Recent Gas News/GasBuddy Blog

Star Tribune - Minneapolis/St Paul, Minesota -- Oil prices surged Friday after a pipeline that delivered oil to Midwest refineries was shut down, raising questions about how long the supply may be disrupted.

Benchmark oil for October delivery rose $2.20 to settle at $76.45 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Enbridge Energy Partners LP closed the pipeline Thursday afternoon after it began leaking in suburban Chicago. Spokeswoman Terri Larson said there is no time frame yet on when it will reopen.

She said the site is contained and crews hope to begin excavation around the pipe later Friday.

The pipe carried about 670,000 barrels per day from Superior, Wis., to Griffith, Ind.

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THE WORLD STREET JOURNAL -- Buying your first car? Be sure to arm yourself with research before trotting off to the dealership. "Confusion is a car dealer's weapon," says Philip Reed, senior consumer-advice editor at Edmunds.com. "The more focused and in control of the numbers you are," the more likely you'll have a positive outcome.

[Click here to check auto rates in your area.]

Here are four common mistakes first-time car buyers make and how to avoid them
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mfrtech.com -- Within four years, North American commercial vehicle companies won’t be able to compete against low-cost commercial vehicle manufacturers based in emerging-market countries such as Russia, India and China, according to a study released by AlixPartners LLP......North American OEMs are being outflanked both by emerging-market-based OEMs, which now account for two-thirds of global commercial-truck production, and by European competitors, who have gained first-mover advantage vis-à-vis partnerships with low-cost indigenous companies. Moreover, producers in China, India and Russia together are expected to boost their output by some 50% over the next four years, says the study,.....  (go to article)

Bloomberg. com -- Some more of The financial crisis at GM  (go to article)

Associated Press -- Oil prices surged Friday after a pipeline that delivered oil to Midwest refineries was shut down, raising questions about how long the supply may be disrupted.

Benchmark oil for October delivery rose $1.89 to $76.14 a barrel in morning trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Enbridge Energy Partners LP closed the pipeline Thursday afternoon after it began leaking in suburban Chicago. The leak has stopped and repairs started but there it is not clear when the line will reopen.

The pipe carried about 670,000 barrels per day from Superior, Wis., to Griffith, Ind.

Although oil and gasoline inventories are plentiful, traders are concerned that Midwest supplies could tighten if the pipeline stays closed for some time, analysts said. In turn, that could send retail gasoline price  (go to article)

GasBuddy Blog -- Many people have asked and continue to wonder- "why are gas prices rising?" There are many answers, all of which are quite complicated. See- gasoline prices are complicated. How prices are determined, how wholesale prices rise and drop- its not easy to figure out.

I thought that many would like to know- what's driving gas prices today? There are a few factors, some more responsible than others, for prices rising as of late. Keep in mind these factors are all my opinion- there's no ultimate answer to what is most responsible- but I'll try to state what I believe and keep any bias to a minimum, or better yet- have no bias.

Factors currently behind gasoline prices:

1) The U.S. economy/Jobs. As of the last few weeks...  (go to article)

NY Times -- A Michigan lithium-ion battery developer, which is working on new technology the company says can give electric cars greater range, plans to announce on Friday that it has received $3.2 million from General Motors Ventures. G.M. said the new batteries could eventually end up in the company’s cars.

The battery company, Sakti3, is headed by Ann Marie Sastry, chief executive and a professor at the University of Michigan, who is working on solid-state batteries that may offer higher energy density, lower cost and smaller size than conventional lithium-ion batteries.  (go to article)

NY Times -- ABOUT a year ago Cary Feldman was surprised to find himself sprawled on the pavement in an intersection in Chicago Heights, Ill., having been knocked off his motor scooter by the car behind him. Five months later he got another surprise: a bill from the fire department for responding to the scene of the accident.

“I had no idea what the fire truck was there for,” said Mr. Feldman, of nearby Matteson. “It came, it looked and it left. I was not hurt badly. I had scratches and bruises. I did not go to the hospital.”

Mr. Feldman had become enmeshed in what appears to be a nascent budget-balancing trend in municipal government: police and fire departments have begun to charge accident victims as a way to offset budget cuts.

