Energy companies were among the 23 that made new investments in Oklahoma in the second quarter of 2017, according to a quarterly report from the Oklahoma Commerce Department.
The investments totaled $680 million and more than 1,100 jobs are to be created as a result. Eight of the 23 firms are new to Oklahoma.
The expansions happened in Oklahoma, Custer, Kingfisher, Bryan, Woods, Logan, Tulsa, Wagoner, Mayes, Rogers, Lincoln, Osage, Payne, Blaine and Major counties.
Enel Greenpower started construction of a 300 megawatt Red Dirt wind farm in Kingfisher and Logan counties. It should be operational by the end of 2017 and the $420 million investment will generate nearly 1,200 gigawatt hours of renewable energy a year. The energy produced from Red Dirt will be old under two long-term agreements, one with T-Mobile US for 160 megawatts and the other with the Grand River Dam Authority for 140 megawatts.
Semgroup based in Tulsa is building a new natural gas pipeline to serve Oklahoma’s STACK. Construction is underway in Woods, Major and Blaine counties. The Canton Pipeline will extend nearly 50 miles from SemGroup’s Rose Valley processing operation in Woods county to Blaine County and should be in service by the end of the year.
Houston-based USD Partners paid $25 million for a terminal in Stroud and will help move rail-to-pipeline shipments of crude oil from the company’s Hardisty terminal in Western Canada to the Cushing oil hub.
Union Pacific is making a $40 million investment in railroad track upgrades in the state including $626,000 to maintain bridges.
The largest job creation is by Mobile Medical Examination Inc. which is bringing 400 jobs to Oklahoma City. The company is considered to be a national leader in the design and implementation of preventive care technology.