IPAMS Meetings and Announcements

IPAMS Update on Hydraulic Fracturing

Hearings took place earlier this month on EPA’s hydraulic fracturing study. This week, Rep. Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson expressing skepticism about the intentions of EPA:

“EPA’s actions on fracking thus far, and particularly the commencement of the 2-year study, lead me to believe that the agency will usurp state control over fracking guidelines and replace it with a federal standard. Despite EPA Assistant Administrator Paul Anastas’ comments about the study, that it ‘will be conducted through a transparent, peer-reviewed process, with significant stakeholder input,’ I remain skeptical of EPA’s actions. I have corresponded with EPA several times over the past year-and-a-half for information and clarification on various issues, particularly on the justification for an Endangerment Finding on greenhouse gases. EPA’s replies have been less than forthcoming.

EPA’s potential over-reach on fracking guidelines comes with the support of congressional Democrats who have called for increased regulation of the process….Steve Heare, Director of EPA’s Drinking Water Protection Division, defended states’ oversight of fracking guidelines when he said, ‘I have no information that states aren’t doing a good job already.’ He further elaborated that despite claims by environmental organizations, ‘he hadn’t seen any documented cases that the hydro-fracking process was contaminating water supplies.’ In support of his claim, according to the Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States, since 1949, more than 1 million wells have been fractured without a single incident to support a claim of groundwater contamination.”

IPAMS commented on the study scope to EPA’s science advisory board. Our comments are available here.

Industry also received support this week from Reps. John Sullivan (R-OK) and Mike Ross (D-AR) who along with several of their colleagues on the House Energy and Commerce Committee sent a bipartisan letter to Chairman Henry Waxman and Energy and Environment Subcommittee chairman Edward Markey urging their support for the work that states continue to do to regulate and oversee hydraulic fracturing.

“Approximately 35,000 wells are hydraulically fractured annually in the United States and close to one million wells have been hydraulically fractured in the United States since the technique’s inception more than 60 years ago, with no known harm to groundwater.”

“We believe that state regulatory agencies are the most appropriate regulatory bodies to provide oversight and protection of hydrologically and environmentally sensitive localities as they relate to hydraulic fracturing.”

And in Wyoming…

The Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (WOGCC) is conducting a rulemaking to amend state oil and gas regulations, including hydraulic fracturing. The rule amendments include new requirements for the disclosure of proprietary data and extensive information on drilling and completion activities in addition to what is currently included in permit applications. The rule changes are being driven by the Governor, who is attempting to showcase Wyoming’s rules as a model of state fracking regulation in response to a push by EPA, certain lawmakers, and environmental groups for federal regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

IPAMS’ Wyoming Basin Advisors Network (WYBAN) has been working with the Petroleum Association of Wyoming (PAW) on comments (both our March and April comments are available on the Wyoming page). IPAMS provided an oral statement at the April 13^th public hearing in Casper, and continues to support PAW’s outreach efforts with the commission. Through comment and testimony, IPAMS reminded the commission that hydraulic fracture stimulation is a safe and proven technology that is essential to natural gas production in Wyoming. The language has been much improved as a result of industry comments. Special thanks to Devon and Shell for providing substantive input. There will be an informal working session of the commission on May 10^th, with a hearing open to the public on May 11^th at the commission, 2211 King Blvd, Casper. No further public comment is planned for that hearing.

IPAMS was quoted in an April 15^th E&E News article about the rules:

Nationally, more than 1 million wells have been fractured since 1949, without a single case of proven contamination of groundwater, according to IPAMS.

“The proposed WOGCC regulations would require submission of proprietary information which operators may be unable to provide,” Spencer Kimball, manager of government affairs for the Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States, wrote in comments to the commission. “Disclosing proprietary information would provide competition and others with access to the intellectual property of another company.”

IPAMS in the News

$1.1B lost in Rockies as drillers abandon federal leases — survey (subscription required)

published in: E&E Land Letter on: 04/29/2010 by: Scott Streater

“Companies are moving elsewhere,” said Kathleen Sgamma, IPAMS’s director of government affairs in Denver, adding that as investment flows to other regions, so too do high-paying jobs and the other economic benefits that come with industrial development.

