Regulatory Archives -

Venezuela issues sweeping oil regulations to expand private sector role

July 10, 2026

(World Oil) – Venezuela’s interim government published long-awaited oil regulations on Thursday that effectively end the decades-long control of national oil company Petróleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) over the country’s lifeblood industry. Spanning 29 pages in the Official Gazette, the regulations lay out rules for the private sector to operate, from wellhead to fuel pump, as well as fiscal terms, with a range

Trump Administration advances new California oil lease plans

July 2, 2026

(Oil Price) – The Bureau of Land Management is giving California another chance to weigh in on oil and gas leasing—whether the state wants it or not. On Thursday, the BLM opened a 30-day public scoping period for 50 federal oil and gas parcels covering roughly 36,000 acres across Kern, Kings, Fresno, and San Luis Obispo counties. The parcels could be

CAFE standards: Market discipline, behavioral reality, and the persistence of imperfect policy

June 8, 2026

(Oil & Gas 360) By Greg Barnett, MBA – The Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, standards were enacted in 1975 in response to a clear and immediate problem: the United States had built an automotive system optimized for size and power at precisely the moment energy security became a national vulnerability. Average passenger vehicles delivered barely 13 miles per

Texas regulators assess $1.1 million in oil and gas penalties

June 8, 2026

(World Oil) – The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) assessed more than $1.1 million in enforcement penalties against operators and businesses during its latest open meeting, continuing the agency’s oversight of the state’s oil and gas industry and intrastate pipeline systems. Commissioners approved a total of $1,111,897 in fines through a combination of default and agreed orders. Default orders, issued to operators

U.S. House passes bill to extend federal oil and gas permitting fund

June 4, 2026

(World Oil) – The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation that would extend a key federal program supporting oil and natural gas permitting activities on public lands, drawing support from industry groups that say the measure helps improve permitting efficiency while remaining fully industry funded. The License to Drill Act (H.R. 7831), introduced by Rep. Mike Kennedy, R-Utah, would reauthorize the

How a NextEra–Dominion deal gets done: What antitrust actually looks at, and what history says happens after

May 18, 2026

(Oil & Gas 360) By Greg Barnett – The proposed combination of NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy is the kind of transaction that immediately triggers a visceral reaction. The scale is enormous, the assets are critical to national infrastructure, and the timing coincides with a surge in electricity demand tied to artificial intelligence and data centers. The instinctive question is whether

Bipartisan Senate bill targets future LNG export moratoriums

May 15, 2026

(World Oil) – A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has introduced legislation aimed at preventing future presidential administrations from pausing or delaying liquefied natural gas (LNG) export approvals, drawing support from oil and gas industry organizations and energy workforce groups. The proposed LNG Export Security Act, introduced by Senators John Cornyn and John Fetterman, would amend the Natural Gas Act to strengthen protections for LNG

Argent LNG gains unanimous Louisiana legislative support

May 14, 2026

(World Oil) – Louisiana lawmakers have unanimously endorsed the proposed Argent LNG export facility at Port Fourchon, advancing political support for the 25-MMtpa LNG project as it continues through the federal permitting process. The Louisiana Legislature approved Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 6 with unanimous votes in both chambers, formally expressing support for development, construction and long-term operation of the proposed LNG export terminal.

IPAA backs Trump administration rollback of BLM public lands rule

May 12, 2026

(World Oil) – The Independent Petroleum Association of America praised the Trump administration’s decision to rescind the Bureau of Land Management’s Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, arguing the move will provide greater regulatory certainty for independent oil and natural gas producers operating on federal lands. The rule, commonly referred to as the BLM public lands rule, had elevated conservation as a

Colorado’s natural gas fight signals a bigger energy debate

May 11, 2026

(By Oil & Gas 360) – Colorado’s latest energy battle is quickly becoming about more than natural gas. What began as a proposed ballot measure to create a constitutional “right to natural gas” is now evolving into a broader debate over energy policy, consumer choice, electrification, affordability, and the pace of transition. At the center of the dispute is Initiative

US will punish fraud and insider trading, derivatives regulator tells Congress

April 16, 2026

(Investing) – WASHINGTON – Washington’s top derivatives regulator on Thursday reassured lawmakers that the United States will punish fraud as concern mounts on Capitol Hill that oil, stock and prediction market players are illicitly trading on inside information from the White House, according to prepared remarks seen by Reuters. The first congressional testimony by the current chair of the U.S. Commodity

BLM lease sales in three states generate $65 million, signal stronger onshore drilling outlook

April 2, 2026

(World Oil) – U.S. Bureau of Land Management lease sales across Colorado, Nevada and Utah generated $64.8 million in total revenue, reflecting continued interest in federal onshore acreage. The agency leased 136 parcels covering 131,121 acres during its latest quarterly sale, with revenue distributed between federal and state governments. Utah accounted for the majority of proceeds, generating $56.4 million from

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