Author's posts
Newfield and Chesapeake at NYC Investor Conference
Major players in Oklahoma’s STACK and SCOOP oil and gas plays were active this week in the J.P. Morgan 2017 Energy Equity Investor Conference in New York City. It was the second year for the energy conference and one of the participants was Houston-based Newfield Exploration, a firm that sought investors by focusing on …
State Agencies Say Research Shows Fracking is Not a Leading Cause of Earthquakes
A report by two state agencies in Oklahoma says hydraulic fracturing and the completion of oil and gas wells are not a leading contributor to causing earthquakes in the state. The report comes from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and the Oklahoma Geological Survey. It indicated that efforts to manage the potential risk of induced earthquakes …
Safety Council Hands Out an “F” to Oklahoma
Whether you’re climbing atop a wind tower in western Oklahoma or working on an oil and gas rig, safety is critical for energy operations in the state. Yet a new government report flunks Oklahoma for its efforts to eliminate preventable deaths. The National Safety Council released its annual State of Safety report this week, giving …
Senators Move to Reauthorize Diesel Engine Program
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe moved this week to reauthorize a government program aimed at retrofitting older diesel engines all in the name of reducing air pollution. He and Democratic Senators Tom Carper of Delaware and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island joined with Wyoming GOP Sen. John Barrasso to introduce the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of …
No Slowdown in Oil and Gas Drilling in Oklahoma
Who’s drilling and where? A quick check of the Daily Permits report on applications to drill in Oklahoma shows more growth in Oklahoma’s STACK oil and gas play. Jones Energy LLC, based in Austin, Texas is expanding its drilling ventures in the state. Historically, Jones has explored in western Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle, areas …
Personal Income Growth Reported in Early 2017 in Oklahoma
In an economy driven mostly by energy, Oklahoma is slowly making a recovery. Figures from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis showed this week that Oklahomans saw their personal income grow at a one percent rate in the first quarter of 2017. And that’s critical to state revenue at a time where the Oklahoma government …
Police Chiefs Gather to Talk Oil Pipeline Security and Other Topics
Oil pipeline safety and security is one of several topics to be discussed this week at the annual conference of the Oklahoma Association of Chiefs of Police and the Oklahoma Police Chiefs Training Foundation. The conference got underway Monday in Ardmore. The pipeline security topic is one of several training items to be discussed in …
Court Date Set in Montana in Fight Against Keystone XL Pipeline
The date of Aug. 31 is when a Montana federal judge will hear arguments whether legal challenges should move ahead to the Keystone XL pipeline. The challenges are being fought by the government. It concerns two lawsuits filed against the Trump administration in March by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club, the Centr …
Pruitt Defends EPA Budget Cuts….Vows No Regional Offices Will be Closed
EPA Chief Scott Pruitt defends his agency’s proposed budget cuts saying they still supports the agency’s highest priorities with federal funding for core work in air and water quality, contaminated land clean-ups and enforcement. In prepared remarks Tuesday during a U.S. Senate subcommittee appropriations hearing, the former Oklahoma Attorney General made it clear his agency …
Hunter Joins Other GOP Attorneys General in Defending Exxon Mobil
Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter joined other Republican attorneys general in recently coming to the defense of Exxon Mobil Corp. in its fight with some Democratic attorneys general. Hunter was one of a dozen attorneys general who made arguments against climate scientists who blame energy companies in part of the rising level of carbon dioxide. …