As evidence, the report — titled the “Rockies Regional Competitiveness IPAMS Member Survey” — cites an estimated $1.1 billion in redirected capital investment away from the Rocky Mountain region to states like Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Pennsylvania, where the Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service and other federal agencies have less control over drilling activities.

Last Week, IPAMS released the survey results about the impacts of government policies on natural gas and oil development in the Rockies.

Click here to view the survey results.

Click here to view the powerpoint presentation.

Well pad densities key to maintaining healthy sage grouse leks — study (subscription required)

published in: E&E Land Letter on: 04/29/2010 by: Scott Streater

“We’ll have to wait and see how this study is used by policymakers,” said Kathleen Sgamma, director of government affairs for the Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States. “While often the biologists attempt to include policy recommendations in their scientific papers, it remains to be seen what the impact of this particular study will be on federal sage grouse management.”

Utah oil and gas producers balk at Obama reforms

published in: Deseret News on: 04/23/2010 by: Amy O’Donaghue

“There’s this view that the industry has had unfettered access and is running wild out here with little or no regulation.” -Kathleen Sgamma

Montana/North Dakota Lease Sales

IPAMS has been working closely with the North Dakota Petroleum Council and the Montana Petroleum Association to ensure the postponed lease sales happen in 2010 and that lease suspensions are lifted. Last week in Washington DC, IPAMS met with staff for members of the North Dakota and Montana congressional delegations to request their support in pressing BLM to move forward with corrective environmental analysis by the end of September. Today the Congressman Earl Pomeroy released a letter, which is available here Montana Senators Baucus and Tester have already sent a letter. IPAMS has shared our position with several other members as well who are concerned that the issue of climate change analysis and lease sales to appear in other states as well. Senators Barrasso (R-WY), Inhofe (R-OK), and Vitter (R-LA) have introduced a NEPA Certainty bill that would prevent federal agencies from considering climate change in NEPA analyses.

Weekly Message from Marc W. Smith: Unintended Consequences

Last week, IPAMS released the findings of its report How Less Became More: Wind, Power and Unintended Consequences in the Colorado Energy Market, conducted by world renowned analytics firm BENTEK Energy. The report is quickly gaining attention across the country as people take a closer look at how renewable energy is being integrated with coal and natural gas to meet standards set by government mandated Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS).

IPAMS Members can click here to read the entire message.

Click here to read the Executive Summary

Click here to read How Less Became More: Wind, Power and Unintended Consequences in the Colorado Energy Market

Fundraiser for Jane Norton

April 30, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. (Denver)

Please join IPAMS PAC for a reception with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, honoring and U.S. Senate Candidate Jane Norton on April 30, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. at the Brown Palace. Click here for the invitation.

For more information or if you would like to co-host or attend this event, please contact Jon Bargas.

Fundraiser for Richard Pombo

May 5, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. (Denver)

In case you missed it, The Wall Street Journal published an op-ed on Friday about the extreme environmentalist agenda and a “vivid example of the stakes for the green agenda in this year’s midterm elections.” Click here to read a pdf copy of the article.

IPAMS is organizing a fundraiser for the subject of this article, Richard Pombo, on May 5th in Denver. Pombo served in Congress for 14 years and was Chairman of the House Resources Committee from 2002-2006 where he successfully passed a bill that reformed the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to allow for the recovery of wildlife while aiding businesses in creating good jobs in the West instead of delaying development. He was directly responsible for many parts of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 currently under assault in Washington: pilot offices for permit coordination between BLM and USFS; incentives for CO2 enhanced oil recovery; categorical exclusions to eliminate redundant NEPA policies for wells on existing pads/where NEPA was recently completed; R&D and commercial leasing provisions for shale, tar sands and other unconventional fuels; and government deadlines for compliance with their own laws.

The fundraiser will take place on May 5, 2010 at 5:00 pm at Workplace Resource Herman Miller, located at 1899 Wynkoop Street in downtown Denver. Suggested contribution is $500/individual and $1,000/PAC. Click here for the invitation.

Please contact Jon Haubert if you are interested in making a contribution or have questions about the event.

Wildcatter of the Year

May 15, 2010 in Denver, CO

IPAMS 2010 Wildcatter of the Year Gala will be held at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts on May 15, 2010. This black tie event begins with a cocktail reception in the lobby of the Bonfils Theatre at 6 p.m. and is followed by dinner in the Seawell Ballroom.

