Norway warns on energy transparency

Norway’s foreign minister has warned that achieving financial transparency in the murky world of oil and other national resources has become more important, but also more difficult in the past two years.

As the oil price has trebled, governments of oil-rich states, Russia, Venezuela and Bolivia, have wrested more control over their precious resources from international companies, and willingness to disclose the revenue stream they have created has diminished.

Rising building costs pose threat to oil sector growth

ABU DHABI - A surge in building costs is threatening expansion projects by oil producers and could cause long-term problems for the industry, Arab producers said.

The news and the markets

Global oil production appears to have hit a plateau at 85 million barrels per day. This confirms the peak oil theory that the production of the world's easily recoverable hydrocarbons has, in fact, peaked. So what comes next?

Nuclear Energy — What Future for Oil?

The commodity markets' old saying that prices that go up like a rocket, come down like a bomb, seems to be nearer to the truth .... Energy security is of paramount importance today, as the success of global and national economies is more dependent on a consistent and timely supply of energy. At the same time, there is an increased sense of energy vulnerability and concern about the future availability of reasonably priced energy. The social, economic and political impacts associated with either natural or man-made disasters in the energy sector are vast, allied with a realization that energy infrastructure and supply chains are becoming complex and globally interrelated.

Beware Russia, energy superpower: Putin’s control of oil and gas may bring the West to its knees

Shell CEO says Sakhalin issues fully addressed

Royal Dutch Shell has fully addressed all ecological issues at its Sakhalin-2 oil and gas project and is confident it can resolve outstanding matters with Russia's government, its chief executive said on Monday.

Closing the Book on 2005: EIA Revises 2005 US Oil Usage from Decline to Gain

IEA chief surprised OPEC worried by price fall

"I am surprised OPEC is worried about the level of prices," IEA Executive Director Claude Mandil said in an interview with La Tribune newspaper released ahead of publication on Monday.

"Of course, (prices) have fallen significantly over the past month, but they had reached completely absurd levels," he added.

OPEC lowers oil demand forecast for 2006

EPA relaxing environmental rules for ethanol plants

CHICAGO - As President Bush promotes ethanol as a green alternative to gasoline, his administration is quietly relaxing environmental rules for dozens of new corn-to-fuel refineries sprouting up across the nation.

The Other Oil Threat

In 2006, OPEC's trade surpluses will match those of developing Asia, at a time when the U.S. is vulnerable to financial machinations.

World’s Largest Carbon Sequestration Project Approved

Branson asks Brown to cut duty on fuel to power green trains

Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Trains business is close to winning a concession from Gordon Brown that will launch the UK's first biofuel-powered rail service.

IEA chief: Europe and United States should import ethanol from developing world

Very important news. Finally someone with some authority is saying it: instead of producting it themselves and subsidizing it like mad, the United States and the European Union should import ethanol and biofuels from the developing world. Making it themselves is not good for the environment, nor for the economy as a whole, and even less for individual consumers. These are the words of Claude Mandil, chief of the International Energy Agency.

Indonesia dumping sludge from mud flow

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Indonesia began dumping mud surging from a gas exploration site in central Indonesia into the sea on Monday, hoping to minimize destruction from the disaster that has submerged entire villages and displaced thousands.

Algeria agrees oil windfall tax

Groups question nuke plant terror risk

JACKSON, Miss. - Environmental groups opposed to expanding a nuclear power plant accused federal regulators of failing to publicly address whether the project would increase the risk of terrorism.

General Motors says China sales rose 36.7%

Thousands of small generators

TORONTO - Leonard Allen, who runs a small solar panel company here, finally has something good to tell callers, he says. For the first time, he can promise it won't take 50 years to recoup the money they spend on a rooftop solar system.

Unholy trinity set to drag us into the abyss

We are about to experience the convergence of three of the great issues confronting humanity. Climate change, the peaking of oil supply and water shortage are coming together in a manner which will profoundly alter our way of life, our institutions and our ability to prosper on this planet. Each is a major issue, but their convergence has received minimal attention.