February 4, 2010
posted on: Feb 04, 2010
IPAMS Meetings and Announcements
The IPAMS 2010 Washington Call-Up is almost here!
March 1-3, 2010 (beginning at 4:00 pm on March 1st)
Space is filling up fast for IPAMS 10th Annual Washington, D.C. Call-Up.
The western natural gas and oil industry has answers for many of America’s most pressing economic, environmental and energy challenges. Unfortunately, not everyone in Congress is aware of the solutions our industry provides. Please consider joining the 50+ IPAMS members already committed to attending so you too can speak directly to the policymakers who are shaping the future of our industry. No matter what position you hold in your company, IPAMS can use you in Washington D.C.
This year’s trip will include meetings with over 100 Members of Congress and their staffs, the media and affiliate trade associations. We also have plenty of social events planned, including a joint reception for Congress with IPAA at the new Capitol Visitor’s Center. Click here for the 2010 Washington DC Call-Up draft agenda. (Please note that this year’s Call-Up will begin with a Board Meeting and Member Briefing at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, March 1, so please make your travel arrangements accordingly.)
IPAMS would like to thank the following companies for sponsoring this year’s Washington DC Call-Up:
Banko Petroleum
Mercator Energy, LLC
Mesa Energy Partners, LLC
If you would like to help sponsor the Call-Up, please contact Becca Ness.
Click here to register for IPAMS 10th Annual Washington, D.C. Call-Up March 1-3, 2010.
Already registered? Don’t forget about the pre-trip briefing… Due to the popularity of this trip, IPAMS has added a third Denver briefing prior to the Call-Up to ensure you are fully prepared to speak on behalf of industry. If you are registered to attend this year’s Call-Up, please plan on attending one of the following briefings: February 18th, February 22nd, or February 25th at 11:30 a.m. (lunch will be served). Please RSVP to Becca Ness and indicate which briefing you plan on attending.
IPAMS Welcomes Its Newest Team Member
IPAMS today welcomed its newest team member, Director of Membership and Events, Susan Fakharzadeh, who will bring years of experience in sales and marketing to help expand IPAMS membership base, strategic business plan, marketing, and enhancing existing and new events.
Susan spent seven years working in the electronic distribution industry, with roles spanning from strategic marketing to business development. Her diverse background also includes working as a consultant for colleges and universities creating on-line degree programs as well as writing and business development in high-tech. A native of the Rocky Mountain west, Susan grew up in Idaho and attended the University of Colorado at Boulder, and holds a BA in English and Philosophy.
Click here to contact Susan Fakharzadeh.
Action Alert: Ask Congress to Oppose Tax Increases
As Congress and the Obama administration look for ways to pay for health care reform and other programs, America’s independent natural gas and oil producers are once again in the crosshairs. Congress is considering proposals by the Obama administration to significantly increase our industry’s tax burden, which would threaten jobs and delay our economic recovery. Please take a moment to contact your congressional representatives and ask them to oppose these punitive tax proposals that will make the development of clean, domestic natural gas even more costly and difficult, and endanger many of the 260,000 jobs and billions of dollars in revenue to local and state governments that western producers provide. Click here for a detailed explanation of each of the tax provisions under consideration.
IPAMS Vote From Home Program Informational Meeting and Reception
February 11, 2010 at 4:00 p.m.
As part of our Voter Education Initiative, IPAMS partnered with West Slope COGA during the 2008 election year and executed a successful “Vote from Home” pilot program in Mesa and Garfield Counties in Western Colorado. In these two counties alone, this voter drive program was able to register and request absentee ballots for over 1,000 industry employees. Because of the success of this program, IPAMS has decided to expand the program to include the entire state of Colorado for the 2010 elections.With critically important state and federal races to be decided next year, it is more crucial than ever that industry educate and empower the tens of thousands of Colorado workers who depend on a healthy energy industry for their livelihoods. We already have financial commitments from several Colorado producers, but we need more support in order to get working on the program as soon as possible. Please make plans to join us as we explain the results of the 2008 Vote from Home program and let you know about the plans for 2010. Click here to view the invitation. For more information, contact Jon Bargas.
