Oil prices fell to near $104 a barrel Tuesday April 3, 2012 as traders eyed mixed signs about the strength of the global economy.

By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark oil for May delivery was down 90 cents to $104.33 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $2.21 to settle at $105.23 per barrel in New York on Monday.

In London, Brent crude was down 74 cents at $124.69 per barrel on the ICE Futures exchange. Read more »

State Rep. Tim Briggs, D-Montgomery, earned a 100 percent on the Marcellus Shale Scorecard for his efforts to protect the commonwealth’s water, air and neighborhoods from gas drilling.

On Tuesday March 27, 2012, four of Pennsylvania’s largest citizen-based environmental organizations released their joint “Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale Scorecard” which gave each state senator and representative an environmental grade based on their votes on House Bill 1950, now Act 13. Read more »

The Interior Department has not made any final decision to raise the royalty rate for oil and gas production on federal lands, the director of the department's Bureau of Land Management said Tuesday March 27, 2012.

Bureau Director Bob Abbey contradicted recent comments by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar that the department planned to propose boosting the onshore royalty rate from 12.5 percent to 18.75 percent, equivalent to the offshore rate. Read more »

Oil prices slipped closer to $106 a barrel Monday March 26, 2012 as investors weighed concerns over global economic growth against possible disruptions in crude supplies due to an international standoff over Iran's nuclear program.

By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark oil for May delivery was down 28 cents to $106.59 at late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.52 to $106.87 per barrel in New York on Friday. Read more »