The U.S. Senate could vote today on measures addressing the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) regulation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from stationary sources. These measures and the EPA's regulatory proposal on ozone were the topics of discussion in a blogger conference call on Tuesday. Howard Feldman, API's director of scientific and regulatory affairs; Misty McGowen, director of federal relations; and Khary Cauthen, director of federal relations, took questions from bloggers about Congressional action to limit EPA overreach.

Ms. McGowen explained that there is a "groundswell of activity" on EPA regulation of greenhouse gases in the United States Senate and House of Representatives. In particular, she highlighted Sen. McConnell's, Sen. Rockefeller's and Sen. Baucus' amendments... more »

Did you know that today's diesel-powered light-duty vehicles must meet the same stringent emission requirements as gasoline-powered models?API helped those diesel vehicles meet the same air quality standards as gasoline vehicles in two ways. First, by producing Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) fuel, which burns more cleanly than earlier forms of diesel fuel. And second, by developing a certification program for Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF). DEF is a liquid that is injected into the exhaust system of diesel vehicles from a container located under the hood in most cars. The DEF hydrolyzes into ammonia when injected into the exhaust, and the ammonia reacts with the nitrogen oxide (NOX, which is a precursor to ground-level ozone formation) in the catalyst and converts it to pure nitrogen and water... more »

ExxonMobil reports that it has completed the world's longest well from an existing offshore fixed platform drilling rig.

The new well, located in the Santa Ynez Unit near southern California, will increase the company's ability to produce more domestic oil supplies.

According to a news release, ExxonMobil's "Fast Drill" technology:

• Extends more than six miles horizontally and more than 7,000 feet below sea level;

• Can achieve improvements in drilling rates by up to 80 percent; and

• Results in new production brought on quickly, safely and at lower cost.

Since 1981, the Santa Ynez Unit has produced more than 450 million barrels of oil and earned 12 Safety Awards for Excellence from the Minerals Management Service (MMS) for outstanding safety and environmental performance on the Outer Con... more »

The U.S. Interior Department yesterday announced that it will launch a nine-month study into royalty payments in other countries to determine whether U.S. royalty rates should be changed.

Royalties are the payments made to the government for oil and natural gas produced on U.S. federal lands.

Minerals Management Service's (MMS) Liz Birnbaum said in a statement that "the return from federal oil and gas leases is lower than what other resources owners worldwide are receiving," according to a Government Accountability Office study. In February, the Interior announced that it will increase royalty rates for onshore development by $1 billion over the next 10 years.

Already royalties, lease purchases, rental payments and other development fees are among the top funding mechanisms for the federal... more »

Eric Smith, a professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara, is calling on his "fellow environmentalists to reassess their stand on offshore oil."

In an op-ed published in Friday's Washington Post, Smith says the "technology of oil drilling has made huge advances," and he notes that detailed records on every offshore spill larger than one barrel show drilling is not to blame for large scale oil spills.

"[The data} show that the offshore oil industry spills a surprisingly small amount of oil and that the number and size of spills have declined sharply since the 1970s because of technological advances in drilling and tighter government regulations."

Smith does have one remaining question about offshore drilling, though: Does it emit more greenhouse gases (GHGs) than importing... more »