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Associated Press
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Texas creating task forces to target Permian Basin oil field thefts
ODESSA, Texas (AP) — At least three times a week, Darin Mitchell gets the call. Oil drums have been stolen. Copper wires were yanked. Other field equipment at an oil and gas facility was pilfered. The Winkler County Sheriff dispatches his officers to investigate, but they rarely catch the crime in the act or find the stolen product, worth tens of thousands of dollars. The West Texas county's ten deputies are overextended, policing 841 square miles, a combination of neighborhoods, a downtown area and the oil and gas facilities surrounding them. He doesn't have the manpower — or the money, he said — to investigate every instance. 'I don't have a dedicated person to just sit out there,' he said. 'The county can't afford just to hire somebody full-time to do oil field thefts.' The Texas Legislature has stepped in, passing a suite of bills that lawmakers, the sheriff, and oil and gas industry leaders said are crucial to combat what they say is a billion-dollar loss in oil field thefts in the Permian Basin, the state's largest oil field. Gov. Greg Abbott signed all three this month in Midland, saying in a statement that Texas is 'bringing the full weight of the law to crack down on oil theft in the Permian Basin to protect the critical role energy development plays in fueling our economy.' Written by state Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, and Sen. Kevin Sparks, R-Midland, the bills instruct the Department of Public Safety and the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates the state's oil and gas industry, to create task forces that will investigate oil field robberies. The effort will cost taxpayers nearly $5 million. House Bill 48, by Darby, establishes a DPS-created oil field theft prevention unit. The members comprising it can enforce existing laws, in addition to providing training, resources and strategies specific to deterring such thefts. The task force is also charged with conducting public awareness campaigns. Every two years, the body must report back to the legislature. In a statement to The Texas Tribune, Darby called oil field theft 'a complex, highly coordinated criminal enterprise, often with direct connections to cartels. This escalating threat poses serious risks not only to the oil and gas industry — a cornerstone of our state's economy — but also to the safety of our communities and the survival of small, hardworking businesses.' He said his bills are meant to 'systematically take apart' criminal networks profiting from energy infrastructure. Senate Bill 494, authored by Sparks, directs the Railroad Commission to create a second task force to prevent the theft of petroleum products. This body must consist of proxies from the oil and gas industry, an oil and gas trade association and law enforcement agencies. They will conduct ongoing studies regarding theft, review the effectiveness of laws and analyze whether local and county governments are losing money in sales taxes as a result. Another Sparks bill, Senate Bill 1806, authorizes DPS to inspect oil field cargo tanks they suspect of being used to transport stolen oil, take samples from the vehicle and study them in a crime laboratory. The bill authorizes apprehending officers to return the product or sell it and reimburse the company from which it was stolen. The bill also increases the penalties for oil and gas theft. Transporting petroleum products to a waste disposal location is a felony with a penalty of at least $100,000; purchasing petroleum products without authorization from railroad commission can bring a penalty of up to $100,000; storing, purchasing or trading a petroleum product without authorization from the railroad commission can result in in a penalty of up to $10,000. Ed Longanecker, president of the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association, a trade group, said the bills were their top priority. He said one of their largest members lost $1.1 million in crude oil and equipment theft and damages between 2023 and 2024. 'And, again, this is just one of thousands of operators in Texas that have been victims of these crimes,' Longanecker said. A task force led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, he said, estimated that operators in the Permian Basin lose up to $300,000 a month in stolen tools, pipes and valves. 'Considering more than 2 billion barrels of oil and condensate were produced in Texas in 2024, the loss is estimated to be in the billions of dollars annually,' he said. ___ This story was originally published by The Texas Tribune and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
Zawya
12-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
EnerGeo Alliance Joins Upcoming U.S.-Africa Energy Forum (USAEF) to Boost Upstream Investment Across Africa
The upcoming U.S.-Africa Energy Forum (USAEF) in Houston is proud to announce a strategic partnership with the EnerGeo Alliance, a global trade association for the geoscience and exploration industries. This partnership marks a significant step forward in advancing collaborative energy development between the U.S. and Africa, and in strengthening stakeholder engagement within the natural gas and geoscience sectors. Under the partnership, EnerGeo Alliance will support USAEF's mission by facilitating direct introductions between EnerGeo's member organizations and USAEF, enabling targeted sponsorship opportunities and fostering deeper industry participation in USAEF's programming and events. With members active in more than 50 countries – including key African markets such as Namibia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, Angola and South Africa – EnerGeo Alliance plays a vital role in supporting upstream energy development through advanced geoscience, seismic surveying and data-driven exploration. The partnership with USAEF strengthens the shared mission to connect U.S. and African stakeholders, facilitate energy investment and promote natural gas as a reliable, lower-carbon transition fuel. 'This partnership reflects our commitment to strengthening collaboration between the geoscience community and energy stakeholders across Africa,' said Nikki Martin, President&CEO of EnerGeo Alliance. 