Cheaper Oil Likely to Stay Awhile

Production is up from Canada to the US to Brazil

(NEWSER) - Gas and oil production is booming from Canada to Argentina, and that shift away from the Middle East has the potential to change the United States' geopolitical calculations significantly, reports the Washington Post . Even the US has been able to boost its petroleum production by 1.7 million barrels per day since 2005. Since 2006, imports from OPEC nations have dropped by 1.8 million barrels per day, whereas imports from Canada, Brazil, and Colombia have risen by 700,000 barrels and now total 3.4 million barrels per day. More»

Danny Glover, others seek pipeline foes willing to risk arrest

(NEWSER) - Actor Danny Glover is among a group of celebrities and green activists seeking volunteers to risk arrest this summer in DC over a proposed oil pipeline that would run from the Canadian tar sands to the Gulf Coast. “We want you to consider doing something hard: coming to Washington in the hottest and stickiest weeks of the summer and engaging in civil disobedience that will likely get you arrested,” the activists write in a letter reprinted at Politico . More»

As US drivers complain, those overseas think we're lucky

(NEWSER) - Gas prices are climbing again, which means people are complaining, which means it's time for a spate of stories showing how relatively cheap gas remains in the US. Here's a rough estimate of world prices per gallon, courtesy of CNN :

• US: $3.53
• Norway: $9.28
• Europe: Between $7.50 and $8 for most, including Britain, Ireland, Italy, France, and Germany.

Interior Dept. study sees offshore turbines generating energy

(NEWSER) - Offshore winds are a largely untapped resource that could potentially supply the US with even more electricity than it currently needs, according to a new Interior Department report. The report says the area off the Atlantic coast could meet more than one-fourth of the national power demand, but the fact that it omits mention of untapped oil and gas reserves has critics crying foul, reports the Los Angeles Times. More»

(NEWSER) - A helicopter ferrying workers to oil rigs off Canada’s Atlantic coast crashed into the ocean today, killing at least one, the Telegram of St. John’s, Newfoundland, reports. One passenger has been rescued, but 16 more remain lost. The chopper reported engine trouble prior to ditching about 40 miles offshore. “The helicopter is not on the surface of the water any more, and the search effort is going on,” an official said. More»