Ambulance charges have long been common and are usually paid by heal  (go to article)

Marketplace -- A few years ago California passed a law to reduce emissions of gases linked to global warming. Now there's a proposition on the November ballot to put the measure on hold -- until the state economy improves

Interview:

EVE TROEH: California's unemployment rate is one of the highest in the country -- more than 12 percent.

State Assemblyman Dan Logue says energy costs will go up if California makes companies reduce emissions as planned. And then...

DAN LOGUE: We're going to have an exodus of businesses either leaving or closing. This is just not the right time.

Logue's Proposition 23 would suspend California's so-called Global Warming law until unemployment drops to 5.5 percent -- and stays there for a year.

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Detroit News -- It's nearly time to put up or shut up.

At the end of September, battery-powered electric vehicles will be the toast of the biennial Paris Car show. France's Renault, the most vocal European manufacturer leading the charge to battery powered cars, will be parading its electric credentials and is ready to start selling the electric Fluence next year. You can bet that its stand at the Paris show will repeat the "zero emissions" mantra countless times. Renault's Japanese affiliate Nissan will launch the Leaf in the U.S. later this year and Europe early in 2011. Mitsubishi of Japan has already launched its MiEV battery car in Europe, and Peugeot and Citroen of France will shortly begin selling their versions of this car.

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Bloomberg Businessweek -- Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea’s largest automaker, plans to produce 2,500 electric cars by the end of 2012, the company said in an e-mailed statement.

Hyundai aims to provide 30 BlueOn electric hatchback, its battery-power model, to various government divisions in the nation by October, it said in the statement.

Seoul-based Hyundai said in January it will assemble an electric version of the i10 hatchback by the end of this year
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Bloomberg Businessweek -- South Dakota officials are trying out a lower ethanol blend in the state's fleet of flexible fuel vehicles after preliminary tests indicated E85 wasn't saving any money.

State pumps that were carrying the 85 percent gas-ethanol blend in Rapid City, Sioux Falls and Pierre are now dispensing E30 as part of a yearlong test to find the optimum blend of fuel that will provide the best mileage at the best cost, said Mike Mueller, spokesman for the Bureau of Administration.

"We wanted to make sure we were getting the most out of those fuel purchases," Mueller said Thursday.

South Dakota's 1,290 flexible fuel vehicles make up 37 percent of the state's fleet of 3,442. The state has been purchasing flex-fuel vehicles when possible to support the renewable fuels industry.  (go to article)

The Dail Mail -- When it comes to establishing a benchmark for a disabled parking permit, surely the loss of a leg qualifies. Well, apparently losing a leg doesn’t count for much when it comes to the bumbling bureaucrats running the town of Newark, Nottinghamshire in England.

According to the Daily Mail, Lance Corporal Johno Lee – who has been hailed as a war hero – lost a leg in Afghanistan two years ago. Yet, inexplicably, Lee has been denied a disabled parking permit three times by the town’s council.

Meter maids aren’t cutting Lee any slack, either. To date, the disabled veteran has racked up £800 in fines for parking in disabled spots on days when he uses a wheelchair or feels unable to walk very far. (Lee uses a prosthetic leg to get around.)

As for the reason Nottinghamshire County Council  (go to article)

The Canadian Press -- TORONTO - Only a paltry one or two per cent of drivers will make the switch to pure battery-powered vehicles by the end of the next decade, says Ford Canada's chief executive, who predicts the vast majority of drivers will continue to opt for gas-powered cars and trucks along with hybrids.

"For battery-electric vehicle customers, there has to be a behaviour change," David Mondragon told a business luncheon Thursday at a downtown Toronto hotel.

"You have to charge every day and you have to think about how far you're going on each trip."

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wvgazette.com -- Traffic deaths have plummeted across the United States to levels not seen in more than a half-century, spurred by technology, safety-conscious drivers and tougher enforcement of drunken driving laws.

The Transportation Department said Thursday that traffic deaths fell 9.7 percent in 2009 to 33,808, the lowest number since 1950. In 2008, an estimated 37,423 people died on the highways.

Government and auto safety experts attributed the improvement to more people buckling up, side air bags and anti-rollover technology in more vehicles and a focus in many states on curbing drinking and driving. Economic conditions were also a factor.  (go to article)

nytimes.com -- Until very recently, Hunan Province was known mainly for lip-searing spicy food, smoggy cities and destitute pig farmers...

