Chesapeake Energy Corp. CEO Aubrey McClendon, the guest speaker at the OIPA's Wildcatter Wednesday luncheon, says America's shale gas revolution can end the country's dependence on foreign oil. (Presentation available.) Full Story >>

Presentations from the 2011 Oklahoma Unconventional Resources Forum Symposium are now available to download. Full Story >>

The debut of NBC newsmagazine Rock Center with Brian Williams featureda  well-known face in Oklahoma's oil and natural gas industry. Full Story >>

Presentations from the 2011 OIPA Fall Conference are now available to download. Full Story >>

The Environmental Protection Agency has announced plans to write new standards that would govern how energy companies dispose of wastewater from natural gas drilling sites.

Full Story >>

President Obama has introduced his proposal to reduce the federal deficit, and in a surprise to no one, he has once again targeted the oil and natural gas industry. Full Story >>

Daryl Hannah was arrested outside the White House while protesting against Keystone XL, the planned oil pipeline that would run from Canada to Texas and offer some relief to the current crude oil glut at Cushing. "We want to be free from the horrible death and destruction that fossil fuels cause, and have a clean energy future," said the star of the 1984 classic "Splash." She was arrested alongside other activists from Tar Sands Action, who've been staging sit-ins in front of the White House for weeks.
Full Story >>

Former OIPA Chairman Harold Hamm, the head of Oklahoma's Continental Resources, appeared on CNBC's Mad Money, promoting his company's work in the Bakken Shale. Full Story >>

Because nothing slips past the OIPA news desk, here's Oklahoma City's own Wes Welker showing his support for the oil and gas industry. The New England Patriots wide receiver showed up at the Miss Hooters International pageant with model Anna Burns while wearing a Bronco Drilling baseball cap. Full Story >>

A newly-commissioned study from the OERB examines the effects of the oil and natural gas industry on the state economy. Conducted by the Steven C. Agee Economic Research and Policy Institute at Oklahoma City University, the economic study shows one out of every $3 of Oklahoma's gross state product is tied directly or indirectly to the oil and natural gas industry. Full Story >>

The head of the Environmental Protection Agency told a House committee that she favored natural gas production and said she didn’t know of any “proven case” in which hydraulic fracturing had affected drinking water. Lisa Jackson's comments came during questioning from U.S. lawmakers, who chastised the EPA for injecting uncertainty into energy development and slowing job growth.
Full Story >>

Federal issues are becoming increasingly important for independent oil and natural gas producers, and speakers at the OIPA's 2011 Annual Meeting will offer their insight on what's happening in Washington, D.C. Full Story >>

In a bid to eliminate tax provisions for the oil and natural gas industry, House Democrats plan to force a vote on eliminating the Section 199 domestic manufacturing tax credit for the five largest oil companies. Full Story >>

Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Jeff Cloud offered his views on hydraulic fracturing in congressional testimony, pointing out that the process has been used safely in Oklahoma for more than 40 years. Full Story >>

Oklahoma Congressmen Dan Boren and John Sullivan have introduced a revised version of legislation designed to boost use of natural gas, with hopes that President Barack Obama's embrace of the legislation will ensure its passage this year. Full Story >>

Has President Barack Obama had a change of heart? After spending the first two years of his administration pushing for the repeal of tax provisions vital to oil and natural gas production, during a speech Wednesday, the President said the country must encourage domestic crude oil production and the increased use of natural gas as a transportation fuel. Full Story >>

The Oklahoma Policy Institute is focusing new attention on tax provisions for the oil and natural gas industry, specifically focusing on tax incentives for horizontal and deep drilling. Full Story >>

Continental Resources is moving its headquarters from Enid to Oklahoma City, giving Harold Hamm's company the opportunity to continue its rapid growth. Full Story >>

Weld County, Colo., officials have unanimously approved plans for construction of an energy park that will focus on natural gas development and renewable-energy research. Full Story >>

Oklahoma's Tom Coburn is teaming with Maryland Democrat Ben Cardin to end tax credits for ethanol. The two U.S. Senators introduced a bill that would repeal the 45 cents-per-gallon credit refiners receive for mixing ethanol into gasoline. Full Story >>

Oklahoma Congressman Dan Boren is one of three Democrats crossing party lines in an effort to prevent the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases. Full Story >>

Lawrence McQuillan, director of business and economic studies at the Pacific Research Institute, points out the problems in President Obama's approach to energy. Full Story >>

Oklahoma legislators will have $106 million more to spend this year than originally thought, thanks in part to the oil and natural gas industry. The extra revenue reduces the anticipated budget hole from about $600 million to about $500 million. Full Story >>

The White House released it's budget blueprint Monday, and, once again, the Obama administration is taking aim at the oil and natural gas industry. Full Story >>

Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe is leading an effort to block EPA from regulating carbon emissions, a move that, unsurprisingly, has drawn criticism from Democrats. Full Story >>

You know how we keep saying a strong oil and natural gas industry benefits the economy. Other people are catching on, including the environmentalists. Full Story >>

The Feb. 2 Wildcatter Wednesday luncheon featuring Devon Energy's Larry Nichols has been postponed to Wednesday, Feb. 16, due to impending inclement weather. If you have already registered for this week's luncheon, your registration will be automatically applied to the Feb. 16 luncheon.
Full Story >>

The OIPA recently hosted a one-day workshop in Oklahoma City and Tulsa for insurance professionals working in the oil and natural gas industry. Presentations from the workshop are now available for download. Full Story >>

President Barack Obama continued his attack on the oil and natural gas industry during his State of the Union address, calling for the repeal of tax provisions for the petroleum industry and saying there is no need to "subsidize yesterday's energy." Full Story >>

The Hill reports that Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are working on a bill to limit EPA’s climate authority. The bill, energy subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) said, will be unveiled in the next four to six weeks.
Full Story >>

