Petroleum News

September 9, 2016

New Genus of Bacteria in Fracking Wells

Converting Carbon Dioxide Gas Into Fuel

Nanofur for Oil Spill Cleanup

New Class of Cheap Flexible Fuel Cells

Latest Headlines

updated 12:45am EDT

Textile Fiber Waste Helps Improve the Sustainability of Materials

Sep. 7, 2016 — Researchers have developed a panel with textile waste that improves both the thermal and acoustic conditions of buildings and reduces the energy impact associated to the ... read more

Saskatchewan Uranium Mining Emits Few Greenhouse Gases, Study Shows

Sep. 8, 2016 — The mining and milling of Canadian uranium contributes very few greenhouse gases to nuclear power’s already low emissions, a research group ... read more

Fuel Cell Membrane Outperforms Market: 'Goldilocks' Membrane Is Just About Right

Sep. 7, 2016 — Industrial interest is expected in a vehicular fuel cell membrane able to excrete protons at the most effective temperature ... read more

A Virtual Flight Through a Catalyst Particle Finds Evidence of Poisoning

Aug. 30, 2016 — Merging two powerful 3-D X-ray techniques, a team of researchers have revealed new details of a process known as metal poisoning that clogs the pores of catalyst particles ... read more

Study Reveals New Physics of How Fluids Flow in Porous Media

Aug. 23, 2016 — Detailed lab experiments provide fresh insight into the physics of fluid-fluid displacement in porous media, crucial to applications like carbon dioxide sequestration or fuel cell ... read more

Unconventional Natural Gas Wells Associated With Migraine, Fatigue

Aug. 25, 2016 — New research suggests that Pennsylvania residents with the highest exposure to active natural gas wells operated by the hydraulic fracturing ('fracking') industry are nearly twice as likely to suffer ... read more

Some Signs of Induced Seismicity Spotted in Salton Trough's Geothermal Production Fields

Aug. 22, 2016 — In some parts of Southern California's Brawley Seismic Zone, geothermal energy production may be increasing the background seismicity rate, but ... read more

Pro-Nuclear Countries Making Slower Progress on Climate Targets

Aug. 22, 2016 — A strong national commitment to nuclear energy goes hand in hand with weak performance on climate change targets, researchers have ... read more

Reducing Tire Waste by Using Completely Degradable, Synthetic Rubber

Aug. 22, 2016 — Scrap tires pile up in landfills, have fed enormous toxic fires, harbor pests and get burned for fuel. Scientists trying to rid us of this scourge have developed a new way to make synthetic rubber. ... read more

How Cars Could Meet Future Emissions Standards: Focus on Cold Starts

Aug. 22, 2016 — Car emissions is a high-stakes issue, as last year's Volkswagen scandal demonstrated. Wrongdoing aside, how are automakers going to realistically meet future, tougher emissions requirements to reduce ... read more

Lightning Makes For A Terrible Renewable Energy Source

Running On Renewable Energy Is Still Mostly A Matter Of Luck

The Filling Station That Makes Its Own Fuel

Environmental Activists Attempt to 'close Down' Oil Refineries

Air Contamination Near Fracking Sites Result of Operational Inefficiencies

Aug. 26, 2016 — Chemists have published a new study that indicates that highly variable contamination events registered in and around unconventional oil and gas developments are the result of operational ... read more

ZnO-Coated High-Performance Bearings Developed

Aug. 25, 2016 — ZnO-coated high-performance bearings reduce friction by about one-third, say researchers. Playing a vital role in a newly developed small jet engine generator for emergency ... read more

Reducing Gas Flares, Pollution from Oil Production

Aug. 17, 2016 — Last year, dozens of major oil companies and oil-producing nations agreed to end the routine flaring of natural gas from wells by 2030. This burning off of uncaptured methane in addition to simply ... read more

Scientists Explore Oil Clean-Up Properties of Aquatic Ferns

Aug. 17, 2016 — Certain varieties of aquatic floating weeds demonstrate an impressive ability to selectively absorb oil from contaminated water. These plants, which are often regarded as a nuisance, could in fact ... read more

