** Oil firms this week renewed a request for the nation’s highest bench to stop Baltimore from pursuing a state court battle for industry compensation for local climate change impacts. ** Montana Gov. Steve Bullock is suspending utility shutoffs during the state’s stay-at-home order. ** A nuclear waste repository in New Mexico has reduced operations over the past three months due to …
Former OU weather researcher gets another title at the White House
President Trump’s Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, former University of Oklahoma weather researcher Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier has just been given more duties by the President. He has been named Acting Director of the National Science Foundation as of the end of March while continuing on as the President’s science adviser. Droegemeier …
Representatives want suspension of royalties on federal land
Oklahoma Reps. Tom Cole and Kevin Hern are among 30 Republicans in the House calling on the U.S. Interior Department to temporarily pause or suspend royalty fees from oil, gas, coal and other minerals production on federal lands as the industries suffer from the coronavirus. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy was among the 30 …
Trump to meet with oil leaders including Oklahoma’s Harold Hamm
Reports suggest that Continental Resources founder Harold Hamm of Oklahoma City is among those oil company executives invited to meet Friday with President Trump at the White House to discuss the oil price war that has seriously wounded the U.S. oil and gas industry. POLITICO’s Morning Energy Report on Thursday indicated the meeting would involve …
New Mexico regulators approve abandonment of coal-fired power plant
Regulators in New Mexico have signed off on allowing the state’s largest electric utility to abandon a coal-fired power plant that’s been operating for nearly 50 years near Farmington. The decision by the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission was unanimous on Wednesday and will allow shareholders in Public Service Company of New Mexico to recover …
Murphy oil makes more cuts to capex, dividends and executive salaries
Arkansas-based Murphy Oil, whose CEO has been ill with the coronavirus and recently took a medical leave from his duties announced even more reductions this week in its remaining capital expenditures for 2020 as well as cuts in the salary of executives and dividends to shareholders. The reductions amount to a 48% cut in the …
New COO named at HollyFrontier
Dallas-based HollyFrontier Corporation, operator of refineries in Tulsa and in Kansas and other states gets a new Chief Operating Officer. The company announced Timothy Go will join HollyFrontier as Executive Vice President and COO effective in July 2020 after leaving his current role as CEO of Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. He has 30 years …
North Dakota regulators OK carbon dioxide, natural gas liquids pipelines
North Dakota regulators approved two pipelines this week, one that will carry carbon dioxide from a ConocoPhillips plant to the southwestern corner of North Dakota, and another to transport natural gas liquids across the northwestern part of the state. The Public Service Commission granted permits for the projects in unanimous votes during a meeting held …
Hundreds furloughed by Tulsa coal mining decision
As a result of the decision announced this week by Tulsa’s Alliance Resource Partners to temporarily shut down coal mining operations in Illinois, hundreds of employees were furloughed. Alliance did not refer to the furloughs or temporary layoffs at the time of its announcement. But the decision left hundreds of employees furloughed at Riverview Coal …
Enable Midstream reduces capex by 48%
Oklahoma City-based Enable Midstream Partners, LP announced it is not only cutting its dividend payments this year but also reducing its 2020 capital expenditures by 48%. The 48% cut in capex totals about $115 million including an estimated $70 in maintenance capital. “Due to the sharp decline in commodity prices and producer activity across our …
