Late June: Production to Resume for Some Chrysler North American Plants

CRC: Diesel Emissions Even Lower than U.S. EPA Limits

Hedge Funds Active; Ethanol Futures Down

NYMEX Crude Remains Above $71/bbl

House, Senate Seek to Regulate Hydraulic Fracturing

U.S. Refining Industry Fears Inclusion of ‘Inherently Safer Technology’ in Chemical Facilities Bill

BP Statistical Review Discusses Global Impact on Energy Future

Mysterious ‘V-Vehicle’ Gets Millions in Tax Subsidies

Repsol to Become Major Natural Gas Supplier to North America

Today’s Feature:

  Late June: Production to Resume for Some Chrysler North American Plants

U.S.-based automotive company Chrysler will resume assembly operations at seven of its North American facilities at the end of the month.

...Click to continue

  CRC: Diesel Emissions Even Lower than U.S. EPA Limits

The long-awaited Advanced Collaborative Emissions Study (ACES) from the U.S. auto-oil Coordinating Research Council (CRC) found that diesel emissions from heavy-duty trucks built since 2007 are far lower than even what U.S. EPA requires.

...Click to continue

  Hedge Funds Active; Ethanol Futures Down

Heavy trading on the CBOT drove the ethanol June futures contract down yesterday and clobbered the December Forward Month Swap contract, which has lost 11¢ in the past week.

 ...Click to continue

  NYMEX Crude Remains Above $71/bbl

The price of the July NYMEX crude futures contract closed flat yesterday at $71.37/bbl, an increase of 34¢ from the day before.

 ...Click to continue

  House, Senate Seek to Regulate Hydraulic Fracturing

Two bills were introduced into the Senate and House this week seeking to repeal the exemption provided to the oil and gas industry from complying with the Safe Drinking Water Act.

The legislation was introduced by Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.).

 ...Click to continue

  U.S. Refining Industry Fears Inclusion of ‘Inherently Safer Technology’ in Chemical Facilities Bill

The U.S. refining industry and other manufacturing industries are concerned that a bill currently in the House of Representatives could have language added to it that would place additional restrictions on how plants handle chemical substances.

 ...Click to continue

  BP Statistical Review Discusses Global Impact on Energy Future

In his speech to the Baker Institute Energy Forum in Houston earlier this week, Mark Finley, general manager of global energy markets for BP America, characterized 2008 as a year of unprecedented global energy price volatility. He went on to examine some of the causes and implications of this unusual year.

 ...Click to continue

  Mysterious ‘V-Vehicle’ Gets Millions in Tax Subsidies

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal on June 17 announced that his state would give some $67 million in tax incentives to a mysterious outfit named “V-Vehicle” for producing a supposedly environment-friendly vehicle, at an abandoned factory.

 ...Click to continue

  Repsol to Become Major Natural Gas Supplier to North America

One of Europe’s major oil companies is to become one of North America’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) suppliers through the first LNG terminal constructed in Canada.

 ...Click to continue

  SATORP Heavy Crude Refinery Could Affect Light-Heavy Spreads

High complexity refiners may considering rethinking ways to leverage the light-sweet spread as more refining complexity capable of processing heavy crudes come online. For example, those refiners with direct access to heavy crudes, such as Saudi Aramco, are better able to justify a US$10 billion investment.

 ...Click to continue