** On Friday, 22 U.S. senators wrote a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum warning him that the Trump administration’s effort to shrink the federal workforce could cripple the National Park Service (NPS) ahead of the busy summer season. ** Slowing US oil-production growth is casting a pall over projects intended to expand crude shipments to overseas markets, …
Category: Oil & Gas
Williams Cos. honored for its transparency
Williams announced that the company has been recognized across several key rankings for sustainability leadership – including the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment and MSCI – for its commitment to transparency and performance related to long-term economic, environmental, social and governance criteria. Notably, Williams was named for the fifth consecutive …
Conveyor belt carries frack sand 42 miles in Permian Basin
Imagine a 42-mile long conveyor belt in west Texas and southeast New Mexico. The $400 million project, the world’s second largest conveyor belt, was designed to haul hydraulic fracturing sand from a Texas facility to Permian Basin oil and gas operations in New Mexico. Reporter Russell Gold of the Texas Monthly recently wrote about the …
Protecting American Energy act supported by Oklahoma’s Representatives
The U.S. House recently passed the Protecting American Energy Production Act, a bill to prevent any President from banning fracking, had the support of all five Oklahoma Representatives. The vote was 226 to 188. Rep. Stephanie Bice called the passage of H.R. 26 an important piece of legislation that will ensure congressional control over …
Mitchell talks energy with Jerry Bohnen—an energy challenge for President Trump
On today’s podcast of Scott Mitchell Talks Energy with Jerry Bohnen, they study the question of—Does the massive amount of new energy needed to power generative artificial intelligence over the next decade run counter to the campaign promises of the new administration in DC? We discuss the dilemma plus a breakdown of the steps …
Former Oklahoma Deputy Energy Secretary named to head EPA regional office
The newly named regional administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency is Scott Mason, a former Deputy Secretary of Energy for Oklahoma. In the position, he’ll be in charge of EPA programs in Oklahoma and four other states as well as 66 Tribal Nations. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced that President …
US makes gain in rig activity while Oklahoma slips
Another increase in oil and gas drilling rigs across the U.S. was reported Friday when Baker Hughes announced its rig count. The U.S. total of 586 was a gain of 4 rigs. Oil rigs grew by one to 480 and gas rig numbers increased by 2 to 100. Miscellaneous rig totals grew one to …
Energy briefs
** This week, Ford Motor Company reported that it lost $5.1 billion on its EV business in 2024. During the fourth quarter, it incurred $1.4 billion in operating losses on its EV segment. That was a slightly better result than the fourth quarter of 2023, when the company lost $1.6 billion on EVs. ** Arizona’s largest …
Crude oil finished Friday with slight gains but losses for the week
Despite a small gain on Friday, crude oil prices still finished down for the week. The reaction came after new sanctions were announced on Iran’s crude exports. Investors apparently are worried about President Trump’s trade war on China and more tariff threats against other countries. West Texas Intermediate finished Friday up 39 cents …
Trump’s call for increased oil production hits energy stocks and crude prices
President Trump’s pledge this week to increase U.S. oil production sent crude oil prices lower on Thursday. The drop followed a Wednesday report that the nation’s crude stockpiles were more than anticipated. It also had a hard slap in the face for many Oklahoma energy stocks. On Thursday, Trump again vowed to boost production …