** Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is reportedly a contender for heading the EPA or Interior Department in President-elect Joe Biden’s administration according to a report by the Spokesman-Review. ** The Associated Press reports the U.S. Department of Energy awarded nearly $14 million to build a hydrogen energy production facility at Xcel Energy’s Prairie Island nuclear plant in Minnesota. ** A central …
San Antonio oilman draws 121-month prison sentence for fraud
Sign In San Antonio oilman Brian Alfaro drew a 10-year prison sentence this week after being convicted of defrauding investors in oil and gas wells in Texas out of millions of dollars. The 51-year old Alfaro was sentenced Tuesday by U.S District Judge Fred Biery who also ordered him to pay nearly $9.9 million …
More store closings in Oklahoma
Joining thousands of out-of-work oil and gas people in Oklahoma are those employees of three Justice clothing stores in the state. The State Office of Workforce Development announced Thursday that Ascena Retail Group will close its Justice clothing stores by early 2021. The closings will include the Justice store in Tulsa Woodland Hills, one …
Texas legislator files bill to tax solar and wind but not natural gas
SUBSCRIBE n In A Texas legislator prefiled a bill this week proposing an additional tax on wind, solar, coal and nuclear generation. But the bill by Rep. Ken King of Canadian, Texas in the Panhandle would not increase taxes on natural gas. The Houston Chronicle reported that King, a Republican proposed an additional one cent …
New $1 billion renewable diesel plant to be built at Baton Rouge
Texas-based Gron Fuels plans to build a more than $1 billion renewable diesel plant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana after winning a land lease agreement with the Greater Baton Rouge Port Commission. Gron expects to have the plant operational sometime in 2023, according to a re port by The Advocate. The paper indicated the company has …
Oklahoman to lead Biden’s Interior Department transition team
Oklahoma native Kevin Washburn, once an Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs in the Department of Interior in the Obama administration has been named as part of apparent President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team. The OU graduate and citizen of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma will lead the Interior Department team as steps are underway for …
Crude futures up slightly while energy stocks had a lukewarm Wednesday
Investors who were hoping for improved trading of energy stocks on Wednesday didn’t get much of it. Sort of like sipping on cold coffee—unless of course you happen to like it cold. West Texas Intermediate crude for December finished up 9 cents for a gain of 0.22% at $41.45. Global benchmark Brent crude rose …
Hunt Energy CEO to Speak Nov. 18 at OU About the ‘Energy Addition’
Hunt Energy CEO Hunter Hunt of Dallas will discuss the growth of renewable energy and what that means for hydrocarbons on the Nov. 18 episode of the University of Oklahoma Energy Institute’s webcast. The Energy Institute announcement said his message comes at a time when many people are talking about the upcoming “energy transition,” …
Gas discovery in Norwegian Sea by ConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips announced a major new gas condensate discovery in the Norwegian Sea off the coast of Norway. The site is located 22 miles northwest of the Heidrun Field and 150 miles from Norway. Preliminary estimates place the size of the discovery between 50 and 190 million barrels of recoverable oil equivalent, according to the company. …
Tribe partners with GRDA to build electric substation in Shawnee
A new electrical substation has gone operational at Shawnee’s Iron Horse Industrial Park, courtesy of the Grand River Dam Authority and the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. The two created a partnership to build the substation and locate it on the park that is owned by the Indian tribe. The new facility allows the tribe to …