EPA is taking nominations for membership on a special Science Advisory Board (SAB) panel to advise the agency on a key progress report on hydraulic fracturing and drinking water. Certainly, safe water supplies are critical to continued public confidence in fracking, which is why our industry should be part of this SAB panel – providing expertise and technical know-how as it does its work.

API Executive Vice President Marty Durbin made the case in a letter to EPA earlier this month:

“It is imperative that the panel include individuals experienced in upstream oil and natural gas operations which are unique in engineering, scale, distribution, materials, and timing to provide an accurate representation of this highly technical issue and its proper context for this review. Industry ha... more »

The problem of fraudulent biodiesel Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) – used to demonstrate compliance with federal mandates – continues. With U.S. refiners making plans for 2013, they don’t know how the sale of more than 140 million fraudulent RINs may impact their costs, nor do they know whether the problem will be fixed going forward. That’s the situation despite months of deliberation by EPA and the White House.

The impacts could be costly. Companies that unknowingly bought fake biodiesel RINs may have to pay fines and then buy new RINs to replace the fraudulent ones. Potentially, these are added costs to operations that could hurt consumers. API’s Bob Greco, group director for downstream and industry operations, discussed the issue in a conference call with reporters:

“... more »

This week’s question on the National Journal’s Energy Experts Blog asked about the future role of natural gas in the U.S. energy mix. In his response API President and CEO Jack Gerard likens natural gas from shale to a winning lottery ticket. The question is, will America cash in that winning ticket? Gerard:

“The energy reality is that natural gas and oil supply 62 percent of the energy we use today and are projected to supply more than 55 percent of it in 2035 – even with growing and important contributions from other energy sources. So, while we continue developing other sources let’s keep our eye on the ball by recognizing the primary role of gas and oil in powering our economy and by making wise decisions today that can foster our energy security down the road.”

OK, so what’s... more »

In its blueprint for American-made energy – a plan based on safe and responsible oil and natural gas development – API calls for common-sense energy regulation. What a sharp contrast with the regulatory landscape fostered by the administration, which simply has not made good on promises to promote regulatory predictability and reduce uncertainty. Upstream Group Director Erik Milito and Howard Feldman, director of regulatory and scientific affairs, made the case in a conference call with reporters.

Milito listed ways administration policies, as well as regulations it is considering, have hindered energy development and job creation:

• A status quo five-year plan for offshore oil and natural gas drilling that leaves 85 percent of our offshore acreage off limits to exploration and deve... more »

Highlights from the first session of this week’s forum on the impact of shale gas on the U.S. energy outlook, hosted at the Newseum by the Howard Baker Foundation and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory:

Energy security

• The revolution in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling is dramatically increasing estimates U.S. natural gas and oil reserves. Pioneer Natural Resources Company Chairman and CEO Scott Sheffield said the United States might have a 200-year supply of hydrocarbon reserves.
• While it’s premature to declare U.S. energy “independence,” IHS-CERA’s Daniel Yergin said not since President Nixon established the goal in the early 1970s has there been a better time for making the case.

In sum: The United States is in an energy position that couldn’t have be... more »