December 6, 2017 archive

Unexpected Increase in Gasoline Inventories Sends Oil Prices Downward

  A  report from the American Petroleum Institute that the nation has a whopping 9,196-million-barrel build in gasoline inventories, oil prices both in the U.S. and overseas dropped in Wednesday’s trading. West Texas Intermediate crude fell $1.66 in trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, hitting $55.96 per barrel. That’s a drop of 2.88% from the …

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Williams Puts Another East-Coast Gas Pipeline into Service

Tulsa’s Williams Partners L.P. announced this week it has put into service an expansion project of one of its natural gas lines along the east coast. The expansion applies to the Virginia Southside II project, the fifth of Transco’s “Big 5” expansions to enter service this year, according to the announcement. The five fully-contracted expansion …

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Need for Crude Oil Pipelines in Permian Prompts One Firm to Convert

The conversion should be completed in the first half of 2020 and will provide the partnership with total crude oil pipeline capacity of more than 650,000 barrels a day out of the Permian. The oil will be carried to Enterprise’s crude oil hub in the Houston area. The company has three existing NGL pipelines stretching …

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Judge Orders Pipeline Owner to Create Oil-Spill Plan

Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners has been given until April 1 by a Washington D.C. federal Judge to create an oil-spill response plan for its controversial Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued the order nearly six months after he ruled the Army Corps of Engineers should review the project that …

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GOP Candidate Calls Turnpike Rate Hike a “stunt” and “scam”

At least one political candidate is reacting with anger over the move by the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority to raise the cost of driving on the turnpikes. GOP Gubernatorial hopeful Gary Richardson, who says the turnpikes should be free to drive on, called the move an “absolute outrage.” “I can’t believe our state ‘leaders’ have the …

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Appointments of New Leaders of State Senate Committees Made This Week

  New leaders of Oklahoma Senate committees including those of Energy and Transportation were named this week by Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Schulz. He filled vacancies in leadership positions in various committees. Sen. Mark Allen, R-Spiro was named chair of the Senate Energy Committee. Sen. Eddie Fields, R-Wynona was appointed vice-chair. The new head …

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Pruitt to Face Democrats in Capitol Hill Hearing

EPA chief Scott Pruitt returns to Capitol Hill Thursday morning for a face-to-face meeting with House Democrats who have been licking their chops for a chance to grill him about his climate change agenda. He better brace himself for no doubt there will be some heated exchanges. The former Oklahoma Attorney General will testify before …

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Government Yanks 2-Year old Railroad Oil Tanker Requirement

The Federal government says it plans to rescind a two-year old rule that required trains carrying crude oil to be outfitted with electronically controlled pneumatic brakes or ECP brakes. The ruling originally was a response following deadly and disastrous tanker derailments. The U.S. Department of Transportation made the announcement this week. Long trains of oil-carrying …

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Oklahoma Turnpike Rates to Increase in January

Energy companies, whether they’re oil and gas related or connected to wind farms will end up footing a higher bill when they choose the Oklahoma Turnpike for travel. The State Turnpike Authority voted this week to increase tolls by 2.5 percent beginning in early January. It means most vehicles will pay $4.50 to travel between Oklahoma …

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