This is just something I have put together myself, this is not from a credited source other than me, but I have been putting some things together.

Linn Energy relocated to Houston in 2006 with about 200 employees, and has grown to 800+ since then [out of space]. Linn Energy announced this week that they have acquired the company known as Berry Petroleum, located in Denver CO that has 300+ employees.

Linn currently leases space in primarily the JPMorgan Chase Tower in Houston.

This is from September last year (2012):
The 75-story tower, Houston’s tallest office building, is now more than 96 percent leased. The increase in occupancy is in large part due to the tower’s most rapidly growing tenant, Linn Energy , which recently signed a lease expansion for 58,944 square feet, bringing their total leased space in the tower to approximately 175,000 square feet. Their initial lease seven years ago was for 3,044 square feet.


Perhaps there is a chance Linn Energy is trying to move somewhere centrally for all their growth and new acquirement of employees?

ITS NOT LINN ENERGY! They bought out the Mid-Continent assets of Dominion Exploratoin and Production, which had all of the mid-continent offices here on Memorial. They have slowly been more and more of those employees to Houston. They just this last week moved some more to Houston. So it is not them! IT IS NOT LINN!

It is not SHELL and it is Not Exxon! They are all focused on having offices in Houstons! Now ConocoPhillips or Phillips66 are better chances of moving to OKC, but I don't think it is them either.

I have a friend in the oil business and so I said to him today, "If I told you a new company was moving to town and looking for land downtown, what would be your guess?" He immediately said "Shell. They've been sniffing around OKC."

I would assuming having some of their operations based here would not preclude a major presence elsewhere.

I asked my dad who is a higher up at Gulfport (which does a lot of production in Canada, the Gulf and up in the Midwest, particularly Ohio) and he said he didn't know of any big oil companies. But he's so busy, I doubt he really pays too much attention to it all OR he's playing dead so I won't spill the beans on here, lol.

I'm concerned about Continental not bidding for Stage Center. It might mean that they simply don't intend to build a tower, right now anyway. They may be content with spreading their employees around the available office space downtown.

And since we don't know the company that is purchasing the Stage Center site, we don't know their plans for it either. May not be a tower at all.

Color me worried.

I'm concerned about Continental not bidding for Stage Center. It might mean that they simply don't intend to build a tower, right now anyway. They may be content with spreading their employees around the available office space downtown.

And since we don't know the company that is purchasing the Stage Center site, we don't know their plans for it either. May not be a tower at all.

Color me worried.

Continental has barely been downtown for a year, Give them a break. It took Devon 20 years downtown to build a tower. Though the energy business is considerably different now, Devon was spread out all over downtown before building a tower and had considerably more employees than continental does now. Continental is rapidly growing, but I don't think we'll see anything out of them for a year or so. Having said that, downtown office space is a lot tighter than it was 5 years ago so I don't know if being that spead out is even possible anymore. Though If something happened to sandridge, that would provide them a larger building to expand into. There are so many different variables right now that its kind of ridiculous to get that worried about it right now. Besides, Steve has said on multiple occasions that whoever is bidding on the stage center site intends to build a tower on it.

Continental has barely been downtown for a year, Give them a break.

I'm not jumping on Continental. They can do whatever they want. I'm just expressing concern about one tower that I thought would be built that now may not be.



Besides, Steve has said on multiple occasions that whoever is bidding on the stage center site intends to build a tower on it.

Has he? I don't remember him ever saying that. I know that he has been saying that a new tower is in the works, and that Stage Center is one of the possible sites. But I don't recall him specifically saying that the Stage Center site buyer is for sure building a tower.

Steve Lackmeyer 10:36 a.m. A whole half hour before anyone hit me with a tower question. You folks are getting slow to the draw. A councilman recently (and jokingly) accused me of being "sadistic" and teasing readers with just tidbits about the tower. I try to give you what I can, and I not intended to tease at all!
So, all of you, who are great readers, who make OKC Central a great discussion, keep hitting me with new creative questions aimed at dragging more information from me.
I'm going to stick with what I've said: a deal is being done, but it's not done yet. It will involve the Stage Center site. Other groups/companies are interested in building high-rises downtown beyond the one in the works for the Stage Center site. But I cannot say with certainty whether they will be built. We have too many moving pieces right now, and too much uncertainty involving Chesapeake Energy and SandRidge Energy.
From Steve's chat on Friday re: mystery tower

Sometimes it's best to just take a chill pill and study the information to verify if what you believe is true is indeed true, Praedura. ;)

From Steve's chat on Friday re: mystery tower

Thanks. I think last Friday's chat was one of the few that I actually hadn't read yet. In any event, I've read so much speculation on this (and other projects) that it's all a swirl in my head.

