August 13, 2025 archive

$9 billion spending planned in Oklahoma as Google expands ties

                                      © Provided by Google Google executives were in Pryor on Wednesday to announce the company plans to spend $9 billion over the next two years in the state. Google will expand its data center in Pryor …

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Seaway pipeline from Cushing south suffers oil leak in Texas

        A leak in the Seaway pipeline that carries oil from the Cushing Hub in northern Oklahoma into Texas resulted in a drop in the amount of oil flowing. The pipeline’s operator reported a leak on the system to state regulators. The line normally carried 950,000 barrels a day from Cushing to …

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Oil prices saw only a small decline ahead of Trump’s meeting with Putin

    Crude oil prices held mostly steady on Wednesday, experiencing less than a 1% drop as traders remained unsure ahead of Friday’s meeting in Alaska between President  Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The two intend to talk about ending the war in Ukraine. The steady price levels came after data from the American …

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Crude stocks gained at Cushing Hub and nationwide

  Crude oil stocks rebounded in the past week, both across the U.S. and at Oklahoma’s Cushing Hub. The U.S. saw a gain of 3 million barrels from the 423.7 million barrels recorded as of August 1 to 426.7 million barrels as of August 8, reported the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The nation’s crude oil …

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Treasurer criticized for being a proxy-investor watchdog

    A year after he came under fire from Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond over enforcement of the state’s anti-ESG law, State Treasurer Todd Russ is the target of more criticism over the way he runs the office. This time, he’s the target of an opinion piece by Bartlesville vice Trevor Dorsey, who is …

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Growing natural gas production by some Permian Basin operators

    As the U.S. and other countries report a growing demand for natural gas to run their power plants and meeting the booming requirements of data centers, crude oil producers in the Permian Basin are taking notice. And making changes. And they’re starting to focus on natural gas production and not just king oil. …

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Langston among those left holding the bag over an EV manufacturing plant promise

      Nearly 18 months after a Florida-based EV manufacturing startup tried to woo city leaders in Langston, Oklahoma into helping build a factory, the project and its promoters have mostly disappeared into thin air. Langston, home of Langston University, isn’t the only town where Imola Automotive USA came in with promises of jobs, …

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Energy briefs

**  President Donald Trump named David Rosner as chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, where he has served since mid-2025 as a commissioner, the agency said ** In 2024, the United States exported about 30% of its domestic primary energy production. Nearly all of the exports were fossil fuels destined for other countries in North America, Europe, or Asia. The United States …

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Regulators approve Fort Cobb Fuel Authority’s ’23 gas purchases, now reviewing ’24’s

    By Mike W. Ray Southwest Ledger OKLAHOMA CITY – State regulators examined Fort Cobb Fuel Authority’s natural-gas procurement policies and purchase costs in 2023 and deemed them to be “prudent, fair, just and reasonable” – with a caveat about its line leaks. Also on Aug. 7 the Corporation Commission established a schedule for …

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Electricity rates nationwide increase by average 25%, outpacing inflation

  By Mike W. Ray Southwest Ledger   Oklahomans complaining about soaring electricity rates are supported by news that electricity price inflation is rising dramatically. In fact, it is outpacing the overall Consumer Price Index (CPI), according to a July report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On an annualized basis, electricity price inflation …

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