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The article reports on the crisis in Texas' electrical grid during the snowstorm that devastated the majority of Texans in February 2021. Topics include the factors that led to the power stoppage, including the state's energy deregulation law that was signed by former Governor George W. Bush in 1999, the failure by energy industry players to invest in weather protection and maintenance, and the comment of University of Houston's Ed Hirs on the effects of deregulation.

The article reports on the sudden surge of COVID-19 cases in Texas and its impact on the state's economic recovery program as of June 26, 2020. Topics discussed include the state of its economy as oil prices and some small businesses started to rebound, threat of greater transmission as store employees started to get infected, and the decision of Texas Governor Greg Abbott to temporarily halt further reopening of businesses.

The article provides an update on oil prices in South Texas as of March 14, 2020. Topics mentioned include the lay-off of employees by oil producers, the collapse of oil prices to almost 30 U.S. dollars a barrel, and the decision of Saudi Arabia to ramp up production even as the global coronavirus outbreak saps demand for fuel.

The article reports on hopes of insurance companies to pass bill for damage from failures that stranded residents in flooded home and mentions that insurers are sketching legal strategy to pin costs on utilities and power companies.

The article focuses on the important role played by the Permian Basin that straddles Texas and New Mexico in reviving the U.S. oil industry. The factors that boosted productivity at the oil field include technical innovation, aggressive investing, and layers of oil-rich shale. The oil field also allowed the U.S. to reduce crude-oil imports and made the country a major exporter for the first time.

The article discusses the discovery and exploration of oil in West Texas by the oil company the Apache Corporation and off the coast of Alaska by the oil company Caelus Energy. An overview of the impact that the oversupply of oil has on low petroleum prices is provided.

The article discusses the Saudi Arabian oil company Saudi Aramco's bid to purchase an oil refinery in Houston, Texas from the multinational chemical company LyondellBasell. An overview of the Saudi Arabian perspective on investments in the U.S. is provided.

The article discusses the economic conditions in America's petroleum (oil) industry as of 2016, and it mentions the financial impacts that declining oil prices are having on the energy companies such as Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Exxon Mobil Corp., and the Oklahoma-based Latshaw Drilling Co. LLC. Employee layoffs and rental prices for oil drilling equipment are examined, along with corporate earnings and cuts involving oil production and exploration in places such as Texas.

The article discusses the increase of debt held by the Texas oil industry within the context of the global price decrease of oil. An overview of the Caza Oil & (and) Gas company's debt, including in regard to the interest rates it pays the business development company managed by the Apollo company, is provided.

The article discusses how America has thousands of petroleum (oil) wells in places such as Colorado that are drilled and ready for use when petroleum prices start to increase, and it mentions the nation's Niobrara shale, as well as information about crude oil production estimates involving the Anadarko Petroleum Corp. drilling firm. According to the article, the untapped petroleum wells are known as D.U.C.s (drilled but uncomplete). Oil shales in North Dakota and Texas are also assessed.

The article discusses the relationship between the increase of the global supply of oil, or petroleum, and the decrease in oil prices, including in regard to the impact on the petroleum industry in Texas, the increased production of petroleum and oil demand.

The article discusses the free cost of electricity at night that derives from wind power sources in Texas. An overview of wind power companies in Texas, including TXU Energy, is provided.

The article reports that Texas oil companies have collaborated in the biggest deal yet in the Southwestern oil patch, with creation of a shale-oil colossus, and mentions that the move is supposed to add momentum to the rush to produce more oil amid increase in oil prices.

The article discusses the economic impact of the decrease in petroleum prices on petroleum industry and oil industry finance in Karnes County, Texas. An overview of the oil price decreases' impact on petroleum production in Karnes County, including in regard to layoffs of oil field employees by the oil company Swift Worldwide Resources, is provided.

The article discusses a decline in Texans' employment in oil and natural gas production and a decline in the growth of the Texas economy, highlighting the implications for former Texas governor Rick Perry's possible run for the Republican Party candidacy for U.S. president in 2016. Topics addressed include examinations of whether Perry's low-taxation and limited-regulation policies actually ad a significant impact on the economy, as well as comparisons of Texas economy to that of California.

