Author's posts
Stocks Tumble Following Westar and Great Plans Energy Merger Announcement
Monday’s announcement of a newly redrawn merger of Westar Energy and Great Plains Energy companies in Kansas saw stocks plunge as investors reacted to the news. Stock in Westar Energy dropped $2.75 a share, an indication that investors had expected a premium out of the deal rather than a stock-for-stock situation according to a report …
Choctaw Nation Member Named to Interior Department Leadership
A re-shuffling of the leadership of the U.S. Interior Department has resulted in Secretary Ryan Zinke’s naming of Gavin Clarkson of Oklahoma’s Choctaw nation as a deputy assistant secretary. Clarkson took over last month and is in charge of overseeing the Offices of Indian Energy and Economic Development, Indian Gaming and Self-Governance within the Office …
Nuns Stage Gas Pipeline Battleground with Williams Company
Tulsa’s Williams Partners has run into opposition from some Pennsylvania nuns as the company tries to build a natural gas pipeline. The sisters are members of the Catholic Adorers of the Blood of Christ and to show their opposition to the 183-mile long pipeline, they’ve built a prayer chapel on the proposed right of way. …
Are Oklahoma Gross Production Taxes Misplaced?
If an analysis of Oklahoma’s horizontal well production is accurate, then maybe state lawmakers should realize their tax rates on oil and gas wells are focused the opposite of when they should be. If you’re an oil and gas developer, you’ll want taxes to remain as they are. The analysis by Oklahoma Watch found that …
Russians Behind Hacking Attempt of Kansas Nuclear Power Plant?
Suspicions are falling on Russian hackers over recent attempts to break into the system that runs the Wolf Creek Nuclear power plant near Burlington, Kansas. U.S. authorities suggest not only that they might have been from Russia, but they were considered to be a sophisticated group of hackers targeting several U.S. nuclear power plants. Reports …
Interim Study to Focus on Wind Farms and Military Air Bases in Oklahoma
One of the more than 60 interim study requests approved by the Oklahoma House Speaker will focus on the location of wind farms near military airfields in the state. The request was made by Rep. Charles Ortega, R-Altus who has concerns that some wind farms in the state are located in military training routes. “We …
Westar Energy and Great Plains Energy Try Another Merger
Westar Energy and Great Plains Energy in Kansas are trying it again. They’ve announced an amended agreement to form a $14 billion utility with headquarters in Topeka and Kansas City, Missouri. In the early-Monday morning announcement, the boards of directors of the two unanimously approved a revised transaction. There’ll be no exchange of cash and …
ConocoPhillips to Release 2Q Earnings July 27
With a major operation in Bartlesville, ConocoPhillips plans to release its second-quarter 2017 results on July 27. The Houston-based company said the results will be released before the market opens on that day and a conference call webcast will begin at 11 a.m. CT. The webcast will be available at ConocoPhillips’ Investor Relations site, www.conocophillips.com/investor. …
Warren Buffett Expands Energy Holdings in Texas
Berkshire Hathaway Energy, a subsidiary of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. announced a merger agreement with Energy Future Holdings Corp. in a nearly $11 billion deal. It means Berhshire Hathaway Energy will acquired reorganized EFH which will also result in the acquisition of Oncor, the energy delivery company serving 10 million customers in Texas. It …
Dallas Energy Supplier Makes $350 million Purchase of Power Plant
Dallas,Texas based Vistra Energy has announced the $350 million purchase of a 1,054 MW combined cycle, combustion turbine power plant in Odessa, Texas. Vistra, parent company for TXU Energy and Luminant made the purchase from a subsidiary of Koch Ag and Energy Solutions LLC. Curt Morgan, Vistra Energy’s CEO said the asset purchase was made …