas fields. The interests which previously managed these claims fear that they will not be adequately compensated with similar claims as stipulated under the agreement to create the national park., Utah is working hard to salvage the value of coal, oil and gas, and other minerals whose realization was placed in jeopardy with creation of a national monument last year. [...]

Oil and gas industry lobbyists worked to keep up during the Fourth of July recess as congressional committees reviewed bills responding to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. These bills concerned the removal of spill liability limits, the reorganization of offshore resources management, and standards on oil well equipment.

Under fire, FERC seeks to speed pipeline permitting The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is coming under increasing pressure to streamline its certification process for new gas pipeline projects. FERC is [...]

Oil and gas companies are waging a fierce political battle to press their exploration and development rights in the Rocky Mountain states. Standing in the way of their exploration interests in the region are environmentalists including President Bill Clinton, whose commitment to protecting the Rocky Mountain wilderness is demonstrated by his establishment of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah., Oil groups are continuing to battle for access to explore on federal lands in the Rocky Mountain states. A major lockup of land occurred last September, when President Bill Clinton [...]

AND ANOTHER ALASKAN POLITICIAN weighs in on the heavy-handedness of federal regulators. US Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-Alas.) recently blasted FERC for not approving the Independence natural gas pipeline project. The [...]

Even developed nations with significant oil export revenues will suffer if global climate change treaty targets are to be met, warns OPEC. But developing nations that export oil will suffer [...]

Oil and gas companies warned of a slowdown in deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico despite the lifting of a drilling moratorium in the area. They pushed for quicker government action on forming deepwater drilling regulations.

Oil and gas industry task forces submitted more than 50 recommendations dealing with offshore oil spills to the US Department of the Interior. The recommendations addressed oil spill preparedness and response, and underwater well control and containment.

Members of the Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States called on members of the US Congress to adopt policies encouraging the development of natural gas. This was part of the Independent Petroleum Association of America's efforts to bring members to Washington, D.C. for meetings with members of the U.S. Congress.

President Bush's clean air plan nets gas industry approval, oil, coal interests' flak The Bush administration last week proposed a costly set of rules to strengthen the Clean Air Act [...]

The U.S. Minerals Management Service has released alternatives for proceeding with its controversial oil valuation rule (OGJ, Sept. 15, 1997, p. 25). The rule would require the value of most [...]

U.S. gas producers have urged the Senate energy committee to allow fair competition between fuels should Congress consider retail electricity decontrol legislation. Witnesses testified at the committee's May 8 workshop [...]

European oil and gas industry associations are warning European Union ministers to resist calls for further intervention in Europe's energy markets when they meet June 1. Brussel's European Petroleum Industry [...]

U.S. gas industry spokesmen have complained that many elements of a pipeline safety bill pending in the House of Representatives are unnecessary. Their comments came at a House energy and [...]

The oil and gas industry must inform that American people that energy independence is unattainable and wasteful. The pursuit of energy independence entails costs that the American people cannot afford to bear.

The oil and gas industry supported the Republican Party heavily in the 2008 US elections, spending slightly more than $26 million during the campaign. The industry also backed candidates in the presidential, senatorial, and congressional races. The industry is expected to experience a backlash from the Democratic Party-controlled US Congress.

Negotiations for oil taxes and climate change laws are becoming more intense after punitive measures for oil and gas companies and climate change regulations were rejected in the US Senate. Oil and gas industry lobbyists expect the reintroduction of a cap-and-trade bill in 2009.

U.S. oil groups oppose and gas groups support key elements of the Clean Air Act revision the House of Representatives has passed. The legislation now goes to conference committee, which [...]

This time, Saudi Arabia got its way on boosting quotas to match production. s It a case of eating one's cake and having it too? That might seem so, considering [...]

Even, a pessimist would concede that the US has won a major energy policy victory in Central Asia. After years of political wrangling, a consortium of eight oil companies will [...]

TOPPING PIPELINE NEWS, Alaska North Slope producers will meet in Washington Feb. 4 with US officials and pipeline companies to review regulatory obstacles that could delay or postpone a proposed [...]

