November 2017 archive

Purcell Company Left to Wonder About New Oil Minister in Venezuela

No word how this might affect the Purcell exploration company that last summer won a huge oil-drilling contract with Venezuela, but the country has named a new head of the struggling state oil company. President Nicolas Maduro named National Guard Maj. Gen. Manuel Quevedo the new president of PDVSA and the country’s minister of oil. …

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Sen. Lankford Assesses Scott Pruitt’s EPA Performance

While U.S. Sen. James Lankford’s latest “Federal Fumbles” report lambasted some federal projects as being a waste of taxpayer’s money, the report also included praise for efforts of agencies to save money. In an interview with OK Energy Today a day after he released his third such report, the Republican Senator said it included “touchdowns …

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Fracking Blamed for Minor Earthquakes Around Yukon

State Corporation Commission investigators indicate they believe a hydraulic fracturing operation has caused small earthquakes in the past few days around the city of Yukon. “The quakes we’ve had in the Yukon area over the past few days are clustered around the McWhirter well, where Citizen Energy is doing a hydraulic fracturing operation,” explained Matt …

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Nonprofit Watchdog Sues State Over Sealed Tar Creek Buyout Trust Audit

The Washington, D-C based nonprofit watchdog group, Campaign for Accountability is taking State Attorney General Mike Hunter to court over a sealed audit of suspected criminal activity involving cleanup operations at the Tar Creek Superfund site in northeast Oklahoma. The lawsuit, CV-2017-2335 was filed in Oklahoma County District Court against Hunter and State Auditor and …

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New CFO Named at Tulsa’s Unit Corporation

  Tulsa-based Unit Corporation announced that Les Austin has been named Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the company effective immediately. He succeeds David t.  Merrill who was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in August 2017. The 51-year old Austin has more than 23 years of energy finance and leadership experience and previously …

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Lankford Cites More Government Waste in Latest Federal Fumbles Report

U.S. Sen. James Lankford has released his third “Federal Fumbles: 100 ways the government dropped the ball” when it came to what he considers to be wasteful spending. Whether it’s a government grant for an art class focusing on climate change, or a doggie Hamlet project in New Hampshire, the Senator is bashing the government …

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Warren Buffett—-Surprise Supporter of Keystone XL Pipeline

With his ownership of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad, one would think billionaire Warren Buffett would oppose the Keystone XL pipeline. After all, his trains could move the oil as well. But as Steve Jordan of the Omaha World-Herald recently wrote, “Warren Buffett has general supported the project for years.” His article came after …

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December Gasoline Prices Won’t Get Any Better

Some holiday travel advice from AAA Oklahoma—-“Holiday bargains won’t be found at the gas pump this December.” It’s the cautionary tale from the automobile association’s Leslie Gamble who said the national gas price average is $2.51 a gallon or 38 cents more than this time last year. She said Oklahomans will pay an average of …

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EPA Says Kansas Meets New Ozone Standards

The EPA’s notified the state of Kansas that the state’s 105 counties meet the most recent ozone standards. Scott Pruitt, Administrator of the Environmental and Protection Agency notified Governor Sam Brownback in a letter. “This is good news for the citizens of Kansas,” wrote Pruitt. “I encourage you to continue your efforts to maintain air …

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Keystone Oil Spill Cleanup Still Underway in South Dakota

TransCanada reports it’s removed more than 44,000 gallons of oil from the spill of the Keystone pipeline in South Dakota. In its most recent update, the Canadian company reported it has 170 people on-site “working around-the-clock” in an effort to clean up the spill that occurred last week. “As of November 24, TransCanada has recovered …

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