** One major beneficiary of sanctions on Russian and Venezuelan oil? US suppliers who’ve muscled their way into markets once dominated by OPEC and its allies. US oil exports have set five new monthly records since Western nations began imposing sanctions on Russia in 2022. And with trade restrictions on Venezuela set to renew in …
Train derailment cleanup underway near Stroud
(Train derailment in Lincoln County. Photo courtesy KFOR.) A derailment of 22 train cars loaded with rock and gravel is in the process of being cleaned up in Lincoln County near the towns of Davenport and Stroud. The train, operated by Stillwater Central Railroad, had 90 cars in all when the derailment occurred Saturday …
ONEOK sets 1Q financial release date
ONEOK plans to release its first quarter financial report at the end of April. The company announced the release will be made after the market closes on April 30. The following day, May 1, ONEOK executives will hold a conference call starting at 10 a.m. Central daylight Time. ONEOK’s fourth quarter saw $688 …
Arkansas asks truckers to park their big rigs on day of solar eclipse
Arkansas truckers are being asked to park their rigs on April 8, the day of the solar eclipse. The Arkansas Transportation Department says by taking a holiday, truckers would help ease traffic during the event. As for truckers, the President of the Arkansas Trucking Association, Shannon Newton recently said it likely wasn’t realistic for …
OGE defends contribution for renaming of State Fair Coliseum
Oklahoma Gas and Electric responded Friday to a Corporation Commissioner’s critical questioning of a confidential donation that led to the naming of the OGE Coliseum under construction at the Oklahoma State Fair grounds. Corporation Commissioner Kim David questioned the contribution as OG&E is in the midst of seeking approval for a proposed $332 million …
Arkansas River bridge struck by barge on Saturday
It wasn’t on the magnitude of the barge collision that brought down the Interstate 40 bridge over the Arkansas River and killed 14 people in 2022, but a barge incident occurred Saturday and resulted in the temporary closure of a state highway near Sallisaw. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported the US-59 bridge over the …
World’s largest aircraft to be built to carry wind turbine blades
Aircraft designers are working on a plane so large that it will be able to carry wind turbine blades and fly them to spots around the world. Longer than a football field,, the proposed WindRunner aircraft, designed for the wind industry, was recently unveiled by a Colorado-based firm. Its wingspan is 261 feet or …
Energy quick reads
** Maryland Gov. Wes Moore warned of a “very long road ahead” to recover from the loss of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge as the Biden administration approved $60 million in immediate federal aid after the deadly collapse. ** A Michigan facility will become the first shuttered nuclear plant in the country to resume energy generation, a …
Colorado Democrats fail in bid to stop new oil and gas drilling
Colorado’s legislative effort to ban all new oil and gas drilling after 2030 didn’t work. It’s failed in a Senate committee following a lengthy hearing. Senate Bill 159 would have required state oil and gas regulators to stop issuing new drilling permits starting in 2030, with those permits to be used by 2032. …
Transportation Commission to meet Monday
The bridge disaster that claimed six lives in Baltimore got the attention of Oklahoma Transportation Department leaders. Transportation Executive Director Tim Gatz will give an update on the state of Oklahoma bridges to the commission during a Monday meeting of the Transportation Commission. In recent years, the state has made strong improvements to bridges …