IPAMS in the News
Wilderness: The Great Debate
From The Salt Lake Tribune: Whether it’s between riders of off-highway vehicles and hikers, preservationists and oil drillers or ranchers and wolf lovers, the debate over how best to manage Utah’s wilderness is always intense. Filmmaker John Howe shows the passion on both sides of this contentious issue in “Wilderness: The Great Debate.” The hour-long documentary aired Wednesday evening in Salt Lake City.
The oil and gas segment begins at minute 28:00, and includes IPAMS Director of Government Affairs, Kathleen Sgamma.
Ken Salazar’s reforms bring mixed reviews
published in: Snowmass Sun on: 02/03/2010 by: David Frey
When Interior Secretary Ken Salazar took over a year ago, his department was reeling from scandal and plagued by criticism that it was too cozy with the oil and gas industry.
“Oil and gas drilling occupies less than .07 percent of public lands in the West, they [IPAMS] say.”
US Interior budget request contains cost increases
published in: Oil & Gas Journal on: 02/03/2010 by: Nick Snow
US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said the nation’s oil and gas industry will remain an important contributor to resource management as he presented the Department of the Interior’s proposed fiscal 2011 budget on Feb. 1.
“The IPAMS position paper noted that the industry “already more than pays for the administration of the federal onshore gas and oil program by return $46 for every dollar spent. When income and other taxes are factored in, companies return $123 for every dollar spent administering the program.” The proposed inspection fees, nonproducing acreage fee, and royalty rate increases would be in addition to $36.5 billion of tax increases in the proposed federal budget which would reduce capital investment in domestic oil and gas by 30-50%, said Marc W. Smith, IPAMS executive director.”
NGSA, IPAMS urge Obama not to overlook natural gas
published in: Oil & Gas Journal on: 02/01/2010 by: Nick Snow
As OGJ went to press last week, two oil and gas association officials said they hoped US President Barack Obama’s Jan. 27 State of the Union message would reflect policies that encourage—instead of discourage—the nation’s natural gas development.
Marc W. Smith, executive director for the Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States, expressed concern that the White House might respond to a $1.35 trillion deficit with the same $80 billion in tax hikes it proposed last year. “These punitive policy proposals are contrary to the president’s goals of rebuilding our economy, increasing energy security, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions,” Smith said.
IPAMS Welcomes Its Newest Members
Behm Energy, Inc.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
Peak Energy Services U.S.A. Inc.
Retamco Operating Inc.
Sands Oil Company
Other Upcoming Meetings
• Utah Basin Advisors Network – February 9th, 10:00 a.m.
• IPAMS Washington DC Call-Up Briefings - February 18th, 22nd, and 25th, 11:30 a.m. If you are registered to attend this year’s Call-Up, please plan on attending one of the following briefings: February 18th, February 22nd, or February 25th at 11:30 a.m. (lunch will be served.) Please RSVP to Becca Ness and indicate which briefing you plan on attending.
• Dept. of the Interior Advocacy – February 23rd, 1:30 p.m.
• Air Quality Committee Ozone Meeting – February 24th, 10:00 a.m.
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
Former MT lawmaker tapped as Salazar adviser
published in: Associated Press on: 02/01/2010 by: Staff
A former Montana state senator and wildlife commissioner has been tapped as Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar’s senior adviser for the Northwest. Missoula attorney Steve Doherty served 12 years in the Montana Senate and chaired the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission from 2005 to 2009.
Colorado
Colorado oil, gas output rises
published in: Denver Post on: 02/04/2010 by: Mark Jaffe
Colorado oil and gas production — despite the recession and new state drilling rules — rose about 4 percent in 2009, according to Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission estimates. Natural-gas production rose by 4.4 percent to 1.6 trillion cubic feet, and oil production was up 1.6 percent to 28.9 million barrels.
