Royale Energy Inc., San Diego, and privately held Matrix Oil Corp., Santa Barbara, have agreed to merge in a $41.5-million deal making Matrix a wholly owned subsidiary of Royale. Source: News

Atlas Resources Partners LP, Philadelphia, will emerge from a planned restructuring as Titan Energy LLC. Source: News

Independent oil and gas producers are asking the US Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to not begin regulating gathering and production lines as part of the US Department of Transportation agency’s latest proposed pipeline safety rules. Source: News

Low oil prices have challenged the economic viability of many deepwater projects, resulting in project delays and cancellations. Some companies such as ConocoPhillips and Marathon Oil Corp. have made significant strategic shifts away from deepwater in favor of shorter-cycle US unconventional plays. Source: News

Party platforms assembled before this year’s general election in the US cover the full ideological spectrum on energy. Some advocate reliance on markets, while others would put the government at the center of decision-making. Distinctions are sharp. Source: News

Recent oil and gas standoffs between the federal and state governments usually have involved Republicans charging that Obama administration regulatory actions have impinged on states’ rights.  Source: News

American Petroleum Institute and American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers officials separately expressed their pleasure as the US Senate approved a Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill with language permitting the use of unmanned aircraft for oil and gas operations. Source: News