Well, that's good news!

39 days, 18 hours, 49 minutes.....

Generic Calendar/Clock - Countdown to Apr 5, 2013 9:04 AM in Oklahoma City (http://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20130405T0904&p0=184&msg=Steve+Promised)

:wink:

Sinopec.

Sinopec to Buy Chesapeake Energy Assets for $1.02 Billion - Bloomberg (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-25/sinopec-to-buy-chesapeake-oil-and-gas-assets-for-1-02-billion.html)

You know what is funny, the pro-drill baby drill people think increasing US production will get us off foriegn oil and drive prices down here in the US but increasingly the people who will actually be doing the drilling are Chineese companies and they are going to send the oil to China.


Chinese companies are seeking energy assets globally to lock in supplies for the world’s fastest growing major economy and learn how to access technology to retrieve fuel trapped in rocks that has driven U.S. oil production to the highest in almost 21 years.

Sinopec is not operating the Miss plays with Devon or CHK. They do not need a lot of physical support staff in OKC. I believe they only have about 5-10 people in OKC supporting the Devon JV.

deleted by me.

If you read between the lines, Aubrey's "philosophical differences" with the reconstituted board may very well have been over then-formulating moves like this, with others yet to play out. It totally fits the script. Ironic that CHK shares took it in the shorts on an asset sale by the "new and improved" board.

You know what is funny, the pro-drill baby drill people think increasing US production will get us off foriegn oil and drive prices down here in the US but increasingly the people who will actually be doing the drilling are Chineese companies and they are going to send the oil to China.

FYI, these are investment JV transactions. The foreign companies as of right now are not drilling or opperating anything nor are they exporting oil to china etc. They are financing CHK's operations and profiting from the sale of the product domestically, that is the intent. It's not any different than if Conoco decided to buy into 50% of CHK's miss play. Its a 50% working interest across the play. In reality it might actually help drop the price by bringing more oil to the market, doubt it though as oil is a globally traded commodity. Some speculate that international companies are buying in so that they can learn how to expoit these types of reservoirs from American companies that has the technology and knowledge of how to do so, then bring it back to their countries.

If you read between the lines, Aubrey's "philosophical differences" with the reconstituted board may very well have been over then-formulating moves like this, with others yet to play out. It totally fits the script. Ironic that CHK shares took it in the shorts on an asset sale by the "new and improved" board.

Aubrey was doing deals like this years prior to the board shake up and his resignation.

FYI, these are investment JV transactions. The foreign companies as of right now are not drilling or opperating anything nor are they exporting oil to china etc. They are financing CHK's operations and profiting from the sale of the product domestically, that is the intent. It's not any different than if Conoco decided to buy into 50% of CHK's miss play. Its a 50% working interest across the play. In reality it might actually help drop the price by bringing more oil to the market, doubt it though as oil is a globally traded commodity. Some speculate that international companies are buying in so that they can learn how to expoit these types of reservoirs from American companies that has the technology and knowledge of how to do so, then bring it back to their countries.

I only know what I read:

Chesapeake Deal Values Oklahoma Oilfield Below Estimate - Bloomberg (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-25/sinopec-to-buy-chesapeake-oil-and-gas-assets-for-1-02-billion.html)


Chinese companies are seeking energy assets globally to lock in supplies for the world’s fastest growing major economy

That sounds to me like they want lock in the supplies to use in the world's fastest growing major economy - China.


Anyhow, this might be better suited to the Chesapeke Business Parctice thread.

I only know what I read:

Chesapeake Deal Values Oklahoma Oilfield Below Estimate - Bloomberg (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-25/sinopec-to-buy-chesapeake-oil-and-gas-assets-for-1-02-billion.html)



That sounds to me like they want lock in the supplies to use in the world's fastest growing major economy - China.


Anyhow, this might be better suited to the Chesapeke Business Parctice thread.

From your article, this means they will not operate:

"Sinopec, as China’s second-largest energy producer is known, will pay $1.02 billion in cash for a 50 percent interest in 850,000 acres Chesapeake controls in the Mississippi Lime formation, the companies announced in separate statements."

As does this from the newsok article:

"Sinopec will buy an interest in half of Chesapeake's 850,000 net acres in the oil-rich Mississippi Lime, then share future exploration and development costs in the play."

