December 2020 archive

More states join race to be carbon free

  Oklahoma has yet to join the race to become dependent 100% on renewables and carbon-free for emissions, after all, it is an oil and gas producing state. Yet four more governors have announced plans for their states to be on such a path of 100% renewables or carbon-free emissions. Click here to read the …

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Gas pipeline explosion under investigation in Nebraska

  A Northern Natural Gas company pipeline exploded Christmas Eve in northeastern Nebraska and was large enough that it could be seen by satellites. The Omaha World Reported the explosion happened near the town of Lyons which is north of Omaha. There were no reports of injuries according to the Lyons Fire Department which responded …

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Evergy moves ahead with costly investment plan

  Evergy, the utility with 1.6 million customers in Kansas and Missouri has unveiled a $9 billion plan to modernize its grid and infrastructure, streamline operations and make the transition to renewable energy. The company estimates such a massive effort will save $145 million a year over the next four years. The announcement came after Evergy …

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Pioneer’s new acquisition will mean layoffs

  The $4.5 billion acquisition of Parsley Energy by Irving, Texas Pioneer Natural Resources is leading to the layoff of another 100 Pioneer employees. Word of the layoffs came shortly before Christmas and after an announcement of the layoff of 234 workers by Parsley. The layoffs by Pioneer will be in the Midland, Texas region …

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Firm gets approval to expand fraud claims against Oklahoma oil haulers

  A Tulsa U.S. District Court judge has granted the Illinois-based PETCO Petroleum Corporation the opportunity to expand its fraud lawsuit against Oklahoma operators after discovering other firms were allegedly involved in defrauding the company with phony work invoices. Judge Gregory Frizzell issued his ruling a few days before Christmas in the original lawsuit filed …

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What will post Christmas trading bring for oil and gas?

  Oil traders wait to see what Monday’s sessions might bring after crude prices closed slightly higher on Christmas Eve and were closed in the U.S. over the weekend. West Texas Intermediate crude for February delivery closed up 11 cents or 0.2% at $48.23 a barrel in trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The …

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Netflix fueled by Oil and Gas in New Mexico

Hollywood hypocrisy. Its rich and famous say one thing when it comes to  the environment and do another. For instance, fracking. Paul Gessing, writing in the National Review found another example—Netflix.  How it makes money off oil and gas in New Mexico, his home state. Click here for his story.    

Senator targets wasteful government spending

  While Oklahoma U.S. Sen. James Lankford has his “Federal Fumbles” report where he highlights what he considers to be wrongful government spending, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, another Republican does the same thing with his “Festivus” annual report. In it, he documented nearly $55 billion in what he labeled “truly outlandish” government waste including energy …

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Oil prices rebound and Oklahoma energy stocks soared on Wednesday

A government report showing a drop in U.S. inventories including those at the Cushing crude oil crossroads in Oklahoma resulted in sharply higher closing crude oil futures. The Energy Information Agency reported a fall of 562,000 barrels for the week that ended Dec. 18. The EIA also showed crude stocks at Cushing’s storage hub were …

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Devon Energy runs into stockholders fight over WPX merger

  Devon Energy’s announced merger with Tulsa-based WPX Energy has run into legal challenges filed by several WPX stockholders who are trying to stop the pending merger. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission this week, Devon Energy laid out the opposition explaining a dozen complaints have been filed including seven in the …

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