Click here to register.

IPAMS Wildcatter of the Year is a lifetime achievement award honoring distinguished service to the natural gas and oil industry and the community. Members of our industry in the Intermountain West nominate deserving colleagues for the Wildcatter of the Year, and the name of the winner is kept secret until the presentation. The winner receives a beautiful bronze sculpture by artist Veryl Goodnight from New Mexico.

A special thank you to our sponsors:

Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Click here to become a sponsor.

After registering online, please email Becca Ness or call (303) 623-0987 with the names of your guests to ensure they have a nametag at check-in.

Annual Meeting and Summer Conference

June 23-25 in Beaver Creek, CO

Registration is open for the IPAMS Annual Meeting and Summer Conference, June 23-25 in Beaver Creek, CO. Join us in this relaxed setting for just the right mix of business and pleasure– discuss topics such as production and transportation, demand growth and western regional competitiveness while networking with fellow IPAMS members. Sponsorship opportunities are available!

Click here to see the complete details.

For more information, contact Becca Ness or 303.623.0987.

IPAMS Membership Update

IPAMS thanks our broad membership for supporting our organization through your 2010 dues. Your financial support ensures that we have the resources to continue to defend and promote your investment in the Intermountain West.

This week we are proud to recognize the following new memberships:

PIONEER MEMBER

Alpine Oil and Gas

Euler Hermes ACI

Texas American Resources Company

UPGRADED MEMBERSHIP

Noble Energy

Wellpoint Systems

2010 Event Sponsors

For more information or to refer a company to IPAMS regarding membership please contact Susan Fakharzadeh.

Other Upcoming Meetings

Utah Basin Advisors Network (UBAN) Meeting - May 11th, 10:00 a.m.

New Mexico Basin Advisors Network (NMBAN) Meeting – May 13th, 9:00 a.m.

Legislative, Legal and Regulatory Committee Meeting - May 13th, 10:00 a.m. This will include an update on DOI Advocacy efforts.

Agendas are available for upcoming meetings at http://www.westernenergyalliance.org/advocacy/. All meetings unless otherwise indicated are Mountain time, and at IPAMS and via teleconference.

Visit westernenergyalliance.org for the latest news affecting the Intermountain West’s oil and natural gas industry. Headlines are updated daily from local, national and international news sources. You may also sign up for daily newsbrief emails under the Manage Account section of the “Members Only” page.

The West

Fed official: Oil shale not ready for ‘prime time’

published in: Associated Press on: 04/28/2010 by: Paul Foy

Petroleum companies’ plans to tap the Rocky Mountains’ abundant oil shale reserves are “not ready for prime time,” a senior legal adviser to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told a Utah energy conference Wednesday. Steve Black said the Obama administration is taking a deliberate, cautious approach on making federal lands available for major oil shale development because nobody has shown they can squeeze the oil out of hard rock economically.

Colorado

Hunters, anglers protest energy leases in northern Colorado

published in: Associated Press on: 04/29/2010 by: Judith Kohler

A coalition of hunters and anglers says a protest of proposed federal oil and gas leases in a wildlife-rich part of north-central Colorado is an opportunity for the Obama administration to follow through on a pledge for greater scrutiny of leasing on public land. The groups have filed a protest with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management over the plan to take bids on about 11,400 acres in its May 13 auction in Denver.

Colo. oilman Sam Gary honored by national group for his philanthropy

published in: Denver Post on: 04/26/2010 by: Mark Jaffe

Sam Gary started wildcatting in the 1960s and promptly drilled 39 dry holes. The 40th hole changed everything and was the seed for the Piton Foundation. Since 1976, Denver-based Piton has supported a host of education and community programs with $56 million, according to the foundation. Gary, now 83, is slated to be recognized today by the Council on Foundations for his efforts to turn oil and gas money into good work.

Montana

BLM Resource Advisory Council (RAC) Openings

BLM has 16 openings on all three RACs in Montana. If you would like to nominate an industry representative in central or eastern Montana who could to serve on one of the Councils, please contact dave@montanapetroleum.org. The deadline for nominations is May 10th. Click here to learn more about the positions.

