Oklahoma Congressman Jim Bridenstine might learn this week if he is going to become the new administrator of NASA. The U.S. is reported to be poised to vote on his second nomination by President Donald Trump. The first failed to make it to the Senate before the end of the congressional session in 2017, prompting …
Tulsa Coal Company to Release Earnings Report
Tulsa’s big coal companies, Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. and Alliance Holdings GP, L.P. plan to report their first quarter 2018 financial results on April 30. The company will release the report prior to the opening of the market on that Monday. Management will then hold a conference call at 9 a.m. Central Time to discuss …
Another Texas Pipeline Affects Cushing Hub Operations
Yet another crude oil pipeline is carrying crude directly to South Texas ports and refineries rather than to the Cushing hub in northern Oklahoma. Days after we reported how Cushing was losing some of its influence in the crude oil market and how more and more pipelines were carrying oil directly to market, Enterprise Products …
North Slope in Alaska Promising for ConocoPhillips
With major operations in Bartlesville, ConocoPhillips is in the process of expanding into Alaska and reported this week the conclusion of its 2018 winter exploration and appraisal program there. And it appears the results are promising for the Houston-based company. ConocoPhillips originally intended to drill five wells on the Western North Slope comprising two appraisal …
Burn Ban Expanded in Western Oklahoma
With wind farm and oil and gas operators in the western half of the state paying close attention to the possibility of wildfires, Gov. Mary Fallin this week expanded a burn ban. Her order on Monday expanded the ban from 16 counties to 36 counties because of the extreme and extraordinary fire danger. The burn ban will …
GAO says EPA Violated Laws in Creating Privacy Booth for Pruitt’s Office
While some readers are weary of the growing number of stories about Scott Pruitt and his running of the EPA, the government has taken notice of his operations. This week, the Government Accountability Office of the Environmental Protection Agency was out with a report stating that the EPA violated federal spending laws when it purchased …
Oil Prices Slipped in Monday’s Trading
Oil prices ended lower on Monday as the market gave back some of the gains made last week in trading. The price for one barrel of West Texas Intermediate crude, as set at the Cushing hub was $66.29 for May contracts. It was a drop of $1.10 per barrel in trading on the New York …
Newfield Cleared in Bid-Rigging Allegations and Lawsuit
A federal judge in Colorado has cleared a subsidiary of Newfield Exploration, a company with heavy operations in Oklahoma’s STACK play. In a recent ruling, the judge said there was no evidence as claimed by two companies that Newfield Production Company convinced a competitor majority-owned by the Ute Tribe to stay out of bidding for …
Correction to Corporation Commission Filings
Our mistake. There is only one Oklahoma Corporation Commission seat to be determined in the 2018 elections. Commissioner Bob Anthony, the incumbent is seeking re-election. He will face a June 26th primary for the GOP nomination from former State Senate President Pro tempore Brian Bingman of Sapulpa. As we noted earlier, Commissioner Dana Murphy is …
Texas Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Chesapeake Energy in Acreage Fight
Oklahoma City’s Chesapeake Energy has come away a winner before the Texas Supreme Court in a battle with another energy company over acreage clauses. The Supreme Court, in a ruling on Friday upheld a lower court ruling in favor of Chesapeake Exploration Limited Partnership and Chesapeake Exploration, LLC. Chesapeake was sued by XOG Operating LLC …