Oil prices rose above $85 per barrel on Thursday Nov. 8, 2012 as postelection volatility continued.

Crude oil rose 75 cents to $85.19 in afternoon trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. That followed a decline of 5 percent on Wednesday, when traders were spooked by worries about budget negotiations in the U.S. Analysts also say that oil supplies and production are high, which tends to drive down prices. Read more »

A Marcellus Shale website has launched a campaign to educate those involved in this nation’s growing shale industry.

 The online "Shale Voter" guide, which was published by GoMarcellusShale.com, guide touches upon 7 key issues, among them: Taxes on Royalties, Hydraulic Fracturing, Cap and Trade, and Regulation of Green House Gas Emissions. The Voter Guide can be accessed at http://GoMarcellusShale.com Read more »

Hurricane Sandy had only a minor impact on Marcellus Shale production, several operators in the play said. "Our operations, including production, were not adversely impacted by the storm," Cabot Oil & Gas spokesman George Stark said. Talisman Energy took the necessary measures before the storm, said Berta Gomez, the company's media relations adviser.

Brazil'sCongress has a short list of priorities for legislation during the rest of this year, with the most pressing being approval of a law changing the distribution of royalties from oil production.

The goal is to give more money from new wells to nonoil-producing states. Producing states oppose cuts in their share, saying they face more environmental risk and, therefore, deserve more money. Read more »