Oil and gas businesses were shocked by the news today that New Zealand’s Labour government chose to ban future offshore exploration. The South Pacific nation is one of the first in the world to take such drastic, short-sighted measures, joining France, Belize, and Costa Rica.Continue reading
Category Archives: Oil and Gas Politics
Comprehensive Maps of Underground Pipelines in Colo. Is Reckless, Potentially Dangerous
On Tuesday, a two-day hearing to determine regulatory revisions for Colorado’s oil and gas industry unraveled following an inability to reach an agreement. As a result, regulators have voted to delay their rule-making until February 13 to gather more information on the issue.
Olympia, Wash. Anti-fracking Protestors Had No Clue What They Were Doing
Over the last several days, a handful of news outlets have reported scuffles that resulted on a small stretch of Olympia railroad tracks. Early Wednesday, Olympia’s finest cleared a week-old encampment of protestors off their makeshift home.
Headlines call attention to the friction. They draw attention to the protestors’ purpose. They don’t focus on a major issue of the Olympia protestor’s sit-in: these guys were “protesting” in the wrong place.
A Look at Broomfield’s Ballot Question 301
In November, the voters of Broomfield, Colorado will be confronted with another initiative designed to stymie production of future oil and gas projects in the area. Ballot Question 301 is a controversial amendment to Broomfield’s home rule charter that would place unprecedented control of oil and gas development in the hands of the Broomfield city council.
Question 301 asserts that oil and gas development in Broomfield should “only occur in a manner that does not adversely impact the health, safety and welfare of Broomfield’s residents in their workplaces, their homes, their schools, and public parks.” Though it sounds innocuous enough, Question 301 has troubling implications for the people and the economy of Broomfield.
The World Oil and Gas Market Fluctuates in the Wake of Violence in Kirkuk
Following a vote for independence on September 25, the region of Iraqi Kurdistan has erupted in a fresh wave of violence. In addition to the inevitable destruction and loss of life that will result, violence in and around the city of Kirkuk could have a huge impact on the world’s economy, most notably in the oil and gas industry.
The conflict may be a world away, but the discord in the Kurdish region of Iraq is going to show up at an oil pump near you.