** The Trump administration will make available $1 billion in funding to accelerate the growth of the U.S. critical minerals and materials sectors, the Energy Department said in a statement on Wednesday. ** Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is revealing more details about his department’s plan to fix the nation’s air traffic control system – and a big part …
Category: Oil & Gas
Seaway pipeline from Cushing south suffers oil leak in Texas
A leak in the Seaway pipeline that carries oil from the Cushing Hub in northern Oklahoma into Texas resulted in a drop in the amount of oil flowing. The pipeline’s operator reported a leak on the system to state regulators. The line normally carried 950,000 barrels a day from Cushing to …
Oil prices saw only a small decline ahead of Trump’s meeting with Putin
Crude oil prices held mostly steady on Wednesday, experiencing less than a 1% drop as traders remained unsure ahead of Friday’s meeting in Alaska between President Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The two intend to talk about ending the war in Ukraine. The steady price levels came after data from the American …
Crude stocks gained at Cushing Hub and nationwide
Crude oil stocks rebounded in the past week, both across the U.S. and at Oklahoma’s Cushing Hub. The U.S. saw a gain of 3 million barrels from the 423.7 million barrels recorded as of August 1 to 426.7 million barrels as of August 8, reported the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The nation’s crude oil …
Growing natural gas production by some Permian Basin operators
As the U.S. and other countries report a growing demand for natural gas to run their power plants and meeting the booming requirements of data centers, crude oil producers in the Permian Basin are taking notice. And making changes. And they’re starting to focus on natural gas production and not just king oil. …
Energy briefs
** President Donald Trump named David Rosner as chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, where he has served since mid-2025 as a commissioner, the agency said ** In 2024, the United States exported about 30% of its domestic primary energy production. Nearly all of the exports were fossil fuels destined for other countries in North America, Europe, or Asia. The United States …
Regulators approve Fort Cobb Fuel Authority’s ’23 gas purchases, now reviewing ’24’s
By Mike W. Ray Southwest Ledger OKLAHOMA CITY – State regulators examined Fort Cobb Fuel Authority’s natural-gas procurement policies and purchase costs in 2023 and deemed them to be “prudent, fair, just and reasonable” – with a caveat about its line leaks. Also on Aug. 7 the Corporation Commission established a schedule for …
Electricity rates nationwide increase by average 25%, outpacing inflation
By Mike W. Ray Southwest Ledger Oklahomans complaining about soaring electricity rates are supported by news that electricity price inflation is rising dramatically. In fact, it is outpacing the overall Consumer Price Index (CPI), according to a July report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On an annualized basis, electricity price inflation …
EIA expects the price of crude oil to fall to below $60 per barrel by the end of the year and average near $50 per barrel through 2026
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects a significant decline in the price of oil as growth in the global supply of oil vastly surpasses growth in demand for petroleum products. In its August Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), EIA expects the Brent crude oil spot price to average less than $60 per barrel in the fourth …
SB998 constitutional or not?
Questions have been raised about the constitutionality of a bill taking some powers from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and forcing regulators to act on utility requests at a faster rate than is the current law. SB998 was passed by the state legislature and allowed to become law without the signature of Oklahoma Gov. Kevin …