New Mexico

Richardson is NM’s “best conservation governor” ever, enviro group says

published in: New Mexico Independent on: 04/28/2010 by: Marjorie Childress

When Bill Richardson was listed as one of the nation’s “worst governors” by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) last week, it was well-publicized by the New Mexico press, including The Independent. The allegations of pay-to-play and political favoritism that CREW used for Richardson’s ranking have been widely covered here, which may be why a prominent conservation organization’s report on the very same day that essentially named Richardson the best governor the state has ever had received scant attention by comparison.

Op-ed: New oil and gas leases will generate millions of dollars for schools

published in: NMpolitics.net on: 04/28/2010 by: Sandy Jones

It’s no secret that New Mexico is in financial crisis. Lawmakers recently ended a special legislative session to address the deficit and had to make some tough choices to bridge the budget gap. I’m a father and I believe that our children are our greatest assets. I say no to cutting public school funding to balance the budget. I say no to downsizing teachers and support staff, and I say no to closing schools.

BLM Settles Dispute Over San Juan Basin Plan

published in: Associated Press on: 04/27/2010 by: Staff

The Bureau of Land Management and conservation groups have settled an eight-year dispute over a management plan for nearly 10,000 natural gas wells in the San Juan Basin of northwestern New Mexico. The groups claimed the BLM violated the National Environmental Policy Act and other federal laws in developing a 2003 management plan for drilling over 20 years in the 16,000-square-mile basin that straddles the border of New Mexico and Colorado.

North Dakota

Bottleneck opened for ND crude

published in: Bismarck Tribune on: 04/27/2010 by: Editorial Staff

The price of North Dakota crude has edged to within 10 percent of listings on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the result of additional oil pipeline and rail-shipping capacity. The demand for North Dakota sweet crude has been there, but for more than a year, the shipping infrastructure of pipelines and rail terminals has been unable to keep up. The price of crude from the state has been as much as 28 percent below the exchange price.

ND regulator expects big things from oil conclave

published in: Associated Press on: 04/27/2010 by: Staff

North Dakota’s top oil regulator says the guest list for an industry conference next week could mean even greater investment in the state’s oil patch. Lynn Helms says more than 2,000 people have registered to come to the “Bakken and Beyond” conference in Bismarck. The three-day conference starts on Sunday, and Helms says people are expected to attend from 40 states and the country of Norway.

ND crude shipping capacity catches production

published in: Associated Press on: 04/24/2010 by: James MacPherson

Millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements have allowed North Dakota’s crude shipping capacity to catch up with production for the first time in more than a year — bumping up the value of a barrel of oil for producers and sending more money to state coffers. But officials say the so-called takeaway capacity may be short-lived because an end to the boom in the state’s oil patch is nowhere in sight.

Utah

Anadarko manager discusses Greater Natural Buttes field

published in: Vernal Express on: 04/28/2010 by: Mary Bernard

Anadarko is a worldwide natural gas production company with “almost 10 percent of its $6 billion company budget invested in the Uintah Basin,” Brad Miller, general manager of Anadarko’s Greater Natural Buttes gas field south of Vernal, said last week. Miller spoke during a Vernal Chamber of Commerce luncheon on April 20. According to the company’s fourth-quarter results, Anadarko’s Greater Natural Buttes gas field “set a daily sales record of 357 MMcf/d, which increased year-over-year sales volumes by approximately 17 percent in 2009.”

BLM issues final EIS for proposed Utah-Nevada products line

published in: Oil & Gas Journal on: 04/27/2010 by: Nick Snow

The US Bureau of Land Management’s Utah state office issued a final environmental impact statement for a proposed 400-mile products pipeline from Salt Lake Area refineries to terminals near Cedar City and Las Vegas. The EIS also examines proposed amendments to an electric utility right-of-way to accommodate the pipeline.

Salazar lauds Utah’s approach to public lands discussion

published in: Deseret News on: 04/26/2010 by: Amy Joi O’Donoghue

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told a packed meeting of the governor’s Balanced Resource Council that wilderness protections and other land conservation measures are best accomplished from the ground up with local collaboration, not sweeping federal designations. “To the people of Utah, I say: Be not afraid,” he said after the Monday meeting when he spoke to reporters. Salazar was specifically responding to rumors reported earlier this year that there was a movement afoot by his agency to designate new national monuments in the western United States, including two areas in Utah — the San Rafael Swell and Cedar Mesa in southeastern Utah.

