Daily News Energy Headlines from December 9, 2015

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News highlights gathered by Industrial Info and IIR Energy (Sugar Land, Texas) dealing with the energy markets.

CRUDE OIL
U.S. Crude Stocks Down for First Time Since September - The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that U.S. crude oil supplies fell by 3.6 million barrels for the week ending December 4 to 485.86 million barrels, marking the first supply drop following 10 consecutive weeks of gains.

FINANCIAL
Dow, DuPont Considering Merger - Dow Chemical Company (NYSE:DOW) and DuPont Company (NYSE:DD) (Wilmington, Delaware) are reportedly in late-stage talks regarding a merger of the two companies.

Freeport-McMoRan to Further Reduce Capital Spending - Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX) has announced that it will reduce spending in its Oil & Gas segment from a planned $2 billion per year in 2016 and 2017 to $1.8 billion in 2016 and $1.2 billion in 2017.

PRODUCTION
North Dakota Increased Crude Oil in October - North Dakota's Department of Mineral Resources reports that the state produced 1,168,950 barrels per day (BBL/d) of oil in October, compared with 1,162,159 BBL/d in September.

Colorado Fracking Debate Goes Before State Supreme Court-Colorado's state supreme court on Wednesday began hearing arguments about whether local governments in the state can ban fracking.

PIPELINES
Crude Tanker Moratorium Sparks Questions Over Fate of Northern Gateway Pipeline - Shortly after his October 19 election, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau fulfilled a campaign pledge when he instructed his new Transport Minister Marc Garneau to "formalize a moratorium on crude oil tanker traffic on British Columbia's North Coast," in collaboration with several other ministries and agencies. Within this article: Details various interpretations on whether the moratorium would hinder Enbridge Incorporated's (NYSE:ENB) proposed Northern Gateway crude-oil pipeline.

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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.