Baton Rouge site: ExxonMobil says some workers may have come in contact with harmful chemicals after a leak was reported at its Baton Rouge site, WBRZ-TV reports. A spokesperson says the leak happened Monday morning at the company’s Baton Rouge chemical plant. Some employees and contract workers at both ExxonMobil and the nearby Albemarle site were assessed by on-site medical personnel for potential exposure to liquid sulfuric acid. ExxonMobil is not reporting any potential off-site impact at this time. Read the full story.
Rally: U.S. crude futures for July delivery surged 3.9% to $36.81 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange today, and front-month futures have risen to their highest level since early March after dropping below $0 for the first time ever on April 20, The Wall Street Journal reports. Tuesday’s moves came after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia moved a conference call to discuss future output cuts to Thursday from June 9. The group is close to extending the supply cuts through Sept. 1, a move that some analysts say would lend further support to oil prices as demand continues to climb. Read the full story.
Trade probe: The U.S. is investigating taxes on digital services being adopted or considered by Britain, Italy, Brazil and other countries, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office said today. As Reuters reports, the announcement came after the U.S. Commerce Department said it would investigate whether imports of the metal vanadium violate national security. Read the full story.
