Katy-based U.S. Silica said last week its previously announced agreement to be acquired by funds managed by affiliates of investment firm Apollo Global Management was approved by the company’s stockholders.  Closing of the all-cash transaction valued at $1.85 billion is expected by the end of 2024Q3. U.S. Silica is a diversified industrial minerals company, logistics […]

Newport Beach-based Clean Energy Fuels said Wednesday it started construction of a renewable natural gas production facility at South Fork Dairy in Dimmitt in Castro County.  Groundbreaking occurred for a facility that will produce RNG, an ultra-clean transportation fuel that is made from organic waste and receives a negative carbon intensity score.  South Fork Dairy […]

Enverus said last week the number of frac crews working in Permian Basin grew as of June 28 to 114 from 108 the previous week.  The count is down from 139 a year ago.  Other leading regions include Rockies with 30 crews (up from 28 previous week, down from 69 a year ago), Gulf Coast […]

The weekly rig count by Houston-based Baker Hughes shows 305 rigs in Permian Basin for the fourth straight week.  It’s been 13 weeks since Permian recorded an increase (up 2 to 318 April 19).  A year ago Permian reported 333 rigs. Also, U.S. added 2 rigs to 586 (669 a year ago), and there were […]

Dallas-based Energy Transfer said last week it formed a joint venture with Sunoco to combine the two companies’ crude oil and produced water gathering assets in the Permian Basin.  The JV will be operated by Energy Transfer and will include more than 5,000 miles of crude oil and water gathering pipelines and crude oil storage […]

Geologists and engineers from Railroad Commission of Texas will consult with environmental experts from other states to analyze an agency program that protects underground sources of drinking water.  The commission said last week it requested the Groundwater Protection Council, an organization of groundwater experts, to conduct an independent peer review of its Class II underground […]

Houston-based APA Corp. said last week its recent agreements to divest non-core assets in Permian Basin and Eagle Ford closed earlier than expected and for less than the $700 million expected.  Closing had been expected in third quarter for 24,000 net royalty acres in several counties in Midland Basin (2,000 boed net in 1Q) and […]

WhiteWater, Austin-based infrastructure company and operator of Whistler pipeline, said last week the ADCC pipeline started commercial service July 1.  It can provide about 1.7 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas to Cheniere’s Corpus Christi liquefaction facility from markets on Whistler’s Agua Dulce header in south Texas.  Receipt points in Agua Dulce provide […]

Houston-based 1PointFive, carbon capture, utilization and sequestration company, said last week it reached agreement with Microsoft to sell 500,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide removal credits over six years to support Microsoft’s carbon removal strategy.  1PointFive said July 9 it’s the largest single purchase of CDR credits enabled by direct air capture and “highlights the […]

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Energy Workforce and Technology Council last week show continued improvement in employment growth in the oil and gas industry.  The energy services sector now supports 647,636 jobs across the nation, and for the first time in 2024 the employment growth outpaced growth in 2023 (by about 450 […]