Industry News
Regulators call for offshore industry ‘stand down’
By Laura Barron-Lopez Regulators are calling for an industry "stand down" to review safety precautions after investigating a Gulf of Mexico oil rig explosion that resulted in three deaths. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement released a report on Thursday that found rig operator Black Elk Energy […]
South Texas sees struggles, opportunities amid oil boom
Posted on November 2, 2013 at 6:00 am by Jennifer Hiller CORPUS CHRISTI — Along a bay front dotted with sailboats and shrimp boats, the movement of crude oil has long been part of the background scenery. Only now, most of the ships sit lower […]
Venezuela’s government seizes U.S.-owned oil rigs
CARACAS, VENEZUELA Venezuela has quietly seized control of two oil rigs owned by a unit of Houston-based Superior Energy Services after the company shut them down because the state oil monopoly was months behind on payments. The seizure took place Thursday after a judge in […]
Interior chief seeks balance in use of public lands
October 31, 2013, 04:02 pm By Laura Barron-Lopez Interior Secretary Sally Jewell on Thursday handed down a new order to guide energy development projects on public lands. The order "is about good government" and encourages businesses to work with Interior on caring for public lands, Jewell […]
Shell announces return to Arctic in 2014 despite mishaps
Posted on October 31, 2013 at 5:25 am by Jennifer A. Dlouhy Waves crash over the drilling unit Kulluk where it sat aground on the southeast side of Sitkalidak Island, Alaska, Jan. 1, 2013. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class/Jonathan Klingenberg.) WASHINGTON — Shell officials […]
Interior Department sees leadership shuffle
Posted on October 30, 2013 at 9:57 am by Jennifer A. Dlouhy Tommy Beaudreau, director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, speaks during an interview in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday Nov. 29, 2011. (Rich Clement/Bloomberg) WASHINGTON — A top Interior Department official who helped oversee the restructuring […]
Most voters oppose raising energy taxes, industry poll shows
Posted on October 29, 2013 at 4:53 pm by Jennifer A. Dlouhy (StockMonkeys.com) WASHINGTON — Most registered voters believe raising taxes on oil companies would hike costs for consumers and oppose boosting energy taxes now, according to a poll unveiled Tuesday. Oil industry leaders and lobbyists say the new […]
New waves of seismic technology yield big oil finds (video)
Posted on October 28, 2013 at 11:59 pm by Zain Shauk John Etgen, distinguished advisor for seismic imaging at BP, discusses seismic imaging results. Breakthroughs in seismic imaging have helped oil companies understand and pursue vast new resources. (Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle) HOUSTON — For decades, the […]
Report: Offshore regulator needs outside expertise on technology
Posted on October 28, 2013 at 4:28 pm by Jennifer A. Dlouhy An aerial view of the Ensco 8502 drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico. (Jennifer A. Dlouhy/Houston Chronicle) WASHINGTON — The expertise of the offshore oil and gas industry outmatches the federal agency that oversees it, […]
Halliburton’s tech chief pushes oil field innovation
Posted on October 27, 2013 at 5:00 am by Emily Pickrell Halliburton's vice president of technology, Greg Powers, stands in front of a wall of patents at Halliburton's north campus in Houston. (Todd Spoth) HOUSTON — Greg Powers joined Halliburton in 2010 after a career in engineering and […]
