Section Oil and Gas

LOGA’s Briggs back in action

After a head injury sidelined him for a few months, Don Briggs returned to the helm of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association this month.

LOGA’S Briggs comes home

Trade group chief continues to recover from head injury sustained in North Carolina fall last October.

Robots taking over oil rigs

Meet the Iron Roughneck — further proof employment in the oil and gas industry may never fully rebound.

Good sign: rig count jumps

The number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. increased by 18 this week to 712. A year ago, 619 rigs were active.

S&P: La. among six states hard hit by energy slump

Six of the country's major energy-producing states have slipped into recession after a sharp decline in production and exploration over the last 18 months caused their tax revenue to plummet and job growth to stagnate.

Refinery tax being ‘vetted’

With some lawmakers already getting cold feet over the idea of a personal income tax change in 2017, a small circle of political players are starting to look at a concept that is being described as a refinery tax.

LOGA’s Briggs on the mend

Docs say trade association chief's “health is progressing daily and prognosis is good for recovery.”

Orphaned and Abandoned

The state’s Office of Mineral Resources is scrambling to audit bankrupt state mineral leaseholders.

Judge revives parish’s lawsuit over coastal wetlands loss

The state Department of Natural Resources doesn't have the staff, funding or capability to conduct the thousands of "administrative enforcement actions" necessary to address the violations alleged by the parish, the judge ruled.

‘Life of a Well’ luncheon set for Oct. 27

Explanation of the life cycle of a well targets non-technical energy industry employees and those who want to understand more about the various phases of oil and gas exploration and production.

Frank’s buys Blackhawk Group for $321 million

The merger will be funded $150 million in cash and 12.8 million shares of Frank’s common stock. Approximately $80 million of Blackhawk debt will be repaid at closing with proceeds from the transaction.

Frank’s slashes more Lafayette jobs

Company spokeswoman would not say how many local workers were laid off in what represents at least the fifth round of confirmed cuts since early 2015.

RedHawk Holdings buys stake in Marlin USA Energy Partners

Marlin is the minority owner of Tigress Energy Partners, which is investing up to $250 million of institutional capital on the exploration and production of oil and gas reserves in the south and southwest regions of the U.S.

Baker Hughes cuts workers’ pay 5%

Certain groups, including top executives, global operations employees in U.S, many employees in chemicals operations and some human resources workers and sales people, exempt from cuts.

The Big Oil blame game

It was once seen a career killer for politicians in a state where the industry employs up to 300,000 people and injects $73 billion into the economy. Until now.

US rig count edges up

The number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. increased by nine this week to 440. A year ago, 863 rigs were active.

LQT Industries awarded three O/G projects

In a positive sign for a struggling oil patch, Broussard-based LQT Industries announced Tuesday contracts on three projects to fabricate and outfit modular buildings and specialty equipment for oil and gas operators.

Wayne Elmore steps in at Knight Oil Tools

Former banker/media exec’s role remains unclear amid speculation a private equity firm is set to become the majority owner of the local oilfield services firm.

Oil bankruptcies surge

Many additional producer bankruptcy filings expected this year as banks cut credit lines.

FBI eyes Stabil Drill suit

As ABiz reported Monday, the civil action against two local oil execs is likely to lead to criminal probes by the SEC and FBI.

US judge OKs $20B settlement from 2010 BP oil spill

The settlement, first announced in July, includes $5.5 billion in civil Clean Water Act penalties and billions more to cover environmental damage and other claims by the five Gulf states and local governments.

Atchafalaya antics alive and well

Although his legal battle continues, a whistleblower is finally vindicated in a case that should — but almost certainly won’t — send some current and former state officials to jail.

US rig count down this week

Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says 498 rigs sought oil and 121 explored for natural gas amid depressed energy prices. A year ago, 1,543 rigs were active.

Frackers running out of survival tricks

Those mining in shale formations surprised many with their resiliency, mainly tied to technological advancements, but that’s when oil was $50 a barrel.

Oil prices hit 11-year low

Global oil production is running close to record highs with more barrels set to enter the market from Iran and Libya.

Obama puts kibosh on Keystone

“This pipeline would neither be a silver bullet for the economy, as was promised by some, nor the express lane to climate disaster proclaimed by others.”

Oilpatch 101

This too shall pass, and when this downturn turns around — as it always does — the local oil patch will be looking to fill lots of posts with educated and skilled workers. And South Louisiana Community College believes it will provide those companies with just the right candidates.

Major LNG export facility coming to Cameron

Former Louisiana Gov. Charles E. “Buddy” Roemer, the chairman of G2 LNG, says the company is in discussions with potential customers in Asia, Europe, India and the Caribbean.

Danos awarded Shell contract

Fabrication work is for Shell’s deepwater Appomattox project and will create new jobs at Amelia facility.

Transportation group presses candidates to support gas tax

With Louisiana’s highway and bridge needs topping $12 billion, a transportation advocacy group said Monday that the state’s next governor should back an increase in the gasoline tax to shrink the backlog, fill potholes and ease traffic.

The Gulf oil spill you never heard about

The leak dates to Hurricane Ivan in 2004, when storm-whipped waves in the Gulf triggered an underwater mudslide that toppled a Taylor Energy-owned oil platform and buried a cluster of its wells under mounds of sediment. Oil is still leaking at the site more than a decade later, with slicks often stretching for miles off Louisiana's coast.

IEA: oil prices may fall more

International Energy Agency warned Friday that crude prices could fall again amid demand growth that is slowing.

Another bad day for oil

Oil prices took another steep plunge Tuesday, marking its “third-worst single-day” drop since the oil bust began last summer.

La. gets $6.8B of $18.7B BP settlement

Pending court approval, settlement money will be used to resolve the Clean Water Act penalties; resolve natural resources damage claims; settle economic claims; and resolve economic damage claims of local governments.

Oil price drop claims more local jobs

About 76 more jobs will be claimed before the year's end, according to announcement issued this week on plans to close an oil and gas equipment plant in Broussard.

