Author's posts
Rig Count Drops in Oklahoma but Grows Nationally
The latest oil and gas drilling rig counts show an increase nationally but a decline in Oklahoma. The Baker Hughes Co. of Houston reported the national count grew by 5 in the past week to reach 995. The count included 4 more oil rigs to reach 804 and the addition of one gas drilling rig …
Tulsa Engineering Firm Wins $150 million Navy Contract
Tulsa-based Ross Group has won a $150 million contract to do engineering work for the Navy installations in the southwestern part of the U.S. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest was one of three firms chosen to carry out engineering, procurement and construction services. The work will be performed on military installations in the …
Drought Intensifies in NW Oklahoma Where Hopes Are High for Weekend Rain Relief
While the weekend forecast called for possible rain, northwest Oklahoma’s drought is growing. The Oklahoma Mesonet reports the far northwest and the eastern parts of the Panhandle are in the worst category, “Exceptional Drought.” More than 8 percent of the state fits into the classification compared to zero just three months ago. From the …
Phillips 66 Partners to Release First Quarter Earnings Report in April
Phillips 66 Partners plans to release its first-quarter 2018 financial results in about a month. The Houston company announced it will make known the results on Friday, April 27. The results will be released early in the day and the company will follow it up with a conference call later in the day after 1 …
A $55,000 SNAFU at the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture
For those taxpayers who wonder about the efficiency of their own Oklahoma state government, they have been handed yet another head-scratching incident. A SNAFU is what one state official called it. And we all know what SNAFU means. The Oklahoma Agriculture Department admits it owes $55,000 to another state agency but it can’t figure out …
Pruitt’s EPA Travel Expenses Pale to Those of Gina McCarthy and Lisa Jackson
The conservative political website Hot Air has decided it’s time to compare the travel expenses of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt with those of his predecessors. The website’s reporters did some comparison of the expenses that Pruitt, the former Oklahoma Attorney General has run up in his first year in office. While national news organizations have …
Legislators Vote to Take Wind out of Oklahoma Wind Farm Operations
Two anti-wind bills quietly put on Oklahoma House and Senate committee agendas late Wednesday night received support Thursday at the State Capitol—much to the disappointment of the Oklahoma Wind Coalition. “This is just an array of dominoes that are devastating that are going to fall because of these measures,” lamented Mark Yates, President of the …
Weekly Standard Targets Pruitt and Others Over Exorbitant Spending
The conservative publication, The Weekly Standard, proved this week it can go after conservatives—namely Scott Pruitt and others in the Trump Administration. In an editorial targeting the EPA Administrator and others over their exorbitant spending of taxpayers’ dollars, the Standard stated, “The money isn’t the real problem. The behavior is—particularly from top officials working for …
A Correction for a Reuters Story on Oklahoma’s STACK
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission takes issue with a Reuters news article this week that focused on the state’s STACK play, mentioning how the state’s regulating certain wells because of earthquakes. Spokesman Matt Skinner responded by stating that the Reuters article was “incorrect when it comes to earthquakes.” When the reporters claimed that there are potential …
Surprise! Saudi Arabia is Expanding into Wind Energy
At least one country rich in oil and gas operations has decided to expand into wind energy. Saudi Arabia—yes, the Saudi Arabia is planning to start construction this year on the country’s first wind project. It will happen as the kingdom’s newly established renewables agency will launch 11 solar and wind new tenders. Reuters reports …