Two recent decisions by the courts in cases that went against energy permits could have a harmful effect on the energy industry—especially oil and gas. That’s the opinion of some who reviewed the decisions. In question were permits approved by federal regulatory agencies but later overturned by court challenges of environmental groups. Click here …
Category: Oil & Gas
More Oklahoma funding to reduce diesel emissions from school buses
Oklahoma’s Department of Environmental Quality says its latest offering of grants under a Clean Diesel program to reduce diesel emissions in public school buses could be as much as $1.3 million. It depends on whether the state gets more federal funding for diesel, gasoline, propane, natural gas and all-electric powered school bus replacements. …
Energy briefs
** From heat protections for workers to restrictions on toxic chemicals, the Biden administration is set to leave several of the significant environmental and health protections it has floated unfinished. The fate of many of these regulations likely depends on the outcome of November’s election, as a Harris administration would probably continue them, while a Trump …
EPA changes stance over expanded open records from oil and gas operations in Colorado
Environmental groups in Colorado are disappointed after the Environmental Protection Agency backed off initial demands for more open records of emissions from oil and gas operations. The EPA originally supported the demands of environmental organizations that sought more records from polluters and to make the records for easily accessible. But a federal lawsuit by …
Tropical storm raises concerns about Gulf oil production—crude prices are up
The possibility that a hurricane might hit Louisiana this week sent crude oil prices up about 1% on Monday. Investors and others expressed concerns that the storm could cause a disruption in production as well as refining along the U.S. Gulf Coast. The U.S. benchmark, West Texas Intermediate crude rose $1.04 or 1.5% …
Empire Petroleum names new Chief Accounting Officer
Empire Petroleum announced the appointing of Matthew E. Watson to be the firm’s Chief Accounting Officer. He is a Certified Public Accountant with over 20 years of accounting and financial reporting experience in the oil and gas industry. He also served as Executive Vice President of Accounting and Finance of Command Energy, LLC, an …
ONG’s voluntary fixed-price plan enrollment is underway
Oklahoma Natural Gas announced the start of enrollment for its customers in a program that locks the cost of natural gas on their monthly bills for the next 12 months. The enrollment period for ONG’s more than 918,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in Oklahoma, will end Oct. 15. Under the program, Oklahoma Natural Gas …
Gasoline prices keep falling at the pumps in Oklahoma—among lowest in the nation
With the Labor Day weekend behind us, gasoline prices in Oklahoma fell, no, they plunged, in some cases by 15 cents in the past week. The fall left Oklahoma among the lowest in the nation. AAA reports the state average fell 10 cents from $2.90 a week ago to $2.80 per gallon this …
Electric rate hikes won’t end in 2024
You are not alone in wondering when electric rate hikes will come to an end—if they ever will. A new report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration put it this way in its headline: “Trend toward electric utility rate increases in regulated markets continues in 2024.” Yes, that includes Oklahoma as state regulators consider …
Energy briefs
** Boeing said it has reached a tentative agreement with a union representing more than 32,000 workers in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, in a deal that could help avert a possible crippling strike as early as Sept. 13. ** Cape Hatteras National Seashore officials expanded a beach closure this week as a precautionary measure against …