Score a win for the Sierra Club as the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the electric vehicle registration fee is unconstitutional. The fee was passed in the last five days of the legislative session “The Sierra Club applauds the Oklahoma Supreme Court for striking down this biased and illegal tax on electric vehicles,” …
October 24, 2017 archive
WTI, Brent Crude Settlements Boosted By News of Saudi Arabia’s Commitment to Balance Global Market
Oil prices jumped on Tuesday with Saudi Arabia’s pledge to help rebalance the global crude market, according to Bloomberg MarketWatch. December West Texas Intermediate crude rose 57 cents, or 1.1%, to settle at $52.47 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange—the highest finish since April 17. December Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose 96 cents, or …
Oklahoma Transportation Advocacy Group Supports Six Cent Gas and Diesel Tax Hike
After a substitute measure enacting a $0.6 per gallon excise tax increase for gasoline and diesel fuel was approved Tuesday afternoon by the Oklahoma House Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget, a local advocacy coalition dedicated to rebuilding the state’s transportation infrastructure praised the efforts of lawmakers regarding HB 1035X. “A longstanding component of the …
House Members Inquire About National Pipeline Security
Two Oklahoma congressmen are among more than 80 U.S. House members who have written U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions with an inquiring about the security of the nation’s pipeline infrastructure. Representatives Frank Lucas and Markwayne Mullin put their names to the Oct. 23 letter expressing concerns about recent attacks on pipelines in the U.S. “In some …
Former State Seismologist Testifies How Former OU Leaders Tried to Hide Cause of Earthquakes
The State’s former seismologist Dr. Austin Holland has testified in a deposition in an earthquake lawsuit in Oklahoma that he left his job two years after being reprimanded for his study that linked the earthquakes in Oklahoma to wastewater disposal operations of the oil and gas industry. Writing in his law firm’s blog, attorney Scott …
Distribution Announced by Williams Partners
A 60-cent a unit distribution for common unitholders in Williams Partners L.P. was announced this week by the Tulsa-based company. The quarterly cash distribution will be payable Nov. 10, 2017 those whose common unitholders of record at the close of business on Nov. 3, 2017.
Propane Prices Expected to Rise This Winter
Those who rely on propane for home heating might see a jump in prices this winter according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The government says propane customers might pay between 11 and 22 percent more to heat their homes because of increased demand and higher prices for propane. “A lot is going to depend …
Body Recovered After Oil Platform Explosion in Louisiana
The body of an oilfield worker killed in an explosion on an oil and gas platform in Louisiana’s Lake Pontchartrain was recovered over the weekend. A helicopter pilot spotted the body of Timothy Morrison, 44 on the lake’s shoreline about 3 miles from the platform. He was from Katy, Texas and was a contract worker …
Court Upholds Convictions of Protest Riders
The convictions of two protest riders in southern Utah’s Recapture Canyon were upheld this week by the Denver Federal Appeals Court. The court refused to overturn the misdemeanor convictions of Phil Lyman and blogger Monte Wells who rode their ATVs in protest after the government closed the canyon to motor vehicles to protect nearly 2,000 …
Pawnee Nation Pushes Lease Fight with BLM
The Pawnee Nation hasn’t given up its fight with the Bureau of Indian Affairs over oil and gas drilling leases approved by the BIA four years ago. It is urging the Tenth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver to revive a lawsuit filed in a challenge to the BIA’s approval of 17 leases in …