Oil execs in meetings with pope

Jun 8, 2018
Pope Francis has called the world’s leading oil execs to the Vatican. Meetings are today and tomorrow, and will include leaders from companies like BP and ExxonMobil. They’re gathering to talk about how their businesses can tackle climate change. Click the audio player above to hear the full story. 

Costlier oil likely means higher prices for air travel

Jun 5, 2018
Every time we pull into a gas station, we see the effect of rising global oil prices. Airlines are getting a bit of sticker shock, too, when they fill their planes with jet fuel. Crude oil is up close to 50 percent in the past year, which is likely to cut into profits and lead […]

Gas prices head north before holiday

May 23, 2018
We’re only a few days away from Memorial Day weekend, one of the busiest travel days of the year. More than 41 million Americans are expected to hit the road. You know where you’re going? Are you going to drive there? Well, you might be paying more for that gasoline than you have in a […]

Oil patch roughnecks may also need to be data analysts

May 16, 2018
Drilling oil wells today still involves dirt and sweat, installing rigs in muddy fields. But there are also more jobs at desks, checking systems remotely by computer.
Drilling oil wells these days still involves dirt and sweat — installing rigs in muddy fields. But there are also more jobs at desks, checking systems remotely by computer.
Filipa Rodrigues/Marketplace

U.S. oil companies take cautious approach despite higher prices and demand

Apr 27, 2018
With the U.S.-based oil giants Chevron Corp. and Exxon Mobil Corp. scheduled to release their first quarter 2018 earnings Friday morning, we look at the state of the oil industry. Companies are reaping the benefits from higher oil prices and demand. But what is big oil investing in these days, with an eye toward the future? Click […]

In Texas oil town, high times, but low housing supply

Apr 25, 2018
Midland, in the heart of the Permian Basin, struggles to house workers and even longtime residents.
Flags hanging in Midland, Texas. 
Filipa Rodrigues/Marketplace

Oil boom cheers Texas town, but some worry about education

Apr 25, 2018
Midland, Texas, is doing well with high oil prices but having trouble retaining teachers for its public schools.
A state-of-the-art Midland Public Library was built using sales tax money.
Filipa Rodrigues/Marketplace

For public good, not for profit.

Midland, Texas, is booming as oil prices rise

Apr 24, 2018
Times are good in the Permian Basin, but schools and roads still need improvement.
Workers on an oil rig in Midland, Texas, part of the Permian Basin, where output has tripled in the past three years.
Filipa Rodrigues/Marketplace

Global economic recovery eats through oil glut

Apr 20, 2018
This morning President Donald Trump turned his ire on OPEC: “OPEC is at it again,” he tweeted. “Oil prices are artificially Very High!” Sure, it’s convenient to blame someone for high gas prices. But the broader story — beyond the 280 characters that Twitter allows — is that something bigger is happening in the world oil […]

Despite domestic oil boom, some students in Texas are hesitant to enter the field

Mar 26, 2018
Some colleges are finding that students are not eager to enroll in oil and gas majors.
Spencer Platt / Getty Images