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EPA methane crackdown wins endorsement from oil icon Texas foundation

Fuel Fix: The Obama administration just won an unlikely ally in its push to slash methane emissions from oil wells and gas processing facilities. The philanthropic organization that is a legacy of George Mitchell, the “father of fracking,” endorsed the proposal as a “prudent regulatory strategy.” The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation’s move breaks with oil and gas industry leaders who say the rules would hike costs and throttle domestic energy development. The Environmental Protection Agency...

Report details which chemicals used in California fracking fluids

Fuel Fix: A vast array of ingredients make up the chemical cocktails that energy companies pump into wells to stimulate oil and gas production, according to a report released Wednesday. The analysis, conducted by the Environmental Working Group using data from California wells, shines a spotlight on the makeup of the fluids used in the hydraulic fracturing process, also known as fracking. The technique involves sending that “frac fluid”-- often a mixture of sand, water and chemicals-- into wells to open...

GOP Advances Bill To Block Federal Fracturing Rules

Fuel Fix: The House Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday approved legislation that effectively would block the federal government from regulating the hydraulic fracturing process that is unlocking previously unrecoverable supplies of gas and oil. On a mostly party-line vote of 23-15, the panel sent the measure to the full House of Representatives, which is expected to debate the legislation later this year. Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., bucked Democratic colleagues in supporting the bill; Rep. Jon Runyan,...

Keystone XL will hike gasoline prices, report says

Fuel Fix: California billionaire Tom Steyer and other Keystone XL opponents pulled out another weapon in their fight against the pipeline on Tuesday, arguing that the project would cause gasoline prices to climb up to 40 cents per gallon in the Midwest. According to a new report by Consumer Watchdog, Keystone XL would give Canadian oil a new avenue to competitors on the Gulf Coast and access to a global market, bypassing Midwest refiners who now rely on that discounted oil for more than half of their raw...

Key to Keystone XL Pipeline May Be Canada

Fuel Fix: The final verdict on the Keystone XL pipeline rests with Obama administration officials in Washington, but the project’s fate may hinge on decisions made in Canada. Analysts say that the administration is telegraphing willingness to approve the project, which would transport diluted bitumen from Alberta’s oil sands, as long as stakeholders north of the border do more to shrink their carbon footprint. In a June 25 speech, President Barack Obama vowed that his administration will approve the...