New Colo. oil and gas leader wants “seat at the table”
published in: Denver Post on: 02/03/2010 by: Mark Jaffe
Tisha Conoly Schuller, the new president of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, says she is looking to “change the discussion” on oil and gas development in the state. That “discussion” has often been more like a shouting match. Industry leaders, led by the oil and gas association, predicted dire impacts from new, Ritter administration drilling rules, and environmentalists charged the industry with a string of pollution incidences — some documented and some not.
Energy markets position for comeback in metro Denver
published in: 9news on: 02/03/2010 by: Jennifer Ryan
Saying goodbye to 2009 was not too difficult for those working in the energy sector. Thanks to a decline in oil prices from 2008 highs, the energy sector was arguably one of those most battered by the recession. But the tides may be turning in 2010. Analysts predict energy trends will strengthen, according to data compiled by the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation.
Grand Junction Tops For Lost Jobs Last Year
published in: Associated Press on: 02/03/2010 by: Staff
Grand Junction has a national title it doesn’t want. The town led the nation with job losses last year according to federal labor officials. The U.S. Department of Labor reported Tuesday that Grand Junction had the largest percentage drop in jobs for any metropolitan area. The number of jobs in and around Grand Junction went down 7.7 percent last year, from 67,100 at the end of 2008 to 61,900 in December of last year.
Garfield County set for gas-well ‘intervention’
published in: Glenwood Springs Post Independent on: 02/02/2010 by: John Colson
Garfield County may end up intervening in a proposal by Antero Resources, a gas drilling company that wants to drill wells in and around the Battlement Mesa community in the western end of the county. But the “intervention,” as it is formally called, would strictly be aimed at Antero’s request to be allowed to drill wells at a higher density than currently is permitted, in an area that apparently is outside the boundaries of Battlement Mesa.
Colorado Energy Jobs Summit
February 19, 2010 from 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
U.S. Senator Mark Udall, the Keystone Center, Third Way and the University of Colorado will host an Energy Jobs Summitt. Energy Secretary Steven Chu is confirmed to deliver the Keynote address for the summit. Official invitation with specific registration information coming shortly. Registration is based on limited seating; please make sure to register early.
Due to limited availability, registration will be nontransferable, and the RSVP deadline is February 10th. Please complete the registration form and email to: ColoradoEnergyJobsSummit@gmail.com.
Exhibitors will have an opportunity for an educational exhibit of technology/organization to present to event attendees for a fee. Availability is very limited. For more information, please complete form and email to Jeremy Kranowitz.
Montana
Growth will be scant in 2010, economists say
published in: Billings Gazette on: 02/03/2010 by: Jan Falstad
The good news is that the recession sweeping through Montana and Yellowstone County will be ending this year. Still, after two years of declines in labor income, 2010’s positive growth rate will seem weak, said Patrick Barkey, director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana.
Well Control Training Opportunity
February 26-28, 2010 in Butte, MT
Montana Tech and the School of Mines and Engineering is pleased to announce a special Well Control training class that will be held on the Montana Tech campus in Butte, Montana. This IADC/API certified course is designed for engineers and company representatives. Click here to learn more.
New Mexico
NM Governor blogs again
published in: New Mexico Independent on: 02/03/2010 by: Matthew Reichbach
After getting pushed by a reporter on Twitter, Governor Bill Richardson’s blog is once again active. After blogging multiple times during the contentious special session in October, the Guv. had so far been dark in the 2010 legislative session. The newest post is a guest blog from John Bartlit and Don Neeper from New Mexico Citizens for Clean Air & Water on the pit rules that many conservative legislators have blamed for driving oil and gas producers out of the state.
