Vermont became the 39th state to sign an agreement with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission allowing the state to exercise regulatory authority over certain radioactive materials in the state, according to a press release issued by the NRC. Under the agreement signed by Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Kristine L. Svinicki and Vermont Gov. Philip B. Scott, …
Water safe again in Crescent
The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has announced that the boil order for the Town of Crescent, located in Logan County, has been lifted. The water is now safe for human consumption. The order to boil water was issued due to the presence of E. coli. State and federal regulations require that customers be notified …
Colorado Steel mill to be site of nation’s largest solar power project
One of the largest solar facilities in the state of Colorado will be constructed in Pueblo by Xcel Energy, steel mill operator EVRAZ North America and Lightsource BP. The firms announced they reached a long-term agreement to develop the new 240-megawatt solar Bighorn Solar project. Under the agreement, Lightsource BP will finance, build, own and …
Bankrupt White Star acquired by Houston’s Contango Oil and Gas
Houston-based Contango Oil and Gas Company has acquired the assets and operations of Oklahoma City’s White Star Petroleum in a $132.5 million deal. The purchase was part of White Star’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The asset purchase agreement provides that Contango will acquire approximately 15 Mboe/d of production, approximately 20 Mmboe of PDP reserves as of …
Reporters challenge Texas drone law
Two journalism groups and a reporter have filed a federal lawsuit challenging Texas laws that restrict what can be legally photographed by drones. The suit was filed in Austin and argues the 2013 law puts improper limits on news gathering and is a violation of the First Amendment by making it a crime to capture …
US rig count continues downward spiral
Rig counts continued their slow decline in most oil and gas producing states across the country in the past week. While the nation’s count dropped by 8 to 860, Oklahoma’s count remained unchanged at 66 rigs. The national count included a drop of 6 working oil rigs to 713 while the number of gas rigs …
Wisconsin wants to copy Oklahoma in creating law against trespassers damaging oil and gas pipelines
Oklahoma’s already done it and now Wisconsin legislators are pushing a bill to make it a felony to trespass or damage oil and gas pipelines in the state. Opponents argue it would violate free speech rights and the movement comes in the wake of a Federal judge who temporarily suspended a similar law in South …
Bison announces 15-year water disposal agreement in the STACK
Oklahoma City’s Bison company announced it has secure a 15-year water gathering and disposal agreement with Houston’s Paloma Operating Co. The agreement will put Bison in charge of disposing of the water needs covering 325,000 acres in the STACK—Blaine, Canadian and Kingfisher counties. “Our customer-focus, best-in-class operations, existing asset footprint and our overall dependability distinguished …
Unrest amidst Marathon Petroleum shareholders
Two shareholders in Marathon Petroleum Corporation, a Houston firm are voicing concerns about the company’s financial operations. Together, Paul Foster and Jeff Stevens of Scottsdale, Arizona hold nearly 1.7% of the outstanding common stock in the company and released a letter sent to Marathon’s Board of Directors. In it, they complained about the company’s …
Nuclear storage site in New Mexico is close at hand
A New Jersey-based company is a step closer to building a multi-billion dollar facility in eastern New Mexico to temporarily store spent nuclear fuel from commercial reactors around the U.S. Holtec International announced it has reached a labor agreement with the New Mexico Building and Construction Trades Council to create a framework for cooperation between …