The article discusses the ways that the West Texas economy changes as the area's oil industry fluctuates. Topics discussed include the fall in oil prices, the decline in oil rigs in the area, and the cut back in the production of shale oil in the state. The economic conditions of Midland, Texas are focused on.

The article discusses residents grass-roots efforts to pass a referendum proposed in Denton, Texas that would ban the use of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the town. Topics addressed include oil and gas industry concerns that passage of the referendum could encourage other antifracking efforts in other parts of the U.S., as well as the views of Denton residents who are opposing the referendum.

The article reports that oil and gas refinery operations have resumed in Texas two weeks after Hurricane Harvey hit the state in the last week of August 2017.

The article discusses a trend of relatively low gas prices in the United States, focusing on the role of increasing production of shale oil in Texas in leading to lower gas prices. Topics addressed include declines in the price of oil despite conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, as well as the United States' role in the global oil market.

The article discusses the impact of a boom in oil and natural gas development in Texas as of June 29, 2014, highlighting areas of extreme poverty despite the economic benefits for some individuals involved in the oil industry. Topics addressed include the lives of a family of five living below the poverty line in Gardendale, Texas, as well as considerations of the availability of jobs in the area.

The article discusses the Motiva oil refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, highlighting its role in securing a U.S. market for Saudi Arabian oil. Topics addressed include an expansion of the refinery, its operation by oil company Saudi Aramco, and Saudi Arabia's importing of heavy crude oil to the United States.

The article reports that the image of the state of Texas is changing from the oil capital of North America to the capital of wind power. Texas ranked number one in the U.S. for installed wind power. Wind turbines had been a negligible form of generating electricity but is increasing because of the state's coal-burning power plants emitting greenhouse gases. The threats to the growth of wind power which include federal clean-energy tax credits expiring are discussed.

The article focuses on U.S. cities and towns which are not experiencing the decline in housing prices of 2007-2008. The vast majority of these markets are small and medium-sized cities which did not participate in the real estate boom of 2002-2006 that preceded the decline. Austin, Texas is presented as an example of such a market.

The article examines a modest revival of the petroleum drilling and extraction industry in west Texas. The strong rise of petroleum prices has increased drilling, and there is increased investment in the oil field there. A boom is not expected, however, as the fields are near the last of their reserves. U.S. petroleum production has declined every year from 2001-2006 in spite of prices quadrupling.

This article discusses natural gas in Fort Worth, Texas during 2006. The article notes that a natural gas drilling boom has taken place in Fort Worth during 2006, as oil companies have scoured the city in hopes of recovering one of the largest deposits of natural gas in the United States. The article examines this gas drilling boom on the city of Forth Worth, and states that some city residents are not pleased with the proliferation of natural gas drilling.

The article reports on the move of U.S. Justice Department to punish responsible executives in offshore oil industry who have violated several laws while doing business. It states that Donald J. Vidrine and Robert Kaluza, BP supervisors of Deepwater Horizon, are being charged with manslaughter due to the death of 11 fellow workers. It also mentions that David Rainey, a BP deepwater explorer, has been accused of false estimates and charged with obstruction of Congress.

The article provides an overview of the petroleum industry in the U.S. as of 2012. It focuses on the operation at Valero Energy Corp.'s Three Rivers refinery in Texas where signs of the improving fortunes for the industry can be seen. It also mentions that price advantage of American refiners over their foreign competitors has helped the country become a net exporter of refined petroleum products in 2011, for the first time since the late 1940s.