Plug-in Hybrids Drive Electrically Half of the Time

Aug. 16, 2016 — Plug-in hybrids drive electrically with power from the grid 55% of the time. Battery electric vehicles are driven more in total and in everyday ... read more

Methane Leaks: A New Way to Find and Fix in Real Time

Aug. 15, 2016 — Researchers have flown aircraft over an oil and gas field and pinpointed -- with unprecedented precision -- sources of the greenhouse gas methane in real time. The technique led to the detection and ... read more

Warming Climate Likely to Have 'Minor' Impact on Power Plant Output

Aug. 15, 2016 — Future climate warming will likely cause only minor cuts in energy output at most US coal- or gas-fired power plants, a new study finds. The study -- based on records of changes in output levels and ... read more

New Residential Water Heater Concept Promises High Efficiency, Lower Cost

Aug. 15, 2016 — Scientists have developed a novel method that could yield lower-cost, higher-efficiency systems for water heating in residential buildings, outlines a new report. The newly termed ... read more

Today's Electric Vehicles Can Make a Dent in Climate Change

Aug. 15, 2016 — Electric cars that exist today could be widely adopted despite range constraints, replacing about 90 percent of existing cars, and could make a major dent in the nation's carbon emissions, new ... read more

Crude Oil Causes Heart and Skull Deformities in Haddock

Aug. 10, 2016 — Even brief exposures of the eggs of Atlantic haddock to low concentrations of dispersed crude oil can cause severe and usually deadly deformities in developing fish, an international research team ... read more

Strategies Needed for Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Reduction

Aug. 9, 2016 — Solutions including electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, vehicle connectivity, and automation are ... read more

Using Nanotechnology to Give Fuel Cells More Oomph

Aug. 8, 2016 — Applying nanotechnology to fuel cells gives them more oomph, report researchers. The project is part of a $13 million program to advance fuel cell performance and durability and hydrogen storage ... read more

Newly Discovered 'Blue Whirl' Fire Tornado Burns Cleaner for Reduced Emissions

Aug. 5, 2016 — Researchers say their discovery of a type of fire tornado they call a 'blue whirl' could lead to beneficial new approaches for reduced carbon emissions and improved oil spill ... read more

Scientists Convert Carbon Dioxide, Create Electricity

Aug. 4, 2016 — Scientists have developed an oxygen-assisted aluminum/carbon dioxide power cell that uses electrochemical reactions to both sequester the carbon dioxide and produce ... read more

Recycling Carbon Dioxide

Aug. 3, 2016 — Turning carbon dioxide into stored energy sounds like science fiction: researchers have long tried to find simple ways to convert this greenhouse gas into fuels and other useful chemicals. Now, ... read more

Making Nail Polish While Powering Fuel Cells

Aug. 3, 2016 — Hydrogen is widely regarded as a promising and clean alternative energy source. The traditional source of hydrogen for fuel cell use is water, which is split into hydrogen and oxygen. But oxygen is a ... read more

Flow Diagnostics Breakthrough for Hydraulic Capsule Pipeline

Aug. 2, 2016 — Pipelines that carry capsules containing almost any type of freight over long distances have the potential to become an important, cost-effective and environmentally friendly form of transportation. ... read more

A New Leaf: Scientists Turn Carbon Dioxide Back Into Fuel

July 30, 2016 — Researchers have found a way to convert carbon dioxide into a usable energy source. Produced by the burning of fossil fuels in power plants and car engines, carbon dioxide continues to accumulate in ... read more

Breakthrough Solar Cell Captures Carbon Dioxide and Sunlight, Produces Burnable Fuel

July 28, 2016 — Researchers have engineered a potentially game-changing solar cell that cheaply and efficiently converts atmospheric carbon dioxide directly into usable hydrocarbon fuel, using only sunlight for ... read more

Fermenting Carbon Monoxide Into Biofuel

July 26, 2016 — Biological engineers have deciphered the cellular strategy to make the biofuel ethanol, using an anaerobic microbe feeding on carbon monoxide -- a common industrial waste ... read more

Friday, August 26, 2016