Oil fell below $91 per barrel Friday June 24, 2011 as investors weighed the latest economic data and the planned release of 60 million barrels of oil onto the world market.

Benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude for August delivery rose 9 cents at $91.11 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. In London, Brent crude, which is used in more international blends, fell $1.76 to $105.50 per barrel on the ICE Futures exchange. Read more »

The smallest of the half-dozen class-action lawsuit over natural gas royalties was settled Wednesday June 22, 2011 for $3.4 million, to be split among some 1,850 landowners.

The settlement is the first resolution in the sprawling, ongoing fights in U.S. District Court over gas pumped out from under Southwest Virginia landowners and, according to the plaintiffs, never appropriately accounted for. Read more »

Oil prices rose Wednesday June 22. 2011 after the Federal Reserve acknowledged that U.S. economic growth has slowed but should pick up again soon. Here's how energy contracts traded.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange:

Crude rose $1.24 to settle at $95.41 per barrel.

Gasoline gained 9.07 cents to settle at $2.9733 a gallon.

Heating oil picked up 6.49 cents to settle at $2.9549 a gallon.

Natural gas fell 7.1 cents to settle at $4.317 per 1,000 cubic feet.

On the ICE Futures exchange: Read more »

Gas and oil drilling is a quickly growing industry, but Mahoning Valley landowners looking to capitalize should proceed with caution, according to a local lawyer and a nonprofit oil and gas leasing organization.

Many oil businesses, including Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy Corp., one of the largest oil companies in the U.S., are using a newer tactic which, while perfectly legal, potentially could cost landowners thousands of dollars. Read more »