The White House announced Monday that senior climate and energy policy adviser Carol Browner will resign, and her departure is a signal that attempts to enact comprehensive climate legislation have come to an end. Full Story >>

The EPA has selected its Hydraulic Fracturing Study Plan Review Panel. All but four of the 23 panel members are affiliated with research universities and none is currently employed by an oil or natural gas company.  Six panel members are from Pennsylvania. Full Story >>

Devon's Larry Nichols spoke to a group of freshman Oklahoma lawmakers, telling them new technologies have increased the amount of natural gas available in the U.S., providing a more reliable source of energy for electric plants. Full Story >>

Gov.-elect Mary Fallin has selected Mike Ming to serve as the state's secretary of energy. Full Story >>

Not everyone was happy with the API's report on the economic impact of the oil and natural gas industry. Native Oklahoman and noted energy expert T. Boone Pickens was critical of the report, saying it failed to highlight the benefits of natural gas as a transportation fuel. Full Story >>

A new study presented by the American Petroleum Institute shows the economic impact of increased taxes on the oil and natural gas industry. Full Story >>

Gasoline prices are at $3 and rising, and the folks at American Solutions have put together a list of reasons why it's Obama's fault. Full Story >>

Back in December, EPA Region 6 Administrator Al Armendariz chastised Range Resources, accusing the company of contaminating drinking water while drilling in the Barnett Shale. A natural gas industry newsletter said natural gas had long been detected in the water where the wells were drilled, and now a local water expert is backing up that claim. Full Story >>

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission has elected Commissioner Dana Murphy chairman of the Commission, effective Jan. 3. Commissioner Jeff Cloud was re-elected vice chairman. The recommendations for the positions came from current Chairman Bob Anthony.
Full Story >>

Range Resources was chastised by the EPA earlier this month when the federal agency accused the Houston-based driller of contaminating drinking water while drilling in the Barnett Shale. Now, a natural gas industry newsletter says there's proof that natural gas has been detected in water wells long before drilling began in the area. Full Story >>

The EPA issued an emergency order against Range Resources Tuesday, accusing the company of contaminating an aquifer. The order was an unprecedented move, in part because the federal body the state agency responsible for overseeing oil and gas drilling in the state. Full Story >>

Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas put pen to paper for The Hill, a congressional newspaper with a special focus on business and lobbying. In an article for the newspaper, Lucas says the EPA is out of touch. Although his comments are focused on agriculture, other industries are in a similar position.
Full Story >>

Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn is part of an 18-member commission that has been given the task of finding ways to reduce the country's debt. Part of the plan, which the committee will vote on this week, calls for the end of oil and gas industry tax provisions such as the percentage depletion allowance and intangible drilling costs. Full Story >>

During a public meeting on hydraulic fracturing, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said companies drilling for oil and natural gas on public lands may soon be required to disclose the chemicals used during hydraulic fracturing. Full Story >>

Tax provisions for the oil and natural gas industry could be back on the table as lawmakers push to extend tax cuts enacted during George W. Bush's presidency.
Full Story >>

Gasland isn't the only documentary focusing on natural gas production. At 8 p.m. tonight, CNBC will air Haynesville, a documentary that tracks the lives of three people affected by the big Haynesville Shale natural gas field in Louisiana and East Texas. Full Story >>

Dan Boren has been given a position of leadership with the Blue Dog Democrats, fiscally conservative Democrats whose goal is to represent the "center" of the U.S. House. Full Story >>

A quartet of energy industry executives touted the use of natural gas during the Creativity World Forum, including George Kaiser, the Tulsa oilman and banker who seldom makes public appearances. Full Story >>

First it was CSI: Crime Scene Investigations, and now its 60 Minutes. Hydraulic fracturing has captured the attention of CBS, and the network's flagship news magazine gave Chesapeake Energy's Aubrey McClendon the opportunity to explain shale gas production. Full Story >>

It's officially gone too far. Spurred by the Josh Fox documentary "Gasland," Hollywood is cashing in on the anti-natural gas rhetoric. Full Story >>

The EPA's new air quality regulations for the oil and gas industry take affect in January, and independent producers across the state, including the OIPA, say the new rules will be costly to the oil and gas industry and put some marginal wells at risk. Full Story >>

OIPA board member and Federal Committee Co-Chair Bob Sullivan has been tapped as an economic adviser by Gov.-elect Mary Fallin. Sullivan joins fellow OIPA board member and Devon Energy Chairman Larry Nichols, who Fallin asked to lead her transition team. Full Story >>

State Sen. Brian Bingman, a former OIPA legislator of the year, will lead the Oklahoma Senate during the 2011 legislative session. Full Story >>

Providing a textbook example of irony, government leaders in India plan on asking for help from the United States in developing the Asian country's shale resources. Full Story >>

Enid's Continental Resources, headed by former OIPA Chairman Harold Hamm, has been named one of the best small businesses in the country. Full Story >>

Haven't decided which gubernatorial candidate will get your vote? Republican Mary Fallin and Democrat Jari Askins took the stage at the OIPA's Fall Conference as part of their race to be the state's next governor. Full Story >>

Chevron launched its "We Agree" advertising campaign Monday, which addresses criticisms of the oil and natural gas industry. But it was a spoof news release from environmentalists about the commercials that made the biggest splash. Full Story >>

When 33 Chilean miners were pulled from 2,000 feet underground, they had U.S. drillers to thank for their rescue. Full Story >>

OIPA Executive Committee member and Wildcatters Club President Jeff McDougall has pledged $7.5 million to his alma mater. A 1984 Tulsa University graduate, McDougall's donation will be used by the university's petroleum engineering program to build the McDougall School of Petroleum Engineering. Full Story >>

Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett was in Washington to hear the president's plan to boost spending by $50 billion for transportation. Where that money comes from is what concerned the city leader. Full Story >>