Now, Changsha and two adjacent cities are emerging as a center of clean energy manufacturing. They are churning out solar panels for the American and European markets, developing new equipment to manufacture the panels and branching into turbines that generate electricity from wind.

By contrast, clean energy companies in the United States and Europe are struggling. Some have started cutting jobs and moving operations to China in ventures with local partners.

..China’s clean energy success lies in aggressive government policies that help this crucial export industry.. These measures risk breaking international rules to which China and almost all other nation  (go to article)

DailyTech.com -- One might think that Ford is a bit behind the times with fully electric vehicles. GM is launching the Chevy Volt and Nissan is launching the LEAF EV in 2010. Ford's battery electric vehicle (BEV), the Ford Focus Electric, won't land until late next year.

But Ford's taking electric cars seriously -- they're just being a bit smarter about it, offering more of a "portfolio" of different kinds of electric offerings...

[READ the article before posting a remark, OK?]  (go to article)

nytimes.com -- The Environmental Protection Agency sent letters to nine drilling companies on Thursday requesting detailed information about the chemicals contained in fluids used to crack open underground rock formations in the hunt for oil and natural gas.

The move is part of the federal agency’s preparations for a long-term scientific study of the effects of the practice, known as hydraulic fracturing or “fracking,” on drinking water and public health.

“Natural gas is an important part of our nation’s energy future, and it’s critical that the extraction of this valuable natural resource does not come at the expense of safe water and healthy communities,” the E.P.A. administrator, Lisa P. Jackson, said in a statement.

The agency asked the companies to respond to its request within seven days a  (go to article)

USA TODAY -- The claims facility now processing emergency payments for victims of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill inherited from BP thousands of languishing business claims, a jumbled database and hundreds of individual claims of loss with no documentation, independent claims administrator Ken Feinberg says.

Nearly three weeks after Feinberg took over the claims process from BP, it remains a logistical tangle of unpaid requests for help and missing documentation, while thousands of Gulf Coast residents and businesses wait for relief. Feinberg is pledging to move faster while also imposing new rules intended to prevent fraud.

Sport-fishing charter boat captain Mike Ellis, who works out of Cypress Cove Marina in Venice, La., says his boat engine clogged with oil and needed $5,200 in repairs. He filed a  (go to article)

CNBC -- SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Puerto Rico is embarking on a test project for converting algae to oil as part of a campaign to lessen the U.S. territory's dependence on expensive imported oil.

A local company running the program that was announced Thursday said it expects to harvest eight types of algae from more than 2,000 acres (809 hectares) at an abandoned shrimp farm it is taking over in the northern coastal city of Dorado.

Puerto Rico's power company, the Electric Energy Authority, will mix the algae oil produced by the project with diesel and other types of fuel to produce electricity, agency spokesman Carlos Monroig said.

The goal is to produce more than 2 million gallons of oil a year.

"This is a first step," Monroig said. "We have to lower the price of fuel and power."

Pu  (go to article)

Toronto Sun -- By ANTONELLA ARTUSO, Queen's Park Bureau Chief. Last Updated:Sept 8, 2010 6:59pm.

The shoulders of Ontario’s secondary highways should be paved whenever the road is redone, says Progressive Conservative MPP Norm Miller.

Miller is introducing a private member’s bill when the Ontario Legislature returns next week that would mandate paved shoulders to improve safety for cyclists, walkers and runners.

“Without a paved part of the shoulder, you’re taking your life in your hands to go out for a (bike) ride on a provincial highway,” Miller said Wednesday. “A minimum one-metre paved shoulder will allow vehicles to pass cyclists without having to swerve into the lane of oncoming traffic.”  (go to article)

CleanTechnica.com -- Over in the UK we like to do things … well, a little differently. That stiff upper lip nonsense was always a bit of a ruse, hiding a reckless ability to do those things sane human beings would never think of doing.

Like slinging a live four way power socket into a bath tub. Zap, you’re dead .. as the saying goes.

Yet this is precisely what’s been going on off the south west coast of Britain but with two crucial differences: the four huge plugs (like the one pictured) are designed as energy receivers, not emitters; and the Atlantic Ocean is a wee bit bigger than your average bathtub.

