Author's posts
Schlumberger Expands Operations with Acquisition of Another Company
Schlumberger, the world-wide company with operations in Oklahoma City and El Reno has widened its holdings with the purchase of a France-based engineering, manufacturing and service company. The cost isn’t known but Schlumberger has acquired Saltel Industries, a firm that offers expandable patches and steel packers technology in the oil and gas industry. Saltel is …
Chesapeake Energy Donates Plaza to Nonprofits Center
Chesapeake Energy Corporation is donating its Chesapeake Community Plaza to the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits located next to the energy company’s sprawling campus in north Oklahoma City. Chesapeake made the announcement Thursday morning and said the contribution will give the organization full ownership and operation of the Plaza. The Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits has …
Increased Fines Hit Oil and Gas Industry in Colorado
A review of Colorado’s year-old law increasing fines on energy companies for breaking health, safety and environmental rules shows firms might be more careful with their operations. The Associated Press found that regulators levied 74 fines totaling $5.3 million in the past year, far more than any year for the past 20 years. The …
Lawsuit Against Fracking Opponents Dismissed in Pennsylvania
A Pennsylvania judge has thrown out a lawsuit filed by landowners upset with fracking opponents. A developer and a dozen of the landowners sued the opponents, seeking damages for royalties they were not able to collect from gas drilling companies who have leases to drill on their land in western Pennsylvania. The fracking opponents argued …
Iowa Regulators Close to Approving Construction of Bakken Pipeline
Iowa regulators indicated they are about to give the go-ahead for a Texas energy company to build a 346 mile long Bakken oil pipeline carrying a $3.78 billion price tag. Two of the three members of the Iowa Utilities Board indicated they are prepared to approve the request made by Dakota Access LLC, a unit …
Large area of Oklahoma Under a Flood Watch
A large part of central and southern Oklahoma remains under a flash flood watch until 7 o’clock tonight,. Some rain storms could produce one to two inches of additional rain today,especially along the Red River. Otherwise, rainfall chances are expected to start dwindling by Friday with only a slight chance of rain on Saturday. Sunny …
Wind and Solar Power Projects in North Dakota and Michigan
Solar and wind power projects are the focus in North Dakota and Michigan. The North Dakota Public Service Commission plans a public hearing on a proposed $153 million wind farm and associated electric transmission line in Oliver and Morton counties. The 48-turbine wind farm is proposed by a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources. Should it …
Independent Petroleum Association of America Attacks Reuters Over Oklahoma Oil Piece
Push back is underway against Reuters for a recent story that blamed Oklahoma’s oil industry for its $1.3 billion dollar budget gap and resulting large cuts in funding for education. It comes from the Independent Petroleum Association of America and its public outreach campaign, EnergyIndepth.org based in Dallas, Texas and accuses Reuters of ignoring some important …
Cheapest Gasoline in Oklahoma is in Panhandle
While gasoline prices in Oklahoma now average $2.13 a gallon, according to AAA Oklahoma, some cities have much higher prices. Highest in the state is the $2.195 average in Altus where prices increased an average of 8 cents a gallon over the past week. Stillwater’s average is only a penny cheaper, about the same …
May Didn’t Live up to Reputation for Most Severe Weather in Oklahoma
May is typically the month with the most severe thunderstorms of the year but it didn’t work out that way this year, according to Gary McManus, State Climatologist with the Oklahoma Mesonet. But he reports that there was severe weather somewhere in the state on 16 out of the 31 days in the month. …