Farmington could testify against emissions cap
published in: Farmington Daily Times on: 02/01/2010 by: Steve Lynn
City officials said they would fight a proposed cap on greenhouse gas emissions though they wouldn’t join a lawsuit to challenge the state’s authority to regulate emissions levels. The city will aid the lawsuit with “moral support,” but if the lawsuit fails, city officials will appear at hearings to testify and provide evidence on how the emissions cap would affect the city, City Attorney Jay Burnham said.
New Mexico oil and gas group fires president
published in: Associated Press on: 02/01/2010 by: Susan Montoya Bryan
Bob Gallagher doesn’t work for the state of New Mexico. He isn’t on any of Gov. Bill Richardson’s task forces. And his days as a university regent have been over for more than a year. Still, the outspoken president of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association got crossways with the Richardson administration for standing up for the state’s oil and natural gas producers and now he’s out of a job.
Massive N.M. potash operation could disrupt drilling, grazing, OHV trails
published in: E&E News (Subscription Required) on: 02/01/2010 by: April Reese
An in-situ potash mine slated for southeastern New Mexico could conflict with oil and gas production, grazing and other activities in the area, according to a preliminary assessment by the Bureau of Land Management. HB Potash LLC, a subsidiary of Intrepid Potash Inc., wants to construct a solution-based potash mine about 20 miles northeast of Carlsbad, N.M., near the New Mexico-Texas state line.
Industry: Blame state’s budget woes on regs
published in: New Mexico Business Weekly on: 01/29/2010 by: Dennis Domrzalski
As state legislators in Santa Fe try to close a $500 million budget deficit, the state’s oil and gas industry has a message for them: Stop trying to kill the industry that has kept the state’s budget afloat. Industry officials and some lawmakers are angry about regulations they say have made it more expensive to drill for oil and natural gas in New Mexico and that are driving the industry from the state.
North Dakota
Drilling for oil under Lake Sakakawea
published in: Bismarck Tribune on: 02/03/2010 by: Lauren Donovan
With the best crude oil two miles underground, what’s on top doesn’t interfere much, even massive Lake Sakakawea. Most of the oil and gas minerals “under the lake” — kind of an inept description because it’s more than 10,000 feet down to get to the Bakken Formation — are now leased in a climate of vigorous oil production. Producers are itching to get it.
N.D. loses, gains in Obama’s budget
published in: Bismarck Tribune on: 02/01/2010 by: Rebecca Beitsch
Some of North Dakota’s programs could be losing funding over the next fiscal year in President Obama’s $4 trillion proposed budget, but the state gets a significant amount of new money as well. The proposal could have serious significance to North Dakota’s energy community. Obama’s version scraps tax cuts for oil, coal and gas companies, which the administration says will save $40 billion over 10 years.
Editorial: Marathon is serious about North Dakota
published in: IN Forum on: 02/02/2010 by: Editorial Board
A few days ago executives of Marathon Oil Corp. of Houston and representatives of the North Dakota oil industry spent a couple of days in Fargo talking about the industry. In addition to making the rounds of radio programs and a visit with The Forum’s Editorial Board, the delegation conducted an extraordinary, free-wheeling discussion with community leaders at a private dinner. We say “extraordinary” because it’s rare (if it’s ever happened at all in Fargo) for execs of a major worldwide oil company that is doing business in North Dakota to sit down and discuss candidly the status of their company and the oil industry in general.
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.
Utah
Instructor running for Congress
published in: St. George Spectrum on: 02/03/2010 by: David Demille
After four years of telling his students at Dixie State College about how the federal government might better help the economy, St. George native Neil Walter is vying to take action. A managing director of a local brokerage firm and instructor at DSC, Walter announced Tuesday he would challenge former state lawmaker Morgan Philpot for the Republican nomination in the race for Utah’s 2nd Congressional district – and a chance to face Democratic incumbent Jim Matheson in November’s election.
Rural Business Conference
February 18, 2010 in Price, UT
Senator Bennett is again hosting a Rural Business Conference and is seeking sponsors. Please consider sponsoring this event. More information, registration and sponsorship event is available at http://www.ruralutah.com/.
