New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham stepped in and used her veto powers to kill a bill to give a tax exemption to operators of small oil and gas wells in her state. The exemption for “stripper” wells was included in a catch-all tax package approved in February by the New Mexico legislature. But …
Category: General
Broken power pole appears to have caused Texas wildfires
While the number of lawsuits filed over the more than 1-million acre wildfire in the Texas Panhandle still burns out of control, a new study blames it on a power line pole decayed at the base. The study by the Texas A&M forest service pinpointed the start of the fire Feb. 26 near …
Energy quick reads
** Top European energy companies on Friday asked U.S. regulators to reject Venture Global LNG’s request for a one-year construction permit extension to its Louisiana export plant. Shell PLC, Italian utility Edison, Repsol, Orlen SA, and Galp Energia SA oppose the request because they believe Venture Global LNG has completed its plant but has failed to give …
Turnpikes to get official new identification numbers
Get ready for some new turnpike designations in Oklahoma. The Kilpatrick and the Kickapoo Turnpikes will soon have new numbers for their designations in the turnpike system. The State Turnpike Authority announced the John Kilpatrick Turnpike, the one that winds around north Oklahoma City to the west and south will soon be designated as …
Drilling rig numbers remain unchanged in Oklahoma but fall nationally
As Oklahoma remained steady with 45 active drilling rigs in the past week, the nation’s total dropped by 7, reported Baker Hughes Co. in its latest oil and gas rig numbers. Oklahoma’s count remained at 45 rigs, still far fewer than the 61 reported last year at this time. The U.S. totaled dropped by …
Former regulator campaigns for ROFR/NOFR bill to be passed into law
The ROFR turned NOFR bill in the state legislature received the support this week of former Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Jeff Cloud. In opinion piece in the weekend edition of The Oklahoman, a newspaper that has yet to carry a story about the controversial proposed bill that won approval in the State House but is …
Texas wastes no time in suing over new EPA methane emissions rule
The same day the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday finalized rules creating more restrictions on methane emissions, the state of Texas filed suit against the agency. The Texas Railroad Commission followed through on its approval in January to file suit which was filed by Attorney General Ken Paxton. The Commission issued a statement in …
Solar farm moratorium extended another 6 months in Wichita, Kansas
County Commissioners in Wichita, Kansas have extended their temporary ban on new commercial solar farms. They originally created a six-month ban on energy projects last September to give them time to revise rules for commercial solar farms. One of the latest proposed farms was a 103-megawatt farm called thee Chisholm Trail Solar Energy …
Ascent finished 4Q with a strong showing but eases off on natural gas production in the rest of 2024
When Jeff Fisher, chairman and CEO of Ascent Resources Utica Holdings, LLC says the company finished on a strong fourth quarter, he was not exaggerating. Still, the company intends to focus more on oil in the remainder of 2024 because of what’s happened to the natural gas market. Ascent reported its fourth quarter and …
Empire Petroleum moves ahead with $25 million rights offering
Tulsa’s Empire Petroleum Corporation says it has started a previously announced subscription rights offering on a $25 million fund-raising program. Empire, with production assets in New Mexico, North Dakota, Montana, Texas and Louisiana, is distributing at no charge to holders of its common stock, par value $0.001 per share, as of the close of business …