May 2020 archive

New chairman chosen for Laredo Petroleum’s board of directors

– A new chairman of the board has been named at Tulsa-based Laredo Petroleum Inc. William Albrecht was named to be the new chairman of the board. The appointment came just three months after his appointment as a director to the board. He succeeded Randy Foutch whose term expired May 14, 2020. Albrecht is currently …

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Former OKC Hertz corporate office building bought by Costco

Costco is taking over the former Hertz  corporate office building in north Oklahoma City after Hertz filed for bankruptcy and shut down much of its operations in the state. The few remaining Hertz employees in the building near the Quail Springs Mall were informed of the purchase and informed they were to be removed from …

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Renewable energy overtakes coal in U.S.

  The last time the United States consumed more renewable energy than coal was in the 19th century, when hydropower was just getting started and wood burning was a major fuel source. Now, it’s happening again, as the nation consumed more energy last year from renewable sources like solar and wind than from coal. This …

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New CEO picked to run BP America Inc.

Former SandRidge Energy executive David C. Lawler, who left the Oklahoma City company six years ago to become CEO of Denver’s BPX Energy has been picked to be the next chairman and president of BP America Inc. BPX Energy is BP’s Lower 48 division and Lawler will keep his CEO title when he succeeds Susan …

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Refinery operator to pay millions for Clean Air Act violations

HollyFrontier will pay a $4 million penalty to settle allegations that it violated the Clean Air Act at its El Dorado refinery in Kansas. EPA and state regulators alleged the company repeatedly violated rules related to visible smoke emissions and limits on hydrogen sulfide in fuel gas, as well as safety rules that the authorities …

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Mammoth Energy regains Nasdaq compliance for trading

Oklahoma City’s Mammoth Energy Services has regained compliance with the Nasdaq Stock Market after getting a delisting warning in April. In a filing with the Securities Exchange Commission, the company explained it had received a Nasdaq notice on April 22, 2020 that for the last 30 consecutive business days, its shares had traded below the …

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Oil prices in US climb above $35

With gasoline demand on the increase as the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are being eased, oil prices rose 5% in the U.S. on Friday, reaching more than $35 a barrel, their best month on record. West Texas Intermediate crude, set at the Cushing hub was up $1.78 or 5.28%, settling Friday at $35.49 …

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Rig count remains low in Oklahoma while nation continues loss

  Oklahoma’s rig count remained a dismal 12 in the past week while nationwide, the number of oil and gas rigs continued their free fall, reaching only 301, meaning more and more rigs are in storage. Baker Hughes reported Oklahoma’s count of 12 compares to the 102 rigs active in the state a year ago. …

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Energy news in brief

** A bill to cancel lawsuits by Louisiana parishes against oil and gas companies fails in the state House after lawmakers say they ran out of time;  Republicans say they plan to pick it back up next year. ** Houston doubled its solar capacity for the second year in a row, with enough now to power about 8,400 homes, …

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1,100 new jobs could result from massive solar farm in NW New Mexico

  A planned massive solar farm in northwest New Mexico could result in more than 1,100 construction jobs. The 372-megawatt solar array will be located north of the San Juan Generating Station near Aztec and is the effort of Photosol US. The company, according to the Farmington Daily Times, hopes to begin construction in 2022 …

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