Washington Watch

Alert on Derivatives – From IPAA

Although the Senate Agriculture bill, passed out of committee on Wednesday, would grant end users an exemption from clearing, it is not clear that the derivatives component of Sen. Lincoln’s bill is going to be included in the overall financial reform bill. It appears that Banking Chairman Dodd and Ranking Member Shelby want to have more of a say in the derivatives component. We also have heard that the Administration may be backing away from its support for Lincoln’s bill, particularly the end user exemption. It is important to try to get the exemption in the bill that goes to the full Senate, rather than have to rely on a floor amendment.

Therefore, it is important that you contact Democrats on the Banking Committee and stress the importance of the end user exemption, as written in the Ag Bill, to producers’ ability to manage risk and use resources for finding and producing energy. The key difference between the Banking Committee’s treatment of end users and the Ag Committee’s treatment is that Banking would give the CFTC the discretion to exempt, while the Ag bill explicitly states the exemption.

If you can, please call the following members of the Senate Banking Committee, particularly for states you’re operating in.

Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD) 202 224-5842

Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) 202 224-2644

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) 202 224-3753

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) 202 224-5852

In addition, please click here to send a letter to the Senators on the Banking and Agriculture Committees to urge them to include a clear and effective end user exemption from clearing that will allow continued access for oil and gas companies to the OTC market.

Reid signals energy and climate first, but immigration standoff with Graham remains

published in: The Hill on: 04/27/2010 by: Ben Geman

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) gave his strongest signal yet Tuesday that he wants to move forward with a broad energy and climate change package before immigration reform. He noted that energy legislation is much further along than an immigration measure. “Common sense dictates that if you have a bill that is ready to go, that is the one I am going to go to,” Reid told reporters in the Capitol. “Because immigration — we don’t have a bill yet.”

Oil Rig Blast Complicates Push for Energy and Climate Bill

published in: New York Times on: 04/27/2010 by: John M. Broder

The loss of life and the looming ecological catastrophe from the oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico have piled political complications onto the push for energy and climate change legislation here, officials and interest groups say. Expanded offshore oil and gas drilling is a central component to the compromise plan being written in the Senate to address the nation’s energy needs and the emissions of the gases that contribute to global warming. The plan, which still does not exist in legislative form, would also include multibillion-dollar incentives for nuclear power and so-called clean-coal research.

‘Energy only’ bill would be tough sell

published in: E&E News/New York Times on: 04/26/2010 by: Mike Soraghan

If Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) bolts the Senate climate coalition, it must be time to turn to the “energy only” bill that centrist Democrats have been promoting as a bipartisan alternative to a climate bill, right? Not so fast. The “Bingaman bill” that passed New Mexico Democrat Jeff Bingaman’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee last year does have bipartisan support. But it also has bipartisan opposition, and that opposition has only gotten stronger in the intervening months. It is almost as difficult to add up 60 votes in the Senate for the energy-only approach as it is to find 60 votes for a climate bill.

Media Watch

Op-ed: Ending America’s energy deficit

published in: Politico on: 04/28/2010 by: Roberta Combs and Larry Schweiger

America works best when Americans work together. We have been encouraged in recent months by the bipartisan efforts in the Senate to break through the energy gridlock. Now, though political divides threaten to stall progress, Congress must not turn aside from the continuing crisis.

Op-ed: Doing Nothing on Energy Doesn’t Work

published in: Roll Call on: 04/27/2010 by: Matt Bennett and Josh Freed

Americans are worried about the direction of our country. They fear that China is moving ahead of us economically. They are frightened by joblessness stuck at 10 percent. And they are fed up with a Congress they see as paralyzed by partisan warfare. Moderates in the Senate, representing swing states and constituencies often among the hardest hit by the recession, are particularly sensitive to these concerns. As they get ready to go home for the Memorial Day and summer work periods, they are going to have to answer one simple question, “What did you do to help the American economy?”

Editorial: The weak spot in the financial reform bill

published in: Christian Science Monitor on: 04/27/2010 by: Editorial Staff

Democrats are right. The Senate needs a full and rigorous debate on financial reform. But any debate must tackle one of the most critical issues not yet resolved from the 2007-09 crisis on Wall Street: Should big banks be left big? President Obama says yes. He backs the main Democratic bill in the Senate that would rely largely on regulators to use a new set of enforcement tools to better manage the risks that financial institutions take. He’s less worried about megabanks, even if they are “too big to fail.”