President Obama's weekly radio address promoted the growth of "clean energy," saying "failed energy policies" profited oil and gas companies while weakening the economy and renewable energy jobs will be the future of this country's economy. Full Story >>

Range Resources has taken a play from the OERB. The Fort Worth gas production company launched its first-ever outreach campaign Sunday in Pennsylvania, airing a commercial about the benefits of natural gas production during the Pittsburgh Steelers' football game. Full Story >>

The U.S. Department of Energy has announced a Tulsa company will get $1.2 million in federal funding to develop CO2 injection technology in the oilfield. Full Story >>

Booming shale gas production has flooded the market and given the U.S. a virtually-untapped energy source. But the rapid expansion of shale gas has also outstripped demand, and prices are expected to remain at around $5 per MCF through 2020. Full Story >>

The American energy Alliance points out 50 out of 82 “experts” identified by EPA as potential participants for the agency's peer review panel on hydraulic fracturing oppose the use of the technology. Full Story >>

There's been no shortage of wacky events surrounding the debate over natural gas development in the northeast, but this one might take the cake. Full Story >>

President Obama announced plans on Labor Day for a $50 billion investment in road, railways and airport runways. Where will that money come from? The oil and natural gas industry of course. Full Story >>

The natural gas industry has balked at recent attempts to force drillers to disclose what fluids are used in the hydraulic fracturing process, but Dallas-based Chief Oil & Gas has announced it will share its secrets. Full Story >>

As a nationwide debate continues on hydraulic fracturing, Wyoming regulators are taking steps to require drillers to detail the chemicals used in the process and other drilling operations. Full Story >>

The shale gas revolution continues, and crude oil producers, including former OIPA Chairman Harold Hamm, are trying to recreate that success in order to unlock billions of barrels of oil locked in sedimentary rock. Full Story >>

Remember those U.S. Senators, the OIPA has identified as swing votes on energy? Well, we're not the only ones who know who they are, and an environmental group is taking a circus-themed show to their hometowns in a three-week anti-oil effort. Full Story >>

A leading oil industry trade association will host gatherings around the country early next month to rally opposition to proposed energy legislation that the group says would hamper U.S. economic recovery and cost jobs. Full Story >>

The International Energy Agency says global oil demand will increase by 2.2 percent this year, and continued growth is expected in 2011. Full Story >>

During an interview on "Meet the Press," White House Energy Adviser Carol Browner said the president hasn't given up hope that an energy bill will get passed this year. Full Story >>

OIPA board member Mike Cantrell, acting in his role of president of the Domestic Energy Producers Alliance, and Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony offered their opinions on energy production in the state's largest newspaper. Full Story >>

Senate Democrats have pushed work on their oil spill response bill to September, but even extra time doesn't mean the measure will pass. Full Story >>

Activity in the Bakken Shale helped North Dakota overtake the Sooner State as the third-most active state in drilling for oil and natural gas. Full Story >>

Battle lines are being drawn in the U.S. Senate, where Majority Leader Harry Reid and other Democratic leaders unveiled its energy bill. Full Story >>

The Gulf of Mexico oil spill has given environmentalists new hope in pushing for more stringent regulations on oil and gas production in the United States. Full Story >>

North Dakota's Earl Pomeroy, a noted Blue Dog Democrat the the U.S. House of Representatives, is asking leadership to turn down any new regulations on hydraulic fracturing. Full Story >>

BP's accident in the Gulf of Mexico could lead to tighter restrictions for onshore producers as lawmakers continue to weight the safety procedures for drilling. Full Story >>

The EPA's first meeting to determine the scope of the agency's study on hydraulic fracturing drew a crowd of 600 in Fort Worth, including OIPA's Angie Burckhalter. Full Story >>

A new study by consulting firms Tudor Pickering Holt and Reservoir Research Partners says new regulations on hydraulic fracturing, either at the state or federal level, would add $500,000 to the cost of every well drilled. Full Story >>

Thomas J. Pyle, the president of the Institute for Energy Research and the American Energy Alliance, says our nation has celebrated its independence while facing increasing dependence in our energy sector. Full Story >>

A bill by California Congressman Henry Waxman that would impose new regulation on both offshore and onshore drilling has been put on hold. Full Story >>

The EPA has announced four public informational meetings to seek stakeholder input into developing its proposed plan to study the relationship between hydraulic fracturing and drinking water. Stakeholders are requested to pre-register online at least 72 hours before each meeting. Full Story >>

More than 500 people attended the OIPA's 2010 Annual Meeting, and highlights from the conference are now available. Full Story >>

The Associated Press has put the Gulf oil leak in perspective, pointing out the amount of oil spilled into the Gulf would fill the New Orleans Superdome just one-seventh of the way up. Full Story >>

An award-winning film that takes on natural gas drilling will air on HBO tonight. Full Story >>

The U.S. Senate has defeated legislation that would have had detrimental affects on Oklahoma’s crude oil and natural gas industry and the state as a whole. Full Story >>

Oklahoma's Jim Inhofe showed his support for independent oil and natural gas producers on the Senate floor, defending the use of the expensing of intangible drilling costs and percentage depletion. Full Story >>

The spreading oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has environmentalists turning the tragedy into opportunity. Full Story >>

New York Congressman Maurice Hinchey continues to beat his hydraulic fracturing drum, this time sending a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urging her to push for a vote on his FRAC Act. Full Story >>

The country's natural gas production in March reached its highest level in 30 years the Energy Department has announced. Full Story >>

Rep. Diane DeGette, D-Colo., is expected to offer an amendment today in the House Energy and Commerce Committee requiring public disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing. Full Story >>

Pennsylvania lawmakers are mulling a severance tax on natural gas production as activity in the Marcellus Shale continues to ramp up. The state needs the money, at least according to the governor's office, to combat the criminals shipped into the state by drilling companies. Full Story >>

