Daily News Energy Headlines for August 17, 2015

News highlights gathered by Industrial Info and IIR Energy (Sugar Land, Texas) over the past week.

OIL & GAS PRODUCTION
Israel Cabinet Approves Plan to Develop Leviathan Gas Field - On Sunday, Israel's cabinet approved a plan for Noble Energy Incorporated (NYSE:NBL) (Houston, Texas) and Delek Group (Netanya, Isreail) to develop the massive Leviathan natural gas field off of the Israeli coast. The deal requires that the coalition sell off other assets and still requires parliamentary approval to move forward.

Alberta Limits Water Use for Oil Sands - After a dry spring and hot summer left Alberta's water supplies low, regulators are restricting applications from oil and gas producers to withdraw water from the Athabasca River and calling for voluntary restrictions from existing operators.

PIPELINES
Western Canadian Demand for Crude-Oil Takeaway to Remain Strong - In gross numbers, western Canada has more than 4.1 million barrels per day (BBL/d) of crude-oil takeaway capacity in its existing pipeline infrastructure. When combined with crude-by-rail, this number exceeds 4.75 million BBL/d. According to the National Energy Board of Canada (NEB), 2014 had an average production rate of 3.75 million BBL/d of crude oil for the entire nation, not just the Alberta oil sands.

OTHER NEWS
Analysts Warn WTI Price Could Rise Above Brent - As U.S. oil production is set to decline over the coming year, some analysts, including Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, say that U.S. crude prices could rise above Brent crude next year.

About IIR Energy
Energy asset information on power plants, oil refineries and natural gas infrastructure is now more important than ever. A unit of Industrial Info Resources IIR Energy provides infrastructure information on these assets, as well as real-time tracking of planned and unplanned interruptions affecting the trading, logistics and marketing communities. We are the number one source for information about electricity outages, refinery turnarounds and midstream natural gas disruptions.

About Industrial Info
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, five offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.