Workers managed to escape unhurt when a drilling rig caught fire Monday morning in West Texas near Big Spring. It involved a Patterson-UTI Drilling rig, the same company that owned the rig which blew up and killed 5 workers in southeast Oklahoma in January. The Texas fire happened in Howard County and the company issued …
July 2018 archive
North Dakota to DOJ—-Pay us for what the Corps of Engineers failed to do over pipeline protests
The state of North Dakota is asking to be reimbursed $38 million from the federal government over law enforcement efforts at the protests two years ago of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem filed the claim, saying the law enforcement costs came because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers failed to enforce the …
The fight over ethanol blending goes before a House hearing
In the words of one report about the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s environment subcommittee hearing this week, it could “be a doozy.” It will focus on Renewable Identification Numbers under the Renewable Fuel Standard. It’s been a controversial issue or at least it was when Scott Pruitt was Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. …
Inhofe’s Water Infrastructure bill to get possible Senate vote this week
The U.S. Senate could vote this week on the Water Infrastructure bill introduced by Oklahoma U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe in a move to increase water storage in the West and making the Army Corps of Engineers more transparent. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously approved the measure in May in a bipartisan effort. …
WPX Energy announces stock conversion rate
Tulsa’s WPX Energy announced this week an anticipated conversion rate for some of the firm’s preferred stock. The rate applied to WPX Energy’s 6.25 percent Series A Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock issued July 22, 2015. The company has nearly 4.8 million shares of preferred stock outstanding. Holders of the preferred stock are expected to get …
Quarterly distribution announced by Williams Partners
Tulsa’s Williams Partners L.P. announced this week a quarterly distribution of 63 cents a share. The new amount is a 2.4 percent increase from the partnership’s previous quarterly distribution of $0.614 per unit paid in May 2018. The board of directors okayed the distribution which will be payable on Aug. 10 to common unitholders of …
Key Energy to issue 2Q earnings report
Key Energy Services, Inc. based in Houston is planning to release its second quarter 2018 financial results on Aug. 8. A firm with extensive operations throughout Oklahoma, Key Energy plans to release the results after the market close on that Wednesday. Its management will hold a conference call to discuss the results on Thursday, Aug. …
Campaign money for Corporation Commission run-offs
With six weeks remaining in the Democratic and Republican run-off elections for Corporation Commissioner, one thing is clear. The two Republican candidates received vast more campaign money from contributors than did either of the two Democratic candidates. The last campaign contribution report filed by the four candidates was in June immediately prior to the June …
Gas station chain sued by EEOC over Lawton operation
A Lawton, Oklahoma Burger King franchise violated federal law when it refused to hire a man as a dining room attendant because he had suffered a traumatic brain injury and needed a job coach to assist with his training, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charged in a lawsuit filed Monday. According to the EEOC, the job coach …
OKC Gasoline prices drop
The gasoline website GasBuddy reports gasoline prices in Oklahoma City dropped 2 cents a gallon in the past week reaching an average of $2.51 a gallon. This week’s statewide average is $2.58, down 2 cents. Nationally, the new average dropped nearly 4 and a half cents to hit $2.82 per gallon. A year ago, Oklahoma …