Oil prices dropped below $98 per barrel Friday November 18, 2011 to the end a volatile week that mixed jitters about Europe's debt with the prospect of tighter oil supplies and improving economic conditions in the U.S. Read more »

Republicans on Thursday November 17, 2011 sought to lift a U.S. ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling and use related royalties to help finance road and bridge construction. Read more »

The Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission appointed by Gov. Martin O’Malley will meet this week at the auditorium at Garrett College. Read more »

Oil prices were lower on Wednesday November 9,2011 following a broad sell-off on Wall Street that was stoked by fears that Europe would be overwhelmed by a mountain of debt.

Here's how energy contracts traded:

On the New York Mercantile Exchange:

Crude fell $1.06 to end the day at $95.74 per barrel. Read more »

When one thinks of the Fayetteville shale, one company name comes to mind immediately – Southwestern Energy. Houston-based Southwestern was the earliest entrant in the Fayetteville shale play and today November 8,2011 still has nearly three times the natural gas production of its nearest competitor in the formation. The Fayetteville shale is located on the Arkansas side of the Arkoma Basin and cuts a swath through the north-central part of the state east to the Mississippi River. Read more »

Although petroleum prices continue to teeter with the uncertainty of Europe's financial system and the economic recovery of the United States, prices at the gas pump have dropped in recent days and are expected to stay on a downward trend, experts said.

Oil prices remained near $95 per barrel early in the week, as conflicting outside factors prevented prices from fluctuating significantly. Read more »

The vast expansion of the Marcellus Shale natural gas industry in Pennsylvania has been, in part, an exercise in demonstrating the inadequacy of state law to deal with the boom. Now a court case in Susquehanna County demonstrates that the inadequacy might be as deep as the shale itself.

Mineral extraction has been a principal industry in Pennsylvania since the mid-1800s. One would think, given vast practical experience in the extraction of oil and coal, that legal issues regarding drilling leases and mineral rights would be settled. Read more »

Oil prices rose on Wednesday November 2, 2011 as traders reacted to a larger-than-expected drop in US distillate stockpiles, indicating strong demand for heating fuel in the world's biggest economy ahead of winter.

New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in December, rose 91 cents to $93.10 a barrel.

Brent North Sea crude for December delivery gained $1.12 to $110.66 in late London deals. Read more »

When Pennsylvania lawmakers returned to Harrisburg for the fall session, several pieces of legislation were given priority status. One of the items at the top of the list was regulation of hydraulic fractoring in the Marcellus Shale deposit that sits underneath a part of the state. The resulting drilling activity has made Pennsylvania a national player in terms of gas production, but is an industry that is largely uncovered by state laws. Read more »

Oil prices dropped below $93 a barrel Friday October 28, 2011 after surging the previous session amid investor optimism Europe's plan to contain its debt crisis will help boost global economic growth.

By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark crude for December delivery was down $1.35 at $92.61 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $3.76, or 4.2 percent, to settle at $93.96 in New York on Thursday. Read more »