What’s happening in other states in the energy sector. ** The governor of Montana, faced with a slumping energy industry is preparing to make more budget cuts. Gov. Mark Gordon is trying to balance the state’s need to raise revenue. ** Ethanol advocates say the Trump administration has reneged on its promise to boost biofuel demand with a proposal …
Evergy announces solar operation in south central Missouri
Evergy, the newly-named Kansas City based company announced it has reached agreement to build a new solar operation in West Plains, Missouri. The new solar installation will generate 9.6 megawatts of energy, which is enough to power 1,200 homes in the city located in far southern Missouri near the Arkansas state line. “Evergy is excited …
Lack of climate change talk in Democratic debate surprises some voters
Climate change drew hardly any mention in the Tuesday night debate by a dozen Democratic Presidential candidates.And it left some observers surprised, including writer Ben Geman with Axios. Here’s what he had to say about it: The total absence of energy and climate questions in (the) Democratic debate didn’t prevent the topics from surfacing in …
Campaign funds reported by Senators and Representatives
Oklahoma’s congressional delegation consisting of the U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives who help make decisions affecting the energy industry have filed their quarterly campaign contribution reports with the Federal Election Commission. U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe reported his campaign fund totaled more than $2 million at the end of September. However, the 84-year old Republican Senator …
Williams fights overpayment lawsuit in Wisconsin
Tulsa-based The Williams Companies is about to go to trial in Wisconsin in a 13-year legal battle that went to the U.S. Supreme Court and back. It involves customers who overpaid millions of dollars for natural gas but the lawsuit seeks triple the overpayment and it could be as high as $2 billion. Williams along …
Study blames fracking for increase in West Texas earthquakes
Hydraulic fracturing in the Permian Basin of West Texas is being blamed in part for some of the earthquakes in the region according to a new study by the University of Texas at Austin. “The research done through this new study in West Texas, using a statistical approach to associate seismicity with oil and gas …
Oil and gas slowdown hits state collections but one leader is still optimistic
A state agency in Oklahoma says general revenue fund collections for September were up nearly 2% over a year earlier, despite the state’s recent slowdown in the oil patch. Still, oil and gas tax collections were down and some state leaders might be keeping their fingers crossed that the slowdown won’t have a major impact …
Love’s stores help raise millions for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals
Oklahoma City-based Love’s Travel Stops and Country Stores announced that along with its customers, the company managed to raise more than $3.75 million for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals during a just-concluded five-week campaign. It was the 20th year for the campaign and this year, Love’s beat the $3.6 million goal it set to help …
Laredo announces improved 2019 guidance
Tulsa-based Laredo Petroleum, Inc. announced third-quarter oil and total production results that are above prior guidance and will start work on its 2020 operation and production plans. Working mostly in the Permian Basin, the company stated it exceeded third quarter oil and total production producing 27.8 thousand barrels of oil a day and 81.9 thousand barrels …
Bison Oil and Gas Announces Closing of Term Loan Facility with Vӓrde Partners
Bison Oil and Gas Partners II, LLC in Denver announced the closing of a $155 million loan with Varde Partners, a global alternative investment firm. Bison plans to use the proceeds to fund its ongoing drilling program and expansion of its rural asset base in the Denver-Julesburg Basin. It will also use some of the …