James Burgess

Latest articles from James

• BG Wins Multi-Million-Dollar Claim over Argentina

  Published 08 March 2014 | viewed 6,054 times

  British-based gas giant BG Group Plc has won a multi-million-dollar ruling against Argentina in a landmark case in the US Supreme Court.  In a long-running…

• Ukraine Misses Payment to Gazprom, Risks Cut Off

  Published 08 March 2014 | viewed 4,830 times

  Gazprom stated on March 7 that Ukraine has failed to pay for its natural gas deliveries in February. The failure to pay, the Russian gas…

• Ukraine: Vultures of Political Capital Descend

  Published 07 March 2014 | viewed 6,982 times

  An international crisis of the type that is now unfolding in Ukraine, and in the ethnic -Russian-majority Crimea region, certainly has a lot of external…

• French Utility Reports $13Billion Loss over Solar, Wind Subsidies

  Published 06 March 2014 | viewed 10,184 times

  Amid crippling European declines in gas storage and thermal energy production, France’s GDF Suez is reporting a net loss of over $13 billion for 2013…

• Iraq Oil Exports Pick up Pace

  Published 06 March 2014 | viewed 5,869 times

  New production coming online may allow Iraq to claim the mantle as the fastest growing oil exporter in the world. For 2014, Iraq may post…

• Italy’s Eni Challenges European Oil-Linked Gas Prices

  Published 05 March 2014 | viewed 5,095 times

  In a deal that could eventually lead to lower gas prices for Europe, Italian oil and gas giant Eni has renegotiated the terms of a…

• Solar Industry Has Record Year in 2013

  Published 05 March 2014 | viewed 4,963 times

  The U.S. solar industry had its best year ever in 2013, growing 41% from a year earlier. A new report released by the Solar Energy…

• European Utilities Suffer from Increased Renewables

  Published 04 March 2014 | viewed 5,070 times

  Several German utilities reported losses on their electricity generation business as the increased penetration of renewable energy lower electricity prices and capture market share. German…

• Russia Plays Ukraine Gas Card—Again

  Published 04 March 2014 | viewed 5,962 times

  Russia appears to be backing down slightly over Ukraine, with President Vladimir Putin saying that military force would be a last resort amid the threat…

• Ukraine Refinery Halts Amid Tensions with Russia

  Published 03 March 2014 | viewed 10,177 times

  Russia’s Lukoil has reportedly halted all oil supplies to Ukraine’s Kherson refinery in Odessa ostensibly over unpaid debts as political chaos engulfs the country with…

• EPA Sets Standards for Air Pollution from Cars and Trucks

  Published 03 March 2014 | viewed 4,547 times

  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized new standards on sulfur in gasoline used in cars and trucks. The standards will require lower sulfur content in…

• Oil Piracy Moves to Angolan Coast with $8M Heist

  Published 01 March 2014 | viewed 9,155 times

  An oil tanker hijacked for a week off Angola last month has been returned to the authorities, but not before hijackers managed to siphon $8…

• OPEC Oil Output Drops to Lowest Level in 2 ½ Years

  Published 28 February 2014 | viewed 5,549 times

  Oil production from OPEC dropped to its lowest level in 2 ½ years according to a Bloomberg survey. Production dropped by 11,000 barrels per day…

• New Spy Technology to Spawn Oil Revolution

  Published 27 February 2014 | viewed 24,453 times

  The future of oil exploration lies in new technology--from massive data-processing supercomputers to 4D seismic to early-phase airborne spy technology that can pinpoint prospective reservoirs.Oil…

• Brent/WTI Spread Narrows to 4 ½ Month Low

  Published 27 February 2014 | viewed 6,096 times

  Prices between the two major oil benchmarks – Brent and WTI – have narrowed to their lowest level in four and a half months. WTI…

• Korean Firm Wins $6bn Iraq Refinery Contract

  Published 26 February 2014 | viewed 7,902 times

  A consortium of Korean engineering firms has won an estimated $6 billion contract to build a new oil refinery in Iraq, in the largest deal…

• DOT Issues Emergency Order for Crude Oil Rail Transport

  Published 26 February 2014 | viewed 5,128 times

  The U.S. Department of Transportation issued an emergency order on February 25 to address the safety of transporting crude oil by rail. According to the…

• Keystone Decision in Two Months?

  Published 25 February 2014 | viewed 5,690 times

  While Republican governors claimed on Monday that President Barack Obama has given assurances of a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline within the next couple…

• Japan Charts Path to Return to Nuclear Power

  Published 25 February 2014 | viewed 4,952 times

  The Wall Street Journal reported on a 20-year strategic energy plan released by the Japanese government that calls for a return to nuclear power. The…

• Japan Hints at Nuclear Safety Resolution

  Published 24 February 2014 | viewed 4,054 times

  Some two weeks after a “pro-nuclear” victory in the Tokyo gubernatorial elections, Japan’s nuclear regulator has indicated that it may be close to a decision…