Latest Energy Headlines
All the headlines from our Energy Topic Page, ordered by recency.
2014 Houston Ship Channel Collision, Spill Blamed on Tugboat
Jun 11 2015 // A tugboat captain’s decision to try to beat a cargo ship into the Houston Ship Channel is the probable cause of a 2014 collision that spilled 168,000 gallons of oil that drifted up to 200 miles down the Texas Gulf...
EPA Finds Little Evidence Fracking Contaminates Drinking Water
Jun 5 2015 // Fracking for shale oil and gas has not led to widespread pollution of drinking water, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency draft report said on Thursday, although it warned some drilling activities could potentially...
Stand-Alone Pollution Insurance Undersold in the Oil Patch
Jun 3 2015 // While stand-alone pollution insurance coverage for energy risks is available in the marketplace, more often than not those who need it the most may be unaware it is available or decide not to purchase it. That creates a...
Bad Companies Feel Shake-Out in Energy Sector the Most
Jun 3 2015 // While the per barrel oil price has rebounded somewhat after it plunged to under $45 per barrel in March 2015, the energy industry — and by extension the energy-focused insurance sector — continues to adjust to the...
Oklahoma Governor Signs Measure Preventing Local Fracking Bans
Jun 1 2015 // Oklahoma cities and counties would no longer be able to ban hydraulic fracturing — a process commonly called fracking — or other oil and gas operations within their boundaries under a bill signed into law on May 29 by...
Texas Governor Signs Bill Preempting Cities’ Drilling Bans
Jun 1 2015 // Texas’ governor has signed a measure that blocks municipalities and other local governments from regulating most oil and gas production activities within their jurisdictions Gov. Greg Abbott on May 18 signed House...
Alberta Wildfires Burn for 6th Day, 10% of Oil Sands Crude Offline
May 29 2015 // Firefighters battled wildfires in northern Alberta, Canada’s biggest crude-producing region, for a sixth day on Thursday, with two blazes near oil sands facilities still out of control. The wildfires have forced...
Wildfires in Northern Alberta Continue to Disrupt Oil Sands Production
May 27 2015 // Wildfires in northern Alberta kept about 10 percent of Canada’s oil sands production offline for a third day [on Tuesday] as Bank of America Corp. warned the blazes may slow the economy. A fire at Cold Lake Weapons...
Oregon Hash Oil Maker Burned in Blast Sues Butane Businesses
May 26 2015 // A Portland, Ore. man burned when a hash oil operation exploded has filed an $11 million product liability suit against makers and distributors of the butane canisters he was using. The suit says 28-year-old Kevin Tveisme...
A.M. Best: Nigeria Insurance Sector Offers Significant Potential for Investors
May 26 2015 // Although fluctuating oil prices threaten Nigeria’s economic expansion, the country’s insurance sector offers significant potential for foreign investors attempting to build a profile in the market, according to...
More Than 7,700 Gallons of Oil Sopped Up from California Coast
May 22 2015 // More than 7,700 gallons of oil has been raked, skimmed and vacuumed from a spill that stretched across 9 miles of California coast, just a fraction of the sticky, stinking goo that escaped from a broken pipeline, officials...
AXA Plans to Sell Coal Assets, Citing Concerns About Climate Change
May 22 2015 // France’s largest insurer will scrap holdings in coal companies because of concerns about climate change, broadening support for the fossil-fuel divestment movement to a major mainstream investor. AXA SA Chief...
Ascot, Chaucer & Skuld Form Underwriting Consortium for Renewable Energy
May 21 2015 // Ascot Underwriting Ltd. has formed Renewco Consortium (ReCo), a dedicated and independent underwriting platform for the renewable energy industry. The Lloyd’s consortium is jointly led by Ascot and Chaucer and...
BP Settles Gulf Oil Spill Cross Claims with Halliburton, Transocean
May 21 2015 // BP Plc has settled with oilfield services provider Halliburton Co. and contract driller Transocean Ltd. cross claims related to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the worst offshore disaster in U.S. history. BP still faces...
Cleanup Continues for Oil Pipeline Spill Along Southern California Coast
May 21 2015 // California Governor Jerry Brown declared an emergency in Santa Barbara County after a Plains All American Pipeline LP oil conduit leaked as much as 2,500 barrels of crude along the state’s southern coastline. About...
Texas Governor Signs Bill Preempting Cities’ Drilling Bans
May 19 2015 // Texas’ governor has signed a bill that blocks municipalities and other local governments from regulating most oil and gas production activities within their jurisdictions Gov. Greg Abbott on May 18 signed House Bill...
Environmental Groups Sue, Charge Oil Train Safety Rules Inadequate
May 18 2015 // Seven environmental groups filed a lawsuit on Thursday challenging safety rules issued earlier this month for trains carrying oil, arguing the regulations are too weak to protect the public. The groups, including the...
Texas Bill Preventing Local Drilling Bans Goes to Governor
May 18 2015 // A Texas bill banning its own cities from imposing prohibitions on hydraulic fracturing and other potentially environmentally harmful oil and natural gas drilling activities within their boundaries has been sent to Gov....
Fracking, Earthquakes and Insurance: A Collision Course?
May 18 2015 // There is increasing information suggesting that hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as “fracking,” is not all it’s cracked up to be. While it is clear that the resurgence of oil and gas production in the...
Iran Flexes Military Muscle in Persian Gulf, Amid Rising Tensions
May 15 2015 // With tensions over its roles in Yemen, Iraq and Syria already high, Iran is flexing its military muscle in the Persian Gulf. For the third time in as many weeks, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps patrol boats have fired at...
