News bites: Clinton seeks to ease South China Sea oil tensions

Reuters reports that a top U.S. official is trying to prevent conflict over the South China Sea.

“Hillary Clinton, U.S. secretary of state, has urged rival claimants to the South China Sea not to resort to threats and intimidation in the potentially oil-rich waters, an indirect reference to China at the start of a regional meeting,” their story states.

Platts reports that the easing of U.S. sanctions will likely draw oil-and-gas investment dollars to Burma.

Bloomberg reports that oil prices dipped “on signs from Asia and the U.S. that the global recovery is faltering and eroding demand for fuels.”

The Associated Press explores an Energy Department effort to learn whether drilling fluids from hydraulic fracturing operations can migrate into drinking water.