Ten miles off the Cornish town of Hayle, 180 feet below the sea, lies a 12 tonne four way plug which cost $64 million to build and install. Called the Wave Hub, it can have four 5MW marine power devices conn  (go to article)

Gizmag dot com -- Despite being gas-guzzlers, classical cars have an undeniable appeal that has inspire people to admire, and even invest time, effort and money at them.

This 1949 Delahaye 175 S Saoutchik Roadster is considered one of the world's beautiful car, but I leave you to make your own conclusions.

Excerpt:
"...[At auction] The work of prodigiously talented automotive stylist and coachbuilder Jacques Saoutchik, this 1949 Delahaye 175 S Roadster is expected to fetch around US$6 million.

Saoutchik was a cabinet maker when he moved to Paris from his home in Ukraine around 1900, but he didn’t take long to establish himself in the fledgling automotive coachbuilding industry and he showed a consistent flair over the next 50 years which puts him among the very elite of automotive designers..."  (go to article)

CBC -- Lower fuel prices and big customer incentives have made trucks a surprising winner with consumers who might otherwise have opted for a car, and that's expected to carry over into 2011, the chief executive officer of Ford Canada says.

Canadians are buying trucks in a big way, but Ford Canada's CEO warns it's not sustainable as fuel prices rise. (David Zalubowski/The Associated Press)
Over the longer term, however, the trend is not sustainable, David Mondragon said Thursday at a business luncheon at a downtown Toronto hotel.

"We know that artificially inflating demand with high consumer incentives is not the way to go. We know that we cannot afford to take a short-term view," Mondragon said.

"In the not too distant future, we predict oil prices to exceed $100 US per barrel once  (go to article)

CBC -- Canadian environmentalists say they are encouraged by meetings with U.S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, describing her as committed to reducing fossil fuels and interested in learning more about the impact of Canada's oilsands.

Several environmental and First Nations leaders met Thursday in Ottawa with Pelosi and Ed Markey, chair of the U.S. House of Representatives select committee on energy independence and global warming.

"They were very interested in what we had to say about the environmental impacts of the tarsands and the very, very damaging social impacts of the tarsands in the northern Alberta area," Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence, told reporters after the meeting.
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CleanTechnica -- The European Commission’s Institute for Energy in 2000 estimated global supplies of coal to last 277 years. In 2007, that number was lowered to 155 years.

This forecast may sound like plenty of time to adjust to meeting our energy needs in from other sources, but how accurate are these numbers really? The National Academy of Sciences Report on Coal, from June 2007 isn’t very encouraging....While oil lurks below the surface and can be hard to detect, coal fields can be identified by outcrops. This means that the locations of coal reserves are known and new coal discoveries are unlikely.  (go to article)

Bankrate.com -- Car insurance doesn't have to break the bank. Shopping around for cheap car insurance, lowering your deductible, taking advantage of discounts and rolling the car insurance into other insurance policies are some of the ways to get cheap car insurance. ...Four Steps..  (go to article)

CNet -- Once again, European drivers will have access to cars with better gas mileage than their U.S. counterparts.

Peugeot announced Tuesday that its 3008 Hybrid4 diesel hybrid car will be available in Europe in spring 2011 and will get roughly the equivalent of 62 miles to the gallon.
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NY Times -- DO you believe in love at first sight? Consider this: One look was about all it took when executives of Tata Motors, who in late 2007 were deciding whether to buy Jaguar from Ford Motor, saw sketches of what would become the 2011 XJ.

“What we had coming to market,” Gary Temple, president of Jaguar North America, said in a recent interview, “was what made them buy the company.”

Developed largely before Tata, of India, took over, the new XJ is a bold, mold-breaking styling statement. The old XJ’s long-running retro theme — traditional grille, quad headlamps, sculptured hood, low beltline and long tail — has finally been exorcized. While unmistakably a Jaguar, the new XJ is a thoroughly modern, flamboyant, unfettered expression of luxury. .......  (go to article)

Salt Lake Tribune -- As Gov. Gary Herbert prepares today to stage the first of four statewide forums on Utah’s energy future, a Rocky Mountain environmental group has some advice: Forget oil shale and tar sands.

Western Resource Advocates issued a 38-page report Tuesday on the energy and water inefficiency of either potential fuel source. The title: Fossil Foolishness: Utah’s Pursuit of Tar Sands and Oil Shale.

