CROSBY, Texas (AP) — President Donald Trump’s support for shifting more power to states took a back seat Wednesday to his affinity for oil and gas production as he aimed to make it harder for states to block pipelines and other energy projects due to environmental concerns. At the urging of business groups, Trump signed two executive orders designed to …

LOVINGTON — Jason Ganaway was 10 years old when he would stand on a bucket and help his dad, Michael, dress hamburger buns. That was 26 years ago, when Jason’s grandfather Earl owned Olé Jax Drive Inn in Lovington. Year’s later Michael bought the restaurant from Earl and ran one of Lovington’s favorite spots to spend time with friends, enjoy …

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A judge blocked oil and gas drilling across almost 500 square miles (1,295 sq. kilometers) in Wyoming and said the U.S. government must consider climate change impacts more broadly as it leases huge swaths of public land for energy exploration. The order marks the latest in a string of court rulings over the past decade — …

Bipartisan vote spikes bill to raise oil and gas royalties By Andrew Oxford aoxford@sfnewmexican.com A handful of Democrats joined with Republicans at the Legislature on Friday to quash a bill that would have allowed the state to charge higher royalty rates on some oil and gas production. The first committee hearing for House Bill 398 turned into a showdown between …

Exxon, Qatar Petroleum to expand LNG export plant in Texas DALLAS (AP) — Exxon Mobil is making a big bet on the future of exporting natural gas. Exxon and Qatar Petroleum announced Tuesday that they will go ahead with a $10 billion project to export liquefied natural gas from a plant on the Texas Gulf Coast. The companies said construction …

DALLAS (AP) — Exxon Mobil increased revenue during a volatile fourth quarter for world oil markets, but profit fell 28 percent from a year earlier, when Exxon booked a huge gain from lower corporate tax rates. The earnings topped Wall Street expectations, however, and capped Exxon’s most profitable year since 2014. The shares rose $2.64, or 3.6 percent, to close …

$330 million potash mine moving forward For years the idea of potash mining in southern Lea County was met with head-shakes and raised eyebrows and the general idea of believing it when it happens. Last week PolyNatura made the idea closer to reality by announcing it has entered into an agreement with the Nitron Group, LLC., for the supply of …

Sons following their dads in a career path is pretty typical in today’s financial advisor world. Not so much for daughters following their moms. However Summer North did it and she’s pretty happy she did. Summer has been an Edward Jones financial planner for four years and on Thursday, she opened her new location at 3401 N. Grimes to a …

NEW YORK (AP) — Sears will live on— at least for now. The company’s chairman and largest shareholder, Eddie Lampert, won a bankruptcy auction for Sears, averting liquidation of the iconic chain, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. The person agreed to speak on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the negotiation publicly. Lampert, …

Lawsuit: Company knew rig was unsafe before explosion QUINTON, Okla. (AP) — Drilling company officials ignored multiple warnings that safety equipment at an Oklahoma gas well was malfunctioning before an explosion that killed five workers and badly injured another, the family of one of the dead workers contends in a recent court filing. Parker Waldridge’s family alleges in a Dec. …