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Federal vs. state: What’s best to regulate hydraulic fracturing?
Stefanie Heerwig Natural ResourcesThe discussion about who should regulate hydraulic fracturing and how reached another critical point in the past month. On Nov. 21, the House of Representatives approved H.R. 2728 with the support of 12 Democrats. The bill would inhibit the U.S. Bureau of Land Management from imposing federal regulations on states that already have regulations for hydraulic fracturing in place. In short, it would give states the lead in how to regulate the possible environmental and health hazards of fracturing.
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Beyond CSR reports: The real value of multistakeholder engagement
Lucy Wallwork Natural ResourcesThe oil and gas industry has a new buzzword: multistakeholder engagement. It regularly adorns the pages of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports, and companies such as Tullow Oil are holding forums in its name. But what exactly does it mean? And can — and should — it go beyond the pages of those reports and make a meaningful difference to how firms do business?
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Turkish-Kurdish pipeline poker and Kurdistan’s investment climate
Stefanie Heerwig Natural ResourcesOver the last three years or so Iraqi Kurdistan has gained attention from international oil companies as a place to go when it comes to sweet crude deals. No wonder megacompanies like ExxonMobile and Total have not hesitated to sign oil and gas contracts with Erbil since 2011. The situation, however, is not as ideal as it sounds, and tensions between Baghdad and Erbil have been boiling and could even take an uncomfortable turn in response to a recent pipeline pact between Turkey and Kurdistan.
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Deciphering M&A activity in the US oil and gas sector
Lucy Wallwork Natural ResourcesMergers and acquisitions hit the headlines daily in the financial pages, often making it all the way onto the front pages. Someone has swallowed a struggling target company; someone divested assets to focus on others. In the oil and gas sector, the level of M&A activity is used as a weather bell for the broader health of the sector, making investors nervous when things slowed down earlier this year. Now indicators seem to have picked up, but what does it all mean beyond those headlines?
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To frack or not to frack: What should you think?
Stefanie Heerwig Natural ResourcesWhen I tell friends about what industry I am working in, I often get the following question: "So what do you think about fracking?" The question alone often already indicates their bias against the technology because the term "fracking" is usually used by opponents.
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America’s hidden fuel: How does the US stack up on energy efficiency?
Lucy Wallwork Natural ResourcesThe rapid ramping up of oil and gas production is only half the story in North America's transformed energy security outlook. The other half is energy efficiency, dubbed the "hidden fuel" by industry watchers. In the past, the "gas-guzzling" U.S. was criticized by its European counterparts for its addiction to SUVs and a poor record on energy efficiency, but recent years have seen something of a turnaround. Concerns still remain that the realities of lobby politics and downward pressure on domestic gas prices could set this impressive progress into reverse.
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Common mistakes that lead to adhesion failure
Chris Lord ManufacturingOne of the most critical aspects of an effective coating application is achieving proper coating adhesion to either the substrate or between coats. While there are many variables that can lead to substrate or intercoat adhesion failure, there are several common mistakes that are the culprits.
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Afghanistan at a crossroads for future oil and gas extraction
Stefanie Heerwig Natural ResourcesAt the beginning of October, Afghanistan's Ministry of Mines and Petroleum released a new tender for a block in the prospective Amu-Darya basin at the northern tip of the country. China's giant state-owned oil and gas company, CNPC, already holds two blocks in that basin and started extracting oil at the end of last year. Twelve years after the invasion into Afghanistan, the country finds itself at the crossroads to a promising future thanks to its riches in oil, gas and other natural resources.
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The scramble for East Africa
Stefanie HeerwigGo East might be the new motto for oil and gas investors buzzing around in the search of profitable routes to new markets, low cost and little risk. Over the past few years, the hype about East Africa has grown after oil was found in Uganda and Madagascar and gas in Tanzania and Mozambique. And now also Kenya is becoming a hot spot — probably even the first East African oil exporter before Uganda.
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Neighborhood watch: Syrian conflict’s effect on oil prices
Lucy WallworkThe recent agreement brokered between the U.S. and Russia on Syria's chemical weapons saved Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria from the threat of military strikes — for now. It also seemed to settle some nervy oil markets.
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