** Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan (D) has been implicated in a massive bribery scandal involving utility company ComEd, and Illinois’ Democratic governor J.B. Pritzker has stated that Madigan “must resign” if the allegations against him are true. Madigan strongly denies any wrongdoing. ** Illinois utility Commonwealth Edison has agreed to pay a $200 million fine in relation to …
July 2020 archive
Concerns still exist about Supreme Court ruling’s impact on Oklahoma’s energy industry
While the State Attorney General deals with dozens of criminal cases that could be reversed, refiled or at worst, dropped as a result of the recent Supreme Court decision, there remain many questions regarding the impact on Oklahoma’s energy industry. We recently reported Attorney General Mike Hunter stated that oil and gas leases would …
BJ Services files Chapter 11—90 workers in Yukon to lose their jobs
At least 90 Oklahoma workers are about to lose their jobs at the BJ Services facility in Yukon after the Texas-based company filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy Monday. COVID-19 was to blame for the actions. The hydraulic fracturing and cementing company notified the Oklahoma Office of Workforce Development that the 60 workers will be laid …
Metal fraud leads to 5 year prison term
A U.S. District Court judge in Fort Worth has sentenced a man to 55 months in prison for lying to the U.S. Department of Defense about the type of metal his company used inside aircraft parts. Richard Hyde, the owner of Vista Manufacturing Company, pleaded guilty in August to making a false claim against …
Halliburton advances its digital capabilities
Halliburton has signed a five-year strategic agreement to make a major advancement in its digital capabilities. The company entered into the agreement with Microsoft Corp. and Accenture to move the company’s digital store in Microsoft Azure. It will allow the energy company to move to cloud-based digital platforms, thereby speeding up its deployment of …
New state agency head leaves behind an energy company battling earthquake lawsuits
Before he became Oklahoma’s newest Secretary of the Land Commission last week, Elliot Chambers was President and CEO of White Star Petroleum, a company he led while it entered bankruptcy and also dealt with lawsuits and state regulatory orders due to earthquakes. The Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the company came as the company battled …
OK Labor Department recloses its lobby due to COVID-19
Oklahoma’s Department of Labor announced its lobby to its headquarters in Oklahoma City will be closed starting Monday, July 20 because of the COVID-19 impact in the state. The Labor Department had recently reopened the lobby but now says in light of the resurgence of the virus, it will keep the facility closed to …
Tribes won’t be a part of agreement following Supreme Court case
Energy resources in eastern Oklahoma might be back in question after the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and the Seminole Nation said they would not be part of a state attorney general’s agreement for proposed federal legislation in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court decision. The move leaves the question of how the ruling and …
Nation’s rig count continues to fall while Oklahoma remains steady
The Baker Hughes Co. in Houston reports the number of oil and gas rigs active in the U.S. fell again in the past week while Oklahoma continued with 10 working rigs, same as a week ago. The end result across the country—more oil and gas rigs are out of service—-and in storage. Nationally, the …
OnCue’s biggest store coming to OKC
OnCue, the Stillwater-based company is planning its biggest store yet, one to be built in northwest Oklahoma City. A report by the Yukon Progress indicated the company will begin construction in several months to build a new OnCue station near Northwest Expressway and Hefner, just east of the Kilpatrick Turnpike. A company spokesman explained …