Oil prices will likely rise to about $130 a barrel in the next 12 months as demand in emerging markets such as China and India make up for weak developed world growth, Goldman Sachs said Thursday.

Despite concerns about the U.S. economy and eurozone sovereign debt, which have hit crude prices due to an expected fall in demand, the Wall Street giant forecast commodity prices to remain buoyant. Read more »

Arkansas' top environmental official said Tuesday September 14, 2011 that she believes her department has "sufficient" regulatory authority over natural gas drilling in Arkansas but says she wants to keep additional inspectors funded through an agreement with the Game and Fish Commission. Read more »

Oil prices rose Tuesday Sept. 13, 2011 on the anticipation that a recent tropical storm caused a major disruption in supplies.

The government will report petroleum supply levels on Wednesday. According to a poll by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos., the storm likely cut U.S. supplies last week by 2.9 million barrels of oil and 400,000 barrels of gasoline. Read more »

West Virginia lawmakers developing new rules for the Marcellus shale field would change the way the state hires gas well inspectors.

A House-Senate committee overseeing the Marcellus issue amended its draft proposal Monday September 12, 2011 to abolish the state's Oil and Gas Inspectors' Examining Board. Read more »