Natural gas is on the minds of American lawmakers, with the recently unveiled American Power Act including incentives for increased natural gas use. Full Story >>

North Dakota Governor John Hoeven has had a series of meetings with EPA leaders, telling them, effectively, that things are under control. Full Story >>

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid hasn't given up on climate change legislation and says his Democratic caucus will meet in June to discuss how to move the bill forward. Full Story >>

After analysts repeatedly said gasoline prices would pass the $3 mark this summer, it now appears fuel prices along with crude oil prices have peaked. Full Story >>

Outside, a magazine devoted to the people and politics of outdoor recreation, named Chesapeake Energy one of its 50 Best Places to Work. Full Story >>

As government and industry officials continue to weigh the environmental and economic impacts of BP's offshore accident that continues to leak oil into the Gulf, some lawmakers are, predictably, using the catastrophic event to push for alternative fuels and punishment for the oil and gas industry. Full Story >>

The OIPA's Wildcatter Invitational Golf Tournament was held April 26 at Oak Tree National with the team of Don Fischbach, Rick Muncrief, Ryburn McCullough, and Blake Nelson finishing in first place. Full Story >>

Plans by the Obama administration to scrap billions of dollars in tax provisions has independent producers across the nation, including Oklahoma's Devon Energy, up in arms, Full Story >>

New York Times energy correspondent Jad Mouawad says offshore drilling will not be slowed by the recent spill in the Gulf because the country needs the oil and the jobs. And don't forget the fact that most new oil discoveries lie deep beneath the world's oceans. Full Story >>

The head of the EPA defended the agency's newest study of hydraulic fracturing in Congress, saying the completion technique could contaminate water supplies. Full Story >>

Oklahoma Congressman John Sullivan, along with Arkansas Democrat Mike Ross, called on their fellow lawmakers to resist efforts to increase federal regulation on hydraulic fracturing. Full Story >>

Say what you want about illegal immigration, but this weekend the controversial subject forced Senators hoping to unveil climate change and energy legislation to change their plans. Full Story >>

Cushing oil storage tanks are all but overflowing, and storage costs have soaring to the highest level in four months. Full Story >>

OIPA board member Lew Ward will be the recipient of the Ronald Reagan Award, an award presented every other year, one to a man and one to a woman in Oklahoma by the Oklahoma Republican Party. Full Story >>

Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe continues to be the leading voice when it comes to opposing climate change legislation and in an interview with the political newspaper Politico, he continues his efforts. Full Story >>

T. Boone Pickens, the grand poobah of oil and gas prognostication, appeared before the House Ways and Means Committee, telling members of the powerful House committee the nation's energy policy should be focused on converting the nation's large trucks and buses to natural gas. Full Story >>

Senate leaders pushing for an energy bill that tackles climate change are pushing for an Earth Day deadline, and thanks to President Obama's recent move to open more of America’s coastlines to oil and natural gas production, negotiations are now focused on drilling. Full Story >>

Bowing to political pressure in North Dakota and Montana, TransCanada executives said they will consider letting oil producers there into the Keystone XL pipeline. Full Story >>

Forget Tulsa and Houston, Alberta and Beijing are becoming the new oil capitals of the world. Chinese companies are investing heavily in Canada's oil sands as crude prices move upwards and Asia's most-populated country searches for new energy sources to fuel its growth. Full Story >>

The U.S. military says the world will face serious oil shortages by 2015 in a Joint Operating Report from the US Joint Forces Command. Full Story >>

In the Fort Worth suburb of Mansfield, Texas, where urban natural gas drilling is prevalent thanks to the the Barnett Shale, city council members have asked Chesapeake Energy to spruce up its pad sites. With waterfalls. Full Story >>

The emergence of horizontal drilling has tapped new natural gas fields across the country as companies bore their way into shale basins. The newest find? North Carolina.
Full Story >>

Noted oilman and natural gas proponent T. Boone Pickens was too young for World War II and too old for Vietnam. But in his role as an energy evangelist, he's finally found a way to serve his country. Full Story >>

President Obama's announcement on offshore drilling has political and energy pundits across the nation offering opinions, and the Houston Chronicle's Loren Steffy says Obama's oil move raises more questions than answers. Full Story >>

In 2008, in the midst of a presidential campaign, Barack Obama blasted John McCain's proposal to increase oil and natural gas drilling off the coast of Florida. At the time, Obama said such a move would only "worsen our addiction to oil." Full Story >>

President Obama announced the opening more of America’s coastlines to oil and natural gas drilling, but his big news was met with skepticism from Oklahoma oil and gas producers, including a trio of OIPA board members. Full Story >>

Economics are driving large natural gas producers to seek more oil as natural gas prices continue to weaken. Full Story >>

Hydraulic fracturing and natural gas in general have become hot topics for documentary makers. Some show the benefits of energy exploration. Most don't. 
Full Story >>

CNBC Mad Money host Jim Cramer, a proponent of natural gas production, interviews New York Rep. Maurice Hinchey, questioning his support of additional hydraulic fracturing regulations. Full Story >>

After an exhausting debate on health care, Congressional leaders are looking to the energy industry to rally support for climate change legislation by including language that would protect hydraulic fracturing from additional EPA regulations. Full Story >>

Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe continues to be the leading advocate of the oil and natural gas industry in the nation's capital, defending the use of hydraulic fracturing and continuing his battle against Al Gore and global warming hysteria. Full Story >>

The Natural Resources Defense Council has investigated gasoline prices and determined Oklahoma residents are vulnerable to increased gasoline prices. Their answer to fix the problem, stringent climate and energy legislation that would all but end the use of crude oil as a source of transportaion fuel. Full Story >>

Gas-rich shales have been the recent focus of independent producers, and the expertise gained from gas production in the shale is now being used to drill for oil locked in similar formations. Full Story >>