SCOTUS declines maritime appeal

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal of a case that could have had far-reaching implications for the oil and gas industry. Now, the matter is settled, says an attorney for the industry.

Knight Oil Tools expands New Mexico operations

The new facility houses the company’s Rental Tool Services and Fishing Services units and will serve Knight Oil Tools customers in the Mid-Continent Region and the Permian Basin in New Mexico and W. Texas.

Big Oil goes mobile for education

The Houston-based Offshore Energy Center is teaching public- and private-school children in Acadiana about the industry this week.

Scary Knight

If prosecutors can prove their case and others familiar with Knight Oil Tools are correct, this story reads like a script pulled from a TV crime drama.

La. rig count dives

Among major oil- and gas-producing states, Texas lost 36 rigs and Louisiana 18. New Mexico declined by five, North Dakota and Ohio each dropped three and Arkansas and Kansas lost two apiece.

O&G leasing in Gulf slows to a trickle

Regulators say only 195 bids were placed on the 41 million acres of the Gulf of Mexico up for new oil and gas leasing off of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

Up? Down? Where does crude go from here?

Landsliding oil prices dropped to new lows Tuesday, hitting their lowest mark in nearly six years. And some analysts say it'll get worse before getting better.

La. gov hopefuls talk to O/G industry

Louisiana's candidates for governor assured a group of oil and gas business leaders Friday that they understand the industry's value to the state.

La. rig count down 7

Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. fell by 67 this week to 1,125 amid depressed oil prices.

BP ends attempt to oust Juneau

BP has ended its effort to have courts remove the administrator of claims arising from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Federal oil lease sale set for August

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management estimates the proposed lease sale could result in the production of up to 200 million barrels of oil and 938 billion cubic feet of natural gas.

Defying GOP, Obama vetoes Keystone XL

"The presidential power to veto legislation is one I take seriously," Obama said in a brief notice delivered to the Senate. "But I also take seriously my responsibility to the American people."

Levee board flexes some muscle; Corps actually responds

After all the ballyhoo raised last year by lawmakers and their special interest friends hoping to cripple the New Orleans levee board and its landmark coastal damages lawsuit against 97 oil and gas companies, vindication has finally arrived.

Hercules Offshore loses sales tax appeal

The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal has sided with the Lafayette Parish School Board’s tax-collection division over a $340,000 bill for unpaid sales and use taxes.

EPA: Keystone enviro impact worrisome

The agency suggests that lower oil prices could make the pipeline more important in the development of the oil sands, and thus a chief culprit in the "significant greenhouse gas emissions" they would produce.

BP (again) targets Lafayette attorney Juneau

BP was back in court Tuesday, trying to oust the man responsible for doling out billions of dollars in settlement money to businesses claiming they were hampered by the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

House to vote next week on Keystone XL

House Republican leaders say the House will vote next week on legislation to construct the Keystone XL pipeline and send it to President Barack Obama. Obama has threatened a veto.

Louisiana's BP fine cut by $240M

The windfall in coastal-restoration money Louisiana hopes to gain from the Deepwater Horizon disaster took at least a $240 million hit last week when a federal judge ruled that BP spilled 3.19 million barrels into the Gulf of Mexico, not the 4.19 million claimed by the federal government.

New lawsuits have oil fighting two fronts

The latest lawsuits could reignite interest by lawmakers to try and tackle the issue of suing oil companies over allegedly violating coastal zone regulations, after such an effort failed in last year’s regular session.

Baker Hughes says it will cut 7,000 jobs

On the heels of layoff confirmations from Schlumberger and Halliburton, which is likely to announce even more cuts Tuesday, comes discouraging news from another oilfield services giant.

Billions at stake for BP

Federal lawyers have begun making their case for adding some $13.7 billion in penalties to costs already incurred by BP after the 2010 Gulf oil spill.

Judge: 3 million barrels discharged after BP spill

A federal judge determined Thursday that more oil than BP estimated spilled into the Gulf of Mexico following a rig explosion in 2010, a decision that could potentially cost the London-based oil giant more than $13 billion.

Senate advances Keystone XL bill despite veto threat

Legislation approving construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline cleared an initial Senate hurdle Monday, a victory for newly empowered Republicans angling for a quick veto showdown with President Barack Obama.

Texas law firm target of BP lawsuit

Photo by John Mosier GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) — Two Texas attorneys have asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought by three Mississippi businessmen who argue they are owed $7.9 million for

Industry keeps wary eye on oil price

As oil prices continue to plummet, state officials are preparing for yet another round of reductions in early 2015 that will only exacerbate a sliding revenue picture.

U.S. rigs continue steep decline

North Dakota declined by seven, Oklahoma by six, Texas down four, Louisiana off three, and Ohio and West Virginia each decreased two.

Oil's slide rattles junk bonds

High-yield bonds are on track for their worst drop in a year and a half after investors dumped risky securities issued by energy companies.

'Big Oil' rehashes failed arguments

A federal judge Wednesday heard a second round of arguments over the meaning and constitutionality of a state law meant to kill the controversial lawsuit filed by a local flood-protection board against oil and gas companies for wetlands damage.

Oil hits a record 5-year low

On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia’s oil minister scoffed at the notion of slowing down production, followed the next day by the biggest dip in U.S. crude prices in over five years.

Arguments heard on law to kill 'Big Oil' lawsuit

A federal judge heard arguments Wednesday over the constitutionality of a law passed by the Louisiana Legislature this year that was designed to kill a lawsuit brought against oil and gas companies by a regional flood board over wetlands damage.

Arguments set on law to kill 'Big Oil' lawsuit

More arguments are set in federal court over attempts by state lawmakers to kill a southeast Louisiana flood board's lawsuit against dozens of oil, gas and pipeline companies.

Stone Energy gushing over Utica well

“Results from the Pribble 6HU well confirm the high potential of the Utica shale underlying our current liquids-rich Marcellus acreage position.” — Stone Energy CEO Dave Welch

PetroQuest announces new O and G discovery

A new cache of oil and natural gas, described as a “significant discovery,” was announced Tuesday by PetroQuest Energy at its Thunder Bayou well prospect in Vermilion Parish.

