The Wall Street Journal reported late Thursday that oil services giants Halliburton and Baker Hughes were involved in “quickly progressing” merger negotiations, which caused shares of both firms to jump. “The Journal, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter, said talks were progressing quickly and a deal could come soon.” [Fuel Fix]

A new study using autonomous underwater vehicles to measure ocean temperatures and salinity shows warm waters are contacting Antarctic ice sheets and melting them from below. “The Caltech and UEA scientists used sea gliders to make their measurements. Sea gliders are devices that move up and down in the ocean waters, taking samples of water properties, while they glide. Sea gliders are a relatively new measurement tool and they provide high-resolution, high-quality data.” [The Guardian]

A new report suggests Ontario should break up transmission company Hydro One to raise billions of dollars that could be reinvested into regional infrastructure projects. “We estimate that between $2 billion and $3 billion, depending on market conditions at the time, can be realized and invested in Ontario’s transit and transportation infrastructure,” Clark said Thursday in a 77-page report, entitled “Retain & Gain: Making Ontario’s Assets Work Better for Taxpayers and Consumers.” [Toronto Star]