Mexico’s National Hydrocarbons Commission (CNH) awarded three of five shallow-water blocks in its Round One second tender, a more successful auction than the first in July that received just 2 bids on 14 blocks. All five blocks are part of the Southeast basin in the Gulf of Mexico.

In an effort to help develop a domestic supply of rare earth elements, researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute have developed a novel method of chemically separating these materials -- specifically neodymium, dysprosium, and praseodymium -- from the drive units and motors of discarded electric and hybrid cars. The goal is to recycle rare earths that would otherwise be lost in a sustainable and efficient manner.

The Endangered Species Act works best when state governments and local stakeholders are heavily involved, witnesses testifying before a US Senate Environment and Public Works subcommittee agreed. But they strongly differed on whether the 1973 law itself is still effective, or needs to be reformed.

The US Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comments on a proposed rule that would update and replace its regulations governing the measurement of oil produced from onshore federal and Indian leases.

Lundin Norway AS is considering two more appraisal wells after recent results from wells near the 2014 Alta oil and gas discovery in the Barents Sea.

San Leon Energy PLC, Dublin, found gas shows within a 23-m-thick reservoir section of sandstone and conglomerate with its Laayoune-4 well drilled on the Tarfaya conventional license of Morocco’s Sahara region.

Significant progress has been made in making US oil and gas pipelines safer and reducing the number of accidental releases, government and industry witnesses agreed at a US Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation subcommittee hearing. But they also emphasized that more work needs to be done.

Crude oil prices rose 80¢/bbl on the New York Sept. 29 to settle slightly above $45/bbl as traders and analysts awaited the weekly government inventory report on crude oil and products, which showed an increase.