The price of oil slipped again Thursday as the risk of supply disruptions in Iraq faded and key export terminals in Libya were expected to reopen.Benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude for August delivery fell 42 cents to US$104.06 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, its sixth consecutive day of decline. On Wednesday, the contract fell 86 cents to $104.48.Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, fell 24 cents to US$111 a barrel in London.Oil prices in recent weeks have largely [Read more]

NEW YORK - The price of oil slipped Wednesday despite a report from the U.S. Department of Energy that showed American stockpiles of crude fell more than expected last week.Benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude for August delivery fell 86 cents to US$104.48 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, its fifth day of decline. The contract closed at a 10-month high of US$107.26 on June 20.Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, fell $1.05 to US$111.24 a barrel in London.The Energy [Read more]

HALIFAX - The majority of people who offered opinions for a report on hydraulic fracturing in Nova Scotia say they want the province to ban or maintain a moratorium on the disputed industry.There were 238 individual submissions to an 'expert panel' that's looking at the environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in Nova Scotia.Of those, 92 per cent said they supported a moratorium or ban, while 0.5 per cent were against such prohibitions.The discussion paper will form the basis [Read more]

The price of oil edged up Wednesday on stronger manufacturing activity in the United States and China, the two biggest oil consumers. Benchmark U.S. crude for August delivery was up 8 cents to $105.42 per barrel at 0800 GMT in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, breaking four days of declines. The contract closed at a 10-month high of $107.26 on June 20. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, fell 13 cents to $112.16 per barrel in London. Manufacturing [Read more]

The price of oil declined Monday as markets waited for the preliminary reading of China's manufacturing for June. Benchmark U.S. crude for August delivery was down 56 cents to US$105.18 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract closed down 10 cents at $105.74 on Friday. Brent crude, used to price international oils, slipped 62 cents to $112.68 a barrel in London. Oil prices were steady going into the weekend as markets grew accustomed to news [Read more]

HALIFAX - The federal government has finalized an agreement with Nova Scotia on greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants. Environment Canada and the provincial Environment Department began working on an equivalency agreement in 2012 and it was signed a month ago by the province, but notice was published Friday in the Canada Gazette that it had been finalized. The deal is intended to do away with duplicate regulations on greenhouse gases by exempting the province from federal [Read more]

The price of oil held steady Friday on a quiet day for energy markets.Benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude for August delivery edged 10 cents lower to close at US$105.74 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.Brent crude, a benchmark used to price international oils used my many U.S. refineries, rose nine cents to close at US$113.30 a barrel in London.The prices of both U.S. and international oils have slipped somewhat in recent days since reaching 10-month highs late last week, a sign [Read more]

HALIFAX - A new study on the potential for hydraulic fracturing in Nova Scotia says there isn't enough research available to draw firm conclusions about the impact on communities. The study says the use of high-volume fracking to extract oil and natural gas from shale deposits emerged as a profitable business only a decade ago, which means peer-reviewed studies are hard to come by. The discussion paper, written by social ecologist Shawn Dalton, will form the basis of a chapter in a report [Read more]