Upcoming winter storm may cause problems for East Coast energy infrastructure

An upcoming winter storm has resulted in blizzard watches in major Mid-Atlantic cities, including Washington, DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City. Nearly 75 million people are in regions expected to be affected by the storm. In addition to record levels of snowfall, affected areas could experience high winds as well as coastal storm surges and flooding in susceptible regions. More »

Oman is the largest non-OPEC oil producer in the Middle East

Oman is the largest producer of crude oil (including condensate) in the Middle East that is not a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Oman's oil production has increased each year since 2007 and ranked 7th among Middle East oil producers and 21st in the world, as of 2014. Production exceeded one million barrels per day in June 2015 for the first time since December 2000. More »

Hydrogen for refineries is increasingly provided by industrial suppliers

Refineries use hydrogen to lower the sulfur content of diesel fuel. Refinery demand for hydrogen has increased as demand for diesel fuel has risen both domestically and internationally, and as sulfur-content regulations have become more stringent. EIA data show that much of the growth in hydrogen use at refineries is being met through hydrogen purchased from merchant suppliers rather than from increased hydrogen production on-site at the refinery. More »

Iran's petroleum production expected to increase as sanctions are lifted

Implementation day for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an agreement among Iran, the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany), and the European Union (EU), occurred on January 16 when the International Atomic Energy Agency verified that Iran had completed the key physical steps required to trigger sanctions relief. More »

Warmer weather, lower energy prices are reducing home heating expenditures

Warmer temperatures and lower energy prices have contributed to a reduction in EIA's current forecast average heating expenditures this winter compared with the forecast in the October 2015 "Winter Fuels Outlook". More »

Crude oil prices to remain relatively low through 2016 and 2017

The Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) released on January 12, which is the first STEO to include projections for 2017, forecasts Brent crude oil prices will average $40 per barrel (b) in 2016 and $50/b in 2017. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil prices are expected to be $2/b lower than Brent in 2016 and $3/b lower than Brent in 2017. More »