- Key Market Prices
- WTI Settles Slightly Higher, Closing at US$101.19/bbl
- Public Policy
- U.S. Senator Murkowski: Five Ways to Open U.S. Oil Spigot
- U.S. EPA’s Latest ‘Air Toxics Assessment’ Doesn’t Update Diesel PM
- EPA: Three-Year Deferral on GHG Requirements for Industries Using Biomass
- Margins & Economics
- Alon Posts US$122.9-Million Net Loss for 2010
- Brent, WTI Little Changed on Japan Demand Worries
- Brazilian Ethanol Pipeline Will Cut Transportation Costs
- Fuels & Processing
- Berkshire Hathaway Acquires Lubrizol
- Biofuels Research Expanding at DOE’s National Renewable Energy Lab
- DOE’s BESC Develops Microbe Converting Isobutanol Directly from Cellulose
- Electric Power
- Shaw Group Shares Among Nuclear Industry Decliners on March 14
- Morgan Stanley Analysts Tally Refining Impacts of Japanese Tragedy
- ComEd Touts Smart-Grid Legislation, Cites EV Link
- Transportation & Logistics
- K-Sea, Kirby Ink Merger Deal
Fuels & Processing
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Berkshire Hathaway Acquires Lubrizol
Berkshire Hathaway announced March 14 that it cut a deal to buy Lubrizol for US$135 per share (a 28% premium over the March 11 closing price), or about $9.7 billion including $0.7 billion in debt.
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Biofuels Research Expanding at DOE’s National Renewable Energy Lab
Over the past year, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) completed phase one of the construction of its Integrated Biorefinery Research Facility (IBRF), and phase two is now underway, NREL reported at the end of February.
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DOE’s BESC Develops Microbe Converting Isobutanol Directly from Cellulose
Researchers at the Department of Energy’s BioEnergy Science Center (BESC) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a genetically engineered microbe that converts isobutanol directly from cellulose.
Feature
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EV Clustering, Renewable Power: ‘Green Grid’ Technologies Could Avoid Crash
Electric utilities and entrepreneurs spearheading recharge schemes for the emerging fleet of electric vehicles (EVs) are well-aware that they’ll have to deal with a “clustering” problem in the next few years.
Key Market Prices
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WTI Settles Slightly Higher, Closing at US$101.19/bbl
Electric Power
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Shaw Group Shares Among Nuclear Industry Decliners on March 14
Equity shares of publicly-traded firms leveraged to the nuclear industry fell in trading on March 14 – including those of U.S.-based Shaw Group (NYSE: SHAW) – despite a March 13 statement by Shaw’s CEO that its nuclear plant customers intend to “move forward” with planned construction timelines.
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Morgan Stanley Analysts Tally Refining Impacts of Japanese Tragedy
Morgan Stanley analysts issued two research notes on March 14 related to what one called the “Tragic Japanese Earthquake.” The reports detailed the enormity of potential impacts for the global energy industry, even though the full impact is indeterminate at this time.
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ComEd Touts Smart-Grid Legislation, Cites EV Link
Chicago-based electric utility ComEd on March 9 testified to a joint Illinois House and Senate hearing in favor of a “smart-grid” bill that would boost the prospects for more reliable power supply as well as more reliable electric-vehicle (EV) recharging in future years.
Transportation & Logistics
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K-Sea, Kirby Ink Merger Deal
New York-based K-Sea Transportation Partners announced March 13 a merger deal with Houston-based Kirby Corp. Both companies in the U.S. petroleum barge transport business.
Margins & Economics
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Alon Posts US$122.9-Million Net Loss for 2010
Despite the recent losses, “we are seeing positive results in our operations of the Big Spring [Texas] and Krotz Springs [Louisiana] refineries,” said Alon CEO Jeff Morris.
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Brent, WTI Little Changed on Japan Demand Worries
NYMEX light sweet crude for April delivery settled at $101.19 per barrel (/bbl), up 3¢ on March 14, as the shutdown of several Japanese refineries reduced demand.
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Brazilian Ethanol Pipeline Will Cut Transportation Costs
Reuters on March 1 reported that the new Brazilian ethanol pipeline system will “lower transport costs by 20% for producers when it begins operations in 2012.”
Public Policy
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U.S. Senator Murkowski: Five Ways to Open U.S. Oil Spigot
In a USA Today opinion piece by U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), she offers five steps to ensure the U.S. doesn’t face worse energy problems in the future.
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U.S. EPA’s Latest ‘Air Toxics Assessment’ Doesn’t Update Diesel PM
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on March 11 released its fourth update of an “air toxics” computer tool that “helps U.S. federal, state, local governments and other stakeholders better understand the potential health risks from exposure to air toxics.”
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EPA: Three-Year Deferral on GHG Requirements for Industries Using Biomass
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency March 14 announced it is proposing to defer, for three years, Clean Air Act permitting requirements for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from bioenergy and other biogenic sources. The EPA said the additional time will allow the agency to conduct a detailed examination of the science on this issue.
