November 2017 archive

Corporation Commissioners Urged to Support Tax Reform

Even as the U.S. Senate was poised to vote on the GOP tax reform plan, Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony was urging fellow commissioners to support the measure. His words of encouragement Thursday morning came as Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain announced his support for the measure, an important move for President Trump and Republican …

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Idaho Wants EPA to Regulate Wastewater Injection Wells

The State of Idaho wants the federal government to assume regulation of wastewater injection wells. The request was made of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency which is taking public comments until early January on the proposed plan to transfer part of Idaho’s Underground Injection Control program. The request was made in August after the state …

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Cherokee Nation Opens State’s First Tribal Solar Canopy Car Charging Station

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held this week as the Cherokee Nation headquartered in Tahlequah formally opened its first tribal solar canopy car charging station. It is also the first such charging station to be built by a tribe in the state. The station is located in the main parking lot of the W.W. Keeler Tribal …

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Texas Replaces Oklahoma as World’s Most Attractive Oil and Gas Investment Site

Oklahoma is no longer the most attractive area in the world for oil and gas investment, according to the Fraser Institute’s 11th annual global survey of petroleum industry executives. Instead, the honor belongs to Texas but Oklahoma ranks second worldwide according to the Canadian public policy think-tank. Authors Ashley Stedman and Kenneth P. Green based …

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Gulfport Energy Finds Success in the SCOOP

Oklahoma City-based Gulfport Energy Corporation released an update this week on its recent SCOOP Springer and SCOOP Woodford well results. The Springer well, the Lauper 4-26H produced a 24-hour initial peak production rate of 780.2 Boe per day. It was comprised of nearly 79% oil, 11% natural gas liquids and 10% natural gas. The company …

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Scaling Back Operations of Chesapeake Energy

One group of investment analysts say investors should take note of Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy’s scaling back of operations in the Mid-Continent region. The company is down to one rig and one frac crew in Oklahoma, according to the investment firm of Seeking Alpha. Chesapeake had at least four drilling rigs and two completion crews back …

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Man Behind VW Emissions Scandal to be Sentenced Next Week

An executive behind Volkswagen’s diesel emissions cheating scandal that will result in millions for the state of Oklahoma is to be sentenced next week in federal court in Detroit, Michigan. It was in August when Oliver Schmidt, former general manager of VW’s environmental and engineering office in the U.S. pleaded guilty to federal charges of …

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Pickens’ Mesta Vista Ranch for Sale at $250 million

Out in the Texas Panhandle, the big story is the ranch that’s for sale.  It’s the 65,000-acre ranch owned by oilman T. Boone Pickens. He’s asking $250 million for the Mesta Vista ranch he founded in 1971. Mesa Vista actually totals 64,809 acres about 90 miles northeast of Amarillo. It’s so big, it covers 101 …

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Noble Energy Unloads $340 million in Holdings Including Some in the SCOOP

Oklahoma SCOOP holdings of Noble Energy are part of a $340 million divestiture deal by the company. It includes millions of acres of mineral rights and royalty interests in Oklahoma, Texas, North Dakota and other states. The buyer is Black Stone Minerals headquartered in Houston, Texas. The purchase expands Black Stone’s position in the STACK …

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CNG Use and Construction Slows Due to Cheap Gas and Electric Cars

In a review of the growth of compressed natural gas stations in Oklahoma, the Tulsa World found the growth has slowed in the past few years—-thanks go falling gasoline prices and the low-cost of electric-car charging stations. Five years ago, gasoline prices were in the $3 to $4 range and there was a big push …

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