SCOTUS rejects BP appeal

The Supreme Court is leaving in place BP's multibillion-dollar settlement with lawyers for businesses and residents over the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf.

As OPEC faces tough test, lower oil prices loom

Lower oil prices also might slow the growth of oil production in parts of the U.S., Canada and elsewhere because it will no longer be so profitable. NEW YORK (AP) - These are the moments OPEC exists...

Abbeville man dies in Gulf platform explosion

Thursday's explosion aboard an oil production platform in the Gulf of Mexico is now under investigation by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. Jerrel "Bubba"...

Hearing set in flood board's oil industry lawsuit

Lawyers for dozens of oil, gas and pipeline companies are heading to court to make their case for dismissal of a lawsuit filed by a south Louisiana levee board. NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Lawyers for dozens...

Court reaffirms BP is liable in Gulf oil spill

BP and its minority partner in the Macondo well, Anadarko Petroleum Corp., have a request pending for the full 15-member court to reconsider the issue. NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A federal appeals court panel...

Two oil companies and levee board settle for $50K

Two privately held Texas oil companies that were among nearly 90 defendants named in the New Orleans levee board's landmark environmental lawsuit have settled. Two privately held Texas oil companies...

Low oil prices send chills through oil patch

Lower oil prices, while good for the broader U.S. economy, are a threat to what has been a surprising and dramatic surge in oil production in the U.S. Photos: Wikimedia Commons WILLISTON, N.D. (AP)...

La. rig count falls as U.S. gains 9

1,595 rigs were exploring for oil and 332 for gas. A year ago there were 1,738 active rigs. Wikimedia Commons HOUSTON (AP) - Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the number of rigs...

MexicOIL!

Is Louisiana's O&G industry ready to head south of the border? The Mexican government made history earlier this year by constitutionally reforming its oil and gas industry to allow for foreign...

Previewing LAGCOE 2015

Age 60 looks good on the country's second-largest oil and gas show. LAGCOE 2015 will celebrate our 60th year of operation. Industry volunteers have worked tirelessly for decades to welcome attendees...

LAGCOE Career Fair returns Oct. 29

Event addresses the industry's growing need for qualified employees by providing an industry specific networking event. The Louisiana Gulf Coast Oil Exposition will be hosting the LAGCOE Career Fair...

US rig count climbs

The U.S. rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981 and bottomed at 488 in 1999. HOUSTON (AP) - Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S....

Phony fisherman netted $75,000 in BP spill claim

The U.S. Attorney in New Orleans says a Slidell man has pleaded guilty to fraud in connection with a claim he filed related to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico BP oil spill. NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The U.S....

Judge: New law can't stop 'Big Oil' lawsuit

A state judge in Baton Rouge ruled Monday that Louisiana's Legislature missed its mark when it passed a bill seeking to halt a south Louisiana flood board's lawsuit against dozens of oil, gas and...

Rig count dips

Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. declined by nine this week to 1,922. HOUSTON (AP) - Oilfield services company Baker...

BP: Judge should amend 'gross negligence' ruling

BP has asked a federal judge to reconsider a ruling that could cost the oil giant around $18 billion in additional fines stemming from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion. NEW ORLEANS (AP) -...

US rig count unchanged

The U.S. rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981 and bottomed at 488 in 1999. HOUSTON (AP) - Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S....

Businesses won't have to return BP spill payouts

U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier agreed several weeks ago to change the compensation formula for any future payments, but he ruled Wednesday that a deal is a deal when it comes to money BP has already...

US rig count unchanged at 1,931

Texas declined by five rigs, West Virginia dropped three and Louisiana was down two. HOUSTON (AP) - Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the number of rigs exploring for oil and natural...

Court approves Transocean probe

A federal appeals court in New Orleans has upheld a federal safety board's right to investigate the role of Transocean Deepwater Drilling Corp. in the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil disaster. NEW ORLEANS...

Panel backs oil lawsuit supporter

A supporter of a lawsuit against the oil industry has been re-nominated to a seat on a south Louisiana flood control board despite opposition from Gov. Bobby Jindal. HARAHAN, La. (AP) - A supporter of...

Panel could give Jindal chance to kill oil lawsuit

The nominating committee for the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East was set Thursday to nominate applicants for two people on the board whose terms have expired. HARAHAN, La. (AP) - A...

Cameron's possible oil co. lawsuit hits snag

Attorney General Buddy Caldwell says he won't approve a Cameron Parish Police Jury resolution to hire outside attorneys for such a lawsuit until the resolution is amended. Caldwell's Sept. 15 letter...

Chevron draining natural gas after worker death

Authorities said that a Chevron Corp. subsidiary was still releasing natural gas Sunday from a pipeline off the Louisiana coast where a Saturday incident killed a maintenance worker. NEW ORLEANS (AP)...

Industry muzzles settlement talk

Despite what was said at a coastal forum in New Orleans last month, oil and gas insiders contend a settlement is not in the stars for the massive lawsuit filed against nearly 100 energy companies by...

Gulf residents hail BP ruling

Environmentalists, fishermen and others are celebrating a federal judge's ruling that could mean $18 billion in additional fines for BP over the nation's worst oil spill. NEW ORLEANS (AP) -...

Judge: BP's reckless conduct caused Gulf oil spill

U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier's ruling Thursday could nearly quadruple the amount of civil penalties for polluting the Gulf of Mexico with oil from BP's Macondo well in 2010. BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)...

Halliburton reaches $1B Gulf oil spill settlement

Halliburton's agreement to pay more than $1 billion to settle numerous claims involving the 2010 BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill could be a way for the company and victims of the spill to avoid years of...

BP: oust claims head for conflict of interest

BP says it recently obtained correspondence between Patrick Juneau's Lafayette law firm and the Gulf Coast Claims Facility showing he argued for liberal compensation, flexible documentation...

