Don't miss out on the latest business and technology news for chemical engineers, featuring select items in relation to Fuels and Petrochemicals!
US crude production hovers near record high
US crude oil output increased by 241,000 barrels per day in March to 11.905 million bpd, hovering around the 11.966 million-barrel record set in December, show data from the Energy Information Administration. Meanwhile, gross natural gas production in the contiguous US hit a new record of 99.3 billion cubic feet per day in March, driven by the Gulf of Mexico and North Dakota.
Trump administration pledges cleaner fossil fuels
Speaking at an energy conference Thursday in Salt Lake City, Energy Secretary Rick Perry reiterated the Trump administration's commitment to invest in research and development initiatives to make fossil fuels cleaner. "Instead of punishing fuels that produce emissions through regulation, we're seeking to reduce those emissions by innovation," Perry said.
Energy Dept. officials tout natural gas as "molecules of US freedom"
The expansion of natural gas exports from the Freeport LNG project in Texas means more "freedom gas" and "molecules of US freedom" could be exported worldwide, two Energy Department officials said in a news release. Steven Winberg, assistant secretary for fossil energy, added, "Increased supplies of US natural gas on the world market are critical to advancing clean energy and the energy security of our allies around the globe."
Rattler Midstream goes public in biggest energy IPO of 2019
Pipeline operator Rattler Midstream Partners, a subsidiary of Diamondback Energy, launched an initial public offering that brought in $665 million, making it the biggest energy IPO of 2019. Rattler operates 781 miles of crude, natural gas, drilling and wastewater pipeline in the Midland and Delaware basins of the Permian Basin.
ExxonMobil has several major chemical expansions underway
ExxonMobil is moving forward with two major projects in the US and the UK, having confirmed a $2 billion expansion in Baytown, Texas, and a specialty elastomers expansion in Wales. "Our substantial investments in the United States support ExxonMobil's long-term growth plans and will result in more high-paying jobs," says CEO and Chairman Darren Woods.
EPA faces scrutiny over biofuel waiver program expansion
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., is seeking an explanation as to why the Environmental Protection Agency has expanded the biofuel waiver program for oil refiners and has asked the EPA's Office of Inspector General to launch a probe into the matter. "Recent document disclosures reveal that the EPA misled Members of Congress, industry and the public in regard to the agency's motivations and justifications for its SRE policy," Duckworth wrote in a letter, adding that this "may indicate improper motives and conflicts of interest."
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