Natural Gas STAR Tech Transfer Workshop
March 23-24, 2010 in Vernal, UT
EPA’s Natural Gas Star Program in conjunction with Anadarko, Newfield, IOGCC and IPAMS will be hosting a Producer Technology Transfer Workshop in Vernal on March 23rd from 9:30 – 4:15, with a field trip of Newfield’s operations on March 24th. Click here for more information about this free workshop.
Wyoming
Conservationists, sportsmen agree with plan
published in: Jackson Hole News & Guide on: 02/03/2010 by: Cory Jackson
A proposal to prohibit energy development on more than 44,000 acres in the Wyoming Range is drawing praise from conservation groups and sportsmen, who say the area is too important to drill. Bridger-Teton National Forest announced the plan in a draft environmental impact statement last week.
Industrial park gets new rig
published in: Sublette Examiner on: 02/01/2010 by: Derek Farr
Last summer the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) investigated the effect of a natural gas drilling rig on Pinedale’s viewshed. The agency conducted detailed studies and held public tours at the Stewart Point drill pad located 2.3 miles southwest of town. How then, did a drill rig pop up one mile from Pinedale in the industrial park without BLM fanfare? Pinedale BLM Field Office Manager Brian Davis had a simple answer.
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.
Washington Watch
How the Democrats Could Lose the Senate
published in: Time on: 02/04/2010 by: Jay Newton-Small
Most of the Democratic fretting thus far in the election season — and with nine months to go, it’s still early on — has been focused on potentially losing their 39-seat majority in the House. After all, Democrats control the Senate, where incumbency rules, by a comfortable 10 votes, and only 37 seats are up for grabs this year. However, recent retirements, worrisome poll numbers for several incumbents and the entrance of some strong GOP challengers have prompted a wave of concern for Senate Dems. While still unlikely, if a perfect political storm were to occur, there is a chance that Democrats could lose the Senate.
Barton’s stake in gas wells raises questions
published in: Dallas Morning News on: 02/03/2010 by: Dave Michaels
Rep. Joe Barton has earned nearly $100,000 from an interest in natural gas wells that he purchased from a longtime campaign donor who also advised the congressman on energy policy, according to interviews and records. At a hearing last month of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Barton said he was “a small, small partner in a natural gas well in Johnson County in the Barnett Shale that is probably my 4-year-old son’s college education.” He later told a reporter that he couldn’t remember precisely how he obtained the interest.
Sen. Graham slams push for a ‘half-assed energy bill’
published in: E&E News/New York Times on: 02/03/2010 by: Darren Samuelsohn
A key Senate Republican came out swinging today against the idea of passing just an energy bill and ignoring President Obama’s call to also cap greenhouse gas emissions. “It’s the ‘kick the can down the road’ approach,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. “It’s putting off to another Congress what really needs to be done comprehensively. I don’t think you’ll ever have energy independence the way I want until you start dealing with carbon pollution and pricing carbon. The two are interconnected.”
U.S. Chamber and Obama agree to cooperate on job creation
published in: E&E News (Subscription Required) on: 02/03/2010 by: Anne C. Mulkern
President Obama and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have agreed to come together on the need to create jobs, a partnership that could extend to some energy issues. In letters exchanged after the State of the Union speech, Obama and Tom Donohue, president and CEO of the chamber, indicated an intention to work together on several issues including expanding nuclear power and increased drilling for offshore oil.
Obama says Senate may drop cap and trade, pass energy-only bill
published in: E&E News/New York Times on: 02/03/2010 by: Darren Samuelsohn
President Obama acknowledged yesterday that the Senate may pass an energy bill this year without the cap-and-trade component he has long put at the center of his environmental agenda. Speaking at a town hall meeting in Nashua, N.H., Obama repeated his call for a price on greenhouse gas emissions but said he recognized that such an approach may not have the votes to make it into law.