The Boulder, Colo.-based legal and policy group commissioned a Boston University geographer to analyze the energy return on investment for oil shale. He determined that most research indicates that, at best, making fuel from the rock would generate twice the energy content of what it takes to produce. That compares to a 20-to-1 ratio or better for petroleum.  (go to article)

GasBuddy Blog -- The Department of Energy released its weekly report on the condition of petroleum inventories in the United States today.

Here are some highlights:

Crude oil inventories decreased by 1.9 million barrels to a total of 359.9 million barrels. At 359.9 million barrels, inventories are 22.4 million barrels above last year (6.6%) and remain above average. Supply at NYMEX delivery point, Cushing, Oklahoma decreased some 300,000 barrels to 35.5 million barrels this week. Supplies at Cushing have decreased for the last five consecutive weeks.

Gasoline inventories decreased 0.2 million barrels to 225.2 million barrels. At 225.2 million barrels, inventories are now 18.0 million barrels, or 8.7% higher than last year (last...  (go to article)

ABC News -- These odd and quirky attractions lure in motorists to out-of-the sights.

Nothing says America like a great road trip. And nothing makes the adventure better than running across some of the odd and quirky attractions aimed to lure in motorists.

Chicken Boy was originally part of a fried chicken stand, dating back to the 1960s. But after the stand closed, the statue was moved to the rooftop of Future Studio Design & Gallery on Historic Route 66 in Highland Park, a neighborhood just north of downtown Los Angeles. The 22-foot tall fiberglass man-bird now symbolizes a roadside culture that is fading away.

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Bloomberg -- By Cornelius Rahn

Ford Motor Co., the second-biggest U.S. carmaker, said the global automotive market will expand by 5 percent to 10 percent in 2010 as the worldwide economic recovery takes hold.

Asian markets, where growth is moderating, remain strong, John Fleming, Ford’s head of global manufacturing and formerly its top European executive, said today in a webcast. In Europe and the U.S., consumer spending will revive slowly from “below- trend” levels as central banks offer cheap credit to encourage buying, he said.

“The economy is improving, but the strength of the recovery is uneven,” with “weaker” markets in Europe as government incentives for auto sales expire, Fleming said. An industrywide capacity “shakeout” is likely in the region, where vehicle pricing remains under p  (go to article)

Reuters -- EAGLES MERE, Pennsylvania (Reuters) – In the rush to develop America's biggest new source of domestic energy, one community is fighting to protect its rural way of life from the environmental strains that accompany shale gas drilling.

Residents of this wealthy north-central Pennsylvania vacation community are refusing to lease their land to energy companies scrambling to grab a piece of the Marcellus Shale, a massive natural gas deposit believed to contain enough of the fuel to satisfy total U.S. natural gas demand for 20 years.

Most of the doctors, lawyers and executives who own homes in the resort about 150 miles northwest of Philadelphia are unmoved by offers of lease payments of at least $2,500 an acre, or by the promise of royalties on gas harvested from what is expected to beco  (go to article)

Wall Street Journal -- Business groups are cranking up a multi-state TV and radio campaign today to make the case against the Obama administration’s plan to raise energy taxes to pay for some of its new economic initiatives.

The business groups, including the National Association of Manufacturers and the National Federation of Independent Business, worry that higher energy taxes would force up prices and make their members less competitive.

In the face of continued economic weakness, President Barack Obama has rolled out a series of proposals this week for more public infrastructure spending, permanent extension of a current tax break for business research, and creation of a new temporary tax break for business purchase of plant and equipment.  (go to article)

USA Today -- Just when its future looked to be in doubt, automakers are putting some new life in the old V-8.

Despite pressure from federal gas mileage rules ratcheting up, makers are selectively peppering their lineups with the iconic engine — known for smooth, high-torque power — that many thought was an endangered species. These days, however, it likely is reserved for luxury or performance models.

Last week, Ford Motor said a hulking 6.2-liter V-8 will power its off-road performance pickup, the super-size Ford F-150 SVT Raptor SuperCrew cab. And Chrysler Group said its new 2011 Dodge Durango "performance SUV," a three-row crossover due later this year, will have an optional 5.7-liter Hemi V-8, as well as a standard V-6.  (go to article)

Bloomberg Businessweek -- Gov. Phil Bredesen announced Wednesday that Tennessee will offer a $2,500 rebate on the first 1,000 electric vehicles sold in the state.

