Tad Patzek

Rig Grounding Revives Debate Over Shell’s Arctic Drilling

This week’s grounding of a rig off the coast of Alaska adds to a series of mishaps in Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s seven-year quest to tap the vast oil reserves of the Arctic and emboldened critics who say it can’t be done safely.

Shell May Trim 2012 Alaska Drilling for Inspections, Ice

Royal Dutch Shell Plc may have to scale back its Arctic oil-exploration this year after unrelenting ice and trouble passing U.S. Coast Guard inspections delayed the planned July start of drilling.

BP Reinstalls Cap on Gulf Oil Leak, Intercept Well on Track

BP Plc reinstalled a device on its Gulf of Mexico well to capture leaking oil after an underwater accident yesterday, as an intercept well intended to plug the gusher began homing in on its target.

Delays Leave Shell With Only Weeks to Drill in Arctic

Royal Dutch Shell Plc has spent seven years and $4.5 billion, and fought off at least 50 lawsuits, for a chance to tap what is thought to be the biggest source of oil in the U.S. outside of the Gulf of Mexico.

BP Uses `Junk Shot,' Calls Spill an `Environmental Catastrophe'

BP Plc added golf balls and rubber scraps to the mud it was pumping into its leaking Gulf of Mexico oil well in an effort to stop the spill that Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward called an “environmental catastrophe.”

Revamp to Blowout Devices Two Years After BP Weighed by U.S.

Oil and gas companies drilling in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico may need to pay millions of dollars for improvements to safety valves on the seabed floor they hope never get used.

BP Persists on `Top Kill,' Prepares Backup Plan to Stop Spill

BP Plc planned to continue working through the weekend to plug a leaking oil well in the Gulf of Mexico that has produced the largest spill in U.S. history.

BP, Obama May Keep Macondo Oil Well Shut Until Final Kill

BP Plc ’s use of a tight-fitting cap to shut off oil flowing from its Gulf of Mexico Macondo well may be the solution the company has sought since the undersea gusher was triggered by an explosion three months ago.

BP Persists on `Top Kill,' Prepares Backup Plan to Stop Spill

BP Plc will use undersea robots to begin cutting damaged pipe from its leaking oil well off Louisiana within the next several days, risking temporarily increasing the flow as it seeks to end the largest oil spill in U.S. history.

BP Uses `Junk Shot,' Calls Spill an `Environmental Catastrophe'

BP Plc added rubber golf balls and scraps to the mud it was pumping into its leaking Gulf of Mexico oil well in an effort to stop the spill, which Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward called an “environmental catastrophe.”

"The stakes are so high, and the upside of producing oil from the Arctic is potentially so high, that they may actually go ahead and decide to do as much as they can this year."

- Tad Patzek on Aug 19, 2012

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Doug Suttles

U.S. Sees No Hard Evidence of Syrian Chemical Weapons Use

Apple Returning $55 Billion to Investors as Forecast Trails

Ford Hybrid Owners Sue Over Fuel-Efficiency Rating Claims

Sales of New Homes in U.S. Climb 1.5% to 417,000 Rate

U.S. Stocks Rise as Travelers, Netflix Rally on Earnings