Business - Energy & Oil Industry

JOHANNESBURG - The government of Equatorial Guinea says the African country's ruler of 30 years has been re-elected with 95.37 percent of votes, while opponents and international human rights groups denounced the electoral process in Africa's No. 3 oil producer as fraudulent. Full Story »

HOUSTON - Western Gas Partners LP said Thursday it would offer 6 million common units in the partnership, and use the proceeds to repay borrowings under its $350 million line of credit. Full Story »

DENVER - The Transportation Department announced two regulations Thursday that are designed to improve safety of natural gas and hazardous liquid pipeline operations. Full Story »

MILAN (AFP) - Italian energy group ENI and Russian partner Gazprom signed an agreement on Thursday authorising French firm EDF to join the South Stream gas pipeline project, ENI said. Full Story »

NEW YORK - Natural gas stockpile levels rose again to a new record high last week, the government said Thursday. Full Story »

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures edged higher Thursday after slipping 2.3 percent a day earlier on a larger-than-expected build in U.S. crude inventories. Full Story »

The stock market struggled but held its ground Wednesday as an upbeat assessment of the economy from the Federal Reserve offset drops in banks and energy companies. Most stocks finished higher after the Fed said regional economic activity has generally improved since its last snapshot in October. The central bank said consumers have increased spending even as employment and commercial real estate remain weak. Full Story »

NEW YORK - The stock market struggled but held its ground Wednesday as an upbeat assessment of the economy from the Federal Reserve offset drops in banks and energy companies. Full Story »

DENVER - Taxes, jobs, budget shortfalls — the usual fodder for political wrangling is already spurring debate in the Colorado governor's race. But the time it takes to approve oil and gas permits? Full Story »

DALLAS - Regency Energy Partners LP, a natural gas distributor, said Wednesday an offering of 10.5 million common units priced at $19.12 per unit. Full Story »

ALBANY, N.Y. - New York is phasing in a new billing system for electric and gas delivery that guarantees utilities steady revenues even when sales fluctuate and that exposes customers to small surcharges or rebates in their monthly bills. Full Story »

NAIROBI, Kenya - A Greek shipping company says an oil supertanker Somali pirates hijacked four days ago has reached the coast of Somalia. Full Story »

GREENVILLE, Pa. - The Pennsylvania Attorney General has charged an Ohio natural gas exploration company with polluting land near an abandoned well in northwestern Pennsylvania. Full Story »

WASHINGTON - A subsidiary of Peabody Energy Corp. spent more than $1 million during the third quarter to lobby Congress on issues related to the coal industry and energy policy, according to a recent disclosure report. Full Story »

NEW YORK - Crude inventories and gasoline supplies both rose last week, the government said Wednesday. Full Story »

ST. LOUIS - Ameren Corp. will build solar energy systems in Missouri and Illinois to explore how best to use the sun to generate electricity, the St. Louis-based utility said. Full Story »

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Public Service Commission set 10-year energy conservation goals Tuesday that are significantly stronger than Florida's major electric utilities had proposed but well short of what environmentalists wanted. Full Story »

SALT LAKE CITY - The federal government has acknowledged it never prosecuted anyone who failed to pay a bid for drilling rights in Utah until a college student offered his bogus bids in an act of environmental defiance. Full Story »