Today in Energy
Rail shipments of oil and petroleum products through October up 13% over year-ago period
Note: These carloadings do not include intermodal traffic.
U.S. rail traffic, including carloadings of all commodity types, has increased 4.5% through October 2014 compared to the same period in 2013. Crude oil and petroleum products had the second-biggest increase in carloadings through the first 10 months of this year, with these shipments occurring in parts of the country where there is also strong demand to move coal and grain by rail. In response to shipper concerns over the slow movement of crude oil, coal, grain, ethanol, and propane, federal regulators are closely tracking service among the major U.S. freight railroad companies.
Tags: biofuels , coal , crude oil , electricity , liquid fuels , propane , rail
Increased natural gas production would meet most demand from added LNG exports
Note: Excludes natural gas used to fuel added liquefaction. Scenarios 12, 16, 20, and Alt 20 refer to different liquefied natural gas export scenarios, explained in the article text and in the full report. Reference Case baseline comes from EIA's Annual Energy Outlook 2014.
Increased natural gas production is projected to satisfy 60% to 80% of a potential increase in demand for added liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from the Lower 48 states, according to recently released EIA analysis. The report, Effect of Increased Levels of Liquefied Natural Gas Exports on U.S. Energy Market, considered the long-term effects of several LNG export scenarios specified by the Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy (FE). The study also considered implications for natural gas prices, consumption, primary energy use, and energy-related emissions. Effects on overall economic growth were positive but modest. A discussion of caveats and limitations of the analysis is also included.
Tags: AEO2014 (Annual Energy Outlook 2014) , forecast , natural gas , prices , production
EIA tracks oil and natural gas production by both surface location and geologic formation
EIA uses two differing methods to determine production from major and minor oil and natural gas plays onshore in the United States. One method takes a geographic approach, focusing on surface-level analysis, and the other method uses a geologic approach, focusing on formation-level details. The differences between these two approaches can provide information on potentially emerging plays.
Tags: Drilling Productivity Report , Haynesville , natural gas , production
After record injections, natural gas storage levels now within 7% of 5-year average
Working natural gas in storage ended October at 3,571 billion cubic feet (Bcf), a record increase of 2,734 Bcf during the April 1 to October 31 injection season, and within 7% of the average of the last five end-of-season storage levels. While end-October natural gas stocks are at a five-year low, increased natural gas production, which has reached an all-time high, and new pipeline projects will help meet winter natural gas demand. Higher production means that even if this winter were as cold as last year, EIA expects that natural gas storage at the end of March 2015 will be above its March 2014 level.
Tags: electricity , forecast , generation , natural gas , STEO (Short-Term Energy Outlook) , storage , weather
Coal stockpiles at coal-fired power plants smaller than in recent years
Coal stocks at electric power plants, which totaled 121 million tons at the end of August, are relatively low in both absolute and days of burn terms relative to recent historical norms. This is true both nationally and in the Upper Midwest. About two-thirds of coal used to generate electric power moves from coal mine to power plant either fully or partially by rail.
Tags: coal , electricity , generators , rail , stocks , transportation
Texas leads nation in growth in oil and natural gas production jobs during 2013
Note: Oil and natural gas production jobs comprise the North American Industry Classifications System (NAICS) categories for oil and gas extraction, support activities for oil and gas operations, and drilling oil and gas wells.
Texas added more than 19,000 new private sector jobs in oil and natural gas production in 2013, almost six times the number added in New Mexico, the next highest state for oil and natural gas production jobs added last year. The extraction, drilling, and support jobs categories are a measure of on-the-ground production jobs, and do not reflect the many jobs at oil and natural gas corporate headquarters based in Texas.
Tags: Colorado , natural gas , North Dakota , oil/petroleum , Oklahoma , Pennsylvania , states , Texas , Wyoming
LED light bulbs keep improving in efficiency and quality
Note: Reflects Lighting Facts database through November 3, 2014.
Improvements in lighting technology for light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs have increased lighting efficiency, or efficacy, as well as color quality. In September of this year, several manufacturers released ENERGY STAR®-qualified bulbs surpassing 100 lumens per watt. For comparison, traditional incandescent bulbs, which do not meet current light bulb efficiency standards and are no longer sold, provide 13 to 18 lumens per watt.
Tags: efficiency , lighting
U.S. gasoline prices move with Brent rather than WTI crude oil
Recent increases in U.S. crude oil production have sparked discussion on how this increase in supply will be used by U.S. refiners given current limitations on exporting domestic crude. On October 30, EIA released a study that explored the relationships between crude oil and gasoline prices.
Tags: Brent , crude oil , exports , gasoline , liquid fuels , oil prices , oil/petroleum , prices , WTI (West Texas Intermediate)
Crude exports and re-exports continue to rise; some volumes sent to Europe and Asia
The United States exported 401,000 barrels per day (bbl/d) of crude oil in July 2014, the highest level of exports in 57 years and the second highest monthly export volume since 1920, when EIA's published data starts. Recent crude oil exports are also noteworthy for both their origins and destinations. As a result of existing U.S. crude oil export restrictions, most U.S. crude exports are sourced domestically and are sent only to Canada. However, since April, crude exports have included modest amounts of Canadian-produced barrels that were moved through the United States and then re-exported to Switzerland, Spain, Italy, and Singapore.
Tags: Canada , crude oil , exports , Italy , liquid fuels
Colder weather drives forecast of 2014 energy-related CO2 emissions 1.1% above 2013 level
In the long term, energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are driven by economic and efficiency trends and changes in the fuel mix. But weather fluctuations, which drive the level of energy use for both heating and cooling, are a very significant factor affecting year-to-year variation in fossil fuel consumption and their resulting emissions.
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