Halliburton reaches $1.1B oil spill settlement

Halliburton says it has agreed to pay $1.1 billion to settle a substantial portion of plaintiff claims arising from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. HOUSTON (AP) - Halliburton says it has agreed to...

US rig count up 18

The Houston firm said Friday in its weekly report that 1,575 rigs were exploring for oil and 338 for gas. One was listed as miscellaneous. A year ago there were 1,776 active rigs. HOUSTON (AP) -...

Future of 'Big Oil' suit at stake as panel meets

It will be next month before Gov. Bobby Jindal will likely get a chance to change the membership of a South Louisiana flood board that is suing dozens of oil, gas and pipeline companies. NEW ORLEANS...

Legal Limbo

The future of the coastal loss lawsuit could rest in hands of board's nominating committee. The future of the coastal loss lawsuit could rest in hands of board's nominating committee. By Bob Marshall,...

Shell sells shale gas rights for $2.1 billion

Royal Dutch Shell has agreed to sell drilling rights in shale formations in Louisiana and Wyoming for $2.1 billion in two transactions. Royal Dutch Shell has agreed to sell drilling rights in shale...

US rig count up 19

1,588 rigs were exploring for oil and 316 for gas. Four were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago there were 1,778 active rigs. HOUSTON (AP) - Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the...

Board challenges law blocking 'big oil' lawsuit

A south Louisiana flood board has launched a legal fight against a new state law aimed at retroactively killing a lawsuit filed last year over coastal damage attributed to oil and gas drilling. NEW...

BP asks Supreme Court to hear settlement appeal

BP PLC has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out part of its settlement of claims for damage from its enormous oil spill in 2010 - a section saying businesses don't have to prove that the spill...

Trial date to be set in ex-BP exec's case

A judge is getting ready to set a new trial date for a former BP executive charged with obstructing a congressional investigation into the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A judge is...

$15M earmarked for La.'s spill litigation

Lawmakers have added $15 million to the attorney general's budget to pay for Louisiana's ongoing legal case against BP for damages caused by the 2010 Gulf oil spill. BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Lawmakers...

AG: 'Big Oil' lawsuit supporter's term is over

Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell says a south Louisiana flood board member who supports the board's environmental lawsuit against the oil and gas industry has reached the end of his term. NEW...

Big Oil's go-to scholar at it again

Controversial LSU professor David Dismukes has come under fire once again, this time from 20 solar-power groups over his role in a Louisiana PSC study on the costs and benefits of alternative...

Louisiana refuses to disclose oil train records

Louisiana officials are refusing to disclose the details of crude oil shipments railroads haul through the state. BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Louisiana officials are refusing to disclose the details of...

US rig count up one

Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Texas gained seven rigs, New Mexico and West Virginia were up two and Oklahoma added one. Pennsylvania declined by five, California lost three, Louisiana...

Judge hears arguments in oil industry lawsuit

Lawyers are arguing in a New Orleans courtroom about whether a Plaquemines Parish lawsuit against oil companies over coastal damage belongs in state or federal court. NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Lawyers are...

Fed hearing set on parish-v-oil industry suit

Lawyers for Plaquemines Parish are set to argue that a lawsuit the parish filed against oil companies over coastal damage belongs in state court. NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Lawyers for Plaquemines Parish are...

PetroQuest buys $24M stake in central La. oil play

Independent energy producers PetroQuest Energy Inc. and Midstates Petroleum Co. Inc. are working together to develop Midstates' Fleetwood project. Independent energy producers PetroQuest Energy Inc....

Stone selling GOM shelf properties for $317M

In deal with Talos Energy Offshore, Stone retains an option for a 50 percent working interest in the deep drilling rights on the properties. David Welch Independent oil and gas producer Stone Energy...

US rig count up 15

Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Oklahoma gained eight rigs, Pennsylvania gained two and Alaska, California, Colorado, North Dakota and Ohio each gained one. Kansas lost three rigs while...

Can the levee board suit survive?

The local flood protection authority's lawsuit against 97 oil, gas and pipeline companies lives to die another day. The authority's board voted 4-4 last week on a motion to withdraw the suit. The...

No, these aren't alien crop circles

In case you were harboring any doubts as to the oil and gas industry's impact on Louisiana's coastline, this video from Walter Williams should ease your mind. In case you were harboring any doubts as...

'Big Oil' lawsuit survives in 4-4 vote

A south Louisiana flood control board isn't ready to give up yet on its lawsuit against 97 oil, gas and pipeline companies over coastal wetlands damage -- despite a new law aimed at squelching the...

Sen. Landrieu criticizes proposed EPA regulations

Louisiana's senior senator traveled to a coal-fired power plant in the state Monday to highlight her opposition to President Barack Obama's regulatory plan to cut carbon dioxide pollution. NEW ROADS...

Oil still greasing the discussion post-session

More than a week after the regular session adjourned, Louisiana's oil and gas industry is still capping off what has arguably been its biggest initiative in years. More than a week after the regular...

SCOTUS: BP must pay claims during appeal

The U.S. Supreme Court says BP must continue paying claims from a fund established after the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill while the company appeals terms of its settlement with some businesses. NEW...

Jindal signs bill killing levee board lawsuit

With the stroke of a pen Friday morning Gov. Bobby Jindal signed Senate Bill 469, which retroactively quashes a lawsuit filed by the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority - East against 97...

What was BP's role in killing levee board lawsuit?

That Senate Bill 469 - which aims to kill the New Orleans levee board's lawsuit against 97 oil and gas companies for coastal damages - could absolve BP from paying billions worth of damages claims...

Safety board faults key device in BP oil spill

A federal board investigation into the 2010 BP oil spill concludes that a last-ditch safety device on the underwater well had multiple failures, wasn't tested properly and still poses a risk for many...

BP on the hook for Clean Water Act fines

The owners of the blown-out Macondo well cannot avoid federal fines for the 2010 oil spill by blaming another company's failed equipment, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday. NEW ORLEANS (AP) -...

