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Participants at the 2010 Marcellus Summit voiced their concerns about the environmental impact of shale gas operations. State governments with jurisdiction over the Marcellus shale gas play are considering tougher regulations .

The cement job at BP PLC's Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico followed extensive tests and specifications, Halliburton Co. officials said. The officials have disagreed with BP PLC's conclusion criticizing the cement job. Problems with the cement are seen to have been caused by contamination.

United States Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa P. Jackson said more research into the long-term effects of chemical dispersants are needed despite success in their use in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Dispersant research has focused primarily on short-term effects. Jackson also said protocols to evaluate risks in dispersants use should also be developed.

Officials from the US Chamber of Commerce and Cambridge Energy Research Associates warned that the oil industry would be harmed by tax hikes. These officials claimed that proposed tax hikes reduce the international competitiveness of the industry.

The American Petroleum Institute warned that a proposal to reduce the national primary ozone standard to 60 parts per billion would hurt the US economy. US gross domestic product would be reduced by $676.8 billion in 2020, while job losses would reach 7.3 million if the EPA adopts the proposal.

The deepwater drilling moratorium on the US Gulf Coast could reduce net oil and gas spending by $1.8 billion and cut up to 12,000 jobs. Job loss projections were reduced from 23,000 as oil and gas companies opted to retain their skilled employees.

The EPA asked nine oil and gas companies to provide information about chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing fluids. The companies were given 30 days to provide the information which will be used in the EPA's study on the effects of hydraulic fracturing on groundwater supplies.

An American Petroleum Institute survey revealed voter opposition to increased taxes on the oil and gas industry in the US. Increased oil and gas taxes were opposed by 62% of the respondents, while 60% said that these could result in job losses.

The US Department of the Interior issued regulations requiring oil and gas producers in the Gulf of Mexico to install permanent plugs in nonproducing, completed wells with safety valves. It also ordered the dismantling of about 650 idle production platforms in the area.

Michael R. Bromwich, director of the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement, told during a teleconference that resuming deepwater drilling will depend on the oil and gas industry's compliance with safety requirements. He indicated that the moratorium need not be extended beyond 30 November 2010.

Oil and gas industry task forces submitted more than 50 recommendations dealing with offshore oil spills to the US Department of the Interior. The recommendations addressed oil spill preparedness and response, and underwater well control and containment.

Researchers at the United States Department of Energy have developed a new technology to enhance the use of natural gas and methane hydrate as energy resources. The method involves the rapid formation of methane hydrates. It forms synthetic gas hydrates using water and methane with much less pressure and cooling.

The Piceance basin oil shale contains an estimated 1.5 trillion barrels of oil, the US Geological Survey has reported. The area represents the largest oil shale deposit in the world. But previously unassessed resource has been found to be low-grade.

The United States Department of the Interior is planning to restrict its use of categorical exclusions (CXs) to activities involving limited environmental risk. The agency is reviewing its National Environmental Policy Act process and the use of CXs on the US Outer Continental Shelf. It will also conduct a new environmental analysis in the Gulf of Mexico.

A federal judge has ruled to allow Shell Gulf of Mexico Inc. to start a seismic survey of its Chukchi Sea leases. A court has earlier issued an injunction against the company's planned exploration activities. The ruling has also allowed Shell to conduct shallow hazard and ice gauge surveys.

The implementation of low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) in the United States will increase greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 19 million tons/year, a study by the Barr Engineering Co. has revealed. LCFS is seen to result in more oil imports. It will also prohibit refineries from using oil from Canadian oils sands.

United States senator Mark Begich has proposed extending the Regional Citizens Advisory Council concept to the Arctic. The plan will serve as an alternative to legal challenges of offshore oil and gas activities in northern Alaska. But Alaska governor Sean Parnell has opposed the proposal.

The United States House Energy and Commerce Committee has asked Transocean Ltd. for more data on safety practices aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig prior to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Lawmakers have cited reports of rig workers' fear of reprisals for expressing safety concerns. Questions have been raised on the rig's alarm system.

The US House Energy and Commerce and Science and Technology Committees passed separate measures in response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The Energy and Commerce Committee bill focused on deepwater wells, while the Science and Technology Committee passed two bills dealing with research on offshore oil spill prevention and cleanup and on safer drilling technologies.

The United States government's ban on oil drilling activities in the Gulf of Mexico will reduce production by 31,000 b/d, the US Energy Information Administration has reported. But production is still forecasted to increase by 75,000 b/d. The ban is also seen to adversely impact natural gas production in the gulf.

United States Interior secretary Ken Salazar and US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement director Michael R. Bromwich have vowed to implement reform in the agency. Bromwich is planning to examine the agency's proposed reorganization. Comments from officials are also included.

TransCanada Pipelines Ltd. has briefed United States officials on the safety and reliability of its proposed Keystone crude oil pipeline. The proposed system would transport crude produced from North Dakota's Bakken shale. Comments from officials are also provided.

Natural gas is seen to play a key role in the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG), a study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has revealed. Natural gas has been found to be a bridge to a low-carbon future. GHG reduction can be accomplished by replacing coal-fired power plants combined-cycle generation.

BP PLC is going to establish a $20 billion escrow fund to compensate the victims of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The company will pay $3 billion in the third quarter of 2010, $2 billion in the fourth quarter, and $1.25 billion in succeeding quarters until the total reaches $20 billion.

