Bloomberg Shale explorers reduced the number of rigs drilling for oil in the US this week, snapping a record expansion in a sign the boom may be waning as prices linger near $45 a barrel. Working rigs targeting crude fell by 2, bringing the total to 756, according to Baker Hughes Inc. data reported. The reduction ended 23 straight weeks …

DUBAI­­­­ / Reuters Iran plans to sign a new contract to develop its giant South Pars gas field with France’s Total and China’s CNPC on Monday, the first major Western energy investment since sanctions against Tehran were lifted, an Iranian oil ministry official told Reuters. Total holds a 50.1 interest in the South Pars project with state-owned China National Petroleum …

Bloomberg The fire that killed at least 79 people in a residential tower in London earlier this month has delivered a blow to an often overlooked section of the green industry that’s crucial to delivering energy efficiency. Local authorities across the UK are ripping foam insulation from housing blocks after concerns that plastic cladding on the Grenfell Tower acted as …