Barbara Boxer, the Senate's leading cap-and-trade proponent and Sen. Jim Inhofe's nemesis on the Environment and Public Works Committee, is seeking her fourth term this year. Her primary opponent is former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, who's behind in the polls but leading in campaign ad creativity. Full Story >>

Oklahoma Congressman Dan Boren continues his support of the oil and natural gas industry, this time joining Pennsylvania's Tim Murphy in penning a letter to their House colleagues who continue to question hydraulic fracturing. Full Story >>

You know how environmentalists like to say hydraulic fracturing can lead to health problems, even though no one really has any proof? Turns out, folks in Iowa feel the same about wind power. Full Story >>

Exxon Mobil chief executive Rex Tillerson says efforts to convert America's automotive fuel of choice to natural gas is misguided. Instead, proponents of the fuel should be encouraging more natural gas power generation. Full Story >>

The Oklahoman, the state's largest newspaper, is an unabashed fan of natural gas. The paper's editorial board continued that support today, saying the nation's fossil fuel economy is far from extinct. Full Story >>

After watching its two largest competitors grow through mergers, Halliburton says it has no plans to make a major acquisition. Full Story >>

An editorial in Oklahoma's largest newspaper says praise for natural gas is good for the Sooner State. Full Story >>

After watching American energy companies start a shale gas revolution, Europe's biggest oil companies are combining the countryside in hopes of tapping gas reservoirs previously seen as untouchable. Full Story >>

Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas has joined Republican leaders in an attempt to prevent the EPA from regulating greenhouse gas emissions. Full Story >>

Leaders from the OIPA will be in the nation's capital this week as part of the IPAA's annual fly-in, a face-to-face lobbying campaign that will put independent producers in meetings with lawmakers and aides from about 70 congressional offices. Full Story >>

State Rep. Mike Thompson came to the defense of hydraulic fracturing in an opinion piece in The Oklahoman, saying federal investigations into the commonly-used oilfield technique have been driven by environmental extremists. Full Story >>

With natural gas all but left out of President Obama's initial energy plans, industry lobbyists have been hard at work over the past year promoting the clean-burning and abundant fuel, encouraging utilities to switch from coal to natural gas. Full Story >>

Oklahoma has seen it's fair share of winter weather recently. First, there was a blizzard in December. Then an ice storm in January. With more snow on the way, the state's senior senator, Jim Inhofe, is continuing his opposition to Al Gore and the former vice president's global warming theories.
Full Story >>

Hip-hop stars are leading a new charge for a sweeping climate and energy bill, with DJ Biz Markie (pictured) and will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas highlighting the joint efforts of environmentalists, urban advocates and pop stars focused on energy policy. Full Story >>

How Oklahoma uses proceeds from gross production taxes could be the key to a stable state budget, Speaker of the House Chris Benge said. Full Story >>

Remember when former OIPA Chairman Harold Hamm told us Canadian oil would erode the market for Oklahoma crude? Well, the Canadians must have heard it too, because they're saying the same thing about American natural gas. Full Story >>

OIPA President Mike Terry answered questions about hydraulic fracturing from the state's largest newspaper. Full Story >>

The Wyoming House of Representatives has sent a bill to the Senate that would levy a tax on the state's wind energy production. Full Story >>

The two Congressman who brought you cap-and-trade and now turning their attention to hydraulic fracturing. Full Story >>

Energy company mergers have made headlines in recent months, with Exxon Mobil buying XTO Energy for $31 billion and Total paying $800 million for a share in Chesapeake Energy’s Barnett shale gas holdings. And some analysts say the number of mergers will continue to increase.
Full Story >>

The state of Texas is suing the EPA, saying the federal agency used tainted data when ruling that greenhouse gases threaten the public. Full Story >>

State Senator Tom Adelson came up with a novel way of helping the state overcome it's current economic strife. His idea is to increase taxes on the industry that already accounts for roughly 25 percent of all taxes paid in Oklahoma. Full Story >>

An EPA director says state regulators are doing a good job overseeing hydraulic fracturing and there's no evidence the process causes water contamination. Full Story >>

Facing a budget shortfall of historic proportions, Oklahoma lawmakers got some much-needed good news thanks to the oil and natural gas industry. Full Story >>

What's the definition of irony? Washington's blizzard forced the cancellation of a Senate committee hearing on climate change. Full Story >>

The nation's Chamber of Commerce will challenge the EPA's decision to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act, the first step in challenging the Obama administration on global warming. Full Story >>

The Obama administration's defense review mentions "climate change" 19 times, dedicating three of the review's 105 pages to the topic. As a comparison, China was mentioned 11 times, Iran five, Russia four and North Korea three times. Full Story >>

Bernard Weinstein, the associate director of the Maguire Energy Institute, says Obama's energy plans threaten the nation's economy and security. Full Story >>

Boone Pickens, the keynote speaker at the 2007 Annual Meeting, and Robert Bryce, the author who headlined the 2008 Fall Conference, have differing views on America's energy independence. Full Story >>

With the nation's environmental attention focused for the moment on hydraulic fracturing, one Canadian company claims it has a solution. Full Story >>

Former OIPA Chairman Mike Smith, who now heads the IOGCC, came to the defense of hydraulic fracturing during a Q&A with the state's largest newspaper. Smith says the 60-year-old technology has proven to be safe, and additional regulations would result in an expensive delay for oil and gas producers. Full Story >>

Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe isn't upset Rolling Stone called him one of the "planet's worst enemies." He is, however, a little peeved he wasn't ranked higher. Full Story >>

In a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Oklahoma Congressman Dan Boren announced his opposition to rule changes regarding domestic oil and gas production on federal lands. Full Story >>

A two-ton ice sculpture has returned to the front of a Fairbanks, Alaska, liquor store. Full Story >>

