Processing capacity at U.S. refineries grew 150,000 bpd in 2010, reaching the highest level since 1982 despite utilization remaining well below historical highs, explains the Energy Information Administration in its weekly report on the energy industry.

In the mid-to-late 1990s, demand for petroleum products grew to the point where utilization averaged over 95% in 1997 and 1998, leading to capacity expansions at existing refineries. U.S. refining capacity remained above 90% through 2005. But the economic downturn in 2008 and the first half of 2009 led to lower petroleum demand, causing the refinery utilization rate to fall to about 83% in 2009. In 2010, it increased to 86%, well below the 1993-2005 levels.

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Thursday (7/7) approved five rules that will regulate trading, including one that will enhance the regulatory body’s ability to prosecute traders who commit fraud and market manipulation, said agency spokesman Dennis Holden.

The vote for the anti-fraud rule under the Dodd-Frank Financial Reform Act will increase the agency’s regulatory authority, making the CFTC perhaps as powerful as the Securities Exchange Commission which is civilly responsible for prosecuting insider trading cases.

The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America said in a new study that the United States and Canada will need average midstream natural gas infrastructure investments of $8.2 billion per year, or $205.2 billion total, over the nearly 25-year period from 2011 to 2035 to accommodate new gas industry growth.

The needed infrastructure includes mainlines, laterals, processing, storage, compression and gathering lines.