United States president Barack Obama has appointed Michael R. Bromwich to oversee the reorganization of the US Minerals Management Service. Bromwich has been tasked to eliminate conflicts among the agency's different missions. His career background and achievements are also given.

The American Petroleum Institute, Independent Petroleum Association of America and the National Ocean Industries Association have formed task forces to address offshore oil spill preparedness. The technology to respond to oil spills are seen as inadequate. Comments from executives are also presented.

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rejected a lawsuit by environmental and Alaska Native organizations aiming to prevent Shell Offshore Inc. from drilling in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. The court ruled that the US Department of the Interior met its obligations while reviewing Shell's plan and potential environmental threats.

The oil sands in Alberta represent a source of strategic value and a laboratory for environmental management technologies, according to participants of the North American Energy Summit. Participants also discussed about the oil and gas industry's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the prospects of further development of Alberta's oil sands.

US government officials admitted that the response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill required the use of unproven technologies. The effort is also producing new and vital information of spill control technologies and their environmental impact.

The rig accident and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico can impact the passage of a climate change bill, United States senator Lindsey O. Graham said. He said the inclusion of additional oil and gas drilling provisions in the bill could be hampered by the issue. But Graham remains committed to the expansion of offshore oil and gas drilling.

United States senator Lindsey O. Graham has abandoned discussions with senators John F. Kerry and Joseph I. Lieberman on compromise climate-change legislation. Majority leader Harry M. Reid has refused to consider the issue before immigration reform. Graham has been advocating wider oil and gas activity on the US Outer Continental Shelf.

The United States Minerals Management Service Alaska regional office's environmental assessment is handicapped by a lack of a comprehensive guidebook and high staff turnover, the US Government Accountability Office said. The agency's policy on significant environmental impact is also unclear. It has also been criticized by former employees.

The United States Geological Survey has been tasked to study the impact of oil and natural gas exploration activities on the environment and animals in the Arctic Ocean. The USGS will study the effect of drilling activities on marine mammals. The results will help guide federal oil and gas policies on the area.

The US EPA initiated a comprehensive study on the effects of hydraulic fracturing on ground and surface water supplies. The agency will spend $1.9 million to fund the study in 2010 and will request for funding for the study for the fiscal year 2011.

Lawrence H. Summers, director of the National Economic Council, called for a reformulation of terms used in the US energy policy debate. Such changes will result in the passage of comprehensive energy legislation, according to Summers.

The US Minerals Management Service published a preliminary revised program for the US Outer Continental Shelf development for 2007-2012. The revised program removed five lease sales off Alaska while keeping one in the Chukchi Sea.

The US Minerals Management Service announced that it is beginning to prepare an environmental impact statement for the US Outer Continental Shelf development program for 2012-2017. It also announced the holding of 13 public meetings regarding future geological and geophysical exploration of the area.

BP PLC chief executive officer Tony Hayward said diversity, competition and efficiency will play key roles in balancing energy security, employment and economic development with climate change control. The world is seen to need 45 percent more energy in the year 2030. Hayward added nuclear energy and biofuels will also play a part in energy security.

The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited BP North America Inc. and BP-Husky Refining LLC refinery for alleged violations of federal work regulations. Violations include alleged exposure of workers to hazards. The agency has proposed more than three million dollars in fines.

United States president Barack Obama has met with senators and policymakers to discuss a comprehensive energy legislation. The senator attendees have expressed support for an energy legislation. Obama has also reiterated his stand on the setting of carbon emission price.

A team of scientists from the University of Alabama at Birmingham has started to inject carbon dioxide into Citronelle oil field in Alabama. The carbon dioxide injection is part of a $7.9 million project to determine the feasibility of the field for enhanced oil recovery and carbon dioxide storage.

US Commodity Futures Trading Commission member Scott D. O'Malia declared that energy commodity regulators need to be careful and cooperative to ensure increased transparency in global oil markets. He also called for access to accurate and timely data regarding petroleum market conditions to prevent sudden price increases.

Members of the Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States called on members of the US Congress to adopt policies encouraging the development of natural gas. This was part of the Independent Petroleum Association of America's efforts to bring members to Washington, D.C. for meetings with members of the U.S. Congress.

US President Barack Obama declared his willingness to allow oil and gas exploration in new offshore areas in the US. He also cited efforts by his administration to support a transition to a renewable energy economy.

EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson declared that the agency may raise the greenhouse gas control threshold for refineries and other large industrial plants from the proposed 25,000 tons/year. The agency expects to begin regulating greenhouse gas emissions in 2011.

Representatives Henry A. Waxman and Edward J. Markey asked for information about chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing in letters to eight oil field service companies. The letters aim to address concerns about the use of hydraulic fracturing fluids, particularly near underground water supplies.

BP PLC and ConocoPhillips have abandoned the United States Climate Action Program. The companies have expressed belief that they can be more effective on their own in the climate change debate. Comments from executives are also included.

Texas has legally challenged the United States Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. The state has filed a petition for review with the US court of Appeals. Comments from officials are also given.

The United States natural gas market will improve in 2010, the US Energy Information Administration has forecasted. Modest demand growth, lower production and imports and higher prices are seen to drive the markets. Very cold weather has also pushed natural gas demand in the country.

The National Petrochemical and Refiners Association legally challenged California's low-carbon fuel standard and claimed that it violated the Commerce Clause of the US Constitution. The NPRA was joined by the American Trucking Associations, the Consumer Energy Alliance, and the Center for North American Energy Security.