Your quote put in context:

"Chinese companies may pursue more U.S. energy acquisitions after Cnooc Ltd. (883), a unit of China’s largest offshore oil producer, this month won approval from the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment to buy Nexen Inc. (NXY) for $15.1 billion. Chinese companies are seeking energy assets globally to lock in supplies for the world’s fastest growing major economy and learn how to access technology that has driven U.S. oil production to the highest in almost 21 years.

“While Chesapeake has many quality assets, Chinese oil companies care more about their drilling and shale-fracking technology,” Laban Yu, a Hong Kong-based analyst at Jefferies Group Inc. (JEF), said in a telephone interview. “The reason Chinese oil companies have gone after Chesapeake in the past year was also because they wanted to apply the technology to tap the world’s No. 1 shale gas reserves in China.” "

CHK's deal is not the same as CNOOC purchasing an operating company. In CNOOC/Nexan's case, I'm not really sure why the US Foreign Investment Committee had to approve anything as Nexan is a Canadian Company developing Canadian Assets. They have no onshore operated US assets. Regardless it would seem that if CNOOC was locking up anything for export, it's in Canada, which we knew was a possiblity after seeing Canada's reaction to all the issues surrounding the Keystone Pipeline getting approved. I haven't seen anything in any of these JV deals that seems to indicate that we are exporting oil oversees. Even Royal Dutch Shell, BP, and Statoil are not exporting anything from Onshore North American assets and they all do have operations on US soil. Natural gas though may be another story eventually.

From your article, this means they will not operate:

"Sinopec, as China’s second-largest energy producer is known, will pay $1.02 billion in cash for a 50 percent interest in 850,000 acres Chesapeake controls in the Mississippi Lime formation, the companies announced in separate statements."

As does this from the newsok article:

"Sinopec will buy an interest in half of Chesapeake's 850,000 net acres in the oil-rich Mississippi Lime, then share future exploration and development costs in the play."


anybody else read both of these statements and get two completely different answers?

i read the first and it tells me that they purchased 50% interest in 850,000 acres

when i read the newsok article, i read that they purchased an unreleased % of interest in 425,000 acres


Am i wrong in reading it that way?

anybody else read both of these statements and get two completely different answers?

i read the first and it tells me that they purchased 50% interest in 850,000 acres

when i read the newsok article, i read that they purchased an unreleased % of interest in 425,000 acres


Am i wrong in reading it that way?

I just re-read the NEWSOK article, I didn't see anything about an unreleased % of interest in 425,000 acres, it just discusses a half-interest in 850,000 acres. Maybe they had it wrong and have since updated the article...

Not to turn this political but there is no way our government should allow our energy resources to be sold to China or any other foreign entity. China has publically stated they want to be the world power and destroy the US. I am not typically for regulation but to me, this will jeopardize our national defense.

Not to turn this political but there is no way our government should allow our energy resources to be sold to China or any other foreign entity. China has publically stated they want to be the world power and destroy the US. I am not typically for regulation but to me, this will jeopardize our national defense.

This goes against our current economic policy (advocated by both mainstream republicans and democrats), and would require us to rescind numerous free trade agreements the U.S. has already signed. If other countries took that kind of protectionist stance with us, we would be in a much worse position that we are now, looking at $8-12/gallon gas without imports we bring into the country every day. As it is, the U.S. is set to be a net exporter or oil and gas within the next 15-20 years. If we already have enough for our own uses, why shouldn't we export the remainder? If nothing else, energy exports could be HUGE for our local economy in the next 20 years.

Sorry, for the thread-jacking, back to the Mystery Tower...

Jeez everyone quit freaking out, re-read my post... no one is exporting oil to the chinese.

Aubrey was doing deals like this years prior to the board shake up and his resignation.
He was usually in asset acquisition mode. They got bludgeoned on this deal, just for the sake of cashing out. That is the course charted by the new influence on the company; that is...unload at all costs to right the ship.

Jeez everyone quit freaking out, re-read my post... no one is exporting oil to the chinese.

the Russians are exporting a lot of oil to the Chinese...

the Russians are exporting a lot of oil to the Chinese...

Touché

The red army and the ruskies are buddies. That's all.

I still want Shell to build a 50 story tower in OKC.

Stage Center - OKCTalk (http://www.okctalk.com/showwiki.php?title=Stage+Center&page=32#post622137)

The red army and the ruskies are buddies. That's all.

