Yesterday API hosted a blogger conference call to discuss several U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposals on the table that could harm the United States' economy. Topics included the agency's premature approval of E15, a gasoline blend containing 15 percent ethanol, as well as the agency's plans to regulate greenhouse gases, toughen ozone standards, and even govern things like farm dust and boilers. As we have noted previously here on the Energy Tomorrow Blog, a recent report by the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI estimates that the proposed ozone standard alone could destroy 7.3 million U.S. jobs.

Numerous API experts participated in the blogger conference call, including Kyle Isakower, vice president of regulatory and economic policy; Russell Jones, senior economic advisor; How... more »

Yesterday API hosted a conference call with 11 bloggers to discuss pressing energy issues following the Deepwater Horizon incident.

Topics discussed included the deepwater drilling moratorium, the potential economic impact of new taxes being considered by Congress, oil spill liability issues, and new ethanol standards proposed by the EPA.

Eight industry representatives weighed in during the conversation, including Dr. Tim Considine, author of a recent study assessing the economic benefits of developing the Marcellus Shale.

At one point in the call, API Tax Policy Manager Stephen Comstock debunked the common misperception that the oil and natural gas industry receives more subsidies than any other industry:

"There's been a lot of statements out there that the oil and gas industry is the mo... more »

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.

Yesterday, API hosted bloggers for a conference call featuring Robert Renner, Alberta Minister of the Environment. Minister Renner was available to take questions about Canada's oil sands from the bloggers who recently toured ConocoPhillips and Syncrude operations in Alberta.

The bloggers included:

• Byron King, Whiskey and Gunpowder
• Gail Tverberg, The Oil Drum
• Brian Westenhaus, New Energy and Fuel

Listen to the audio of the call using the player and follow along with the transcript below.

Last week, I had the pleasure of hosting 15 bloggers on a conference call about the challenges of deepwater exploration and the impact of these projects on the U.S. economy.

The conversation featured Robert N. (Bobby) Ryan, Jr., vice president of global exploration for Chevron Global Upstream & Gas and also included API Chief Economist John Felmy and API Federal Relations Director Mark Kibbe.

Bloggers who participated in the call include:

• Alan Stewart Carl, Donklephant
• Bob McCarty, Bob McCarty Writes
• Brian Westenhaus, New Energy and Fuel
• Bruce McQuain, The QandO Blog
• Buster Cagney, The Oil Drum
• Chris Nelder, GetRealList
• David Murphy, The Oil Drum
• Devil's Advocate, Right Wing News
• Geoff Styles, Energy Outlook
• Jim Hoft, Gateway Pundit
• Joy McCann, Little Miss Attila
• Krystle, Bearing Drift an... more »