February 2018 archive

Tax Cut Law to Change Rates for KCPL Customers

Missouri customers of Kansas City Power and Light could be getting millions in savings in their utility bills, just like those proposed for PSO customers in Oklahoma…thanks to the new federal tax law. KCPL and KCPL Greater Missouri Operations Company, subsidiaries of Great Plains Energy Incorporated filed recent rate updates. The companies are asking to …

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Natural Gas Industry Fights “Endangered Listing” of Texas Hornshell Mussel

The Texas Hornshell, a freshwater mussel was recently listed by the federal government as “endangered” and the natural gas industry in the state doesn’t like it. The industry is suggesting the listing might even lead to an impact on oil and gas drilling in the Permian Basin and the Eagle Ford. The government contends the …

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Drilling Growth in Permian Prompts Expansion of Environmental Company

The expansion of drilling activity in the Permian Basin is prompting an oil and gas water treatment and disposal company to expand as well. Milestone Environmental Services of Houston, Texas announced it will build several new facilities in the Basin in the coming two years. Two will be built in 2018 and the company said …

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Vapor Leak Forced Evacuation of Rig Near Chickasha

  A water vapor leak early Sunday morning resulted in the evacuation of a Chickasha oil rig operated by Continental Resources of Oklahoma City. At last report, there were no injuries according to the Grady County Sheriff’s office and Grady County Emergency Management office. The evacuation happened around 5 a.m. Residents of a nearby mobile …

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Stage Set for Continued Energy Fight in State Legislature

The fight over taxing energy in Oklahoma is far from over as indicated by debate last week in the House Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget. It also set the stage for a full-blown repeat of the 2017 fight over what some legislators feel was a move to target the wind industry but not so …

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Earthquake Map of Permian Basin Produced by Scientists

A state beside Oklahoma is getting earthquake attention in relation to its extensive oil and gas drilling activity. Stanford University has decided that the massive Permian Basin and its high-level of drilling activity should be mapped for “ground stresses” and possible earthquakes. They continue working on a map for Oklahoma but have come out with …

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Commissioner Wants Rural Phone Fund Abolished

Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony says after 22 years and nearly $800 million, he would like to know exactly how some 3 dozen telephone companies in the state have been using money that came from the controversial High Cost Fund. It is a fund created more than two decades ago to help small phone companies …

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Icahn’s Pressure Leads to Major Shakeup at SandRidge Energy

Activist investor Carl Icahn got his wish.  SandRidge Energy of Oklahoma City has fired James Bennett as CEO and apparently forced Chief Financial Officer Julian Bott out as well. Four months after Icahn forced the company to call off its $746 million purchase of a Denver, Colorado firm, the company took the action this week …

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Two-year Old STACK Company Sells for $1.5 Billion

Two years after it was formed, Kingfisher Midstream LLC has been sold in a more than $1 billion dollar deal by ARM Energy Holdings LLC based in Houston. Kingfisher, created to serve the STACK oil and gas play was sold for $1.55 billion to Silver Run Acquisition Corporation II. It’s an $800 million cash deal …

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New Board Member for NGL While Company Unveils Earnings

Tulsa based NGL Partners LP has named a new member to the board of directors of its general partner and unveiled its quarterly revenue at the same time. He is L. John Schaufele IV who replaces Patrick G. Wade as a Director. His appointment is to the board of directors of the general partner, NGL …

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