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California gas leak spotlights shoddy regulation of nation aging underground infrastructure
Posted by Reuters: Nichola Groom on January 23rd, 2016
Reuters: Long before a natural gas storage well sprung a disastrous leak near Los Angeles, utilities and national industry groups were raising alarms about the danger of aging underground storage infrastructure.
The leaking well`s owner, Southern California Gas Co. warned state utility regulators in 2014 of "major failures" without a rate hike to pay for comprehensive inspections of 229 storage wells.
Twenty-six of its wells were "high risk" and should be abandoned -- even though they complied with...
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Fracking water’s dirty little secret – recycling
Posted by Reuters: Nichola Groom on July 15th, 2013
Reuters: The oil and gas industry is finding that less is more in the push to recycle water used in hydraulic fracturing. Slightly dirty water, it seems, does just as good a job as crystal clear when it comes to making an oil or gas well work.
Exploration and production companies are under pressure to reduce the amount of freshwater used in dry areas like Texas and to cut the high costs of hauling millions of barrels of water to oil and gas wells and later to underground disposal wells.
To attack those...
SolarCity IPO expected in third quarter: source
Posted by Reuters: Nichola Groom on February 3rd, 2012
Reuters: Solar power company SolarCity is expected to debut on U.S. markets in the third quarter this year and has hired Goldman Sachs to underwrite its initial public offering, a source close to the company said on Thursday.
The San Mateo, California-based startup will file its IPO plans with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission "within a few weeks," the source said. The deal is expected to value the company at around $1.5 billion.
Spokesmen for both SolarCity and Goldman would not comment....