** Coal magnate Robert Murray died at his home in Ohio less than a week after announcing his retirement as board chairman of a major U.S. coal operator. He was 80. Murray had announced his retirement Monday, Oct. 19, from American Consolidated Natural Resource Holdings Inc., the largest privately owned coal operator in the U.S.
** BP evacuates workers from four offshore oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico ahead of Tropical Storm Zeta.
** A bunch of the world’s largest oil-and-gas companies will report third-quarter earnings this week, including U.S.-based giants ExxonMobil and Chevron. BP starts things off Tuesday morning. The reports will be the latest window into how the pandemic is hitting the sector’s finances and what new steps companies may announce to rein in costs.
** The largest U.S. natural gas producer, EQT Corp., recently sent a takeover proposal to its rival CNX Resources Corp., but no final decision has been made yet, according to people familiar with the matter.
** Oil refineries along the Gulf Coast are facing another slowdown amid a fresh round of COVID-19 restrictions, six months after global fuel demand fell off a cliff following government-ordered shutdowns to halt the spread of the coronavirus.
** BP PLC is mulling selling a majority stake of its deepwater Constellation oilfield in the Gulf of Mexico, which could achieve a value of roughly $200 million, according to people familiar with the matter.
** A Pennsylvania appeals court rules that state regulators do not have to release calculations of a potential blast zone for the Mariner East pipeline, citing confidential security rules.
** Pacific Gas and Electric Company de-energized certain electrical lines for safety on Sunday as part of a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS), turning off power to 361,000 customers in 36 counties and 17 tribal communities in California. PGE said it was due to a significant, offshore wind event that started Sunday.
** ONEOK declared a quarterly cash dividend of 93.5 cents per share of common stock, payable November 13, 2020, to shareholders of record at the close of business November 2, 2020.
** After years of focusing on U.S. shale, Chevron Corp is staking its natural gas future on the Middle East, a volatile and divided region where energy majors have long tread warily. The new strategy is seeing the company pitch new gas deals in Egypt, Israel, Qatar, while cutting spending on American shale exploration.
** Cenovus Energy Inc has agreed to buy rival Husky Energy Inc in an all-stock deal valued at C$3.8 billion ($2.9 billion) to create Canada’s No. 3 oil and gas producer, as a pandemic-driven collapse in demand forces the industry to consolidate.
** Martin Midstream Partners LP on Oct. 22 said its founder, Ruben Martin, has decided to retire as president and CEO but will remain actively involved with the company following his retirement.
** Jobs in renewable and other kinds of clean energy pay 25 percent more than the national median wage and were more likely to include health insurance and retirement benefits, according to a study of federal occupational wage and benefits data in the energy industry.