AG: Jindal should veto bill killing oil lawsuit

"The language proposed in SB 469 is vaguely broad and since it deals with the elimination of causes and rights of actions which protect Louisiana, I recommend that it be vetoed," Attorney...

Jindal could disrupt billions in BP claims

Twenty-three eminent law scholars from universities nationwide say Gov. Bobby Jindal could jeopardize billions in BP damage claims if he signs Senate Bill 469 into law. Twenty-three eminent law...

Energy execs insist settlements not in the cards

With the legacy lawsuit bill now signed into law, and the bill to kill the Orleans-area flood protection authority's suit against 97 energy companies pending a signature, the oil and gas industry...

Bill to void levee board lawsuit heads to Jindal

The oil and gas industry won a significant victory Friday in the Louisiana Legislature, receiving final passage of a bill that seeks to kill a lawsuit filed by a New Orleans area levee board against...

Levee board suit has House divided

Only one bill against the levee board lawsuit remains, and it's expected for a final vote Thursday in the House, where a surprising number of lawmakers remain undecided. After more than a dozen bills...

New requirements set for Keystone XL

Safety regulators have quietly placed two extra conditions on construction of TransCanada Corp.'s Keystone XL oil pipeline after learning of potentially dangerous construction defects. WASHINGTON (AP)...

Levee board suit one step closer to death

Of the Acadiana delegation's three members of the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee, only Reps. Jack Montoucet and Stephen Ortego voted against a bill to kill the lawsuit filed by a...

BP to seek SCOTUS ruling on claims

BP PLC said Wednesday it will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether businesses must prove they were directly harmed by the 2010 Gulf Of Mexico oil spill to collect payments from a 2012...

GE Oil & Gas hiring for 65 posts at job fair

GE Oil & Gas is hosting a job fair Wednesday in Lafayette. LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - GE Oil & Gas is hosting a job fair Wednesday in Lafayette. The company is looking to fill 65 positions in...

US rig count up

Texas declined by four rigs, Alaska, New Mexico and West Virginia were down two each, and Louisiana lost one. HOUSTON (AP) - Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the number of rigs...

EPA proposes changes to refinery emission rules

The move is part of a consent decree that resolved a lawsuit filed on behalf of people directly affected by emissions from refineries in Louisiana, Texas and California. WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S....

Sen. Bret Allain = hypocrite

Sen. Bret Allain has much more in common with the levee board than he lets on. State Sen. Bret Allain's staunch opposition to the New Orleans levee board's lawsuit must exist only within the walls of...

US rig count climbs (by one)

Louisiana was unchanged; greedy trial lawyers must be vacationing. HOUSTON (AP) - Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. rose...

Sen. Bret Allain's backdoor tactic

When Sen. Bret Allain (R-Franklin) realized the odds were stacked against his Senate Bill 531, he shopped venues until he found a committee more favorable to killing the lawsuit filed by the New...

Senate backs bill to undermine levee board lawsuit

"There is litigation pending, and there is a venue and an opportunity pending ... to make those arguments and to win. This ain‘t the place." - Sen. Danny Martiny, R-Kenner. BATON ROUGE, La....

Stone offering 5 million shares of common stock

The NYSE-traded independent oil and gas producer's stock price, which has been steadily climbing, is up $1.06 Wednesday, to $44.29. Stone Energy Corporation Wednesday announced the start of a...

60 Minutes exposes depth of fraudulent BP claims

Included in paid claims is a wireless phone company store that burned to the ground before the spill, an RV park foreclosed upon before the offshore disaster and a Pontiac dealer who could no longer...

Ukraine unrest shows need for Keystone

Sen. Mary Landrieu said Tuesday that instability in Ukraine makes the case for building the Keystone XL oil pipeline in the United States. WASHINGTON (AP) - The head of the Senate Energy and Natural...

Economists back increased U.S. oil and gas exports

Vast majority surveyed say lifting restrictions on exports would help the economy even if it meant higher fuel prices for consumers. NEW YORK (AP) - Whether to allow more exports of U.S. oil and...

Pipeline supporters seek quick Senate vote

In a struggle steeped in election-year politics, supporters of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline are seeking a swift Senate vote on legislation to approve construction of the project that...

Pipeline expansion to serve LNG exporter

An Oklahoma company plans to expand a pipeline to supply natural gas to Cheniere Energy Partners' Sabine Pass liquefied natural gas plant in Cameron Parish. CAMERON, La. (AP) - An Oklahoma company...

Deadlines, meetings set ahead of Jan. BP trial

A federal court magistrate has issued a seven-page schedule of hearings, conferences and deadlines leading up to January's trial aimed at determining how much money BP will owe in Clean Water Act...

BP on track to have busiest Gulf year ever

The state's "greedy trial lawyers" haven't scared this oil giant away. BP conducts rig repairs at its Mad Dog oilfield in the Gulf of Mexico in 2012. The field is located about 190 miles ...

LAGCOE and INNOV8 spotlight energy innovation

See cutting-edge technologies Thursday in brief presentations/demonstrations from 3rd Dimension Media, C&C Technologies, Cimation and UL Lafayette School of Engineering. The first INNOV8 event...

Moreno personally on the hook for $25 million loan

His company bankrupt and being liquidated, the Lafayette businessman's financial troubles are mounting. In late 2012, Lafayette businessman Mike Moreno, an entrepreneur in his mid-40s who has been a...

US rig count up 13 to 1,831

Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Louisiana gained nine rigs, Texas increased by seven, California gained three and New Mexico increased by one. HOUSTON (AP) - Oilfield services company...

11 Senate Democrats to Obama: Approve Keystone XL

Eleven Senate Democrats, including Louisiana's Mary Landrieu and five others who face contested races this year, urged President Barack Obama on Thursday to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline by the...

Robideaux's LOGA bill delayed

It'll be another week before Rep. Joel Robideaux's House Bill 862 - an attempt at making it more cumbersome for parish governments to sue oil and gas companies - undergoes its first round of...

