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Justin Mikulka

How U.S. Crude Oil Exports Are Hastening the Demise of the Oil Industry

How U.S. Crude Oil Exports Are Hastening the Demise of the Oil Industry

This post originally appeared on DeSmog When Congress lifted the export ban on U.S. crude oil in December of 2015 to allow for exports beginning in 2016, the oil industry celebrated. However, looking back at the impact of lifting the 40-year-old ban, it appears the move has helped hasten

Decoding the Hype Behind the Natural Gas Industry’s Hydrogen Push

Decoding the Hype Behind the Natural Gas Industry’s Hydrogen Push

It seems like nearly every day another hopeful article touts the potential of using hydrogen as a fuel to tackle climate change. What’s known as “green hydrogen” — which relies on renewable power for production — is getting the bulk of that attention. In December, ABC News ran an article with

This Loophole in New Mexico's Methane Rules Is a Gift to Big Oil and Gas

This Loophole in New Mexico's Methane Rules Is a Gift to Big Oil and Gas

However, the proposed regulations contain a major loophole that will directly benefit large oil and gas producers, as well as some of the world’s largest investment groups.

Oil Companies Can’t Find Any Buyers For Refineries Struggling Amid Pandemic Crisis

Oil Companies Can’t Find Any Buyers For Refineries Struggling Amid Pandemic Crisis

Major players in the U.S. petroleum refining industry — which is experiencing a historic downturn due to the coronavirus pandemic — are attempting to sell refineries, with little luck. Unable to find any buyers, several refineries are becoming stranded assets as they are permanently shut down. The pandemic continues to set

With Bankruptcies Mounting, Faltering Oil and Gas Firms Are Leaving a Multi-billion Dollar Cleanup Bill to the Public

With Bankruptcies Mounting, Faltering Oil and Gas Firms Are Leaving a Multi-billion Dollar Cleanup Bill to the Public

Amid a record wave of bankruptcies, the U.S. oil and gas industry is on the verge of defaulting on billions of dollars in environmental cleanup obligations.

The US Oil and Gas Industry's Methane Problem Is Catching up With It

The US Oil and Gas Industry's Methane Problem Is Catching up With It

The acknowledgement by many larger oil and gas producers that methane emisssions are causing an industry image problem appears to be directly linked to new satellite technology, which no longer allows the industry to hide the true scale of its methane emissions

The Bakken Boom Goes Bust With No Money to Clean up the Mess

The Bakken Boom Goes Bust With No Money to Clean up the Mess

More than a decade ago, fracking took off in the Bakken shale of North Dakota and Montana, but the oil rush that followed has resulted in major environmental damage, risky oil transportation without regulation, pipeline permitting issues, and failure to produce profits. Now, after all of that, the Bakken oil