Editorial: Congress can’t keep putting off energy legislation

published in: Dallas Morning News on: 04/23/2010 by: Editorial Staff

Last year, Democrats horse-traded a sweeping climate change bill through the House that included vital measures to cap greenhouse-gas emissions and encourage alternative energy sources. And there it sat, attracting little support in the Senate, as Congress turned its attention to other matters. This was an unfortunate turn. The House bill, known as Waxman-Markey, was far from perfect, but with some work in the Senate, it could have achieved some important goals in reducing the amount of carbon dioxide Americans push into the atmosphere.

Environment and Wildlife

Balancing birds and energy

published in: Denver Business Journal on: 04/23/2010 by: Cathy Proctor

The hunters come at night, armed with nets and bright lights. They’re looking for the greater sage grouse, a football-sized, spiky-tailed bird that weighs between 2 and 7 pounds that nests in the high desert sage land of Colorado and Wyoming. It’s a candidate for the federal endangered species list.

Sage grouse effort will take all sides working together, experts agree

published in: Gillette News Record on: 04/23/2010 by: Steve McManaman

The clock is ticking with essentially 24 months before the sage grouse is either put on the endangered species list or pulled back from the brink and the foremost experts are saying the only way to prevent a listing is for key industries to work together.

Emissions often underestimated, EPA standards old

published in: Associated Press on: 04/23/2010 by: Ramit Plushnick-Masti

The nation’s oil and chemical plants are spewing a lot more pollution than they report to the Environmental Protection Agency — and the EPA knows it. But the federal agency has yet to adopt more accurate, higher-tech measuring methods that have been available for years.

Technology, Alternative & Renewables

Wyoming governor opens wind discussion

published in: Casper Star-Tribune on: 04/28/2010 by: Dustin Bleizeffer

Gov. Dave Freudenthal on Tuesday evening kicked off the first of three community discussions about Wyoming’s budding and controversial wind energy industry. The recent construction of hundreds of wind turbines have divided several communities between those who may benefit financially and those will only see their views disrupted.

Do the rules of the nation’s electric grid discriminate against wind power?

published in: E&E ClimateWire/New York Times on: 04/27/2010 by: Peter Behr

The future mix of electric power generation sources in the United States is critically linked to the fate of climate legislation in Congress. But changes in the way the grid works — if they occur — hinge more on what happens at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, where a set of central policy issues are on the table.

Five myths about green energy

published in: Washington Post on: 04/26/2010 by: Robert Bryce

Americans are being inundated with claims about renewable and alternative energy. Advocates for these technologies say that if we jettison fossil fuels, we’ll breathe easier, stop global warming and revolutionize our economy. Yes, “green” energy has great emotional and political appeal. But before we wrap all our hopes — and subsidies — in it, let’s take a hard look at some common misconceptions about what “green” means.

Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) Informational Meeting

May 4, 2010 at 9:00 a.m.

The AGA-ANGA Natural Gas Transportation Collaborative Task Force seeks to advance the production and use of natural gas as a transportation fuel. The task force is focused on legislative advocacy, infrastructure development/business models, fleet conversions and manufacturer outreach, and marketing and education. Click here for the agenda.

RSVP to Janet Flanigan at 303-672-6984 or janet.flanigan@questar.com

Markets

API reports 24% drop in US wells completed in 1Q

published in: Oil & Gas Journal on: 04/26/2010 by: Nick Snow

US oil and gas completions dropped in the first quarter, ending 6 months of growth, the American Petroleum Institute said on Apr. 23. The estimated 7,663 oil and gas wells and dry holes that were drilled was 24% lower than 2009’s first 3 months, API said in its latest quarterly report. “This drop in drilling activity was somewhat unexpected. Looking at the rig activity, we expected first-quarter completions to at least maintain their fourth-quarter 2009 level,” said Hazem Arafa, director of API’s statistics department. “Upon closer inspection, we noticed that a considerable uptick in permits and rig activity occurred closer to the end of the first quarter.

Industry News and Events

SPE Environmental Study Group

April 27, 2010 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (bring your own sack lunch)

Daniel Pring, Buys & Associates, Inc. will be discussing recent developments in EPA Air Quality Regulations . Non-SPE members are welcome to join.

