Rule of law, cooperative federalism, and public participation would be core philosophies of Oklahoma Atty. Gen. E. Scott Pruitt (R) if he becomes US Environmental Protection Agency administrator, he said. He also would consider proposed regulations’ economic as well as environmental regulations, he told the US Senate Environment and Public Works Committee during his Jan. […]

New Zealand Oil & Gas Ltd. (NZOG) has now taken full control of Cue Energy Resources Ltd. after having launched a hostile takeover the Melbourne-based Cue nearly 2 years ago. Source: News

The Tullow Oil PLC-operated Erut-1 well on Block 13T in northern Kenya has discovered a gross oil interval of 55 m with 25 m of net oil pay at a depth of 700 m. The overall oil column for the field is considered to be 100-125 m. Source: News

State Oil Co. of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) subsidiary SOCAR GPC has let a contract to Axens SA, Rueil-Malmaison, France, to provide technology for a butene unit at its proposed grassroots gas processing and petrochemical complex to be built in Garadagh, Azerbaijan, 15 km south of Baku. Source: News

US Rep. Ryan Zinke said he would work to have more federal land management decisions reached outside of Washington, DC, as a product of closer collaboration with states and stakeholders if he is confirmed as the next US Secretary of the Interior. Source: News