Author's posts
Four Texas Firms Fined $3.5 million for Criminal Clean Air Violations
A total of $3.5 million in fines for criminal clean air violations will be paid by four companies in eastern Texas. The violations occurred from 2008 until 2012 at two Southeast Texas oil and chemical processing facilities and involved one tank explosion that killed a worker. The companies entered guilty pleas in federal court. KTX …
Democratic Critic says Thursday’s Day of Oilfield Prayer should be A day for No Earthquakes
Thursday has been proclaimed an “Oilfield Prayer Day” by Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, but Democratic critic Rep. Richard Morrissette says it should be a day to pray for no more earthquakes. “I think we should all pray on the 14th to have one day in Oklahoma when we have no earthquakes,” said the legislator who …
ONG Agrees to $1 million Fine over Pipeline Explosion in OKC
The Oklahoma Natural Gas Company will avoid $8.5 million in fines over a January natural gas pipeline explosion as part of a $1,010,000 agreement announced Wednesday before a Corporation Commission Administrative Law Judge. Just as Judge Michael Porter opened the contempt hearing to receive evidence on three citations issued by the Corporation Commission, attorney Mark …
General Electric Expands its Holdings in Wind Energy Industry
General Electric, the company that just dedicated its new oil and gas research center in Oklahoma City just agreed this week to spend $1.65 billion on wind energy. The company announced it will buy one of its suppliers of wind turbine blades from British private equity shop Doughty Hanson and Company. It’s a move that …
Federal Appeals Court Rules Against North Dakota Tribe in Fight over Oil Pipeline
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe lost its attempt this week to convince a federal appeals court to block construction on part of the Dakota Access pipeline that runs through North Dakota. The D.C. Circuit court of Appeals had listened to tribal arguments last month but the judges said they would not permanently stop construction of …
Supreme Court Upholds $30 million Judgment over Pipeline Explosion Death and Sale of Company
The Oklahoma Supreme Court has upheld a $30 million judgment against two Enterprise Products Partners LP units over a 2010 Texas pipeline explosion that killed a worker and led to the failure of the company that had employed him. The ruling came in a Washington county lawsuit filed by C and H Power Line Construction …
Pickens on Trump—–He’s a Buffoon, but He’s Our Buffoon
“He’s a buffoon, but he’s our buffoon.” T-Boone Pickens on Donald Trump. When it comes to oil and gas exploration, there’s no doubt T-Boone Pickens knows what he’s talking about. When it comes to Presidential politics, the 88-year old billionaire who grew up in the southeastern Oklahoma town of Holdenville has some definite …
FedEx Opens CNG Truck Center with Help of T-Boone Pickens
FedEx Freight dedicated a massive new CNG center for its Oklahoma City freight headquarters on Tuesday and who better to be on hand than billionaire oilman T-Boone Pickens, the energy leader who is pushing the conversion of trucks to CNG power. The 88-year old native of Holdenville joined national leaders of FedEx as well …
Federal Reserve Bank Survey Shows ‘Modest’ Increase in Energy Activity
The latest energy survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City showed a slight increase in activity. The 3rd quarter survey result was described a “moderate increase in Tenth District energy firm activity,” according to a release by the Bank. “For the first time in two years, firms reported rising business activity and revenues …
Employees Settling in at New ConocoPhillips Headquarters
The 1,100 employees who work at the ConocoPhillips headquarters in Houston are getting used to the new 546,000 square-foot tower. The Energy Center Three, a 20-story building can actually hold 1,400 employees according to the Houston Business Journal which provided a photographic slide show of the interior of the building. Every floor in the building …