Business - Energy & Oil Industry

SAMANDEPE, Turkmenistan (AFP) - China's President Hu Jintao on Monday unveiled a landmark pipeline to transport Turkmen natural gas to China, a key victory for Beijing in its drive for access to Central Asian resources. Full Story »

SAMANDEPE, Turkmenistan (AFP) - China's President Hu Jintao on Monday opened a pipeline to transport Turkmen natural gas to China, a major victory for Beijing in its drive to access Central Asian energy resources. Full Story »

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia halted gas supplies to Armenia after a bomb was found close to a pipeline in southern Russia, Interfax news agency reported on Monday, citing the Georgian company responsible for transiting the gas. Full Story »

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraq will be a "big player" at OPEC's meeting in Angola later this month over its allocated crude production quota following a string of deals with oil majors, a senior US embassy official said on Sunday. Full Story »

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Kuwait's oil minister said Sunday OPEC probably won't change its production levels when it meets next week. Full Story »

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Critics said the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq said was driven by oil, but United States oil majors were largely absent from an Iraqi auction of oil deals snapped up instead by Russian, Chinese and other firms. Full Story »

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan Petroleum Exploration Co (Japex) (1662.T) and Petronas of Malaysia will jointly invest a total of about $7 billion to develop Iraq's Gharaf oilfield, the Nikkei business daily reported on Sunday. Full Story »

WASHINGTON - A Republican lawmaker says U.S. participation in an international agreement on climate change would result in soaring energy prices and damage America's economic competitiveness. Full Story »

BAGHDAD - Iraq's oil minister began counting the money Saturday even before the first wells were drilled, dubbing the country's second postwar oil auction a triumph even as international oil companies largely snubbed the most violent regions in the Middle East's last major oil bonanza. Full Story »

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraq on Saturday awarded oil contracts to foreign giants at an auction it hopes will hike output to 12 million barrels a day and put it on a par with the world's top producer Saudi Arabia. Full Story »

ALMATY, Kazakhstan - The leaders of Kazakhstan and China jointly unveiled Saturday the Kazakh section of a natural gas pipeline that will tap into Central Asia's vast energy riches and loosen Russia's influence over the region. Full Story »

ASTANA (AFP) - Chinese President Hu Jintao opened the Kazakh section of a gas pipeline from Central Asia on Saturday, as he kicked off a tour highlighting Beijing's growing influence over the region's energy resources. Full Story »

ASTANA/OTAR (Reuters) - Chinese leader Hu Jintao opened the Kazakh section of a new Central Asia-China gas pipeline on Saturday, tightening Beijing's control over natural resources in the vast energy-rich region. Full Story »

COLOMBO (AFP) - Sri Lanka plans to offer three more blocks off the island's northwestern shores for oil exploration, the government said on Saturday. Full Story »

RIVERTON, Wyo. - U.S. Energy Corp. said Friday that it priced a public offering of 5 million shares of its common stock at a 6 percent discount to their Thursday closing price. Full Story »

HOUSTON - The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. rose by 20 this week to 1,161. Full Story »

BATON ROUGE, La. - The Louisiana Mineral and Energy Board says a natural gas company may double its storage caverns under Lake Peigneur — a plan many area residents strongly oppose. Full Story »

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq could challenge Russia's number two spot among world oil producers after auctioning two prized oilfields on Friday, although it failed to attract companies to bid for deals in its most dangerous areas. Full Story »