-The U.S. had the second largest organic oil production increase in world history last year, according to BP. In an essay posted Wednesday on LinkedIn, BP Chief Economist Christof Ruhl put the recent American oil boom in a global perspective using data from the company’s recently published Statistical Review of World Energy. Only Saudi Arabia has had higher year-over-year increases in oil production, and three of those increases were due either to disruptions associated with the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait or the OPEC oil embargo of the 1970s. Only one of its annual increases was both higher than the U.S. surge of 2013 and not caused by a major disruption the previous year.
-The Kleen Energy Power Plant in Middletown, Conn., caught fire Wednesday morning — nearly four years to the day after an explosion there killed six workers and injured 26. Via the Middletown Press, officials attributed the blaze to a cooling oil leak in a turbine. The fire was said to be under control by 9:45 am, and no injuries were reported.
-Meanwhile, two workers at Tesoro’s Martinez, Calif., refinery were injured early Wednesday after being splashed with acid, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Their conditions were unknown as of this morning and the cause of the release is under investigation.
-Southern Company promoted Kimberly S. Greene, head of Southern Company Services, to executive vice president and COO. Greene fills a position vacated by Mark A. Crosswhite, who will become president and CEO of Southern subsidiary Alabama Power. Southern Treasurer Mark S. Lantrip will assume Greene’s role at Southern Company Services. The changes will take effect March 1.
-Valero announced the retirement of Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer Gene Edwards. In a statement, CEO Bill Klesse credited the 32-year Valero veteran with spearheading the company’s entry into the ethanol business.
