In Alaska, Michigan and Norway, partisans on the left and right are sparring in the courtrooms to implement their vision for the future of energy. Operations from small shale plays to multi-billion-dollar offshore installations suddenly hang in the balance as the regulatory outlook becomes increasingly cloudy. World Oil editors discuss a few of these latest moves, and how oil companies are reacting, including:

* Trump tries to establish a foothold for drilling in the ANWR, just as Norway's Supreme Court prepares to decide on its Arctic drilling future;

* Michigan revokes a long-standing pipeline easement, with direct impact on Canada's refining capacity;

* The U.S. and Canadian drilling rig count continues its climb, and what this says about confidence in a Biden administration