Billionaire activist Tom Steyer came under the microscope last week when the New York Times profiled his role in managing a fund that invested heavily in Australian coal. Now a climate change mitigation crusader and democratic funder, some have called Steyer’s former Wall Street activity his Achilles’ heel, but many in the environmental community rushed to his defense after the Times published the article. [Greenwire]

ExxonMobil is moving forward with a Russian drilling program in partnership with recently-sanctioned Russian state oil giant Rosneft at a time when the Obama administration is drawing a hard line against the Kremlin for its apparent support of Ukrainian separatists accused of shooting down a passenger jet last week. Exxon is known for acting in its own best interests despite US government policy objectives – see Steve Coll’s Private Empire. “’It’s a bit discordant with the message that the United States government is trying to send, having this long-planned summer drilling season go ahead right now,’ said Elizabeth Rosenberg, energy program director at the Center for a New American Security think-tank and a former sanctions adviser at the Treasury Department.” Greenpeace is also displeased, having recently staged a protest at the rig in question. [Reuters via Rigzone]

The Syrian government is battling insurgents for control of a gas production facility, Libya looks to be restarting exports from the country’s largest oil field – output levels are oscillating between 500k and 600k b/d – while fighting rages near Tripoli, and the Iraqi military continues fighting militants that spilled over from Syria. [Wall Street Journal has coverage – subscription required]