Industry and market research firm IBISWorld recently identified the best-performing industries for 2010 and oil and gas production made the list. Full Story >>

You know there's people out there that hate "Big Oil." They also hate "Big Tobacco." What if they could hate both at the same time? Full Story >>

Presentations from the 2009 Mid-Continent Coalbed Methane and Shale Gas Symposium are now available. Full Story >>

Shale gas exploration got the attention of Fox News' "Job Hunt" series, with the news network exploring "the new American gold rush of the 21st century." Full Story >>

A pair of Democratic Senators announced they would not seek re-election and Republicans are already favored to take one seat. Full Story >>

America's march toward a green energy future is moving at a turtle's pace, literally. Full Story >>

The Natural Resources Defense Council is threatening to sue New York if the state approves proposed rules for natural gas development in the Marcellus Shale. Full Story >>

Election-year politics will slow down attempts at broad climate-change legislation and could derail the effort altogether. Full Story >>

You know how everything we really, really like now causes global warming — our cars, our jobs, our drilling rigs. Well, Christmas isn't exempt. Full Story >>

This isn't technically oil and gas related, but it is an interesting look at the world of politics. Full Story >>

The Oklahoman, the state's largest newspaper, is on board with promoting natural gas. Full Story >>

Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe spent 18 hours in the air and four hours on the ground for the United Nations climate change meeting ensuring his point of view was heard. Full Story >>

Exxon's planned purchase of XTO could hinge on Congress putting more regulations on hydraulic fracturing. Full Story >>

Twenty-two Democratic Congressmen have sent a letter to EPA head Lisa Jackson with their advice on the agency's review of hydraulic fracturing. Full Story >>

Bronco Drilling's in-house musician Jeff Wood has a new album, and proceeds from its sale will benefit children's charities. Full Story >>

The success of natural gas production from shale formations has two U.S. companies heading overseas. Full Story >>

A new film explores the financial and personal impact of the Haynesville shale. Full Story >>

Exxon took a big step in its entry into shale gas production with today's announcement the major oil producer will purchase XTO. Full Story >>

The "Climate-gate" scandal has shined a new light on the science of climate change, and people are taking notice. Full Story >>

Tulsa-based SemGroup has emerged from 16 months of bankruptcy with a new leader, a new corporate structure and a mission to rebuild its name. Full Story >>

A year and a half ago, gasoline prices in Oklahoma were pushing $4, and many energy experts said those record prices would put an end to our love affair with the pick-up and SUV. It didn't. Full Story >>

Every year we hope a long, cold winter drives up the demand for Oklahoma's natural gas. Turns out, seasonal weather trends may not have that much of an impact. Full Story >>

Many TV weather presenters have shied away from the topic of climate change, but a New York Times report says that may be changing. Full Story >>

We've heard a lot of wacky theories from global warming alarmists, but this one might be the wackiest. Full Story >>

Oil flows beneath Los Angeles, but few people realize how close they are to the urban drilling. Full Story >>

The OIPA's favorite filmmakers are back in the news, this time penning an op-ed criticizing the environmental hysteria aimed and oil and gas. Full Story >>

While we're in the 60s, here's Popeye proving that success in the oilfield is sometimes the result of a little luck and a lot of brute strength. Full Story >>

In a show of irony, here's a 1962 Humble Oil advertisement. Full Story >>

Plans for a giant wind farm in Texas will create thousands of jobs, but most of them will be in China. Full Story >>

A federal judge will not debate the topic of global warming in the case of a college student charged with disrupting an auction of oil and natural gas leases. Full Story >>

Devon Energy's announcement that it would sell all of it offshore and international properties may have some major oil companies thinking merger. Full Story >>

The life of OIPA board member Melvin Moran is the subject of a new book. Full Story >>

A husband/wife team of EPA lawyers have been told to make changes to a YouTube video they posted that is critical of climate change legislation. Full Story >>

A New York City public hearing on natural gas drilling descends into chaos. Maybe it is true if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. Full Story >>

Senate Democrats have now said time has run out for climate change legislation this year. Full Story >>

OIPA board member Dewey Bartlett will be Tulsa's next mayor after defeating Tom Adelson in Tuesday's election. Full Story >>

An unnamed source in an English newspaper says the International Energy Agency has underplayed a looming shortage of crude oil. Full Story >>

Environmentalists are celebrating the appointment of Dr. Al Armendariz as the EPA's Region 6 administrator. Full Story >>

The push for alternative energy sources will mean a glut of natural gas according to the International Energy Agency. Full Story >>

The push for climate change legislation has fallen so far down the list of priorities in Congress one key committee chairman says it might have to wait until after the 2010 elections. Full Story >>

Harold Hamm isn't the only one who is worried about the impact of TransCanada's Keystone pipeline. Full Story >>

Arthur Berman, the Sugar Land, Texas, consultant who made headlines when he said production from shale plays may not be the long-term answer to the country's energy woes, is out of a job at World Oil Magazine, and he claims it was pressure from Petrohawk Energy that ended his tenure as a contributing writer. Full Story >>

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will begin work today on climate change legislation despite the threat of a boycott from Republican members of the committee. Full Story >>

Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson, saying his constituents have not been sold on a cap-and-trady system, has announced the climate bills offered will not pass the Congress this session. Full Story >>

Oklahoma Congressman Dan Boren appeared on CNBC's "Mad Money," touting natural gas as an important fuel source for the nation's future and debunking concerns about hydraulic fracturing. Full Story >>

T. Boone Pickens returned to his alma mater in one of his final town hall meetings to promote the Pickens Plan. Full Story >>

Led by Oklahoma's Jim Inhofe, Republican members of the Senate's environmental committee are threatening a boycott to slow the advancement of the Senate's climate change bill Full Story >>

U.S. Energy Department data says North Dakota has surpassed Louisiana as the fourth-largest oil-producing state in the nation. Full Story >>

