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$20M Facility Supports Oil and Gas Operations
May 13, 2013 9:45 am | CommentsPlains Exploration & Production Co. is building a $20 million facility in Broussard to support deep-water Gulf of Mexico oil and gas operations. The Lafayette Economic Development Authority and company officials said the new project comes after PXP's decision last year to pay $5.5 billion for oil company BP's interest in several deep-water oil and gas fields in the Gulf.
Natural Gas Export Plans Stir Debate
May 13, 2013 3:19 am | by MATTHEW DALY, Associated Press | CommentsA domestic natural gas boom already has lowered U.S. energy prices while stoking fears of environmental disaster. Now U.S. producers are poised to ship vast quantities of gas overseas as energy companies seek permits for proposed export projects that could set off a renewed frenzy of fracking.
Company Plans $1.5B Nitrogen Fertilizer Plant
May 10, 2013 10:34 am | CommentsState and local leaders in North Dakota announced Thursday plans to build a new $1.5 billion nitrogen fertilizer production facility northwest of Grand Forks. Gov. Jack Dalrymple and Grand Forks Mayor Michael Brown were joined by others in announcing that Northern Plains Nitrogen intended to build the new facility.
Power Plant Operator Objects Navajo Nation's Changes to Lease
May 10, 2013 10:26 am | CommentsThe owners of a northern Arizona coal plant that sends water to the state's biggest cities has objected to changes made by the Navajo Nation in approving a lease extension. The plant's operator, Salt River Project, told tribal officials this week that amendments dealing with water rights, hiring preferences and having the federal government sign on as a lessee are unacceptable.
Reactor at Calvert Cliffs Plant Shuts Down
May 10, 2013 10:18 am | CommentsConstellation Energy Nuclear Group says one of two nuclear reactors at the Calvert Cliffs power plant shut down automatically after a malfunction. Calvert Cliffs spokesman Kory Raftery says valves that feed turbines in Unit 2 unexpectedly shut down Wednesday evening and the reactor was taken offline.
Release of Mineral Payments Bill Pushed Back
May 10, 2013 9:53 am | CommentsWyoming's senior U.S. senator is delaying the release of legislation that aims to block the federal government from cutting mineral royalty payments to 35 states. Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., had said he planned to release a bill this week after the Department of Interior announced it would make $110 million in cuts this year.
North Dakota Tops Nation in Rate of Worker Deaths
May 10, 2013 9:48 am | CommentsNorth Dakota has the highest rate of worker deaths in the nation, due in large part to the oil boom in the western part of the state in recent years, according to a new report from the AFL-CIO. There were 44 worker deaths in North Dakota in 2011, for a rate of 12.4 deaths per 100,000 workers.
Former Pres. Enters Guilty Plea to Violating OSHA
May 10, 2013 9:45 am | CommentsMatthew Lawrence Bowman, former president and owner of Port Arthur Chemical and Environmental Services, pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to violating the Occupational Safety Health Act and making a false statement. He has pleaded guilty to occupational safety crimes that resulted in the death of an employee.
Export Coal Deal Stalls as Companies Renegotiate
May 9, 2013 10:09 am | by MATTHEW BROWN, Associated Press | CommentsA proposed deal on a Montana coal mine that supporters said would boost Asian exports of the fuel via the West Coast has stalled, as court documents show the companies involved are renegotiating terms of the sale. Representatives of the two companies said Wednesday that a deal still was expected.
Man Dies in Oil-tank Blast
May 9, 2013 10:02 am | by PAUL FOY, Associated Press | CommentsA welder died after sparking an explosion while using his torch on a crude oil storage tank at an eastern Utah well site, the state's largest oil producer told regulators. Newfield Exploration Co. notified the Utah Division of Oil, Gas & Mining that the blast Tuesday night occurred during routine maintenance.
Review of Oil, Gas Fines In Colorado
May 9, 2013 9:59 am | CommentsGov. John Hickenlooper is directing the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to review its system of penalties and fines, to make sure public health, safety and the environment are protected. Hickenlooper took action Wednesday after the legislative session ended without passage of House Bill 1267, which would have raised fines for drilling violations for the first time since 1955 from a daily maximum of $1,000 to $15,000.
Nun Guilty of Weapons Plant Break-in
May 9, 2013 9:38 am | by ERIK SCHELZIG, Associated Press | CommentsAn 83-year-old nun and two fellow protesters were convicted Wednesday of interfering with national security when they broke into a nuclear weapons facility in Tennessee and defaced a uranium processing plant. It took a jury about 2 ½ hours to find the three protesters guilty of a charge of sabotaging the plant and second charge of damaging federal property.
Long Process for Decommissioning WI Nuclear Plant
May 9, 2013 8:59 am | CommentsThe Kewaunee nuclear power plant may have been disconnected from the power grid, but the process to decommission the facility will take a long time. Kewaunee County economic developers want to know when the 900-acre site will be ready for redevelopment.
Honeywell Plant Closing
May 9, 2013 8:53 am | CommentsHoneywell plans to close a plant in eastern Pennsylvania by the first quarter of next year, idling more than 100 workers. The Honeywell Process Solutions plant in York makes products used in the natural gas industry. The company specializes in energy efficiency products.
Prosecution Rests in Tenn. Nuclear Plant Break-In
May 8, 2013 10:00 am | by ERIK SCHELZIG, Associated Press | CommentsFederal prosecutors rested their case Tuesday in the trial of an 83-year-old nun and two follow nuclear protesters accused of painting slogans and splattering human blood on a Tennessee weapons facility known as the "Fort Knox of uranium."
