US Refiners Scrutinize Biodiesel Producers in Wake of Bogus Credits
Source: Meghan Gordon and Nick Juliano, Platts  (2/28/12)
"After getting burned buying fake renewable fuel credits, U.S. refiners have increased their scrutiny of biodiesel producers by visiting plants, examining feedstocks and sticking to larger, established players." More >

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve Becomes a Political Football (Yet Again)
Source: Kent Moors, Money Morning  (2/27/12)
"At some point, the rise in prices will depress demand. But there is also nothing to prevent this from recurring, in more volatile and frequent cycles. In attempting to offset the effect of oil prices on an economic recovery, the question of whether to tap the SPR may soon be the least of our worries." More >

Oil Prices and Oil Company Profits
Source: Dirk van Dijk, Zacks Investment Research  (2/27/12)
"With oil prices rising, we might expect a surge of upward earnings estimates for oil companies, but so far that is not the case. Are analysts implicitly suggesting that oil prices are going to fall back down?" More >

Do Rising Uranium Mining Stocks Forecast a Supply Shortfall?
Source: Jeb Handwerger, Gold Stock Trades  (2/27/12)
"Despite the phoenix-like rise, uranium investors should not rush to take their nuclear chips off the table—this is just the beginning." More >

Japan in a Quandary as Iran Tensions Expose Energy Vulnerability
Source: Takeo Kumagai, Platts  (2/27/12)
"Japan faces a dilemma. It has to balance its changed energy needs in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster with the more urgent matter of cutting its imports of Iranian crude oil to avoid being shut out of the U.S. financial system." More >

Long Term, North American Gas Stocks Might Be Worth It
Source: Bill Holland, Platts  (2/27/12)
"The recent crop of earnings reports from exploration and production companies indicate long-term promise for the sector." More >

Biofuel Flights: Will 'Green' Air Travel Be Cheaper?
Source: CNN GO, Hiufu Wong  (2/27/12)
"Airlines traveling through Europe have to pay for their carbon emissions, so there is a financial incentive for using alternative jet fuels. This is seeing real results." More >

Too Quiet. . .Expect Equity
Source: Hinds Howard, MLP HINDSight  (2/26/12)
"The MLP Index benefited from solid earnings announcements, rising oil prices and a lack of equity issuance. As a result of a sort of no-catalyst week for MLPs, the index largely tracked the S&P 500." More >

The Companies Looking to Solve Fracking's Water Issues
Source: Oil & Gas Investments Bulletin Research Team  (2/24/12)
"These wells use anywhere from 2-13M gallons per well, leaving parched states like Texas scrambling to encourage water conservation in the energy sector. Which technologies will get adopted by this multibillion dollar industry?" More >

The Who, What and Where of Energy Investing: James West
Source: Brian Sylvester of The Energy Report  (2/23/12)
James West, publisher of the Midas Letter, asks himself three questions when considering energy investment opportunities: Who is the management? What is the asset mix? Where is the project located? He shares the names of companies in the oil, gas, uranium and lithium sectors that have all the right answers in this exclusive interview with The Energy Report. More >

Crude Oil vs. Iran: Who Blinks First?
Source: ETF Daily News, EconMatters  (2/22/12)
"Crude oil fundamentals have not changed enough to warrant this spike, but the reality remains that prices get distorted whenever there's a whiff of geopolitical tension." More >

Mailbag: A Timeline for the Natural Gas Revolution
Source: James Baldwin, Money Morning  (2/22/12)
"The U.S. will likely see an increase in solar, wind, geothermal and other 'green' sources. However, these alternative sources are not enough to fully replace such an enormous amount of power. As a result, the country will turn to natural gas to fill the void." More >

Sanctions Noose Tightens Around Iran as Buyers Seek Alternative Oil
Source: Margaret McQuaile, Platts  (2/22/12)
"International sanctions aimed at slashing Iran's main economic lifeline, its oil revenues, could have an impact on the country's export volumes well beyond the 500,000 b/d of crude that a European Union ban will displace from July." More >

