Courts Will Take Up Case of Fracking v. Drilling
Legal wrangling over Denton's fracking ban will give Texans a free course on the widely mischaracterized oilfield technique that put Texas at the forefront a national energy boom.
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Jim Malewitz covers energy for the Tribune. Before arriving, he spent two years covering energy and environmental issues for Stateline, a nonprofit news service in Washington, D.C., where his work also appeared in The Washington Post and Chicago Tribune, among other newspapers. A native of Michigan, Jim has an undergraduate degree from Grinnell College in Iowa, where he played varsity baseball. He also holds a master’s from the University of Iowa, where he helped launch the nonprofit Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism. Jim loves tacos and barbecue, making him a good match for Austin’s eating scene. However, he remains on the lookout for great waffles.
Legal wrangling over Denton's fracking ban will give Texans a free course on the widely mischaracterized oilfield technique that put Texas at the forefront a national energy boom.
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Advances in oilfield technology have reawakened Big Lake, a town that long ago helped cement Texas’ reputation as an oil-rich state. Soar a few hundred feet above the town to see how it has evolved. This slideshow is part of our Shale Life project.
Full StoryThe Southwest Area Regional Transit District helps shuttle people who cannot otherwise get to their medical appointments. But a rush to the Eagle Ford Shale is clogging that lifeline. This story is part of our Shale Life project.
Full StorySome Texas towns are welcoming the bars, strip clubs and “man camps” that come along with an oil boom. Not Karnes City, which wants businesses that will stick around when the oil is gone. This story is part of our Shale Life project.
Full StoryThat was fast. Just hours after Denton residents voted to ban hydraulic fracturing, the state’s General Land Office and biggest petroleum group filed legal challenges to the new rule.
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Denton on Tuesday became the state’s first city to ban hydraulic fracturing, setting up a high-profile property clash likely to be fought in courtrooms and the Legislature.
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Wendy Davis on Tuesday lost a bit more than her gubernatorial race. Her vacated Texas Senate seat flipped to Republicans on a rough night for Democrats in legislative races.
Full StoryThe oil and gas industry almost singlehandedly lifted Texas from the country’s last recession. But how long will the bonanza last? And will an eventual drop in oil prices decimate local economies? This story is part of our Shale Life project.
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Hey, Texplainer: I heard that oil prices are plunging – down more than 20 percent since June. What does that mean for the state budget?
Full StoryMark Miller, a Libertarian running for railroad commissioner, is no fan of the commission’s latest effort to address earthquakes possibly linked to disposal wells for oilfield waste.
Full StoryThe legendary oilman reflects on plunging oil prices, cranky folks in Denton and silly congressmen.
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The state's drilling and fracking frenzy is raising questions about safety, earthquakes and water use. That's raising the stakes for this year's Railroad Commission race.
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Texas regulators on Tuesday tightened rules for wells that dispose of oilfield waste, a response to the spate of earthquakes that have rattled North Texas.
Full StoryA steep drop in crude oil prices threatens to slow drilling in some U.S. oilfields, but officials in Texas' hottest shale plays say they're not worried.
After calling for an end to subsidies for wind energy production, the Texas comptroller will soon release a report that could rekindle debate surrounding Texas’ largest incentive for natural gas producers.
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