I still want Shell to build a 50 story tower in OKC.Is there anyone who doesn't? lol ;)

Stage Center - OKCTalk (http://www.okctalk.com/showwiki.php?title=Stage+Center&page=32#post622137)

Anything involving the Stage Center site is going to be a fight, even if its a 50 story tower. This is one reason I agree with Steve that any transaction involving the Stage Center should not be public until the tower is proposed and the renderings are complete. Whoever wants to redevelop the site must present something that will in essence be worth losing the Stage Center for. Even then, it will still probably be a fight.

Hefner was helping the Chinese deep drilling program decades ago. They have been buying technology and know how a very long time.

Anything involving the Stage Center site is going to be a fight, even if its a 50 story tower. This is one reason I agree with Steve that any transaction involving the Stage Center should not be public until the tower is proposed and the renderings are complete. Whoever wants to redevelop the site must present something that will in essence be worth losing the Stage Center for. Even then, it will still probably be a fight.

there will be much less fight then you think ...

I know the numbers do not favor it, but i'm starting to wonder if the SC site will be a spec building ? Especially with class A at a premium.

Whoever wants to redevelop the site must present something that will in essence be worth losing the Stage Center for.

Yeah, like a 2 story McDonalds.

Yeah, like a 2 story McDonalds.

If it looks like one of these I'll take it.

http://natesjobsearch.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/mcdonalds1.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2553/3721848001_4174943df3.jpg

If it looks like one of these I'll take it.

Yeah, but you only get stuff like that when you don't tear anything down and land to build cheap new junk becomes scarce. If you remember the Sandridge battle, downtown leaders said we were "generations away" from that being feasible.

Yes - and Stage Center IS that junk. Anyhow, that will be my only comment about the Stage Center structure so we don't get off topic :).

there will be much less fight then you think ...

You're correct.

Yeah, like a 2 story McDonalds.

I would be against destroying the Stage Center for a fast food chain. Little Rock recently destroyed a low-rise office tower to put in a Chipotle Mexican Grill which I thought was incredibly stupid.

That is stupid. This is the building: 100 S. University Ave. Little rock, Arkansas - Google Maps (http://goo.gl/maps/xm3IA)

A 98% occupied five story office building being leveled for a Chopotle. Way to go, Little Rock.

One question... Who owns the building? If it is the owner that wants to destroy the building then it is no one's business if he or she wants to tear it down. This whole line of thinking is right out of the Soviet Union. Who are you to say what another person does with THEIR OWN property? If yo don't want a building destroyed then make an offer, buy it and save it. Despite this Communist way of thinking, you have zero right to another person's property. If Sandridge owns 10 buildings around their big one, it is their property and no one should have ANY say whatsoever on whether it gets saved or not. This whole topic just pisses me off. There is a reason that most Conservatives label liberals, Progressives, Socialists etc as Communists. (Yes! I know the difference) They all are rooted in this twisted collectivist mentality that makes them think they (community) has authority over individual rights. If the owner of the building wants to tear their building down and put in a shoe shine place, as long as it falls within zoning laws, it is their property.

Sid,

Obviously you misse the entire point. I guess I will troll elsewhere. I'll let you go back to your tree hugging dope smoking, confiscation of other people's property.

This is BS!

I think you answered your own question


One question... Who owns the building? If it is the owner that wants to destroy the building then it is no one's business if he or she wants to tear it down. This whole line of thinking is right out of the Soviet Union. Who are you to say what another person does with THEIR OWN property?

...

They all are rooted in this twisted collectivist mentality that makes them think they (community) has authority over individual rights. If the owner of the building wants to tear their building down and put in a shoe shine place, as long as it falls within zoning laws, it is their property.

Also, thanks to property tax laws a pretty good case could be made that no one actually owns property anyhow; they only lease it from their local government, and since the local government is all of us.... Alas, I don't think anyone was saying it should have been against the law, just that it was a shame it happened.

One question... Who owns the building? If it is the owner that wants to destroy the building then it is no one's business if he or she wants to tear it down. This whole line of thinking is right out of the Soviet Union. Who are you to say what another person does with THEIR OWN property? If yo don't want a building destroyed then make an offer, buy it and save it. Despite this Communist way of thinking, you have zero right to another person's property. If Sandridge owns 10 buildings around their big one, it is their property and no one should have ANY say whatsoever on whether it gets saved or not. This whole topic just pisses me off. There is a reason that most Conservatives label liberals, Progressives, Socialists etc as Communists. (Yes! I know the difference) They all are rooted in this twisted collectivist mentality that makes them think they (community) has authority over individual rights. If the owner of the building wants to tear their building down and put in a shoe shine place, as long as it falls within zoning laws, it is their property.

