August 2017

Icy Antarctica air reveals human-made methane levels higher than previously believed

News

Scientists say global warming could release methane from ancient carbon reservoirs such as permafrost In 2011 a team of researchers led by Vasilii Petrenko, an assistant professor of Earth and environmental sciences at the University of Rochester, spent seven weeks in Antarctica collecting and studying 2,000-pound samples of glacial ice cores that date back nearly 12,000 years, […]

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Magnesium battery breakthrough could lead to longer EV range – Univ. of Houston

Innovation

Aim is to create higher-energy batteries at a lower price, especially for electric vehicles Magnesium batteries offer promise for safely powering modern life – unlike traditional lithium ion batteries, they are not flammable or subject to exploding, but their ability to store energy has been limited, according to a press release. Researchers reported Aug. 24

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Oil prices rise on falling US dollar, rig count and Hurricane Harvey shutdowns

Energy Financial

Oil prices up slightly on Friday Oil prices rose on Friday on a falling US dollar, declining rig count and concerns over Hurricane Harvey’s impact on US Gulf Coast refining and oil operations. By 1:47 p.m. EDT, Brent crude was up 14 cents to $52.18/barrel and US WTI rose by 26 cents to $47.69/barrel. Hurricane

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Doing more with less: Increased energy efficiency could lower energy demand in Canada

Canada

Canada’s energy demand to grow at average annual rate of 0.7% According to the International Energy Agency, approximately two-thirds of economically feasible global energy efficiency measures have not been implemented. If Canada were to pursue energy efficiency improvements more aggressively, it could reduce its energy consumption by up to 15 per cent by 2035, according to

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Hurricane Harvey headed for Gulf of Mexico region with significant oil/gas infrastructure

USA

Texas Gulf Coast home to nearly one-third of U.S. refining capacity Hurricane Harvey strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane Thursday afternoon and is currently forecast to make landfall over southeast Texas later today or early Saturday, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) expects Hurricane Harvey to continue to

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Trump administration bars new financial deals with PDVSA

News

PDVSA oil exports, imports OK On Friday, the Trump administration slapped financial sanctions on Venezuela in an effort to pressure the government of President Nicolas Madura to stop practices and policies that the US says enriches and rewards corrupt government officials. The White House accuses Venezuelan government officials of “opaque financing schemes and liquidating the

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