Consumers oppose Empire District Electric’s rate hike request

  The Oklahoma Corporation Commission meets Tuesday and will consider a request for a public hearing on Empire District Electric Co.’s request for a $2.3 million rate increase over three years. As the Journal Record reported, the request is opposed by the Oklahoma Industrial Energy Consumers. It filed testimony with the OCC opposing the request. …

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Rep. Mullin and others disagree with President’s uranium import decision

Oklahoma congressman Markwayne Mullin is among 20 members of congress who find themselves at odds with President Trump over allowing nuclear power plant operators to import more uranium. He and 19 others sent a letter last week to the President urging him to restrict the uranium imports so U.S. mining companies would have a larger …

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ODOT seeks input for next 25 years

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation is developing its 2020-2045 Long Range Transportation Plan and is inviting the public to get involved in the year-long process. The federally required plan will establish transportation policies and priorities for the next 25 years for various modes of travel and commercial freight movement in the state including highway; passenger …

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Gasoline prices shoot up since July 4th

Growing demand and shrinking gas stocks are adding to pump price jumps since the Fourth of July and in Oklahoma, prices have jumped as much as 8 cents a gallon over the past week. AAA Oklahoma reports the new statewide average is $2.50 per gallon compared to the $2.42 a gallon paid by motorists a …

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Governor calls on congress to ratify new trade deal

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt says it’s time Congress ratified the new US-Mexico-Canada trade deal, the one commonly referred to as USMA. In a commentary, the governor said it’s vital to Oklahoma because of the strong trading partnership it has with the two countries. Here is his column: Earlier this summer, President Trump gave his 30-day …

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Irrigation limitations considered for Ogallala Aquifer

From the Amarillo Globe News With the Ogallala Aquifer being an invaluable resource for communities throughout the eight states it lies, studies to keep the water levels steady are continuing in the South Plains in the hopes of delivering more tools and technology to help with conservation in agriculture. The U.S. Department of Agriculture office …

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Major oil producers pledge $16 million to build new schools in West Texas

  Companies quite familiar in Oklahoma’s oil patch are among the 20 top US energy companies that have agreed to contribute $16.5 million to open new schools in West Texas where they are active in the Permian Basin. Among them are Devon Energy, Cimarex Energy Co., Concho Resources, ConocoPhillips, and Halliburton Co. They are members …

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Permian Basin’s shale production is slipping

Bloomberg News reports that the promise of the Permian Basin is shrinking.  And it cites various reasons including pipeline limitations, wells drilled too close together, low natural gas prices and high land costs. But the most consequential is that shale-well production falls off at such a high rate — as much as 70% in the …

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Welding explosion at oilfield servicing company kills worker in El Reno

An explosion caused by a welder’s torch left a man dead early Sunday morning at an oilfield firm in El Reno. Fire investigators say it was around 7 a.m. when the incident happened at Canyon Oil Field Services at 1608 East Highway 66. The explosion happened outside the shop where a man was welding on …

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Western Oklahoma is site of another large producer

  Another significant oil well producing more than 1,000 barrels of oil a day is reported in far western Oklahoma. Valpoint Operating LLC, an Amarillo, Texas based company filed a completion report for the Shrewder 26-23-1H located at 35 18N 23W in Ellis County. The Shrewder well had initial production of 1,076 barrels of oil …

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