News bites: Chinese firm overtakes Exxon, and more

The Associated Press reports that Exxon Mobil is “no longer the world's biggest publicly traded producer of oil.”

“For the first time, that distinction belongs to a 13-year-old Chinese company called PetroChina,” the piece states.

The Wall Street Journal has the latest on Iran's oil flows.

“Iran's oil exports appear to have dropped this month as buyers prepare for tough new sanctions, market observers say, and shipments are likely to shrink further if President Barack Obama determines by Friday, as expected, that markets can adjust to fewer barrels of Iranian oil,” the paper reports.

Bloomberg looks at Japan’s efforts to speed renewable power deployment as it seeks to diversify its energy mix following last year’s nuclear disaster.

Reuters explores a potential effect of EPA’s greenhouse gas standards for new power plants. From its piece:

“Tougher emission rules at U.S. power stations will likely force coal companies to make up for lost domestic customers by exporting more to countries in Asia where environmental regulations are less stringent, analysts said.”