The Democratic governor announced the rebate program in a speech to a Tennessee Valley Authority forum in Nashville. The Tennessee rebate will be in addition to a $7,500 federal tax credit for electric vehicles.

"This it makes it just a little bit easier for Tennesseans to be pioneers in trying out electric cars and making them accessible and affordable in the state," Bredesen said.  (go to article)

CNN -- Beijing, China (CNN) -- Nearly 200 commercial pilots in China falsified their flying experience, Chinese aviation officials have discovered.

The announcement follows one of China's worst plane crashes in six years, and highlights the high demand for pilots as the country has seen a boon in air travel.

Aviation officials began investigating pilot qualifications after the Shanghai-based China Business News broke the story. Implicated pilots have had their licenses revoked or have been ordered to take extra training, according to state-run media.

The investigation of pilot qualifications is part of an overhaul of airline safety, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said, according to the state-run China Daily.
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2.highlandstoday.com -- There's good news at the convenience store pump: Labor Day is over, which traditionally means gasoline prices will go down.
The national average price for gasoline has been falling through August, when it usually rises..

Now the crucial question: how low will it go?
A plunge in wholesale gasoline prices earlier this month continues to push down prices at the pump, PFGBest analyst Phil Flynn told the Associated Press. Gasoline supplies are nearly 12 percent above the five-year average, and demand is below pre-recession levels.

"We're going into the weakest demand period of the year, Typically, after Labor Day,.. demand drops and refineries begin a maintenance period as they.. prepare the switch..from the summer blend fuel to the winter blend. The winter blend fuel is less expensive  (go to article)

Bloomberg -- Oil advanced for a second day after an industry report showed U.S. crude inventories declined and the dollar weakened against the euro, boosting the appeal of commodities as an alternative investment.

Futures also rose as stocks climbed after improved demand for bonds from Portugal to Poland eased concern that Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis will derail the global economic recovery. U.S. crude stockpiles fell 7.31 million barrels last week, the American Petroleum Institute said. An Energy Department report today may show supplies increased.

“There continues to be this continued sense of relief that the economy doesn’t appear to be heading back into recession,” David Taylor, a market analyst at CMC Markets Ltd. in Sydney, said in an e-mailed note.

The October contract gained as much as 60  (go to article)

Globeandmail.com -- By Josh Wingrove

Excerpts

Fresh out of a dinner discussion about Canada’s controversial oil sands with the third-most powerful politician in America, Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach had a quick assessment of how it went: “Better than I thought.”

"The meeting ...came at a critical time in the energy trading relationship between the two countries. Washington is considering approval of the massive Keystone XL pipeline project,"

"...learn about the oil sands, one of her nation’s foremost sources of oil."

"...his province’s economy relies squarely on U.S. energy consumers. In 2008, the U.S. bought $79.5-billion in energy from Alberta."

"the meetings are a chance to counter the allegations that the oil sands are the dirtiest oil on earth."
 (go to article)

Bloomberg.com -- By Mark Shenk

The Energy Department decreased its crude oil price forecast for 2010 on reduced projections of economic growth in the U.S., the world’s biggest oil consuming country.

West Texas Intermediate oil, the U.S. benchmark, will average $77.37 a barrel this year, down from last month’s forecast of $79.13,

Prices will climb 6 percent to average $82 a barrel in 2011, the report showed.

Regular gasoline, averaged nationwide, will cost $2.76 a gallon from April through September, according to the report from the EIA,

Global Demand

The department raised its outlook for global oil consumption this year to 85.95 million barrels a day from 85.91 million last month. That’s up 1.9 percent from last year’s 84.33 million. Demand will climb to 87.36 million in 2011, 60,000 barrels a day  (go to article)

Los Angeles Times -- The ultimate sealing of BP's gulf oil well may not get underway until late this month or early October because experts want more time to analyze the well, fish out a broken pipe and possibly apply another cement seal on the top for "more insurance" against unlikely troubles, a top federal official said.

National spill-response chief Thad Allen, in a conference call with reporters Wednesday, reiterated his promise that there was "no threat" of oil leaks from the well now that a stronger blowout preventer had been placed on top of it.