'With our members actively engaged in key markets across the continent, we see this as an opportunity to elevate upstream dialogue, support data-driven exploration, and help shape pragmatic solutions to Africa's energy needs.' EnerGeo Alliance has been especially active in advocating for natural gas as a sustainable and cost-effective solution to meet growing power demand across Africa. In a recent policy brief, the organization spotlighted South Africa's natural gas prospects and emphasized the role of upstream data in de-risking exploration and reducing environmental impacts. Their work complements USAEF's goal of catalyzing partnerships that accelerate infrastructure growth and increase access to reliable energy across the continent. The partnership is expected to play a pivotal role in USAEF 2025, where EnerGeo Alliance will engage with delegates to spotlight the role of geoscience in upstream investment and showcase how seismic technologies can reduce risk and improve environmental outcomes in natural gas development. By aligning their networks and resources, USAEF and EnerGeo Alliance aim to create new pathways for investment, knowledge exchange and industry growth on both sides of the Atlantic. 'Partnering with EnerGeo Alliance allows USAEF to bridge U.S. technology and expertise with African energy ambitions in a meaningful way. We're not only expanding access to strategic geoscience players, but also enhancing opportunities for investment, sponsorship and long-term collaboration in Africa's gas and energy value chains,' said James Chester, CEO of Energy Capital&Power. For tickets, sponsorship opportunities and more information, please contact sales@ Join us in Houston this August to connect with the leaders shaping Africa's energy landscape and experience the momentum that drives ECP's events worldwide. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.
E&E News
10-06-2025
- Politics
- E&E News
Trump team mum on report targeting state climate action
A Saturday deadline for the Justice Department to outline its plans for combating state climate action has come and gone without the Trump administration disclosing anything. President Donald Trump sent shock waves through state capitals earlier this year when he signed a sweeping executive order — 'Protecting American Energy From State Overreach' — that directed the Justice Department to target any state climate policies 'burdening' energy development. Trump's order named specific targets, such as so-called climate superfund laws in New York and Vermont, as well as state lawsuits against the fossil fuel sector. In the wake of Trump's order, the Justice Department followed through on challenges to those policies — including an unusual lawsuit seeking to preempt Hawaii and Michigan from suing fossil fuel companies. Advertisement But Trump's April 8 order also gestured at an even more aggressive campaign, and it set a 60-day deadline for Attorney General Pam Bondi to sketch out a plan for it.
Fox News
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
AK lawmakers claim ‘victory' as feds begin reversal of ‘illegal' Biden rule restricting AK oil and gas
Alaska's congressional delegation praised President Donald Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum for starting the process of rescinding a Biden-era rule that restricted oil and gas exploration in the resource-rich National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. Sen. Dan Sullivan said Burgum announced the move at a town hall in Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow) at the northern tip of the vast state, where local natives applauded because they "understand better than anyone" why responsible oil production is key to their communities' livelihood. Sullivan called the Biden-era rule "illegal" and said it turned vast swaths of an area originally intended for domestic energy production into "de facto wilderness." "Responsible resource development has transformed the lives of the Iñupiat people, supporting the construction of clinics, gymnasiums, water infrastructure—basic amenities most Americans take for granted," Sullivan said. Burgum said his agency determined the 2024 rule exceeded the federal government's bounds under a 1976 petroleum reserve law and also creates "unnecessary barriers to responsible energy development in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska." "Congress was clear: the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska was set aside to support America's energy security through responsible development," he said, adding the prior rule "prioritized obstruction over production." Rep. Nick Begich III called the decision a "major victory" and said that he will work with Trump to ensure responsible resource development. "This is a victory not only for those who support responsible development, but also those who believe in the rule of law," added Sen. Lisa Murkowski. "The 2024 management rule clearly violated the law, establishing restrictions and a presumption against development as part of the last administration's effort to turn the North Slope into one giant tract of federal wilderness," she continued. "Repealing the rule will not weaken our world-class environmental standards, but it will enable Alaska to produce more energy as Congress intended. The result will be good jobs for Alaskans, more affordable energy for America, and significant new revenues for government." In January, Gov. Mike Dunleavy told Fox News Digital that a final, congressionally-mandated sale of land for development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) was set up to fail – characterizing it as a parting shot by the last administration toward the Last Frontier. "These leases should be executed in good faith along the established historical processes. And obviously, the Biden administration in the past four years has just been brutal on Alaska," he said at the time, envisioning that the Trump administration would do just as Burgum announced this week. At the time, Murkowski also said that a now-former Interior official "openly admitted" during a working group that the process with which the restrictions were set upon ANWR was done in a way to intentionally circumvent the Congressional Review Act. That law was what allowed other Senate Republicans to undo several Biden-era EPA actions last month with a simple floor vote.
