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U.S. House Works on Repealing Obama Energy Rules—–Next Stop the Senate
When the U.S. House on Friday voted to overturn the Obama administration regarding flaring of natural gas during drilling operations on public lands, all five Oklahoma Congressmen were in the majority. Representatives Bridenstine, Cole, Lucas, Mullin and Russell were among the 221 who passed the measure and sent it to the U.S. Senate. They were …
Former Interior Secretary Leaves Washington to Tour National Parks
Former Interior Secretary Sally Jewell decided she and her husband will visit national parks as she takes a break following her departure last week from Washington, D.C. As Climate News reported, the former CEO of sport goods retailer REI said she was “definitely not retiring” but looking forward to a break. Her first stop …
Pipeline Developer Faces North Dakota Hearing Over Rules Violation
The developer of the Dakota Access Pipeline will have to go before the North Dakota Public Service Commission to face claims it did not notify the commission when it discovered a Native American cultural site during work on the controversial pipeline. Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners maintains it was an unintentional violation of state rules when …
New Pipeline Gets Approval from FERC
As Federal Energy Regulatory Commission member Norman Bay left FERC on Friday, the commission issued a certificate, giving permission to Dallas-based Energy Transfer LP to move ahead with a more than $4 billion pipeline project. The Rover Pipeline, with a price tag of $4.2 billion will transport gas from processing plants in southeastern Ohio, southwestern …
Federal Appeals Court Rules Against Colorado Energy Company
Colorado-based Buccaneer Energy lost a bid in the Denver Federal Appeals court to revive its antitrust lawsuit against three other gas companies. The firm sued the three claiming they unfairly cut it out of a competitive area of western Colorado. But the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals would not bring new life back to …
Oklahoma’s Rig Count Edges Past 100—Nation Adds 17
Oklahoma added 6 oil and gas rigs in the past week to top the 100 mark while nationwide, the rig count grew by 17 to reach 729, according to figures released by Baker Hughes Company of Houston. Oklahoma’s count reached 102 compared to the 80 rigs reported one year ago at this time. Nationally, …
House Approves Rejection of “Midnight Methane” Emissions Rule by BLM
The U.S. House voted Friday overwhelmingly to block the eleventh-hour move by the Obama administration and its Bureau of Land Management methane emissions rule. It’s a rule that some, including Oklahoma Congressman Jim Bridenstine consider “overreaching and duplicative.” The House passed H.J. Res. 36 to block the bill on a 221-191 vote. “The Obama era …
EPA Urges State Regulators to do More to Prevent Stronger Earthquakes Caused by Wastewater Injection Wells
Despite numerous steps to reduce operations of wastewater injection wells that are suspected of causing Oklahoma’s rash of strong earthquakes, the Environmental Protection Agency thinks the state is not doing enough. The EPA recently told Corporation Commissioners they should do more to protect Oklahomans and their drinking water from strong earthquakes caused by the injection …
Permian Basin is Home to Nearly Half of All Oil and Gas Drilling in U.S.
All you have to do is look at the weekly oil and gas rig reports to know that nearly half of all the drilling in the U.S. in the past year has been in the Permian Basin in west Texas and southeast New Mexico. That’s why the U.S. Energy Information Administration calls the Permian shale …
Sen. Lankford Says Scott Pruitt Won’t be ‘Creative’ with EPA Laws Like Environmentalists Want
Oklahoma U.S. Sen. James Lankford is making a case to other U.S. Senators that they should vote to confirm Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to be the Administrator of the EPA. In a Friday-morning speech on the Senate floor, the Republican Senator noted how Pruitt’s been “beaten up” lately by environmental groups and opponents. But …