** U.S. oil and gas mergers surged last quarter with the most $1 billion plus combinations since 2014, according to data released on Monday, as rising energy and share prices led to larger oilpatch deals.
** Dominion Energy Inc. and Berkshire Hathaway Energy, an affiliate of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. announced they have agreed to terminate the sale of Questar Pipelines to Berkshire Hathaway Energy because of uncertainty related to getting clearing from the Federal Trade Commission under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976.
** California regulators deny 21 drilling permits as the state looks to phase out hydraulic fracturing.
** Shell will join a project in Norway to produce hydrogen from natural gas while capturing the emissions, Aker Clean Hydrogen (ACH) said on Monday.
** The Biden administration is preparing to release a blueprint for limiting sales of U.S. drilling rights that falls short of the outright ban sought by some environmentalists, as rising oil and gasoline prices highlight the risks of curtailing domestic crude production.
** Volvo Trucks North America says it will restart production at a plant in southwestern Virginia this week despite an ongoing strike and the lack of a labor deal between the company and a union representing nearly 3,000 workers.
** French private-equity firm Ardian SAS is considering raising as much as 2 billion euros ($2.4 billion) for a fund dedicated to green hydrogen, one of the hottest fuels in the energy transition.
** Vietnam’s first domestic car manufacturer, Vinfast, said on Monday it has opened offices in North America and Europe, joining a crowded field of players seeking to woo customers with smart electric cars.
** Spain will invest 4.3 billion euros ($5.1 billion) to kick-start the production of electric vehicles and batteries as part of a major national spending programme financed mostly by European Union recovery funds, the government said on Monday.
** Elon Musk’s Tesla Energy company and some corporate partners announced Friday that they’re planning the nation’s most sustainable residential neighborhood – and they plan to create it in Austin, Texas. Tesla Energy’s partners in the project include Brookfield Asset Management and development firm Dacra, according to FOX 7 of Austin.
** The federal government threatens to fine Colonial Pipeline $200,000 per day over a massive gasoline spill unless the company installs a better leak detection system.
