August 7, 2019 archive

Plan to improve Tulsa’s old flood levee system close at hand

Sen. Jim Inhofe’s office reports a possible plan with a cost estimate to improve Tulsa’s levee system is expected next week. The Tulsa World reports the Tentatively Selected Plan will outline proposed work, including a cost estimate that will serve as a placeholder in the fiscal year 2021 federal budget. Speaking to the Tulsa World, …

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Rig counts up internationally but down in the U.S.

Baker Hughes, a GE company announced that the Baker Hughes international rig count for July 2019 was 1,162, up 24 from the 1,138 counted in June 2019, and up 165 from the 997 counted in July 2018. The international offshore rig count for July 2019 was 255, up 9 from the 246 counted in June 2019, and up 38 from the 217 …

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WOTUS rule nearly at its end

The controversial Waters of the U.S. Rule created by the Obama administration 4 years ago is about to die, according to some analysts and observers. The Oklahoma Farm Report quotes one official with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association as predicting the rule could see its end perhaps sometime this month. Click here to read the …

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Self-driving trucks are here!

The era of self-driving trucks is here.  They’re already on the interstate highways between Dallas and Houston, Texas. The Dallas Morning News reports a year old company called Kodiak Robotics is the first self-driving trucking company operating in the state. FedEx Office will begin testing an automated delivery system of their own in North Texas: robots …

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Jump in earnings for pipeline operator in Oklahoma

Houston’s Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. and Plains GP Holdings reported a dramatic increase in earnings for the second quarter of 2019. Net income rose from $100 million a year ago to $446 million for the company with pipeline operations in Oklahoma that connect to the Cushing hub. It resulted in a 54 cent a …

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Regulators to decide OGE rate hike request

Oklahoma Corporation Commissioners have heard pleas of consumers to deny OGE’s request for a rate hike to recover $600 million in costs on its coal-fired power units at Muskogee. The group Oklahoma Energy Results and the Sierra Club are among those opposed to the utility’s request which must now be considered by the state regulators. …

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OKC police urge motorists to use 911 for trains blocking intersections

Motorists who encounter trains blocking street intersections for more than 10 minutes in Oklahoma City are being advised by police to call 9-1-1. It’s part of a new program as a result of a new state law that took effect this year. The Oklahoman reported the request of police this week. Click here to read …

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Continental to reduce number of rigs in SCOOP and STACK

Continental Resources founder Harold Hamm says the company’s efficiency at drilling wells is so efficient, the firm intends to reduce the number of drilling rigs in Oklahoma’s STACK and SCOOP plays. In a conference call this week, CEO Hamm told analysts and investors that crude oil production growth is running ahead of schedule “We have …

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Texas filed suit against Exxon Mobil over Baytown plant fire

The state of Texas is suing Exxon Mobil for environmental violations, including releasing millions of gallons of firefighting wastewater into the Houston Ship Channel after the petrochemical giant’s most recent fire and explosion in Baytown. The Houston Chronicle reports the lawsuit, filed by the attorney general on behalf of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, seeks injunctive relief, …

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