The new equipment gives experts the luxury of taking a few extra steps to ensure that they will not encounter problems with the final "bottom kill." During this procedure, the original well's outer ring, or annulus, will be intersected underground with a  (go to article)

Yahoo! Sports -- Yep, that's Ron Artest being stopped by police for driving a tiny race car through Los Angeles. Vin Diesel would be proud.  (go to article)

Associated Press -- NEW YORK (AP) -- Oil prices followed stocks higher on Wednesday, as worries about European debt problems eased and buyers returned to the market.

Benchmark crude for October delivery rose 58 cents to settle at $74.67 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

At the pump, gasoline prices inched down to a national average of $2.68 a gallon, according to AAA, Wright Express and Oil Price Information Service. That's about the same as a week ago and 10.2 cents above a year ago.

Shares of oil and gas companies climbed after Fitch raised its rating on BP. The troubled energy giant issued a report Wednesday taking blame for the big spill in the Gulf of Mexico, while saying other companies involved in the Deepwater Horizon disaster shared some blame. BP shares rose $1.18, or 3.2 percen  (go to article)

McClatchy -- BP, the energy giant responsible for the largest offshore oil spill in history, helped develop California's framework for teaching more than 6 million students about the environment.

Despite a mixed environmental record even before the Gulf of Mexico disaster, state officials included BP on the technical team for its soon-to-be-completed environmental education curriculum, which will be used in kindergarten through 12th-grade classes in more than 1,000 school districts statewide.  (go to article)

Economist -- "...Sugar has been grown in Brazil for 500 years, and the country is by far the world’s biggest exporter of it. But sugar now also forms the nucleus of a new agro-industrial and renewable-energy complex. Biofuels, mainly derived from sugar, are Brazil’s most important source of energy after oil. For a unit of energy, the production and use of sugar-based ethanol generates only two-fifths of the carbon emissions of petrol, and half those of corn-based ethanol, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. And bioplastics made from sugar cane are poised to move from the laboratory to the corner store, with the launch of soft-drink bottles.

Yet the industry is struggling to turn all these economic and environmental benefits into reliable revenues...."  (go to article)

Gizmodo -- Aha! It looks like State Farm's app isn't the only app that helps keep you from texting while driving—there's SMS Replier too. And this app will know when you're driving.

So not only can you set customized replies, you can also choose how long you're doing the activity, so the phone will only reply "In a meeting" during the two hours that you set that you're in a meeting. (Would be nice if this synced up with your Google Calendar too, to automatically know what you're doing.)  (go to article)

NewScientist -- ELECTRIC vehicles are expected to stream onto the roads over the next few years, but some drivers may be put off by fears that they could be left stranded if their battery runs out of charge.

Zafer Sahinoglu at the Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and colleagues, think they have found a way to prevent this. They are developing a network of portable charging stations, which can be moved to wherever the demand for recharging is greatest.  (go to article)

Calgary Herald -- CALGARY -- Dana Petroleum has confirmed it will buy North Sea assets of Calgary-based Suncor Energy for $390 million with an effective date of July 1, 2010.

The U.K. explorer also rejected a hostile $2.57 billion US bid from Korea National Oil Corp., citing an independent valuation that said Dana was worth considerably more.

Dana said the Suncor deal supports the case for KNOC raising its bid.

"This whole issue is around value and value for all our shareholders and that's the only goal of the Dana management team," Dana chief executive Tom Cross said on a conference call with reporters.

Cross said that the valuation reached by the independent experts was based on information about its 100-plus licences in the North Sea and Egypt which had not previously been made public and to  (go to article)

GasBuddy Blog -- Do you know what type of fuel your vehicle manufacturer recommends? I'm sure you, like many people, know what type of gasoline is recommended- but I also know that some people ignore that suggestion. I also know looking at statistics that many more people are likely to ignore that recommendation (or even requirement) in times of economic uncertainty or a recession.

Its very interesting to compare gasoline sales (in grade- regular, mid-grade, and premium) during normal times to those times when the economy has been in recession.

For this comparison and analysis, I used gasoline sale data from the Department of Energy, which has kept records on gasoline sales by type of fuel going back to 1983 (in most cases). I also looked...  (go to article)