Regulators propose stricter safety rules for California refiners

California’s Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), and the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) have proposed a series of heightened regulations aimed at strengthening workplace and environmental safety at the state’s oil refineries. Source: News


BHI: US rig count climbs again as financial outlooks shift

The overall US drilling rig count gained 7 units to 447 during the week ended July 15, according to data collected by Baker Hughes Inc. All but one of the units to come online were oil-directed. Source: News


Analyst: Violence limits South Sudanese flow

Civil strife lowers prospects for full recovery of oil production in South Sudan, warns an analyst with Verisk Maplecroft, Bath, UK. Source: News


BP’s total liability for Deepwater Horizon surpasses $60 billion

BP PLC has lifted its total cumulative pretax charge for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon incident and oil spill by $5.2 billion to $61.6 billion after making “significant progress in resolving outstanding claims,” the firm said on July 14. Source: News