HOUSTON -- Jaime Escalona was fleeced so thoroughly by the financier R. Allen Stanford that he could no longer pay for his grandson's autism treatments, he said in a steady voice in court on Thursday, before turning to the defendant and declaring, ''You are a dirty, rotten scoundrel.'' Mr. Stanford took the insult in stride, and stared right back. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HOUSTON -- Mark Juull, a construction contractor for public and residential housing, has something to be thankful for in this sluggish economy: With global commodity prices falling, he's saving $200 a week on fuel for his three trucks and finding deals on aluminum, lumber and roof shingles, which are typically made from petroleum. But he says he thinks prices for his raw materials could easily shoot right back up, so he is not passing any of his savings on to his customers. ''When the economy hit me bad, I actually lost money,'' he said. ''So with prices going down, I am recouping.'' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HOUSTON -- Shareholders sent an angry message to the board and management of Chesapeake Energy on Friday, withholding support for the two directors up for election, rejecting the pay plan for top executives and urging the company to allow major shareholders to nominate their own board candidates. The revolt by shareholders, which occurred despite recent moves by Chesapeake's board to placate them, keeps the pressure on the company to revamp its leadership and further curb the power of its co-founder and chief executive, Aubrey K. McClendon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HOUSTON -- As the Memorial Day weekend and the summer driving season approach, gasoline prices are easing. But most drivers will find prices only modestly lower than a year ago. Nationwide, the price of a gallon of regular gasoline has been drifting lower by about half a cent a day over the last month, and energy analysts say that trend should continue over the next few weeks, in at least some states. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

HOUSTON -- Chesapeake Energy sought to calm investors on Monday by disclosing details of a new $3 billion unsecured bridge loan aimed at buying time for the financially beleaguered company to bargain for the best terms in selling valuable oil fields in West Texas and other assets. Plummeting natural gas prices have put Chesapeake, the nation's second-largest gas producer after Exxon Mobil, in a squeeze in recent months, upending a business model that led the company to pile up debt, with long-term liabilities of $13 billion as of March 31, to finance a frenzy of land acquisition and drilling across the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HOUSTON -- Aubrey K. McClendon built Chesapeake Energy into the nation's second-largest producer of natural gas through a combination of debt, foresight, luck and sheer bravado. Now both he and the company have been forced to add humility to the mix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HOUSTON -- Nearly two years after an explosion on an oil platform killed 11 workers and sent millions of gallons of oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico, deepwater drilling has regained momentum in the gulf and is spreading around the world. The announcement of an agreement late Friday by BP and lawyers representing individuals and businesses hurt by the disaster represented something of a turning of the page, though BP and its drilling partners continue to face legal challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

HOUSTON -- Less than two years ago, the British oil company BP was worried about its very survival as a seemingly unstoppable oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico threatened to destroy its finances and reputation. But on Tuesday, BP expressed renewed confidence in its future, reporting strong quarterly profits and raising its dividend to shareholders. The company also said it was eager to resolve billions of dollars in remaining private and government claims from the accident, whether through a settlement or in a trial scheduled to begin Feb. 27 in New Orleans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HOUSTON -- R. Allen Stanford and James M. Davis were roommates at Baylor University and trusted friends over three decades who together built an international financial empire. But this week they are scheduled to confront each other in federal court as indicted swindlers ready to cross swords. Mr. Davis, who was the chief financial officer of the Stanford Financial Group before it collapsed three years ago, is now the chief prosecution witness against Mr. Stanford. He will testify that he witnessed and participated in a $7 billion Ponzi scheme set in motion and directed by Mr. Stanford from a bank on the island of Antigua. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

HOUSTON -- After an internal debate, the Obama administration announced on Thursday that BP would be allowed to bid on new oil leases in the Gulf of Mexico. Just a day before, the Interior Department cited BP, the British oil company, and its two principal contractors for numerous safety and environmental violations related to the explosion that sank the Deepwater Horizon rig in April 2010. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

CORRECTION APPENDED HOUSTON -- Texas is home to at least one-third of the jobs created nationwide since the recession ended. The state's economy is growing about twice as fast as the national rate. Home prices have remained stable even as much of the country has seen sharp declines. Is Texas lucky, or has the state benefited from exceptional leadership? As Gov. Rick Perry campaigned Monday in Iowa for the Republican presidential nomination -- with the economy dominating the national political landscape -- the answer to that question is central to his candidacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CATARINA, Tex. -- Until last year, the 17-mile stretch of road between this forsaken South Texas village and the county seat of Carrizo Springs was a patchwork of derelict gasoline stations and rusting warehouses. Now the region is in the hottest new oil play in the country, with giant oil terminals and sprawling RV parks replacing fields of mesquite. More than a dozen companies plan to drill up to 3,000 wells around here in the next 12 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HOUSTON -- Exxon Mobil, the largest American oil company, reported a 53 percent increase in its fourth-quarter profit on Monday, helped by an improving world economy that has increased energy demand and crude prices. It was the strongest quarterly profit in more than two years, reflecting the strong recovery in oil markets. They soared in 2007 and 2008, collapsed in 2009, and returned to loftier heights by the end of 2010. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

