Declining moose populations across North America alarm scientists and lack a definitive cause, but climate change appears to play a role. [New York Times]

What do you get for $50 billion? In Kazakhstan it buys a problematic oil field. The giant, long-overdue and over-budget Kashagan field halted output due to a gas leak. This is the second time the field has shut down for technical reasons since starting production about a month ago. [Reuters]

US oil & gas companies are feeling the government shutdown’s impacts on their businesses as permits to drill wells on federal lands go unprocessed. [Upstream]