Democrats push to peg energy to jobs
published in: Politico on: 02/03/2010 by: Lisa Lerer
A draft of legislation circulated on Capitol Hill last week included $12.5 billion for jobs that “improve energy efficiency,” including retrofits for residential, commercial and affordable housing properties — and for manufacturing plants. In the House, Maryland Democrat Chris Van Hollen has called for a jobs bill to include a “green bank” that would boost financing for renewable energy projects. His proposal would create an independent federal company, capitalized with a one-time sum of $20 billion, to offer loans and other types of financial backing for clean energy projects.
Anadarko CEO: Meeting with Obama Favorable for Gas Producers
published in: Rigzone/Dow Jones Newswires on: 02/02/2010 by: Isabel Ordonez
Anadarko Petroleum Corp.’s (APC) Chief Executive said Tuesday that a meeting last week with President Barack Obama was “productive” for U.S. natural gas producers, and that a budget proposal that includes cuts in tax benefits for the oil industry is unlikely to pass in its current form. “There is some practicality with regard to what [the President] just came out with,” said Jim Hackett in a conference call with analysts. Hackett added that the administration’s budget proposal is designed to appeal to the Democratic constituency, but he added that he is “pretty sure it won’t come out the way it has been proposed.”
Salazar cites ‘record profits’ in effort to increase fees
published in: E&E News (Subscription Required) on: 02/02/2010 by: Noelle Straub
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar today defended several Obama administration proposals to increase fees and repeal subsidies for the oil and gas industry. The White House proposed eliminating 12 tax breaks for oil, gas and coal companies to raise an estimated $39 billion over the next decade. Other proposals at Interior include fees for nonproducing leases, inspections and drilling applications and a proposal to repeal some incentives.
Budget fighting begins with oil lobby assault
published in: The Hill on: 02/01/2010 by: Jim Snyder and Silla Brush
The administration’s 2011 budget recommendations drew a rebuke from the oil-and-gas industry and others targeted for cuts as the annual fight over spending officially kicked off Monday. Oil and coal industries have done well in beating back climate change legislation, which has stalled in the Senate.
Lisa Jackson: The Eco-Warrior
published in: Rolling Stone Magazine on: 02/01/2010 by: Tim Dickinson
When it comes to passing major legislation — reforming health care, reining in Wall Street, curbing climate change — the Obama administration is under fire from all sides for bowing to special interests and conducting government business behind closed doors. But there’s one agency where the hope and hype of the campaign trail have transitioned seamlessly into effective governance: the Environmental Protection Agency. With a minimum of fanfare, new EPA administrator Lisa Jackson has established herself as the agency’s most progressive chief ever — and one of the most powerful members of Obama’s Cabinet.
Obama Likely to Rebrand Climate Bill
published in: CQ Today on: 01/27/2010 by: Staff
Despite the obituaries being written for Senate passage of a cap-and-trade bill this year, President Obama is expected to reiterate his call for comprehensive clean energy and climate change legislation and to rebrand it as part of his job-creation agenda. White House officials and senators leading efforts to write a bipartisan climate bill signaled Wednesday that they will keep pushing hard for legislation that would curb emissions of greenhouse gases and boost development of alternative energy.
Media Watch
Op-ed: LNG v. Unconventional Gas Sources In North America
published in: Energy Policy on: 02/04/2010 by: Sophia Ruester, Dresden University of Technology
Nothing has altered the North American natural gas market and its appetite for LNG as severe as the discovery and development of significant unconventional gas sources. Within a couple of years, the supply-demand balance has changed from one of continuous production declines to one of an upcoming surplus. Rising natural gas prices since 2001, easy financing and technological innovations (i.e., horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing) encouraged companies to invest in wells. Amongst others, large deposits were explored with the Barnett Shale and Eagle Ford plays (both in Texas) and the Haynesville Shale (Louisiana).