Fox News
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
'Homeland would've been stolen': AK Natives sound off on Biden energy bans as Trump officials tour tundra
FIRST ON FOX: Alaska Natives and residents of the vast North Slope Borough communities along the Arctic Ocean got a rare chance this week to directly discuss their concerns with White House officials, typically 3,500 miles away in Washington. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin joined Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy and local residents in Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow) as part of a multi-day visit to the oil and gas fields, workers and neighbors in the frigid but crucial region. Charles Lamp, a Native resident of Kaktovik – the main remote community within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) a few hundred miles eastward – said until President Donald Trump and the officials assembled in Utqiagvik took office, North Slope residents and their energy development hopes felt besieged by that same far-flung federal government. Lamp voiced similar concerns to those Fox News Digital had been told in the past by Alaska officials, in that environmental activists in the Lower 48 and federal officials who ideologically align with them have tried speaking for them in opposition to developing ANWR and other sites where none of those same activists live. "There's one thing that I want to bring up – we were under attack in Kaktovik by environmental groups," Lamp said. "On Day 1, President Trump told the Fish and Wildlife Department to deny their requests. And that was such an amazing thing for us to be able to see. And we were so proud of our president then because he made sure that our ancestral homelands weren't going to be stolen – and [instead] protected," Lamp said, as many in the North Slope actually support the development of their Native homelands versus cordoning them off through regulation – as they bring jobs and resources. "So I really need to bring back this immense gratitude to President Trump for that action and being able to write something that, if the other guy (Joe Biden and Kamala Harris) would have won, there's no doubt in my mind that our homeland would have been stolen and there's nothing we could have done about it," he said. "Trump had the heart and the wherewithal to be able to right this wrong." He told Burgum to invite Trump to Kaktovik to see ANWR and its "Section 1002" – the oil and gas development sector – for himself. Burgum said he believes Trump would be open to the opportunity – and that the president has already pleasantly surprised regional corporate stakeholders with his openness to questions that the oil companies felt loath to even consider asking a president. "President Trump does care super deeply about this and at a deep level," Burgum said, adding the president shocked ConocoPhillips representatives in a recent meeting when he asked what they needed to improve their North Slope operations. When the company noted improved roads would be helpful, Trump asked rhetorically why a road couldn't be built, according to Burgum. "[They] were kind of like, 'Wow, I didn't know we could ask that.'" Wright also addressed the Utqiagvik meeting, and added in separate comments that he visited the Prudhoe Bay Discovery Well – a 1960s operation that first opened Alaska to energy development and at one point represented one-quarter of U.S. oil output. "Unfortunately, the last few decades have seen a long, slow decline of North Slope oil production – not because they're running out of oil. In fact, there's an amazing amount of untapped, unproduced oil up here. It's because of federal regulation, bureaucracy. It's made it so expensive and difficult to operate," Wright said. He added that with the "Big, Beautiful, Twin Natural Gas Pipeline" ultimately constructed, Alaska could be the key to global energy security by drawing buyers in Korea and Japan away from China. "It's great to be part of history again here in the great North Slope oil fields of Alaska," Wright said. Dunleavy last week headlined a global sustainable energy conference in Anchorage, which also drew the attention of those same potential stakeholders from Asia.
