Business

AUSTIN—The state of Texas is beginning its first-ever regional flood-planning process, and the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) is looking for nominees to be considered for membership in the 15 planning groups.

McNeill is a sixth-generation rancher who grew up working on a commercial cow/calf ranch in southeastern New Mexico and West Texas. McNeill Ranch began using Texas Range Minerals in 1994. Over time, McNeill has seen the results of their specialized mineral program on production and the bottom line.

More than 26,000 employees working in the Texas oil and gas industry lost their jobs in April as the coronavirus outbreak has shuttered global oil demand, the Houston Chronicle first reported.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Thursday it would “provide up to $1 billion in loan guarantees to help rural businesses and farmers meet their working capital needs during the pandemic ... with money from the $2 trillion coronavirus relief package,” Chuck Abbott reports for Successful Farming. “The new program is patterned on USDA’s existing business and industry program but with a higher loan guarantee level and lower requirements for collateral. Loan guarantees assure lenders that the government will pay off a loan if the borrower cannot.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue this week announced details of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which will provide up to $16 billion in direct payments to deliver relief to America’s farmers and ranchers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller announced this week that Apache Oil Corporation of Houston has donated $56,000 to six rural West Texas Hospitals. The donation was made to help those hospitals meet supply needs in the battle against the coronavirus.

AUSTIN—The Texas Railroad Commission issued a total of 456 original drilling permits in April 2020, compared to 909 in April 2019—a 50 percent decrease. The total includes 416 permits to drill new oil or gas wells, two to re-enter plugged well bores, and 27 for recompletions of existing well bores. Those permits included 97 oil, 15 gas, 311 oil or gas, 15 injection, and 18 other permits.

Reprinted from The Rural Blog (irjci.blogspot.com)

Reprinted from The Rural Blog (irjci.blogspot.com)