Op-ed: Greener natural gas takes on coal
published in: Financial Post on: 02/03/2010 by: Christopher Swann
Call it the battle of the fossils. Natural gas, long a second-class citizen in U.S. energy circles, is on a roll now that technology has added dramatically to the quantities available. On the numbers, gas has a case for getting a lot more attention. Old biases and coal’s political clout stand in the way. In terms of reserves, coal’s advantage has shrunk sharply. The United States still has more than 200 years’ supply. Its 800 billion tons is equivalent to three times the oil reserves of Saudi Arabia in terms of energy value. But new drilling techniques for gas have sharply narrowed the gap by unlocking huge shale deposits.
Op-ed: Natural gas is solution to our economic woes
published in: San Angelo Standard-Times on: 02/03/2010 by: James Badgett
Excuse me, Mr. President, but you’re sitting on it. By “it,” I mean a partial solution to the main problem with our economy — jobs, or the lack of them, which the president referred to in his State of the Union address as the No. 1 priority for his administration this year. “It” is already a $53 billion a year industry even in today’s terrible economic environment. “It” is the natural gas industry.
Column: ‘Chasing votes on the back of clean and green’
published in: Houston Chronicle on: 02/02/2010 by: Loren Steffy
Let’s pay for what doesn’t work by cutting what does. That’s the message for the energy industry that springs from the Obama administration’s $3.8 trillion budget proposal. The massive list of outlays includes hefty subsidies for feel-good energy programs like wind and solar power, which account for a sliver of our energy needs, while slashing subsidies for conventional oil and gas drilling, which meet more than 85 percent of current demand.
Op-Ed: Money is reason for decreased drilling, not Salazar
published in: Durango Herald on: 02/01/2010 by: Thomas Power, Contributor to Writers on the Range
As an economist, it startles me when representatives of the business community ignore basic economic relationships such as supply and demand. Yet oil and gas interests have recently been doing exactly that. It is hard to believe there is anyone in the country who does not know we are in a deep recession. It has dramatically cut the demand for and, therefore, the price of most basic raw materials, especially energy. But the oil and gas industry keeps pretending this has not happened, and instead has been blaming Interior Secretary Ken Salazar for the decline in the leasing of and drilling on federally owned lands and the resulting job losses.
Environment and Wildlife
Thompson Divide water quality study under way
published in: Aspen Times on: 02/04/2010 by: John Stroud
A water quality monitoring study that’s currently about half completed will provide baseline data in case of contamination from future natural gas drilling activity in the Thompson Divide area west of Carbondale. The Thompson Divide Coalition (TDC), in cooperation with the Roaring Fork Conservancy, will take a second water sample this week from locations in both the Thompson Creek and Fourmile Creek watersheds. Two more samples will be taken later this year, said Lisa Moreno, TDC campaign director.
Rep. Rehberg (R-MT) Posts Wilderness Comments In His Online “Transparency Center”
Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, posted a list of verbal and written comments he heard from Montanans during the 22 public meetings he held regarding Sen. Jon Tester’s Wilderness bill. Last week, Rehberg promised to take this action in a letter to Senator Tester and asked the Senator to join him in doing so in order to maximize transparency in the legislative process. Click here to view the comments.
Technology, Alternative & Renewables
Wyoming governor proposes wind energy excise tax
published in: Associated Press/Business Week on: 02/02/2010 by: Matt Joyce
Gov. Dave Freudenthal proposed a Wyoming excise tax on wind energy production, arguing the industry should help pay for the consequences of building wind farms in the state. With the Legislature convening next week, Freudenthal on Monday also laid out his legislative goals to review condemnation of private lands for the construction of wind energy collector lines, establish statewide minimum county standards for wind projects and expand the Industrial Siting Act to cover more wind farm concerns.