Ruling may lead to higher taxes for salt domes

Because ... greedy trial lawyers? BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - The Louisiana Supreme Court has upheld an appeals court ruling on the taxation of underground salt dome caverns that could mean some cavern...

Landrieu wishy-washy on suits against oil companies

Landrieu is chair of the U.S. Senate committee that deals with energy policy. The lawsuit puts her between two areas in which she's been a strong advocate: rebuilding Louisiana's coast and supporting...

Nominee selected for flood board seat

Tyrone Ben, a human resources manager for a mental health and counseling service in Chalmette, became the second of two nominees that could fill the seat now held by Tim Doody on the Southeast...

Advocacy groups pile on Briggs

Big Oil's elder statesman of spin has become a favorite punching bag of groups that support litigation against oil and gas companies. Big Oil's elder statesman of spin has become a favorite punching...

Jindal announces deal reached in 'legacy lawsuits'

Gov. Bobby Jindal announced the legislative proposal, surrounded by industry leaders, lawmakers and representatives of some of the largest landowners involved in the lawsuits. BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -...

Senate hears pleas for gas exports to Europe

Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., the Senate committee's chairman, said U.S. exports of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, would be a "powerful geopolitical tool" to pressure Russian President Vladimir...

Natural gas exports center stage in D.C. this week

With urgency created by the crisis in Ukraine, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle set three hearings on issue of increasing exportation of LNG. Joined by the crisis in Ukraine, U.S. lawmakers from...

Court of Public Opinion

Lawyers combat PR blitz with timeline showing Big Oil's role in coastal loss If your opponents in a lawsuit - in this case, all-powerful oil and gas companies - are trying the case in the court of...

Landrieu calls Russia's sanctions 'badge of honor'

Louisiana's senior senator joins Republican Sen. John McCain, Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in retaliatory list banning them from traveling to Russia. Photo by Robin...

Gulf lease sale tallies $850 million

The Interior Department said 50 companies bid on 326 blocks in the central gulf, an area where last year's sale brought $1.2 billion in high bids and one in 2012 brought $1.7 billion. NEW ORLEANS (AP)...

Letter to the Editor: LOGA akin to gun control

Why doesn't LOGA demonize landowners and Louisiana citizens, the ones who are suing Big Oil? [Because] no one would sympathize with Big Oil if it wanted to give landowners and citizens "the...

BP: 24 top bids for $41.6M in Gulf oil lease sale

Freeport-McMoRan Oil & Gas's high bids made up 37 percent of the $850.8 million total at Wednesday's federal oil lease sale for the central Gulf of Mexico. NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Freeport-McMoRan Oil...

Creditors keep right to sue Moreno in new exit plan

Creditors who fought initial bankruptcy exit plan sign off on new liquidation proposal, which does not protect company founder Mike Moreno from future lawsuits. Dow Jones/The Wall Street Journal's Tom...

Badger Oil's Maley assumes reins for 2015 LAGCOE

Biennial oil and gas trade show, which last year hosted 416 exhibitors and 17,000 attendees from 47 states and 43 countries, is set for Oct. 27-29, 2015. Maley The Louisiana Gulf Coast Oil Exposition,...

Lafayette-based Reamco acquired by Houston group

Reamco founders Brent Milam and Ashley Lane now shareholders in acquiring company and part of its management team. Hicks Equity Partners of Houston announced March 10 that its portfolio company,...

Judge: LOGA suit ‘frivolous'

Oh, the irony... or something like that. A Baton Rouge district court judge ruled Monday afternoon that state Attorney General Buddy Caldwell acted properly according to Louisiana law in signing off...

Frank's International earns $351 million in 2013

Oilfield service company's year-over-year revenues climbed 3.7 percent. Frank's International, which went public last year, this week reported net income of $350.8 million revenues of $1.08 billion in...

Read Briggs deposition here

Contentious deposition renders LOGA chief too ill to testify. Here's why. A contentious Feb. 20 deposition aggravated Don Briggs' heart condition and prevented him from testifying in court this week....

Don Briggs not going to jail

His health affected by a contentious deposition last week, the LOGA chief says he can't testify (court will reconvene March 10). [UPDATE: Despite a report in Tuesday's Advertiser, in which Don Briggs...

Natural gas prices above $6

Forecasts for more frigid weather drive prices to highest level in four years. For the first time in four years, natural gas prices have climbed above $6. Wednesday's increase represents a 10 percent...

Landrieu to chair Senate energy committee

U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu will lead the powerful Senate committee that deals with energy policy and mineral leasing, a key panel for one of Louisiana's top industries. BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - U.S....

Energy chair in the bag for Landrieu?

Powerful post could help in re-election effort and Keystone approval. Mary Landrieu wants the Keystone Pipeline approved. President Barack Obama wants Mary Landrieu to win a fourth term this fall....

BP seeks rehearing in oil spill settlement dispute

BP on Tuesday asked an appeals court to review a ruling upholding a multibillion-dollar settlement to compensate victims of the company's 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. NEW ORLEANS (AP) - BP on...

Green Field creditors committee threatens lawsuit

Bankrupt company's official committee of unsecured creditors is asking a judge to postpone the hearing on a restructuring support agreement it had no involvement in and is seeking authority to...

La. AG offers defense of role in Big Oil lawsuit

The flood board's lawsuit against 97 oil and gas companies was filed last summer. It says the companies' coastal drilling activities contributed to the erosion of wetlands, diminishing a natural...

Fuelfix.com: 2013 oil boom biggest ever

The U.S.'s average daily oil production is on track to experience its biggest one-year jump in the nation's history. The U.S.'s average daily oil production is on track to surge by 1 million barrels...

Appeals court: salt caverns are property, not land

The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal has upheld a district court ruling out of Opelousas that could have wide-ranging effects on the tax burden of the Louisiana oil and gas industry. The 3rd Circuit Court...

Moreno's Green Field aims to sell

Lafayette businessman Mike Moreno's Green Field Energy Services announced Tuesday a plan to sell the business and assets as part of its bankruptcy reorganization effort. Lafayette businessman Mike...

