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Laura Blewitt | Bloomberg Markets | December 12, 2017 The world’s largest oil consumer exported more hydrocarbons than ever before in 2017 and shows no signs of slowing down.

How big of a role does the oil and natural gas industry play in your Christmas traditions? Scroll down to find out.

Increased exports of natural gas have not led to increases in domestic natural gas prices in the United States, according to a review by Texans for Natural Gas. The finding contradicts prior government modeling and claims from environmental critics, who have warned repeatedly against approving LNG export facilities on the basis that they would cause price spikes for consumers.

Tsvetana Paraskova | OilPrice.com | December 4, 2017 The U.S. Senate passing the tax reform bill is pro-growth legislation that would help the domestic oil and gas industry, Jack Gerard, President and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute (API), said after the Senators passed the sweeping tax reform on Saturday.

Jordan Blum | Houston Chronicle | December 7, 2017 SABINE PASS, La. - In 2011, Cheniere Energy was a little-known company with big ambitions when it signed an $8 billion contract that would transform the United States into an exporter of liquefied natural gas after decades of relying on foreign suppliers.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) praised the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) this week for its work to protect underground drinking water sources, citing the efforts made in the RRC’s Underground Injection Control (UIC) program. The commendation was part of EPA’s Fiscal Year 2016 End-of-Year evaluation of the Texas UIC program, the conclusions of which were presented by Lori Wrotenbery, Director of the Oil and Gas Division for RRC, at a Commission open meeting this week.

Kristin Gordon | Corridor News | November 28, 2017 In 2016, U.S. coal production decreased 18.8 percent year-over-year to 728.4 million short tons, the lowest annual production level since 1979, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Rye Druzin | San Antion Express-News | November 27, 2017 Texas crude oil is being shipped worldwide at ever higher rates as foreign markets get used to the taste of light sweet crude.  Port Corpus Christi, a major refining center on the U.S. Gulf Coast, is now becoming a major hub for U.S. crude oil exports.

Beaumont Enterprise | November 13, 2017 FORT YATES, N.D. (AP) — Finances at a casino run by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe are slowly improving, after facing a $6 million shortfall during the peak of the Dakota Access oil pipeline protest in February.

Texas is the most attractive area for oil and gas exploration and production investment according to the latest annual Fraser Institute Global Petroleum Survey. Compiling responses from oil and gas executives and managers around the world, Texas received a perfect rating of 100.00, an improvement from previous years and allowing it to dethrone Oklahoma as the most desirable region in the world for oil and gas investment

A recent report from the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) claims that venting and flaring in West Texas’ Permian Basin is taking place at much higher rates than reported, but recent data show that oil and natural gas operators are already effectively limiting methane emissions in the region – even as production has increased.

Tom DiChristopher | CNBC | November 20, 2017 Nebraska regulators on Monday approved a route for the Keystone XL pipeline, clearing a major hurdle for the nearly 1,200-mile project. The project faced opposition from some Nebraska landowners and environmentalists. The Obama administration blocked the project, but President Donald Trump overturned the decision in the opening days of his presidency.

How big of a role does the oil and natural gas industry have in American Thanksgiving traditions? Read to find out.

Grant Smith | Bloomberg Markets | November 14, 2017 The U.S. will be a dominant force in global oil and gas markets for many years to come as the shale boom becomes the biggest supply surge in history, the International Energy Agency predicted.

Longview News-Journal | November 7, 2017 Texas oil companies have hired about 30,000 workers in the past year, a sharp turnaround after laying off a third of the industry's statewide workforce during the oil bust that began in late 2014.

David Bradley | Natural Gas Intel | November 6, 2017 Texas oil and natural gas activity sustained a modest expansion in September, marking the 10th consecutive month of improvement, as the state's producers continue to recover, according to the Texas Petro Index (TPI), a barometer of upstream health.

Tom Henry | The Blade | November 7, 2017 BOWLING GREEN — A citizen-led ballot initiative that calls for a ban on more pipelines transporting natural gas and other fossil fuels through city-owned property was soundly rejected by Bowling Green voters.

Linda Kelly | Investor's Business Daily | November 7, 2017 Trial lawyers are waging a reckless assault against American manufacturers in pursuit of a fat payday for themselves. If successful, their relentless quest will have enormous consequences for American workers, shareholders, and consumers.

Matthew Daly (Associated Press) | Tyler Morning Telegraph | November 1, 2017 WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld Energy Department decisions approving three projects to export liquefied natural gas, a boost for the Trump administration's strategy to increase energy production and promote exports.

Jordan Blum | Houston Chronicle | November 3, 2017 Houston pipeline and export terminal giant Enterprise Products Partners is nearing completion of its 416-mile Midland-to-Sealy pipeline to carry shale oil from West Texas' booming Permian Basin to the Houston area.

Jack Kaskey | Bloomberg Businessweek | November 3, 2017 A decade ago, chemicals were just another fading U.S. manufacturing business. Companies were reluctant to invest in new factories because of soaring prices for the oil and natural gas that serve as both raw materials and power sources. Dow Chemical and others were closing plants and moving production to the Middle East to save money. “The conventional wisdom was we are not going to produce a lot of petrochemicals here,” says Kevin Swift, chief economist at the American Chemistry Council, an industry group.

New data from the Texas Comptroller show state sales tax revenue increased over 10 percent in September 2017 compared to September 2016, totaling $2.4 billion. This significant growth in state tax revenue was led by increased spending in oil and gas sectors, along with an almost 36 percent jump in oil and gas production tax revenue, the Comptroller reports.  This revenue helps improve communities across Texas - funding local school districts, allowing for infrastructure investments, and supporting emergency services.

Two of the most prolific oil and natural gas basins in the United States have experienced dramatic declines in methane emissions over the past five years, according to new data released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The increased use of natural gas has proven more effective at reducing carbon dioxide than renewables, according to the latest data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

The largest lease sale in University Lands’ history took place last week and resulted in $118 million in revenue, with over 43,000 acres of land leased for oil and gas development in West Texas’ Permian Basin. Held through an online auction platform, the sale resulted in an average leasing price of $2,700, with some lots going for more than $12,000, demonstrating once again the significant benefit oil and gas development delivers for Texas education.