The latest ozone alert for Oklahoma featured more counties and an area reaching southward to the state line. The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality updated the Thursday ozone alert by adding several more counties to the Oklahoma City alert. It issued yet another expanded alert to include most of southern Oklahoma stretching from Kingfisher …
Increased oil and gas production reported in North Dakota
The headline told it all. “North Dakota’s oil industry had its best month in more than 2 years.” The state’s petroleum and natural gas output each climbed 3% in June. North Dakota’s petroleum industry, made up of such Oklahoma City energy firms as Continental Resources and others, played their role in creating the state’s …
OKC public school district’s OGE partnership saves $450,000
The Oklahoma City Public School District was recently presented with more than $450,000 as a result of its partnership with OG&E in several energy efficiency programs. The check represented savings and rebates for its participation in the programs. “Research shows that enrollment in an energy efficiency program provides schools up to 20% in annual …
Texas spars with EPA over air pollution haze at National Parks
Texas remains in a fight with the EPA over its plan to reduce haze from air pollution at National Parks. The Environmental Protection Agency a few months ago overruled the Texas plan for the haze reduction, adding fuel to critics who said the state plan to cut sulfur emissions at coal plants a “do …
Woods County well brought in by Citizen Energy
Amidst a lack of many well completion reports this week, one does stand out—a 733 barrels a day oil well in Woods County in the northwest part of Oklahoma. Citizen Energy III LLC, headquartered in Tulsa, filed the report on the Keller 1h-21-28 well located at 16 24N 13W or about 8 miles west …
Behind the choice of an OKC law firm to represent the state in winter storm lawsuits
The political connections between Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond and the law firm he chose to handle the attempted recovery of billions of dollars from record high natural gas prices during the 2021 winter storm Uri are more than $5,800 in campaign contributions to Drummond. There are other connections, though they may be indirect, but …
Crude oil stocks fell more at Cushing and across the US
U.S. crude stocks fell almost 6 million barrels last week, losing all that they added the prior week, a government report showed on Wednesday. At the same time, crude stocks at the Cushing Hub in Oklahoma fell by nearly 1 million barrels. Cushing dropped from 34.6 million barrels on August 4 to 33.8 million …
Bingman to make a second try at being elected Corporation Commissioner
Oklahoma Secretary of State Brian Bingman plans to resign so he can run for corporation commissioner….again. He announced his decision Wednesday. “I’ve been a champion for our energy industry my entire career, I know the importance of protecting our top industry, because I’ve been in it for all of my professional life,” said Bingman. …
Energy briefs
** The Biden administration on Wednesday celebrated the first anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, the landmark climate law President Biden signed in 2022. ** Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Wednesday said he will keep up his battle against the Biden administration and officials who seek to “undermine” the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) as part of their …
New Mexico congressman wants to force oil and gas industry to pay for health care costs
New Mexico congressman Gabe Vasquez, a Democrat, has filed a bill to create a health care trust for oil field workers. His bill wants to compensate them for uninsured medical costs related to air pollution and heat-related illnesses. It would also required that oil and gas companies pay into the trust to provide reimbursements …