Biofuels Industry on Quest for Low-Cost Feedstocks
Source: Western Farm Press  (2/22/12)
"While first-generation biofuels derived from cornstarch, sugarcane, rapeseed and soy are projected to underpin growth over the next decade, the emergence of advanced conversion pathways and nonfood feedstocks will unlock considerable production potential throughout the world." More >

The Right Way to Find Growth and Value Stocks
Source: Kevin Matras, Zachs Investment Research  (2/22/12)
"While there are still plenty of them around, it's getting harder to find stocks that fit squarely into both categories." More >

Energy Investing in Saskatchewan: Tom MacNeill
Source: Brian Sylvester of The Energy Report  (2/21/12)
Tom MacNeill doesn't have to go far to find the most unique early-stage energy companies to invest in. The President and CEO of Saskatchewan-based investment firm 49 North Resources, MacNeill is bullish on his own backyard, and says of the province's resources, "You name it, we've got it." In this exclusive interview with The Energy Report, he explains why Saskatchewan resource plays trump their Alberta or Ontario counterparts. More >

EU Unfazed by Iran Oil Export Halts to UK, France
Source: Stuart Elliott, Platts  (2/20/12)
"Iran's announcement Feb. 19 that it had stopped exporting oil to France and Britain appears to be a largely symbolic move targeting the two strongest advocates of the European Union's ban on Iranian oil imports." More >

Biofuels Market to Double by 2021 Says Pike Research
Source: Torque News, Aaron Turpen  (2/20/12)
"Pike Research estimates that production of biologically based fuels will increase from $82.7B in 2011 to $185.3B by 2021, but will fall short of demand." More >

Japan Aims to Sell Massive Floating Structures to Stockpile Oil
Source: Takeo Kumagai, Platts  (2/19/12)
"The Japanese government will partner with the private sector to promote exports of megafloats to stockpile oil products, starting with a possible deal with Vietnam in 2013." More >

The Positive Side of the WTI–Brent Spread
Source: Kent Moors, Money Morning  (2/19/12)
"In the Midwest, refinery capacity has been strained; however, there is a glut of crude coming from Canada, which is creating a discount for these companies." More >

Oil Sands Semantics: I Say Potato, You Say Po-Tar Sands
Source: Joel Chury, VantageWire  (2/18/12)
"The key descriptor falls into two categories: oil sands or tar sands. The former is the term more commonly used among industry types. To use the term 'tar sands' is to evoke the negative, to essentially tar and feather the debate." More >

MLPs Post Biggest Weekly Gain of 2012
Source: Hinds Howard, MLP HINDSight  (2/18/12)
"On the back of rising commodity prices, a reprieve from equity offerings and benign broader stock markets, MLPs had a very good week, up 2.7% compared with the S&P 500, which was up 1.4%." More >

Study: 'No Evidence of Groundwater Contamination' from Fracking
Source: Shannon Brushe, Energy InDepth  (2/17/12)
"A new study from the Energy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin has found 'no evidence' of hydraulic fracturing leading to groundwater contamination, as well as a marked trend of negative, ill-researched media coverage on the topic." More >

Biofuels Carry Upside for Early Investors: Jim Lane
Source: Zig Lambo of The Energy Report  (2/16/12)
The biofuel sector, already an $80 billion a year industry, is still in its infancy. In this exclusive interview with The Energy Report, Biofuels Digest Publisher Jim Lane discusses the exponential growth slated for this once-obscure energy source, and how its market resembles the traditional oil and gas industry in many ways. While biofuels are not for the faint of heart, as Lane cautions, investors who do their homework can get in early on companies that offer incredible upside potential. More >

Pandas and Pipelines: China Yields Big Deals and Bigger Promises
Source: Joel Chury, Vantage Wire  (2/15/12)
"Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper returns from China with two giant pandas in tow and $3B worth of signed agreements. The Northern Gateway pipeline will most likely tie China to Alberta's oil sands." More >