Latest Energy Headlines
All the headlines from our Energy Topic Page, ordered by recency.
BP to Pay $18.7B Over 18 Years to Settle Spill Claims with 5 States, U.S.
Jul 2 2015 // BP Plc has agreed to a preliminary deal in which it will pay a record $18.7 billion to settle claims by five Gulf states and the U.S. government for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the worst oil spill in the...
Oklahoma Supreme Court: Oil Firms Can Be Sued over Quakes
Jul 1 2015 // New Dominion LLC can be sued by an Oklahoma woman injured when her fireplace fell on her during an earthquake that she blames on disposal wells tied to fracking. The June 30 ruling by the Oklahoma Supreme Court reversed a...
Supreme Court Rejects BP, Anadarko Appeal of Gulf Spill Fines
Jun 29 2015 // The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected bids by BP Plc and Anadarko Petroleum Corp. to avoid penalties under federal pollution law in connection with the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The high court left in place a June...
Spike in Oklahoma Quakes an Energy ‘Game Changer’
Jun 25 2015 // A spike in earthquakes across Oklahoma is forcing the state’s energy regulator to urgently consider tougher restrictions on drilling activity, a spokesman said, calling it a “game changer.” From June 17...
Denton, Texas Officials Repeal Voter-Approved Fracking Ban
Jun 19 2015 // Leaders of a North Texas university town that was the first in the state to ban hydraulic fracturing repealed the voter-approved measure early on June 17, sounding a tone of capitulation to the state’s powerful oil...
Hijacked Orkim Harmony Oil Tanker Released by Pirates Who Escape
Jun 19 2015 // The hijacked oil tanker Orkim Harmony has been released by pirates, who fled in the ship’s rescue boat, Malaysian navy and maritime officials said on Friday. The Orkim Harmony, hijacked on June 11 off the Malaysian...
Update: Malaysian Navy Makes Contact With Pirates on Hijacked Oil Tanker
Jun 18 2015 // A Malaysian naval vessel has made contact with the pirates onboard hijacked tanker Orkim Harmony and is trying to persuade them to surrender, a maritime official said on Thursday. The tanker as of noon (0400 GMT) was in...
Court Delays Ruling on 2013 Quebec Oil Train Crash Settlement
Jun 18 2015 // A Quebec judge reserved his decision on Wednesday on whether to grant a motion that would clear the way for a settlement between victims of the 2013 Lac-Megantic oil train disaster and dozens of companies and individuals...
Tropical Storm Bill Makes Landfall in Texas with 60 MPH Winds
Jun 16 2015 // Tropical Storm Bill came ashore on the Texas mainland this morning near Seadrift, packing heavy rains that will drop as much as 10 inches along the coast. Bill’s winds were 60 miles (97 kilometers) per hour, up from...
Shell: Insurers May Be Reluctant to Underwrite Carbon Capture Projects
Jun 12 2015 // Projects to capture carbon emissions from power plants and store them permanently underground face “large risk premiums” from insurers because the technology is so new, Royal Dutch Shell plc...
2014 Houston Ship Channel Collision, Spill Blamed on Tugboat
Jun 11 2015 // A tugboat captain’s decision to try to beat a cargo ship into the Houston Ship Channel is the probable cause of a 2014 collision that spilled 168,000 gallons of oil that drifted up to 200 miles down the Texas Gulf...
EPA Finds Little Evidence Fracking Contaminates Drinking Water
Jun 5 2015 // Fracking for shale oil and gas has not led to widespread pollution of drinking water, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency draft report said on Thursday, although it warned some drilling activities could potentially...
Stand-Alone Pollution Insurance Undersold in the Oil Patch
Jun 3 2015 // While stand-alone pollution insurance coverage for energy risks is available in the marketplace, more often than not those who need it the most may be unaware it is available or decide not to purchase it. That creates a...
Bad Companies Feel Shake-Out in Energy Sector the Most
Jun 3 2015 // While the per barrel oil price has rebounded somewhat after it plunged to under $45 per barrel in March 2015, the energy industry — and by extension the energy-focused insurance sector — continues to adjust to the...
Oklahoma Governor Signs Measure Preventing Local Fracking Bans
Jun 1 2015 // Oklahoma cities and counties would no longer be able to ban hydraulic fracturing — a process commonly called fracking — or other oil and gas operations within their boundaries under a bill signed into law on May 29 by...
Texas Governor Signs Bill Preempting Cities’ Drilling Bans
Jun 1 2015 // Texas’ governor has signed a measure that blocks municipalities and other local governments from regulating most oil and gas production activities within their jurisdictions Gov. Greg Abbott on May 18 signed House...
Alberta Wildfires Burn for 6th Day, 10% of Oil Sands Crude Offline
May 29 2015 // Firefighters battled wildfires in northern Alberta, Canada’s biggest crude-producing region, for a sixth day on Thursday, with two blazes near oil sands facilities still out of control. The wildfires have forced...
Wildfires in Northern Alberta Continue to Disrupt Oil Sands Production
May 27 2015 // Wildfires in northern Alberta kept about 10 percent of Canada’s oil sands production offline for a third day [on Tuesday] as Bank of America Corp. warned the blazes may slow the economy. A fire at Cold Lake Weapons...
Oregon Hash Oil Maker Burned in Blast Sues Butane Businesses
May 26 2015 // A Portland, Ore. man burned when a hash oil operation exploded has filed an $11 million product liability suit against makers and distributors of the butane canisters he was using. The suit says 28-year-old Kevin Tveisme...
A.M. Best: Nigeria Insurance Sector Offers Significant Potential for Investors
May 26 2015 // Although fluctuating oil prices threaten Nigeria’s economic expansion, the country’s insurance sector offers significant potential for foreign investors attempting to build a profile in the market, according to...
