A committee of MPs has urged the government to allow drilling for shale gas A commons committee said on Monday that there is no need for a moratorium on shale gas hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”. Just two weeks ago France recommended freezing shale gas drilling permanently, based on environmental concerns about the fracking process.
BP plans return to Gulf as profits drop
BP first quarter profits are lower than last year, after selling off production to help pay for the damages of the Gulf oil spill. BP announced yesterday that its “replacement cost” profit had fallen from $5.6bn in the first quarter of 2010 to $5.4bn (£3.3bn) in 2011. This is despite oil price being 31pc higher in 2011 than in 2010.
BP sues Transocean over oil spill
A year on from the deepwater horizon oil rig explosion, BP is suing Transocean for at least £24m BP has launched a $40 billion USD (£24bn) lawsuit against Transocean, the owners of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that exploded last year in the Gulf of Mexico. The tragic explosion one year ago that killed 11 people, lead to the worst … Read More
Shale gas may be dirtier than coal
Study suggests new method for obtaining gas from shale beds could be more harmful to the environment than coal Shale gas refers to gas obtained from shale beds through a new and more complex process of hydraulic fracturing or “fracking”. “Fracking” consists of blasting water, sand and various chemicals into a shale bed two to three kilometres below ground, to … Read More
High oil price affecting demand – IEA
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has said the current high price of oil is beginning to affect demand. The IEA has said the global demand for oil has been slowing over the last few months, due to very high prices. Despite their concerns, the IEA did not change it’s global oil demand growth forecast, which is at 1.4 million barrels … Read More
Oil prices at two and a half year highs
Oil prices have risen to a two and a half year high due to supply concerns and the strength of the dollar The drop in the strength of the dollar means that other commodities such as gold and silver have also risen in price. Other commodity prices are also on the increase, such as food, metal and cotton.
UK nuclear plans delayed after Fukushima
A decision to approve designs for Britain’s next generation of nuclear plants has been delayed for a safety review The workers at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima are still fighting to contain radiation after the earthquake and tsunami destabilised its reactors, designed with withstanding natural disasters in mind. In an attempt to incorporate any lessons learned from the crisis … Read More
Britain falls 10 places in green rankings
The UK has fallen from third place to thirteenth place in the green investment rankings According to rankings published yesterday by The Pew Charitable Trust, Britain has significantly faltered in its push to be a major player in global renewable energy. Britain’s 13th place means the UK is behind developing nations such as Brazil (6th) and India (10th).
Japan quake increases energy price worries
What does the catastrophic record-magnitude earthquake in Japan mean to the worldwide energy industry? With the disastrous events in Japan following the record magnitude earthquake, the country has experienced some problems with one of its nuclear power stations in Fukushima. Nuclear reactors are meant to be built to withstand seismic activity, but the plant is still experiencing some significant difficulties, … Read More
UK at top of European Commission report
The UK is one of the most energy efficient nations in Europe, says a European commission report. The European Commission report says the UK’s energy use fell by 5% between the year 2000 and 2008. In comparison, German energy use stayed at the same rate whilst France’s energy use grew by 7%. The report found that in total, there was … Read More