-Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Monday said an energy bill he intends to roll out soon would speed up the permitting process for new refinery construction and block federal regulation of fracking, among other provisions. Speaking at a Heritage Foundation event, Cruz also urged Republicans to focus less attention on the Keystone XL pipeline project and more on measures that would enhance domestic energy production.
-Enterprise Products Partners on Monday said it would ship extra propane to the Northeast and Midwest this week amid harsh winter weather in those regions. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday used its emergency powers to order Enterprise to prioritize propane among shipments in its TE Products pipeline, which runs from the Gulf Coast to the Northeast and Midwest.
-A chemical explosion was reported Saturday at Fritz Industries’ research facility in Mesquite, Texas. The blast stoked a small fire that was later contained by firefighters. No injuries were reported. Fritz manufactures oilfield products and other specialty chemicals.
-Market analyst Clyde Russell examines Australia’s recent struggles in developing its LNG business, which could be instructive as the U.S. adds export capacity.
