Germany is drafting strict anti-fracking regulations, but fracking opponents say the current plan doesn’t go far enough, citing loopholes regarding depth and fracking fluid chemistry. “Although the proposed policy has the protection of public health and drinking water as its highest priority, the fracking ban only applies at a depth shallower than 3000 meters. Additionally,… Keep reading →
Two of the oil industry’s more colorful chief executives – Total’s Christophe de Margerie and Eni’s Paolo Scaroni – provided some choice remarks on a range of energy-related topics yesterday at a Council on Foreign Relations event, The Future of Energy. They were joined by Michael Levi, director of the Council’s program on energy security… Keep reading →
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a Saudi billionaire investor with holdings in outfits like Citigroup and Time Warner, published a critical letter to Saudi Arabia’s oil minister, Ali Al-Naimi (on twitter, no less). It said that the country “won’t be able to fulfill its plan to increase capacity to 15 million barrels a day”, that “there’s… Keep reading →
The US may be at the forefront of the shale revolution, but in a list of countries where above-ground factors are most conducive to oil and gas development, the country lags behind competitors such as Canada and the UK. The Energy Information Administration’s latest report on global shale resources, conducted by Advanced Resources International and… Keep reading →
Hope everyone had a nice 4th of July! Here’s what’s happening in energy news. West Texas Intermediate crude is trading near a 14-month high, spurred by unrest in Egypt and a sunny outlook for US economic growth. [Bloomberg] And Brent hit a three-month high today after Egypt’s army declared a state of emergency in areas… Keep reading →
The North American gas shale revolution’s medium-term impact on global markets will be realized through exports of the fuel itself, rather than the technology to access it, according to International Energy Agency Executive Director Maria Van Der Hoeven. “The unconventional gas revolution in the US will impact gas markets over the medium term more by… Keep reading →
The World Economic Forum is widely known for the glittering array of its high-profile attendees and more recently for its role in annually highlighting the response of global elites to the economic crisis that accelerated in 2008 and has played out in the euro crisis and grinding developed-economy recessions since.
Issues of national security, of globalization and of the role of business in increasingly transparent societies have been raised but have attracted less attention; this year, attendees say, that is likely to change. Keep reading →
