LOOP Sour becomes lighter, sweeter for November: In the LOOP
The US crude blend LOOP Sour was lighter and sweeter in November, even as the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port saw increased imports of Iraqi Basrah Light and Kuwaiti crude oil.
US oil pipelines might rethink affiliate discounts: Fuel for Thought
US oil pipeline companies were calling their lawyers in Washington last week after regulators said a practice that has apparently become commonplace in the industry violates federal law.
Natural gas power generation share grew in Southern states for a decade as coal declined
(Tue, 05 Dec 2017) Coalâs share of total electricity generation in the South declined over the past decade, from 50% in 2006 to 29% in 2016. As the use of coal has declined, the use of natural gas has increased. In 2016, southern states used natural gas for 42% of their electricity generation, a bigger share than the U.S. average of 34%.
Appalachia region drives growth in U.S. natural gas production since 2012
(Mon, 04 Dec 2017) Shale gas production in the Appalachia region has increased rapidly since 2012, driving an overall increase in U.S. natural gas production. According to EIAâs <em>Drilling Productivity Report</em>, natural gas production in the Appalachia regionânamely the Marcellus and Utica shale playsâhas increased by more than 14 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) since 2012.
Residential heating oil and propane prices are expected to be higher than last winter
(Thu, 30 Nov 2017) Residential heating oil and propane prices entered the winter heating season higher than last winterâs prices, and EIAâs <em>Short-Term Energy Outlook</em> (STEO) forecasts those prices will remain higher through March.
Wind turbine heights and capacities have increased over the past decade
(Wed, 29 Nov 2017) Wind turbines in the United States have grown in both average height and capacity over the past decade, according to data on utility-scale electricity generators collected by EIA. Wind turbine capacity is based largely on the length of the blades and taller turbines are able to not only have longer blades, but also take advantage of better wind resources that are available at greater heights.
Natural gas production in Bakken region increases at a faster rate than oil production
(Tue, 28 Nov 2017) In North Dakotaâs Bakken region, the ratio of natural gas production relative to crude oil, known as the gas-oil ratio, has been gradually increasing since 2008 and has increased at a faster rate since 2014. More than 90% of North Dakotaâs crude oil and natural gas production comes from the Bakken region, which includes the Bakken and Three Forks formations.
Biomass and waste fuels made up 2% of total U.S. electricity generation in 2016
(Mon, 27 Nov 2017) Biomass and waste fuels generated 71.4 billion kilowatthours of electricity in 2016, or 2% of total generation in the United States, according to EIAâs recently released annual electric power data. Biomass fuels are defined as all non-fossil, carbon-based (biogenic) energy sources. Waste fuels are defined as all other non-biogenic wastes.
U.S. average gasoline prices this Thanksgiving are higher than the previous two years
(Wed, 22 Nov 2017) Heading into the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, U.S. retail regular-grade gasoline averaged $2.57 per gallon (gal), up 41 cents/gal from the same time last year. Although gasoline prices are higher than in both 2015 and 2016, the Thanksgiving 2017 gasoline price is still the third-lowest since 2008.
Natural gas inventories end October just below the previous five-year average
(Tue, 21 Nov 2017) Working natural gas in storage in the Lower 48 states as of October 31, 2017, totaled 3,784 billion cubic feet (Bcf), as interpolated from EIAâs <em>Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report</em> data. Natural gas storage levels typically increase from April through October, although net injections sometimes occur in November.