oil & gas

Emergency officials in Lincoln County, New Mexico have confirmed four people died in a medical transport plane crash northeast of Ruidoso yesterday. The cause of the plane crash remains under investigation. After approval from the U.S. House, a bill permitting year-round sales of up to 15% ethanol gasoline blends is heading to the Senate. Harvest Public Media’s Macy Byars reports supporters say this could boost the farm economy and give consumers cheaper options at the gas pump.

The Strait of Hormuz, a vital trade passageway, remains virtually closed due to the war in Iran. That's driven up the prices of key agricultural necessities, which could remain high into next year.

A federal appeals court has upheld a Texas law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in every public-school classroom in the state. Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider reports the ruling has significant implications for long-established ideas of the separation of church and state. Meanwhile a federal grand jury in Lubbock has indicted 14 people from Texas and Eastern New Mexico under allegations of conspiracy to sell stolen crude oil across state lines.

The AI boom has dominated conversations at CERAWeek, the annual energy conference in Houston.

The Trump administration recently announced it would release 172 million barrels of oil from the United States' Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which is located along the Gulf Coast, including two sites in Texas.

Members of the International Energy Agency have announced a coordinated release of 400 million barrels of stockpiled oil in an attempt to counter the disruption in oil trade triggered by the Iran war.

Texas' status as the nation's largest oil producer will partially insulate its residents from some gas price hikes, but it's not immune to disruptions, experts say.

Last month, Lubbock County Commissioners passed an amendment to the game room ordinance which went into effect in May 2025. Our Brad Burt reports that one Lubbock game room owner has filed a lawsuit, claiming the new rules are unenforceable under the Texas and U.S. Constitutions. The U.S.-Israeli war in the middle east is influencing gas prices in Texas. Prices for regular unleaded gas in Lubbock increased by about 40 cents over the last week, according to AAA.

It took a man actively trying not to find oil to make the biggest oil discovery in U.S. history.

Domestic producers say it’s time for more investment in oil and gas, but supporters of clean energy argue it may not drive down consumer costs — and could lock the U.S. into an oil-dependent future.