As his Senate environment committee takes up climate change legislation, Sen. Jim Inhofe has found himself at the center of the storm. Full Story >>

SemGroup received court approval on Monday for its reorganization plan, clearing the way for it to exit bankruptcy after 15 months of feuding. Full Story >>

Former Vice President Al Gore and his global warming compatriots have blamed the use of fossil fuels for destroying the habitat of polar bears. Now the bears are fighting back. Full Story >>

Oklahoma City has been touted as recession proof and much of the state's economic buffer relies on the energy industry. Full Story >>

Green is taking on green in West Virginia, where environmentalists are fighting the construction of a wind farm. Full Story >>

House Speaker Chris Benge testified before Congress about his legislative efforts to secure natural gas as a viable transportation alternative fuel option as opposed to foreign oil. Full Story >>

Oklahoma lawmakers have authored a bill that would ease regulations on natural gas conversion kits for vehicles. Full Story >>

GQ, the men's magazine focused on fashion, has got a thing for Oklahoma's junior senator. Full Story >>

With House and Senate versions of a bill and the EPA threatening to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, climate change has become a popular topic in Washington. Everywhere else, not so much. Full Story >>

A court ruling from the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans may open the floodgates for lawsuits against oil and gas producers. Full Story >>

In The Oklahoman's editorial pages, a pair of energy experts weighed in on the issues facing the state's oil and natural gas producers. Full Story >>

The nation's energy policy debate has become a showdown between Ds and Rs in Washington, but natural gas producers may have one of their biggest proponents in President Obama's White House Chief of Staff. Full Story >>

South Carolina's Lindsey Graham has become the GOP's newest Senate maverick. The man who replaced Strom Thurmond in office has discussed legislative compromises with Sen. John Kerry in negotiations on the Senate's climate bill giving Democrats hope that they've found the missing link in defeating a Senate filibuster. Full Story >>

Phelim McAleer, one of the two Irish filmmakers who served as the keynote speakers at the OIPA's 2009 Annual Meeting, got his chance to question former Vice President Al Gore on Gore's documentary "An Inconvenient Truth." It didn't go so well. Full Story >>

CNBC's "Mad Money" man Jim Cramer says King Coal is in store for a let down, and natural gas is waiting in the wings to take its place as America's fuel source of choice. Full Story >>

Boone Pickens, the CEO of BP Capital and notorious OSU supporter, says oil prices will continue to climb. Full Story >>

The climate change debate has reached the classroom, and according to New York middle schoolers, we're all going to die. Full Story >>

Unconventional gas production already makes up close to 40 percent of U.S. natural gas output. And that number is only going to rise in the coming years. Full Story >>

Presentations from the 2009 OIPA Fall conference are now available to download. Full Story >>

There's a new villian in the oil patch and America is watching. Full Story >>

Which way are natural gas prices going? It depends on who you ask.
Full Story >>

The future of the Senate's cap-and-trade bill will rely on the decision of 21 'fence sitters.'
Full Story >>

The U.S. Senate will unveil it's official version of climate change legislation today, but an unofficial debut of the bill has already caused a stir. Full Story >>

Shale plays have gotten the attention of independent oil and natural gas producers, and now "Big Oil" is eyeing shale basins.
Full Story >>

Executives from the nation's largest energy producers are ramping up their efforts to promote natural gas in Washington, D.C.
Full Story >>

Michael Morris, president of AEP, says climate change legislation could be a good thing. If written correctly, action from Congress would at least keep the EPA from regulating carbon dioxide under the Clean Air Act. Full Story >>

An agreement between SemGroup and the bankruptcy court's Producers Committee may allow Oklahoma oil and gas producers to receive some of the millions of dollars they are seeking by late this year or early 2010. Full Story >>

During a speech on the Senate floor earlier this month, Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe read a number of quotes from Democrats raising concerns with cap-and-trade. Full Story >>

A new study released this week points out the obvious, saying the oil and natural gas industry is really, really important to the United States.
Full Story >>

OERB has launched a new line of television, radio and print ads aimed at educating the public about America’s factual and realistic energy situation.
Full Story >>

OIPA board of directors member Dewey Bartlett is one step closer to becoming Tulsa's mayor.
Full Story >>

Natural gas producers have been touting the product they produce for years, uncovering vast new reserves and encouraging utilities to use the low-cost fuel for electricity generation.
Full Story >>

OIPA board of directors member Pete Brown will be the newest member of the Wildcatters Hall of Honor. Full Story >>

Prominent peak oil expert Matthew Simmons may be on the losing end of a bet he made on the price of oil in 2010. Full Story >>

Baker Hughes' $5.5 billion bid for BJ Services could be a sign of good things to come for natural gas producers.
Full Story >>

The property assessor in Louisiana's Terrebonne Parish has sued 31 oil and gas companies for more than $100 million based on information provided by Oklahoma-based Visual Lease Services.
Full Story >>

Independent producers remain under attack in President Obama's proposed budget.
Full Story >>

U.S. Reps. Mary Fallin and Jason Altmire led a field hearing on the nation's energy policy and its impact on small business Tuesday, and the OIPA was well represented.
Full Story >>

OIPA board of directors member Dewey Bartlett was called "head-and-shoulders the best choice" in Tulsa's Republican mayoral primary.
Full Story >>

Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe continues the argument against cap-and-trade legislation and is one of hundreds of lawmakers on all levels of government to sign the Americans for Prosperity "No Climate Tax Pledge."
Full Story >>

Hundreds of people showed up in Houston Tuesday for a lunchtime rally that served as a celebration of the oil and natural gas industry and a protest against Washington's energy policies.
Full Story >>

Tulsa-based oil and gas explorer and producer Arena Resources Inc., an OIPA member company, will be one of five companies profiled in a CNBC special on the nation's fastest-growing companies. Full Story >>

