Former longtime Administrative Law Judge at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, Patricia Alice Dougherty MacGuigan died the day after Christmas. She served as an ALJ with the Corporation Commission’s Oil and Gas Division from 2003 to 2021. MacGuigan earlier had been a judge and presiding judge of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals, serving from …
Category: Oil & Gas
Very few changes in drilling activity of oil/gas plays
The one oil play across the US with a gain in drilling activity in the past week was the Williston Basin, according to the most recent rig report from Baker Hughes Co. Located mostly in North Dakota but stretching into South Dakota, Montana and Canada, the Basin had 37 active rigs, an increase of …
Energy briefs
** 2024 saw a rise in U.S. sales of hybrid and electric cars, but more Americans are still buying gas-powered vehicles. ** Electric vehicle sales hit a new record in the U.S. in Q3, driven by attractive lease deals, financing offers and a growing appetite for affordable models among American car buyers. Despite all the political …
Iran’s power crisis shows how energy can be a weapon
The energy crisis that sent Iran to its knees is an example of what sanctions can eventually do to a country—especially one that is considered an enemy of the U.S. In the past few weeks, Iran’s lack of energy has resulted in closed government offices of some operating at reduced hours. Colleges are …
Drop in crude inventories at Cushing and US
Crude oil inventories fell in the past week not only across the U.S. but also at Oklahoma’s Cushing Hub. They led to a 1% gain in crude oil prices on Friday. The U.S. inventories dropped by 4.2 million barrels in the week ended Dec. 20, falling from 421 million barrels to 416.8 million. The …
Rig activity is steady in Oklahoma and the US
For another consecutive week, the number of active oil and gas rigs in Oklahoma held steady, based on the latest rig report released by Baker Hughes Co. The report listed Oklahoma with 43 rigs, same as the previous week and only one less than a year ago when the count was 44. The US …
Energy briefs
** New York state will fine fossil fuel companies a total of $75 billion over the next 25 years to pay for damage caused to the climate under a bill Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law on Thursday. The law is intended to shift some of the recovery and adaptation costs of climate change from individual …
Energy briefs
** Colorado regulators consider a proposed rule requiring about 40 natural gas companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or pay into a carbon credit trading system. ** California’s grid operator says increased battery energy storage capacity helped it meet rising power demand this summer even though gas generation declined. ** New York communities are resisting a state mandate to buy only …
Federal government hands out more funds targeting orphaned wells
Some of the unplugged and abandoned oil wells on public lands in Oklahoma are among thousands targeted in the Department of Interior handout of nearly $110 million. The department recently announced $109.6 million will be used by five federal agencies to work on plugging and reclaiming orphaned oil and gas wells in national parks, …
SWEPCO to convert power plants to natural gas
SWEPCO, the Southwestern Electric Power Co. currently in development of its Wagon Wheel wind farm in northern Oklahoma, now intends to renovate two of its coal-fired generators in East Texas. SWEPCO intends to convert the two power facilities to include the use of natural gas. The company announced recently the conversion plans for …