Wind energy job growth isn’t blowing anyone away
published in: Los Angeles Times on: 02/02/2010 by: Jim Tankersley
America’s wind energy industry enjoyed a banner year in 2009, thanks largely to tax credits and other incentives packed into the $787-billion economic stimulus bill. But even though a record 10,000 megawatts of new generating capacity came on line, few jobs were created overall and wind power manufacturing employment, in particular, fell — a setback for President Obama’s pledge to create millions of green jobs.
Special Report: Unconventional basins require new rig types
published in: Oil & Gas Journal on: 02/01/2010 by: Guntis Moritis
Even though more than 1,000 rigs are inactive in the US, drilling contractors are building new land rigs to satisfy operator demand for improved technology. In the case of Nabors Drilling USA LP, Ronnie Witherspoon, senior vice-president marketing and business development, said that for newbuilds operators are requesting Nabors new AC rigs for their drilling programs, especially for drilling in unconventional basins.
Markets
The Century for Natural Gas: What This Means for Investors
published in: Seeking Alpha on: 02/02/2010 by: Elliot Gue
In the 19th century, coal overcame wood as the world’s most important fuel. The 20th century was the age of petroleum, thanks to the popularity and prevalence of the automobile. Coal and oil will remain key energy commodities well into the 21st century, but I expect natural gas to increase its share of the global energy mix substantially. The long-term drivers of demand for natural gas are twofold: relative abundance and environmental friendliness.
Shale boom leaves industry considering US gas exports
published in: Financial Times on: 02/01/2010 by: Sheila McNulty
When the US independents (oil and gas producers without refining operations) began growing US natural gas production, nobody thought they would flood the market. But in recent years, new technology and expertise has grown production to the extent that the industry has worried in recent months that there would be no more room to store it in the US. Indeed, companies have started to contemplate exporting natural gas from the US.
Industry News and Events
Industries sue to void California’s low-carbon fuel regulations
published in: Los Angeles Times on: 02/03/2010 by: Margot Roosevelt
Trade associations for the oil, chemical and trucking industries filed suit in federal court in Fresno on Tuesday to void California’s http:// first-in-the-nation low-carbon fuel initiative. The regulations, which took effect last month, are aimed at slashing greenhouse gas emissions from gasoline and diesel sold in the nation’s largest transportation market by 10%, and spurring the development of alternative fuels and technology.
Exxon Grew as Oil Industry Contracted
published in: New York Times on: 02/01/2010 by: Jad Mouawad
While much of the oil industry contracted last year, Exxon Mobil expanded its oil and gas operations in the United States and around the world. Exxon, the top Western oil company, took advantage of the weak climate to bolster its operations, buying smaller rivals and attractive assets as it sought to lay the foundation for growth once the economy rebounds.
16th Annual Great Balls of Fire 9-Ball Billiards Challenge
February 16, 2009 in Denver, CO
The Great Balls of Fire 9-Ball Billiards Challenge is all about the goodness in people who want to make a difference in the lives of children and their families. Hosted by the Colorado Professional Firefighters, Denver Firefighters Local 858 and Wynkoop Brewing Company.
Several IPAMS members have chosen to sponsor this worthy charity event.
Click here to learn more and how to become a sponsor.
DOE Office of Fossil Energy Appointment Announcement
U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy is now soliciting applications from persons interested in appointment as members of one of two Federal advisory committees chartered under the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT), Subtitle J, Section 999D. These advisory committees advise the Secretary of Energy on research programs related to ultra-deepwater and unconventional petroleum resources technology. The objectives of these programs are to develop and implement research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of technologies for ultra-deepwater and unconventional natural gas and other petroleum resource exploration and production. Applications for either of these committees must be received by March 1, 2010.
For more information about these committees, their duties, past activities, current members and how to apply online or via fax, please visit the committee websites: http://www.fe.doe.gov/programs/oilgas/advisorycommittees/UltraDeepwater.html
and
http://www.fe.doe.gov/programs/oilgas/advisorycommittees/UnconventionalResources.html.