HOUSTON -- Progress Energy Carolinas, one of the South's larger utilities, faced a dilemma last winter. Several of its coal-fired power plants were aging and needed scrubbers to reduce emissions and meet North Carolina pollution laws. Executives figured that even tougher regulations were coming from Washington, and overhauling 11 generators at four plants would have cost nearly $2 billion, which would have been passed on to the company's 1.5 million electric customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HOUSTON THREE summers ago, the world's supertankers were racing across the oceans as fast as they could to deliver oil to markets growing increasingly thirsty for energy. Americans were grumbling about paying as much as $4 a gallon for gasoline, as the price of crude oil leapt to $147 a barrel. Natural gas prices were vaulting too, sending home electricity bills soaring. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

HOUSTON -- Unable for six weeks to plug the gushing oil well beneath the Gulf of Mexico, BP renewed an effort Monday to use a dome to funnel some of the leaking crude to a tanker on the surface. A similar attempt failed three weeks ago, but officials said they had resolved some of the technical problems that forced them to abort last time. If successful -- and after the string of failures so far, there is no guarantee it will be -- the containment dome may be able to capture most of the oil, but it would not plug the leak. Its failure would mean continued environmental and economic damage to the gulf region, as well as greater public pressure on BP and the Obama administration, with few options remaining for trying to contain the spill any time soon. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

HOUSTON -- As BP prepared Tuesday for its most ambitious effort yet to stop the torrent of oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico, company officials emphasized that the procedure known as a top kill had never been tried so far underwater, that it might be delayed again and that it might not succeed at all. The consequences for BP are profound: A successful capping of the leaking well could finally begin to mend the company's brittle image after weeks of failed efforts, and perhaps limit the damage to wildlife and marine life from reaching catastrophic levels. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

HOUSTON -- Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison had all the advantages a year ago when she laid her plans to run for governor: a high popularity rating, a party shaken by President Obama's victory, a big bankroll and, most important, the backing of influential Republicans, who felt the incumbent governor, Rick Perry, was too divisive and too conservative. But by the time Republican voters went to the polls here in a primary on Tuesday, the political ground had shifted under Senator Hutchison, who lost in a three-way race to Mr. Perry. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Arabic script is about to appear on television sets across the country, with the Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens helpfully reading an English translation. ''Go back to sleep, America; the oil crisis is over,'' Mr. Pickens intones, deadpan, in the new video. Seductive Middle Eastern music plays in the background. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

General George Casey Jr., the Army chief of staff, said on Sunday that he was concerned that speculation about the religious beliefs of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, accused of killing 12 fellow soldiers and one civilian and wounding dozens of others in a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, could ''cause a backlash against some of our Muslim soldiers.'' ''I've asked our Army leaders to be on the lookout for that,'' General Casey said in an interview on CNN's ''State of the Union. ''It would be a shame -- as great a tragedy as this was -- it would be a shame if our diversity became a casualty as well.'' [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Military investigators have concluded that there was only one gunman involved in the rampage at Fort Hood that left 13 people dead and dozens more injured, but they added that they were still trying to determine whether other people were involved in any plot, an Army spokesman said on Saturday. The spokesman, Chris Grey, also told reporters during a briefing that the shooting suspect, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, an Army psychologist, had been taken off a ventilator on Saturday but remained in the intensive care unit at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To the naked eye, there was nothing to be seen at a natural gas well in eastern Texas but beige pipes and tanks baking in the sun. But in the viewfinder of Terry Gosney's infrared camera, three black plumes of gas gushed through leaks that were otherwise invisible. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]