American Solutions, an organization led by Newt Gingrich, is pushing to defeat cap-and-trade legislation, calling the bill a tax on energy. Full Story >>

Coal's well-funded lobbying group today launched a television ad campaign featuring ordinary people talking about the importance of low-cost electricity. Full Story >>

U.S. Rep. John Sullivan has criticized a recently-released report that claims Oklahoma is one of 10 states not currently working toward reducing its dependency on oil. Full Story >>

Oklahoma City's employment rate is low and personal income is soaring thanks, in part, to the state's oil and natural gas industry. Full Story >>

U.S. EPA Adminstrator Lisa Jackson has denied a request from Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe to perform a new economic analysis of the House-passed climate and energy bill. Full Story >>

The western U.S. has become a breeding ground for opposition to the oil and natural gas industry, and the newest attack comes on film. Full Story >>

Ten moderate Senate Democrats from states dependent on coal and manufacturing sent a letter to President Obama saying they would not support any climate change bill that did not protect American industries from competition from countries that did not impose similar restraints on climate-altering gases. Full Story >>

The OIPA’s Wildcatters Wednesday luncheons resume in September at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club. Full Story >>

Second quarter 2009 earnings reports clearly show the recession's impact on the energy sector. Full Story >>

The International Energy Agency says global oil production is likely to peak in 10 years — a decade earlier than most governments estimate. Full Story >>

A stream of new money flowed into the U.S. House of Representatives during debate on the recently-passed cap-and-trade bill, and millions of dollars of fresh cash came from groups hiring climate lobbyists for the first time. Full Story >>

Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson has asked an appeals court to let the state Supreme Court, instead of a federal bankruptcy judge, decide laws determining hundreds of millions of dollars owed to oil and gas producers following SemGroup's 2008 bankruptcy. Full Story >>

Members of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission were told an increased flow of crude oil into Cushing could have a major impact on Oklahoma producers, and OIPA leaders spelled out the potential problem during a special meeting called by Commissioner Jeff Cloud. Full Story >>

U.S. Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, delivered a floor speech highlighting the nation's vast reserve of energy resources recoverable through hydraulic fracturing techniques. Full Story >>

OIPA board member and Bronco Drilling CEO Frank Harrison was the focus of The Oklahoman's most recent Executive Q&A. Full Story >>

Oklahoma's Corporation Commissioners have already joined the growing list of those opposed to federal regulation of hydraulic fracturing, and now they're signing up their friends. Full Story >>

Only 14 of the 54 oil producing nations in the world are still increasing their oil production. Full Story >>

In the global warming debate, sparsely populated North Dakota could prove to be the deciding factor. With two Democratic Senators, both of whom sit on committees holding court on the House climate bill, the state known for its badlands could possess crucial swing votes. Full Story >>

In 1969, a nuclear device three times as powerful as the bomb dropped on Hiroshima was detonated 8,400 feet below Colorado. Today, Colorado's gas rich Piceance Basin is drawing producers, putting it at the heart of the hydraulic fracturing debate. Full Story >>

The CEOs of two of the largest oilfield service companies in the country offer slightly differing views on the near future of the industry. Full Story >>

Natural gas producers have found an unlikely ally in noted environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy, the Natural Resources Defense Council's senior attorney and head of water conservation group Waterkeepers. Full Story >>

Oklahoma's lone Democrat in Washington, D.C., Congressman Dan Boren gave a less-than-enthusiastic appraisal of his party's energy proposals. Full Story >>

A Senate hearing on clean energy went awry, when Harry Alford, the president and chief executive of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, claimed the discussion was tinged with racial overtones. Full Story >>

New York billionaire John Catsimatidis is stepping out of the Semgroup LP re-organization and will resign from the company's management committee. Full Story >>

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission has announced when its offices will be closed and employees placed on unpaid furlough because of funding cuts. Full Story >>

Lower natural gas prices are making an impact on Oklahoma's budget, and Treasurer Scott Meacham says a budget shortfall is probable in coming months. Full Story >>

An amended reorganization plan filed by SemGroup LP gives oil and natural gas producers more for the oil sold to the marketing company prior to its bankruptcy. But the 8 cents on the dollar offer is far short of the $414 million owed. Full Story >>

OIPA board member Dewey Bartlett Jr. was one of eight people to officially enter the Tulsa mayor's race. Full Story >>

The much-publicized death of Michael Jackson has shined a new light on estate taxes as experts sort through his holdings with an eye on the tax bill they will generate. Full Story >>

The House-approved cap-and-trade legislation already faces a battle in the U.S. Senate, and now, former proponents of the idea are reluctant to support the bill. Full Story >>

One year ago, crude oil prices reached a historic high. Market volatility followed, and the ups and downs of the crude oil market over the past year has proven difficult for producers. Full Story >>

U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette is moving ahead with her bill to put hydraulic fracturing under federal oversight while also seeking a study to gather more data on the practice. Full Story >>

An EPA research analyst claims his report on global warming was squashed by supervisors fearing a “very negative impact" on the agency. Full Story >>

Will Work With Oklahoma's senior Senator says his colleagues will pass a bill this year promoting the use of natural gas as transportation fuel. Full Story >>

The U.S. Congressman, opposed to changes in the regulation of hydraulic fracturing, tours a Chesapeake drilling site in the Haynesville Shale. Full Story >>

OPEC says the drop in crude oil demand worldwide will take four years to recover. Full Story >>

Devon Energy CEO Larry Nichols says cap-and-trade bill unfairly targets oil and natural gas producers. Full Story >>

Federal regulation of hydraulic fracturing would cost the United States billions of dollars and decrease oil and natural gas exploration by 20 percent. Full Story >>

The International Energy Agency says global demand for crude oil over the next five years will be lower than previously forecast. Full Story >>