NEW YORK (AP) — Chesapeake Energy, a shale drilling pioneer that helped to turn the United States into a global energy powerhouse, has filed for bankruptcy protection. The Oklahoma City-based company said Sunday that it was a necessary decision given its debt. Its debt load is currently nearing $9 billion. It has entered a plan with lenders to cut $7 …

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom cracked down on oil producers Tuesday, halting approval of hundreds of fracking permits until independent scientists can review them and temporarily banning another drilling method that regulators believe is linked to one of the largest spills in state history. The state Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources announced it will not …

Is there a war on oil? As one Capitol news crew writes, recent days in the state Senate briefly resemble “Groundhog Day,” the movie about a befuddled weatherman who relives the same day in the same small town. Sen. Bill Sharer, R-Farmington, stands in the N.M. Senate and praises some aspect of the oil and gas industry, typically discussing how …