Gulf lease sale draws $949.3 million in high bids

2010-03-17T14:01:03Z

<div id="subtitle">Energy companies put out $949.3 million in high bids for offshore leases</div><div><p>With oil prices up $30 a barrel from last year, energy companies issued $949.3 million in winning bids Wednesday for federal offshore petroleum leases off the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.</p><p>The

Report: Key Cape Wind review rushed, still sound

2010-02-22T12:04:20Z

<div id="subtitle">Report: Key Cape Wind review rushed at end of Bush years, but conclusions are still sound</div><div><p>Federal agencies who were part of a key review of a proposed wind farm off Cape Cod felt rushed to finish it before the end of the Bush presidency, according to a government report released Wednesday.</p><p>But the Department of Interior's Office...

Wind Farm Decision

2010-02-02T15:46:23Z

Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, 2nd from left, puts an arm around Minerals Management Service (MMS) Director, Liz Birdbaum, far left, during a news conference aboard the Coastguard's Ida Lewis buoy tender while on an information gathering tour of...

Virginia senators slam delay in offshore drilling

2010-02-22T14:00:43Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Virginia's two U.S. senators on Wednesday urged the Obama administration to carry out a previous plan to lease almost 3 million acres (1.2 million hectares) in federal waters off the state's coastline to oil and n...

Groups file legal challenge to Chukchi drilling

2010-02-22T17:30:39Z

<div id="subtitle">Alaska Natives, environmental groups file legal challenge to Chukchi offshore drilling</div><div><p>A coalition of Alaska Natives combined forces Wednesday with some of the heaviest hitters in the environmental community to challenge a plan by Shell Oil to drill off northwest Alaska.</p><p>The legal challenge to Shell's a...

2 lawsuits challenge Alaska offshore drilling

2010-02-23T15:42:14Z

<div id="subtitle">Alaska whalers, environmental groups sue to block proposed 2010 Beaufort Sea oil drilling</div><div><p>Native Alaskan groups who depend on whaling and a coalition of environmental groups sued the federal government Tuesday, seeking to block a Shell Oil subsidiary from drilling next year in the ...

Salazar approves Shell's Chukchi exploration plan

2010-02-23T19:27:02Z

<div id="subtitle">Interior secretary approves Shell Oil exploration plan for certain Chukchi Sea leases</div><div><p>The Minerals Management Service on Monday conditionally approved plans by Shell Oil Co. to drill three explorato...

Obama administration pauses on Alaska drilling

2010-02-24T03:12:07Z

<div id="subtitle">At oil company's request, Obama administration delays decision on Alaska offshore drilling</div><div><p>The Obama administration has delayed a decision on a request by Shell Oil Co. to drill for oil and gas in Alaska's rugged

36 million acres to be offered at offshore sale

2010-02-24T05:46:13Z

<div id="subtitle">36 million acres to be offered at offshore lease sale for central Gulf</div><div><p>The federal Interior Department is putting up nearly 36 million offshore acres for the annual sale of petroleum leases in the Central Gulf of Mexico.</p><p>The...

Oil prices advance before US energy report

2010-02-24T06:51:56Z

<div><p>World oil prices rose slightly on Wednesday as traders awaited the latest weekly snapshot of US energy inventories, analysts said.</p><p>New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in December, added 30 cents to 79.35 dollars a barrel.</p><p>Brent North Sea crude for December delivery g...

Shell gets conditional OK for Beaufort drilling

2010-02-24T17:04:59Z

<div id="subtitle">Fed agency conditionally approves Shell exploratory drilling in Beaufort Sea off Alaska</div><div><p>A federal agency announced approval Monday of a plan by Shell Offshore, Inc.'s to drill exploratory wells next year on two leases in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska's north coast — a decision that envir...

Ending a failed program

2010-02-25T04:13:56Z

<div id="subtitle">Interior Secretary Ken Salazar phasing out a losing proposition for taxpayers</div><div><p> The sex, drug and gift-taking scandal that rocked the federal Minerals Management Service a year ago was not the only problem plaguing this agency that handles billions of dollars.</p&am...

Audit: Gov't could lose millions in gas royalties

2010-02-25T07:36:36Z

<div id="subtitle">Audit: Gov't could millions of dollars in gas royalties from not correcting shortfalls</div><div><p>The federal government risks losing millions of dollars in royalties from natural gas production because it does not promptly determine and collect when it gets shortchanged, according to congressional auditors.</p><p>The

U.S. Interior proceeding with contested offshore plan

2010-02-26T08:28:28Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Interior Department on Thursday said that it will go ahead with an offshore oil and natural gas lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico scheduled next month, despite some legal concerns about the Bush-era drilling plan....

New chief appointed to Interior agency.

2010-02-26T16:42:44Z

<div id="subtitle">Veteran congressional aide appointed to head Interior's troubled Minerals Management Service.</div><div><p>Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has appointed Elizabeth Birnbaum, a veteran congressional aide and former

U.S. offshore oil study not done as storm season nears

2010-02-27T08:13:15Z

<div><p>HOUSTON (Reuters) - Study of the hurricane fitness of 92 key Gulf of Mexico oil platforms, begun a year ago, is not finished as the 2009 storm season nears, U.S. Minerals Management Service officials said Tuesday.</p><p>The ...

Interior Dept. takes action after scandal

2010-03-01T14:56:35Z

<div id="subtitle">Workers who partied with or took gifts from oil companies are fired, suspended and demoted</div><div><p>The Interior Department has taken disciplinary action against more than a half dozen workers who accepted lavish gifts, partied and in some cases had sex with employees from the energy companies they regulated.</p&gt...

Interior boss says he will squelch `ethical storm'

2010-02-28T10:57:34Z

<div id="subtitle">Interior Department expands ethics oversight, considers firing workers in sex, gifts scandal</div><div><p>Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne pledged on Thursday to squelch the "ethics storm" exposed by investigators who said agency workers rigged bids, accepted gifts and had sex with energy company officials doing business with the government.</p>...

Ike skews gas; some stations ask $5 a gallon

2010-02-28T13:45:06Z

<div id="subtitle">Ike breaks apart but leaves behind soaring gas prices in some regions</div><div><p>Pump prices jumped above $5 per gallon in some parts of the country Sunday as Hurricane Ike, which caused less destruction than feared, left refineries and pipelines idled and destroyed at least 10 offshore platforms in the Gulf...

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