Despite pressure from some of its member countries, OPEC (The Organization of the Petroleum 
Exporting Countries) ended a contentious six-hour biennial meeting in Vienna on Dec. 4 without any agreement to restrain crude oil production.
The outcome was not unexpected, as OPEC had failed to limit output by its member countries at two previous meetings. But it meant that members would continue operating their fields at near-record levels at a time when the global market is oversupplied.
Steven Bohlen
Dr. Steven Bohlen, supervisor of the state Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR), has resigned after 17 months running the agency.
Gov. Jerry Brown has appointed Kenneth A. Harris, executive officer of the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, to replace Bohlen. Harris has 25 years of experience with the State Water Board. He holds bachelor’s degrees in earth science and water science and a master’s degree in hydrology, and is a licensed professional geologist.
Federal regulators have ordered Plains Pipeline, LP, to remove the crude oil remaining in an idle 
pipeline that runs from the Santa Barbara coast to Kern County, and to take other corrective action following a failure in the system on May 19 that spilled 2,500 barrels of heavy crude on the coastline.
The actions were taken by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation. They affect Plains Pipeline’s Line 901 and 903.
After a day-long hearing, the Kern County Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance implementing a new land use approval process for oil and gas exploration, extraction, operation and production activities, and also accepted an accompanying environmental impact report.
Environmental groups had opposed the ordinance, and several have told the county that they will go to court to oppose the ordinance.
California Resources Corporation (NYSE:CRC) announced a net loss of $86 million or $0.22 per 
share for the third quarter of 2015, compared with a profit of $188 million or $0.48 per diluted share for the third quarter of 2014.
Revenues for the most recent quarter were $626 million, compared to $1.1 billion for the same period a year earlier.
Most natural gas processing plants will have to start reporting on toxic chemicals they release 
under regulations the Environmental Protection Agency plans to enact.
The rulemaking process, which is expected to take up to two years to complete, will affect many of the 551 gas processing plants in the US, including 20 in California. The EPA specifically rejected imposing the reporting requirements on oil and gas wells, compressor stations and pipelines.
