A new report from the state government shows unemployment rates improved over 2017 for most counties in Oklahoma. Unemployment rates were lower than a year earlier in 75 of Oklahoma’s 77 counties according to the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission. McIntosh County in eastern central Oklahoma had the highest December 2017 rate at 7.4 percent. Latimer …
February 7, 2018 archive
129 Straight Days Without Rain for Panhandle
While precipitation was reported this week in southeast Oklahoma, northwest Oklahoma and the Panhandle can only wonder what it’s like to get rainfall. The western reaches of the Panhandle have gone 129 straight days without rain according to Gary McManus, State Climatologist in an Oklahoma Mesonet report issued Wednesday. Other parts of northwest Oklahoma have …
Ascent Resources Founded by Late Aubrey McClendon Lands in Bankruptcy Court
Oklahoma City’s Ascent Resources Marcellus Holdings LLC and its subsidiaries have landed in bankruptcy court. The companies filed for Chapter 11 reorganization in the U.S. District Court of Delaware and said they owe between $1 billion and $10 billion to between 200 and 999 creditors. Ascent was one of the companies founded by the …
Southern Oklahoma Rancher Defends Wind Industry
While the newly-formed civic and business group Step Up Oklahoma is at odds with the wind industry, one man who is not is a southern Oklahoma rancher. Chuck Coffey and his wife Ruth own the Double CC Cattle Co. in the Arbuckle mountains of Murray County. Their land became a wind farm in 2014 and …
Pioneer Unloads Assets to Focus on Permian Basin
Another energy company is wiping its hands of its assets and properties in west Texas and the Panhandle and focusing solely on the Permian Basin. Pioneer Natural Resources Company, an independent based in Dallas announced the divestiture plans. Up for sale are 70,000 net acres in the Eagle Ford Shale of South Texas. Those assets …
Plains All American Pipeline Finished 2017 on a “strong note”
Plains All American Pipeline, L.P., with its system that brings oil into the storage farm at Cushing, Oklahoma reported fourth quarter and full-year 2017 earnings. The company reported 2017 and the last quarter were healthy enough that it reduced total debt by $1.5 billion in the 4th quarter and ended 2017 with $3 billion in …
Rising Oil Prices Result in Higher Rig Counts in the US and Across the Globe
With oil prices higher than months ago, the number of international oi land gas rigs in operation in January 2018 was 960, up 6 from the 954 counted in December 2017. Baker Hughes, a GE company released the figures this week showing the international count was also 27 higher than the 933 rigs counted in …
Tallgrass Energy Expands Bakken Water Operations with $95 million Purchase
Kansas City-based Tallgrass Energy Partners LP just plunked down $95 million this week to expand its water infrastructure assets in the Bakken. The company looks upon the purchase as a platform to build additional midstream business in the oil and gas play in North Dakota. Tallgrass , through its subsidiary BNN Water Solutions, LLC announced …