Oil prices rose Monday August 5, 2012 amid rumors of an attack on Syria's embattled leader and as Tropical Storm Ernesto appeared likely to grow into a hurricane that could disrupt Gulf of Mexico oil operations.

New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate light sweet crude for September, finished trade at $92.20 a barrel, up 80 cents from Friday's closing price.

Brent North Sea crude for delivery in September added 61 cents to settle at $109.55 a barrel in London trade. Read more »

Southwestern Energy Co. of Houston on Thursday August 2, 2012 announced its second quarter 2012 financial results, and reported a spike in profits from its Fayetteville Shale activities.

Southwestern's midstream services, which include natural gas gathering and marketing, made $71.8 million for its second quarter, up 20 percent from $59.6 million in 2011.

"The increase in operating income was primarily due to increase gathering revenues related to the company's Fayetteville and Marcellus Shale properties," the release noted. Read more »

Oil prices fell Tuesday July 31, 2012 as hopes faded for a new round of government stimulus in the U.S.

Benchmark U.S. crude lost $1.93, or 2.2 percent, to $87.85 per barrel in New York, while Brent crude lost $1.58 to $104.62 per barrel in London.

Traders have been guessing for months about when and whether the Federal Reserve would try to spark the economy. Hopes rose last week, then faded Tuesday, following reports of strengthening consumer confidence and home values. Read more »

The U.S. shale oil revolution can't be stopped, but it could be delayed by a potential shortfall of 10-ton valves and giant pipeline pumps essential for rebalancing markets upended by the surge in production.

Amid an unanticipated boom in inland oil output that turned the domestic market upside down last year, firms from Enterprise Products Partners to Shell Pipeline and Plains All American have launched a $20 billion bonanza to build, expand or reverse two dozen pipelines in the past year. Read more »