Location: Halliburton Energy Services, Main Conference Room (CHASE Building), 1125 Seventeenth Street, Suite 1900, Denver CO 80202

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has several regulatory actions finalized or pending concerning air quality issues for which Oil and Gas operators will potentially be subject to. Among the pending regulatory issues are:

• Greenhouse Gas Mandatory Reporting Requirements , Subpart W Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems (Upstream Operations) – Proposed Rule Published: 3/22/10

• Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Title V Greenhouse Gas Tailoring Rule – Proposed Rule

• NAAQS – NOx 1-hour Standard, Final Rule Effective: 4/12/10

• NAAQS – Primary/Secondary Ozone Standard review

There is no registration fee or RSVP necessary to attend.

Bakken and Beyond!

May 2 – 4, 2010 in Bismarck, North Dakota

The 18th Williston Basin Petroleum Conference & Expo will be held May 2 – 4, 2010 in Bismarck, North Dakota.Technical presentations will be the highlight of the Conference, as industry experts from across North America cover all the “Hot Plays” in the Williston Basin including the Bakken, Three Forks, and Lodgepole, along with talks on deep and shallow gas plays and CO2-EOR opportunities in the Basin. In addition, crude oil transportation issues and a panel on Bakken fracture stimulation techniques will be of great interest to attendees. Keynote speakers include North Dakota Governor John Hoeven, Clarence Cazalot of Marathon Oil Company, and Jim Volker of Whiting Oil and Gas. Click here to learn more.

GHG Information Session: Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule- What to Expect and When

May 4, 2010 from 8 a.m. – 10 a.m.

Buys & Associates, Inc. will be hosting an information seminar on Tuesday, to discuss the EPA’s Proposed GHG Reporting Rule. The workshop will include:

• Operations affected by proposed rule

• Reporting Thresholds

• Reporting Requirements

• Additional Requirements

• Suggestions for moving forward/future compliance (how to prepare)

Location: Buys & Associates’ Corporate Headquarters, 300 E. Mineral Avenue, Suite 10. Littleton, CO 80122

Please RSVP to Lauren MacMillan or (303) 781-8211 ext. 237

Environmental Learning for Kids Cast-a-Line BBQ

May 15, 2010 at Lake Lehow, Colorado

Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK) is hosting it’s spring fishing event, Cast-a-Line, on Saturday, May 15th from 11 – 3 at Lake Lehow in southwest Denver. Click here for more information or visit the ELK website, www.elkkids.org.

University of Wyoming Energy Resources and Produced Waters Conference

May 25-26 2010 in Laramie, WY

Final call for Presentations and Registration is still open. The Energy Resources Produced Water Conference, convened by the University of Wyoming’s Ruckelshaus Institute and the School of Energy Resources, is intended to advance the understanding of current research and monitoring projects related to the management, treatment, protection, and use of water associated with energy development in Wyoming and the West. The conference will cover produced water issues from various types of energy development, including, oil, gas, coalbed natural gas, coal mining, uranium, and carbon sequestration.

The format for the two-day conference will consist of oral presentations in concurrent sessions as well as a display of posters. Click here to learn more.

Institute for Energy Research’s 2nd Annual Houston Luncheon

June 4, 2010 in Houston, TX

The Institute for Energy Research (IER) will have John Stossel, Fox Business Anchor, as their keynote speaker at their 2nd Annual Luncheon.

For additional event and sponsorship questions, contact Nancy Bradley at events@iertx.org or call (713) 591-1732. Click here for more information and registration.

BENPOSIUM

June 7-10, 2010 in Houston, TX

The most comprehensive natural gas symposium that applies the “fundamentals” perspective to how production, capacity, flow, inventories and demand interact to drive prices, trading opportunities and marketing and investing strategies. The goal of BENPOSIUM is to provide executives, analysts, traders and investors for an in-depth look at the shifting energy market dynamics and how these developments are the reshaping natural gas and power industry landscape. Click here to view the agenda and to register.

Content Policy

Materials contained herein are a summary of industry related issues and are for the edification of IPAMS members only. Contents do not reflect official comments or positions of IPAMS. Attribution of Wildcatter Weekly contents for publication without IPAMS consent is prohibited. NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, any copyrighted material herein is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only.

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