Yesterday API hosted a conference call about hydraulic fracturing with 14 bloggers who previously expressed a strong interest in this 60-year-old drilling practice.

Among the topics discussed was the makeup of fracking fluids used to create fissures in hard-rock formations allowing oil and/or natural gas to flow up the wellbore.

As API's representatives explained to the bloggers, fracking fluids are 99.51 percent water and sand, and the chemicals used in the fluids are posted online and at drill sites. To suggest that the industry won't divulge the fluids' chemical compositions is a "red herring," commented Erik Milito, API's group director for Upstream and Industry Operations.

While members of Congress have been considering proposals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), the oil and natural gas industry has been investing in technologies that have reduced GHGs from its facilities and processes.

A new study, commissioned by API, found that GHG emissions from the U.S. oil and natural gas industry declined more than 48 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent from 2007 to 2008, a reduction comparable to taking 9.7 million cars off the roads.

The study, "Emission Reductions Associated with U.S. Oil and Gas Industry Investments in Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Technologies"--conducted by T2 and Associates--shows that among the factors contributing to the reduction is the industry's investment of more than $58 billion in carbon mitigation technologies from 20... more »

Each week the National Journal's Energy and Environment blog poses a question and invites a select group of authorities to respond. The question for the week asked about a Gallup Poll showing that Americans are less concerned about the environment than at any time in the past 20 years.

National Journal asked, why? And what does the lack of concern portend for climate legislation?

API's President and CEO Jack Gerard posted a response that made two key points:

• Americans are focused on jobs and the economy; and

• It's likely that many Americans are aware that the environment has improved markedly during the past several years.

According to a report published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the levels of six common air pollutants have fallen 41 percent on average since 1990, de... more »

A bipartisan bill was introduced today by Virginia Congressmen Bob Goodlatte, Glenn Nye, Robert Wittman, Rick Boucher, Frank Wolf, Tom Perriello, Eric Cantor and Randy Forbes to take legislative action to move forward with Lease Sale 220, an oil and natural gas lease sale off Virginia's coast.

This sale was originally scheduled for 2011, but put on hold by the Interior Department.

We commend this bipartisan effort to allow oil and natural gas leasing in federal waters offshore Virginia, a policy that more than two in three citizens of the Commonwealth support.

Virginians-along with their governor, both of their Democratic senators, much of the congressional delegation and the city council of Virginia Beach, off which much of the development would take place-understand that offshore leasing... more »

Here's an analogy that helps to describe how a bill in the Connecticut legislature could cause problems for the state's consumers.

As you read this, you're likely to ask, "What's the connection between oil and gumballs?" I'll explain, so please keep reading.

Suppose your family owns a company that makes gumballs. For several decades, your product has been shipped to coin-operated gumball machines in restaurants and stores in prominent locations where children are likely to see the gumballs and beg their parents for pocket change.

Now suppose that one state in your distribution area decides gumballs are too large and must be reduced in size. Because you want to continue supplying gumballs to the state, you have to buy new equipment to make smaller gumballs, purchase boxes with new labels t... more »