Hearing: Which court should hear coastal lawsuit?

A legal tug-of-war continues in a state levee board's lawsuit against 97 oil, gas and pipeline companies over the erosion of wetlands. NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A legal tug-of-war continues in a state levee...

Ex-BP engineer convicted

A former BP drilling engineer was convicted Wednesday of deleting text messages from his cellphone to obstruct a federal investigation of the company's massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of...

Ex-BP engineer convicted on 1 obstruction charge

A former BP drilling engineer was convicted Wednesday of deleting text messages from his cellphone to obstruct a federal investigation of the company's massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of...

BP sues lawyer over oil spill claim filings

The lawsuit filed in New Orleans alleges that more than half the Social Security numbers on Mikal Watts' client list were fake - either dummy numbers or numbers belonging to someone else, living or...

It's Briggs v. Caldwell in wetlands loss battle

On Friday LOGA filed suit against Louisiana AG Buddy Caldwell, claiming he illegally approved a New Orleans flood protection board's contract with lawyers suing 97 oil, gas and pipeline companies for...

Levee board lawsuit has strong support

Half of voters surveyed think the coastal damages lawsuit by the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East against 97 oil and gas companies should continue.A Southern Media poll taken in...

Moreno's Green Field files Chapter 11

The man with the Midas Touch may have to pull a rabbit out of his hat this time. Two months after a glowing story in The Daily Advertiser, in which Lafayette-based Green Field Energy Services boasted...

New energy coalition unveiled Tuesday in Lafayette

"Our Energy Moment" is being rolled out this afternoon at The Picard Group's offices to help educate the public on the benefits of expanding export markets for LNG. A campaign and coalition...

Super interns

UL Lafayette students help a Canadian company's local operations improve inventory control. A Canadian company with Lafayette operations hired a dozen UL Lafayette student interns this summer for a...

Ride in style to LAGCOE

National transit guru tackles one of the toughest issues for this year's show. LAGCOE has grown by leaps and bounds and with such growth comes a pressing issue - getting from point A to point B. This...

Testimony at BP oil spill trial targets response

An employee of the company that owned the doomed Deepwater Horizon drilling rig testified Tuesday that he was surprised when BP scrapped his team's design to stop the gusher in the Gulf of Mexico. NEW...

Frank's launches major investment in Lafayette

On the heels of the company's successful IPO comes a $24 million operations facility in Lafayette. Less than two months after raising $712 million in its initial public offering of stock, Frank's...

Stone Energy gumbo cookoff Thursday at Cajun Field

Get yourself to Cajun Field from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. for delicious gumbo and a superb cause. More than 100 gumbos, all available for a paltry all-you-can-eat price of $5, will be offered Thursday at...

BP renews bid to suspend settlement payments

BP has renewed its request for a federal judge to temporarily suspend settlement payments to Gulf Coast residents and businesses following a scathing report on alleged misconduct within the...

Audit: State could be losing oil royalty money

After years of unprecedented cuts to higher ed comes a report that DNR hasn't done a very good job collecting millions in oil and gas royalties owed to the state. BATON ROUGE (AP) - The Department of...

LAGCOE announces technology winners

Seven revolutionary technologies to be spotlighted at LAGCOE in October. The Louisiana Gulf Coast Oil Exposition, one of the world's pioneer oil and gas expositions, announced the 2013 Spotlight on...

US rig count drops 9 this week to 1,767

Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. dropped nine this week to 1,767. HOUSTON (AP) - Oilfield services company...

Deepwater rig count rising

The Gulf of Mexico deepwater rig count is up to 48, quite a turnaround from the 11 deepwater rigs running post-BP disaster. The Lafayette Economic Development Authority did some number crunching on...

Flood board votes to continue oil and gas lawsuit

A New Orleans-area flood control board refused to back down Thursday from its lawsuit seeking damages from nearly 100 oil and gas companies over coastal erosion allegedly caused by dredging and...

Coming Soon: LAGCOE 2013

The 2013 Louisiana Gulf Coast Oil Exposition, or LAGCOE, is gearing up to be the biggest of the biennial event since its inception in 1955. The 2013 Louisiana Gulf Coast Oil Exposition, or LAGCOE, is...

Frank's raises $660 million in IPO

Local service company's IPO priced Friday morning at $26, higher than the expected range. Photo by Robin May Frank's International President and CEO Keith Mosing [Update: After underwriters exercised...

Frank's makes stock market debut Friday

Local oilfield service company expects to raise approximately $600 million in IPO. On Friday Frank's International, the 75-year-old company specializing in tubular fabrication and installation...

47 rescued from Gulf rig; natural gas leaking

Federal authorities say natural gas but not oil is flowing uncontrolled from a well off the Louisiana coast, forcing the evacuation of 47 workers aboard an oil rig. NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Federal...

Drive Time

Transforming dry natural gas into CNG is the wave of the future for the automotive industry. Transforming dry natural gas into CNG is the wave of the future for the automotive industry. By Don...

BP fights back in settlement dispute

BP is placing a full-page advertisement in three of the nation's largest newspapers as the company mounts an aggressive campaign to challenge what could be billions of dollars in settlement payouts to...

Frank's Casing Crew going public

Local company hopes to raise $500 million in Initial Public Offering with the Mosing family members retaining 85 percent ownership. [Editor's Note: This story has been updated with new information...

Industry giant GE aims to improve fracking

PITTSBURGH (AP) - One of America's corporate giants is investing billions of dollars in the new boom of oil and gas drilling, or fracking. General Electric Co. is opening a new laboratory in Oklahoma,...

Marine contractor plans $30M expansion

Danos & Curole announces a new $10 million headquarters in Gray and a $20 million manufacturing and fabrication plant at one of two Louisiana ports under consideration. THIBODAUX, La. (AP) - An...

Interior issues new drilling rule on public land

The Obama administration said Thursday it will require companies that drill for oil and natural gas on federal lands to publicly disclose chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing operations. WASHINGTON...