Zoning laws? Freaking communist. Why don't you take your winter storms back to Sovetskii-stan, Ivan!

If I want to build a strip club across the street from a high school, I'll do it. It's my property.

If the owner of the building wants to tear their building down and put in a shoe shine place, as long as it falls within zoning laws, it is their property.Hold it right there. If the property owner's rights are to be unrestricted, then you can't have zoning laws either -- and in that case, if I want to start a dairy farm right next to your high-dollar residence, all I need do is buy out your neighbor and move the cattle in. If you can't stand the smell, then you're free to move elsewhere -- but I can follow you there if I want.

Can't have it both ways!

good point comrades! carry on. oy vey!

I like russian women...


That's all I got... the troll/noob was dispensed with quite effectively already. lol

I like russian women...

As do i.... and also their Vodka. Now if only those darn laws would let me build my own still in my house so that i could make my own vodka. How dare they care if i burn down my house, and endanger the lives of my neighbors... If i wanted to live like this, i would have voted for Mao Zedong back in November!

I would be against destroying the Stage Center for a fast food chain.

Even Chic-Fil-A?

Even Chic-Fil-A?

They should make it a triple decker - Chick-Fil-A, Krispy Kreme, In-and-Out Burger. The traffic line would extend continuously to Albuquerque... except on Sundays....

We need the tower announcement soon. This thread is becoming crazy.

The Triple Decker Heart Stopper is the announcement. It will fit in nicely in this city.

I think you answered your own question



Also, thanks to property tax laws a pretty good case could be made that no one actually owns property anyhow; they only lease it from their local government, and since the local government is all of us.... Alas, I don't think anyone was saying it should have been against the law, just that it was a shame it happened.

I agree. What Little Rock did should not have been legally stopped. It was however a shame and so stupid it's almost laughable. I can't imagine that property will be more of a cash generator for the owner as a Chipotle than it was as an office building.

Little Rock also destroyed a historic theater downtown recently to put in a parking lot. Shouldn't be illegal but it was a huge shame and major loss. Little Rock doesn't have the community pride that OKC does so there is little to stand in the way of situations like these. If it were OKC there would have been enough people who would have rallied together to stop the destruction of that theater and instead have it revitalized.

One thing we've nailed down the past few weeks is the Stage Center site IS the location for the mystery tower.

One thing we've nailed down the past few weeks is the Stage Center site IS the location for the mystery tower.

True!

Or at least, the first of what could be several (Continental, OG&E, Devon and an unnamed company).

One thing we've nailed down the past few weeks is the Stage Center site IS the location for the mystery tower.

And a time frame for an announcement. Steve has indicated on several occasions that, assuming everything goes according to plan, we should have some sort of public announcement by early April.

Yes, here is everything somewhat pieced together:

1. A yet-to-be-named company (not Continental, OG&E or Devon) is working on plans to build a new tower on the Stage Center site. The foundation that owns that site has fielded several offers and is the process of deciding to whom it will sell. Sounds like that decision will be made sometime around April and we can expect to see renderings at that time.

2. OG&E is still actively looking downtown for a site for a new building HQ. They have employed a national firm to help in their site selection. From all indications they may end up somewhere along Hudson north of the OKC Museum of Art.

3. Continental is going to do something but isn't quite ready. They were interested in the Stage Center site but the timing isn't right. However, they are already leasing space in Chase Tower and if their current growth projections hold, they will need much more space soon.

4. Devon still controls almost the entire block (the 'Preftakes Block') west of their existing complex. They are still leasing space in other buildings and are in the process of consolidating a bunch of employees from Houston. They will need more space and you can expect them to eventually build on that block.

5. The proposed SandRidge building to the immediate east of their existing tower is very much up in the air as is the control of their business. An almost inevitable shakeup of their board and possibly the ouster of Tom Ward would almost certainly have a negative impact on any more downtown development.

6. There is still a strong push for a convention hotel near the CHK Arena and the proposed CC.

If a tower is built on the stage center site, I hope its footprint is urban and pedestrian friendly. A successful development here would echo the buildings surrounding New York's Central Park.

3393


They should make it a triple decker - Chick-Fil-A, Krispy Kreme, In-and-Out Burger. The traffic line would extend continuously to Albuquerque... except on Sundays....
3392

Where is everyone getting the information that CLR has space in Chase tower?? I havent seen or heard anything about that...and Im not sure they do.