Industry groups have praised President Bill Clinton's nomination of United Nations Ambassador William B. Richardson to serve as U.S. Energy Secretary, replacing the retiring Federico Pena (OGJ, June 22, 1998, [...]

Six major U.S. oil and gas associations have urged the Senate to ratify the U.S.-Mexico Maritime Boundary Treaty to resolve jurisdictional claims in the Gulf of Mexico. The treaty would [...]

Federico Pena, U.S. Secretary of Energy, appears determined to steer his country backward on energy policy. At least twice this month, he hinged promises for 'a comprehensive energy strategy' to [...]

Members of the Congressional Oil and Gas Forum are lobbying Pres Clinton to reduce environmental regulations on oil and gas producers. Caucus members have recommended specific actions which would reduce the regulatory burden on domestic producers, including maintaining current ambient air quality standards and eliminating redundant drug and alcohol testing regulations mandated by Transportation Department agencies., More than 80 members of the Congressional Oil and Gas Forum-have urged President Clinton to reduce the regulatory burden on domestic producers. In a July 26 letter, the caucus members [...]

Canada's gas industry is worried about a possible move by the National Energy Board to cut operating pressures on pipelines as a move to combat stress corrosion cracking. This comes [...]

American Gas Association objected to the Energy Information Administration's plan to release data to the public that companies report to EIA on gas storage Form 191. AGA said the data [...]

Oil and gas producers should encourage the national and state governments to enact production incentives to generate revenues and create jobs. Producing-state governments, such as Texas, have created production incentives with no net cost to taxpayers or consumers. Federal land development and tax deductions on geological and geophysical expenses would also boost production and revenue., At last, the U.S. oil and gas producing industry has a pattern for political success. Learning as it went along, the industry late last year won relaxation of the federal [...]

The simmering dispute between the U.S. oil and gas industries over the future of natural gas as a transportation fuel has flared into the open again. The American Petroleum Institute [...]

The U.S. natural gas industry has urged Congress not to repeal part of a federal law that requires electric utilities to buy power from cogeneration projects and small power producers. [...]

The petroleum industry should try to convince Congress to pass the GATT trade bill, which is in a fast-track legislation status. Failure to obtain US support for the GATT treaty would probably result in reduced support for GATT from other major trading nations. Lack of support for the legislation would lead to a weakening of worldwide trade and lowered demand for oil and natural gas products., The oil and gas industry should tell U.S. lawmakers convening for a short, single-issue session this week that an imperfect trade bill is better than no trade bill at all. [...]

Environmental regulations inhibit industry from switching to natural gas from other fuels, according to Natural Gas Supply Assn Pres Nicholas Bush. Outdated emission standards for users of natural gas exceed those for other fuels. For instance, a coal- or oil-using plant operating at 50% capacity may be compared to a gas-fired plant at 100%. The Environmental Protection Agency's standards should treat each fuel source equally., The Natural Gas Supply Association has begun a campaign to encourage federal regulators to amend rules that discourage use of U.S. natural gas. Nicholas Bush, NGSA president, said some fuel [...]

Oil industry associations have asked a federal court for a preliminary injunction blocking a new U.S. Minerals Management Service policy claiming royalties on take of pay gas contract settlements. The [...]

The Clinton administration will not give up on its proposed tax on fossil fuels, also called the BTU tax, despite energy industry opposition, according to Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary. Oil and gas industry groups have major concerns about the BTU tax, such as disruption of gas industry economics, the loss of marginal oil wells and the tax advantage of gasoline produced and refined overseas compared to gasoline refined in the US., Energy Sec. Hazel O'Leary says the Clinton administration is willing to negotiate on details, but it is not retreating from the concept of a BTU tax on U.S. fuels. The [...]

Unity on gas A decade ago, it seemed whenever major U.S. gas industry associations took stands they were against each other. Many of their deep disagreements were prompted by Natural [...]

Gas decontrol II Rep. Phil Sharp's natural gas decontrol bill gathered momentum last week as the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America decided to support phased-in deregulation. Ingaa endorsed decontrol [...]