Energy Today - February 7, 2011
Rayola Dougher
Posted February 7, 2011
Calgary Herald: Harper appeals to Obama to support $7B pipeline: Prime Minister Stephen Harper made a personal pitch Friday for President Barack Obama to support a controversial $7-billion pipeline that could double the amount of Alberta oilsands crude exported to the United States. Harper confirmed he pressed Obama on Calgary-based TransCanada's proposed Keystone XL pipeline during the two leaders' hour-long meeting at the White House. The planned 3,200-kilometre pipeline, which would run from Hardisty to the Gulf Coast of Texas, is currently in limbo as the State Department weighs whether to grant a presidential permit allowing construction to begin. Platts: API pushing for bipartisan bill on limiting EPA greenhouse gas regulations: The desire to create jobs will eventually persuade President Barack Obama to sign a bill that would limit the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to regulate greenhouse gases, the oil industry's top lobby said Friday. The American Petroleum Institute said it believes a bill can be crafted that would win bipartisan support in Congress and be palatable for Obama to sign, despite what has been seen as an aggressive push by the administration to use the Clean Air Act to limit the release of greenhouse gases from stationary sources. "We believe there is wide bipartisan support in Congress to move forward this year on something that President Obama would sign that stops EPA from regulating greenhouse gas emissions, so that Congress can take the next step forward on tackling this issue," Khary Cauthen, API's director of federal relations, said during a conference call with reporters.
The Wall Street Journal: Listening to the Shale Revolution: With turmoil in the Middle East comes the inevitable spike in oil prices, topping $90 this week. Look for energy security to make one of its recurrent runs to the top of the national agenda. This time, though, we should listen to the shale gas revolution that has put an unexpected energy bonanza at our feet in places like New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Any energy forecast a few years ago that failed to anticipate the shale boom and associated technological breakthroughs now mostly looks like a wasted effort. And that's the point.
Hot Air: Permitoreum Update: Yes, you can have new permits, when...: Ever since the unofficial Obama administration permitoreum began keeping the issuance of new gulf drilling permits effectively frozen, industry officials have been working overtime to meet each requirement and jump through every hoop demanded so they could return to work. Even though rigs have already begun leaving the gulf for lack of profitable activity, the major energy companies have continued efforts to work with the federal government to ensure that all safety considerations have been adequately addressed. On Friday, they received their answer.
Additional Resources
Fox News: Canada PM Harper Urges U.S. to Approve Oil Pipeline
Oil & Gas Journal: API: Congress, not EPA, should direct GHG policy
Alaska Journal of Commerce: New drilling under way, but too slow for demand