July 2024 archive

Big gain in oil prices on killing of Hamas leader in Iran

Crude oil prices said goodbye Wednesday to seven-week lows and rebounded nearly 3%—largely on the killing of a Hamas leader in Iran. Plus, there are the increased tensions in the Middle East over the attack, not to mention a sharp reduction in crude oil stockpiles across the U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained $3.02 or …

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OERB promotes educational oil and gas-related workshops

    A number of free workshops are being offered in the coming weeks by the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board.   Provisions To Consider When Negotiating A New JOA July 31 | 11 a.m. | Zoom When considering a joint venture between parties, there are many issues to address and understand through the Joint Operating …

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Record rainfall totals in the Oklahoma Panhandle—hard to believe

    One would suspect that reading the reports about record rainfall in the Oklahoma Panhandle might make you suspect it’s an April Fool’s joke. Not so! As the Oklahoma Mesonet reported this week, parts of the normally dry Panhandle received another 2 to 4 inches of raining and as a result, the central Panhandle …

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Texas regulators order two wastewater wells closed over rash of earthquakes in Permian Basin

  In response to dozens of recent earthquakes through the Permian Basin in west Texas, state regulators ordered the closing of two wastewater injection wells—-a move similar to the action taken over the past several years by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. Nearly 61 earthquakes were reported earlier this month near Midland and this week, the …

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Crude supplies slide again at Cushing hub and across the U.S.

    More dramatic drops in crude oil storage at the Cushing Hub in Oklahoma and across the U.S. were reported Wednesday by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Cushing’s total dropped 1.1 million barrels in the most recent reporting period. It fell from 31 million barrels as of July 19 to 29.9 million barrels as …

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Oklahoma Democrats call for impeachment of Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett over drunken sexual abuse allegations

    Embattled Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett, facing claims he drunkenly groped a man at a bar during a recent national convention has become the target of Democrats in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. On Wednesday, the Democratic leadership called on Gov. Kevin Stitt to call a Special Session to impeach Commissioner Hiett, a …

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National group sides with Williams in court rejection of extended gas line for Northeast U.S.

      Tulsa’s Williams Cos. has an ally after its bid to construct a new natural gas pipeline to serve New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania was rejected by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The court ruling on Tuesday came after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission …

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Twenty years ago Todd Hiett called for a legislator’s resignation over the drunken groping of a woman

    “If guilt has been determined, then he should resign.” The statement by then-Rep. Todd Hiett back in 2004 could haunt him as now Corporation Commission Chairman Todd Hiett faces allegations of public drunkenness and groping a man at a bar during a conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. At the time, 20 years ago, legislator …

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CenterPoint Energy CEO says he won’t resign over Hurricane power outages

    Texas legislators had their chance this week to grill executives of CenterPoint Energy, the Houston company that was first hit by Hurricane Beryl then by a storm of criticism from the governor, residents who went days without power and from lawmakers. CenterPoint is also the company that was provided help by Oklahoma Gas …

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News briefs

** Power prices on the biggest US power grid are about to hit a record-high amid a wave of plant retirements and surging demand, thanks in part to new data centers being built. Generators that provide electricity to the 13-state grid that stretches from New Jersey to Illinois will get a record $269.92 per megawatt-day …

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