Plans to export U.S. natural gas stir debate

A domestic natural gas boom already has lowered U.S. energy prices while stoking fears of environmental disaster. Now U.S. producers are poised to ship vast quantities of gas overseas as energy...

Update: PXP creating 600 jobs averaging 100k

The company headed by Lafayette native Jim Flores has already quietly hired 180 people for its Broussard expansion. Thursday morning ABiz broke the story on Plains Exploration & Production...

Stone Energy earns $41 million in 1st Q.

Independent Lafayette-based operator's net income is $10 million less than it earned in the first quarter of 2012. For the first quarter of 2013, Stone Energy (NYSE: SGY) reported net income of $40.8...

Oil drilling technology leaps, clean energy lags

Technology created an energy revolution over the past decade - just not the one we expected. NEW YORK (AP) - Technology created an energy revolution over the past decade - just not the one we...

Oil spill judge: What is gross negligence?

The judge who will allocate responsibility for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill has told lawyers to give him their views about whether a series of negligent acts can add up to gross negligence. NEW...

BP calls first witness at trial over Gulf spill

BP's first witness at a trial over the deadly Deepwater Horizon disaster says the company safely drilled its Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico. NEW ORLEANS (AP) - BP's first witness at a trial over...

Federal appeals court to hear climate change suit

A federal three-judge panel has agreed to review a lower court's ruling that a group of Mississippi coastal landowners can sue energy and chemical companies on allegations that linked greenhouse gas...

iLandMan gives UL students a taste of the industry

Students of UL Lafayette's Professional Land and Resource Management program get a taste of the software offerings of iLandMan, a lease acquisition and land management software company based in...

Landrieu wants BP suspension lifted

U.S. senator says EPA does not have the authority to regulate the industry and should lift the ban, imposed in November to prevent the oil giant from getting new federal contracts. The Monroe...

The Burning Debate

It's all about the green, and not the energy kind, according to the Lafayette officials pushing for an electrical future fueled by coal. Before millions of dollars are pumped into bringing Lafayette's...

'Manifestly Unreasonable'

Appeals court voids Global Data Systems' policy. A pair of former employees of an information technology firm based in Lafayette scored a huge win at the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal recently when the...

Boustany strips 'stand-by' language from bill

In his just-posted column, LOGA President Don Briggs thanks U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany for stripping language from the U.S. Coast Guard Reauthorization Bill that would have cost the oil and gas...

Building America's Energy Corridor

Elected officials and oil and gas, business and industry leaders must convince our governor that his leadership is needed - now. By Kam Movassaghi Elected officials and oil and gas, business and...

The Export Factor

Wednesday, January 25, 2012 By Don Briggs The Export Factor Sending natural gas to Asian and European nations would boost jobs domestically and stabilize prices - and that's good for...

LAGCOE 2011

Biennial event spotlights new and innovative technologies. Louisiana's oil and gas industry is at the heart of our state's economy. Through the exploration and production of both onshore and offshore...

Safety First

Wednesday, October 27, 2010 While the industry welcomes new safety rules, it needs a streamlined and adequate permitting process to restart drilling operations. By Don Briggs Throughout its long and...

No Man's Land

**Wednesday, August 25, 2010 Written by Don Briggs Women like Ginger Adam are leaving their mark on the long-established working man's industry.** Throughout its history the oil and gas industry has...

A Crisis of Opportunity

**Wednesday, June 30, 2010 Written by Don Briggs Riding populist sentiment, the president is using the Horizon disaster to breathe new life into job killing cap and trade - and contradicting himself...

Jumping to Conclusions

**Wednesday, May 26, 2010 Written by Don Briggs How can lawmakers effectively advocate policies and regulations to reduce risk when we don't even have the facts about what caused the Horizon...

Shale Shock

Written by Don Briggs Wednesday, April 28, 2010 The Haynesville Shale's economic impact is widespread - and staggering. Over the past few years, the parishes of northwest Louisiana have experienced an...

Leave This One to the States

If the EPA regulates hydraulic fracturing, development of natural gas around the country could shut down, killing thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in investment. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif.,...

Energy Reigns

Louisiana's congressional delegation and leading energy execs took a break from Mardi Gras festivities for a frank discussion about the industry's challenges. "Energy-Louisiana Style" was...

The Price Is Right

The EIA releases its two-year pricing outlook for crude oil, a stable $80-$84 per barrel, and natural gas, which could swing from $3.88-$8.47. When the fog lifts and all of the rhetoric clears, what...

What a Difference a Year Makes

The oil industry thrived in 2008, but last year optimism was traded in for tumbling prices, 50 percent plus reduction in rig activity and an overall malaise about the industry’s future. This past year...

The Business of Politics

Oilman J. Paul Getty said it best: "If business is your profession, then you should make politics your business." On May 23, 2008, a congressional committee summoned four executives to...

Bridge to the Future

Louisiana can lead the charge in making CNG an everyday fuel. Peak oil. Global warming. Clean coal. Billions of dollars being sent overseas to unstable, unfriendly countries. Oil spills. Greenhouse...

Drilling Down

Two technological breakthroughs have changed the way we drill. The average person on the street still sees oil gushing through the top of the derrick when a successful well is drilled, an image much...

Bridge to the Future

Natural gas did the first oil well in 150 years ago, and it’s poised to repeat that feat today.  On Aug. 27, a major landmark will have been reached in the oil and gas industry. For all but a few...

Slip Sliding Away

As south Louisiana’s rig count slides to its steepest point in decades, north Louisiana is making history.   Just 12 months ago, the oil and gas industry was experiencing an old fashion boom. Oil...

Natural Disaster

The good news is oil should average $67/barrel for the rest of 2009; the really bad news is natural gas prices may fall further. Six months into 2009, the oil and gas industry finds itself reeling...

War on Oil

The Obama administration’s rationale for ending the oil and gas industry’s incentives just doesn’t measure up. Some would call it sensational to say or to suggest that the White House has declared war...


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