January 14, 2010
posted on: Jan 14, 2010
IPAMS Meetings and Announcements
Update on Department of the Interior Policy Changes
IPAMS continues to be out in front on the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) proposed changes to the federal onshore natural gas and oil program. Since Secretary Salazar’s January 6th announcement, Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal has issued an eloquent letter stating the unworkability of the proposed policies and the problem with Salazar’s rhetoric. It covers practical problems with the proposed changes, as well as categorical exclusions and unissued leases. The Governor is truly an effective ally on these issues, and we will continue to work with him and thank him for his efforts. IPAMS has also thanked Congressman Dan Boren (D-OK), whose scathing letter we reported on last week. IPAMS President George Solich delivered the following letter to Senator Michael Bennet asking him to publicly oppose these policy changes. It is encouraging to see that we are not alone in the struggle to save energy jobs in the West. Both Democrats and Republicans from our region and across the nation have made their opposition to the DOI changes and to Secretary Salazar’s rhetoric known. Governor Dave Freudenthal (D-WY), Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), Senator Bob Bennett (R-UT), Congressman Dan Boren (D-OK), Congressman Rob Bishop (R-UT), Congressman Doug Lamborn (R-CO), and Congressman Doc Hastings (R-WA) have echoed IPAMS concerns about the impact DOI’s changes could have on jobs and state and local communities. IPAMS has offered our sincere thanks to these leaders, and encourage you to do the same. Click here to read IPAMS news release: “Bipartisan Outcry Over Misguided DOI Changes.”
It’s important to note that no actual policies and instruction manuals have been issued yet. The changes will be worked out by yet another extra-procedural review team, this time led by Assistant Secretary Wilma Lewis, whose experience is mainly in civil rights law and not much in natural gas and oil. IPAMS is writing letters to her and Bob Abbey requesting a meeting to ensure that we are included in the reform discussions. You can also help us out by responding to our alert requesting a seat at the table. Click here – it only takes a minute!
From what is known at this point, IPAMS has issued the following position paper. It will be updated based on member input and as more information is released from Interior. IPAMS has also issued an update to our Categorical Exclusions position paper.
IPAMS has also expanded the Leasing Advocacy team and Categorical Exclusions (CX) working group into an overall DOI Advocacy task force, since Salazar’s proposed changes encompass leasing policies, unissued leases, CXs, permitting, and whatever else Lewis’s “Energy Reform Team” decides to throw at us. If interested in attending, please join the meeting on Thursday January 28th at 10:00 a.m.
Salazar’s Candy Shop
IPAMS sent out a tongue-in-cheek news release last week aimed at getting Secretary Salazar to understand that his proposed changes to the federal onshore natural gas and oil program will slow natural gas and oil development in the West, and that his continued harsh rhetoric is hurtful to the hard working men and women who are supplying our nation’s energy. Click here to view IPAMS news release: “Western Energy Producers to Salazar: 0.07% Is One Small Piece of Candy!”
Make Your Voice Heard at IPAMS 2010 Washington Call-up
March 1-3, 2010 (beginning at 4:00 pm on March 1st)
The IPAMS 2010 Washington Call-Up is less than six weeks away!
If you have not yet registered to attend IPAMS 10th Annual Washington, DC Call-Up, please consider doing so. It’s a great way to ensure that your voice is heard in our nation’s capital. This year’s Call-Up is only a few weeks away, and more than 30 representatives of our industry are already planning to attend. No matter what position you hold in your company, IPAMS can use you in DC. This year’s trip is expected to have meetings with over 100 Members of Congress and their staffs, we also have plenty of social events planned, including a joint reception with IPAA at the new Capitol Visitor’s Center. Click here for the draft agenda.
If you have any questions about the 2010 Call-Up, please contact IPAMS Director of Public Affairs Jon Bargas. 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.
OTC Derivatives
IPAMS has signed-on to a letter asking the Senate to preserve access to OTC derivatives as a risk management tool. A similar letter sent by the Coalition for Derivatives End Users in September 2009 included about 200 associations and companies and was a very effective tool in our lobbying effort to preserve access to affordable OTC derivatives for end-users in the House. Please feel free to forward this email to any other company or association that has an interest in this issue. To read the letter and electronically add your company name to the letter, click here.
IPAMS Vote From Home/Voter Education Program
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 we were able register and request absentee ballots for over 1,000 industry employees. Because of the success of this program, we have decided to expand it 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 our 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 many of the major Colorado producers, but we need more support in order to get working on the program as soon as possible. If your company would like to be part of this important effort, please contact IPAMS Director of Public Affairs Jon Bargas.
2010 Wildcatter of the Year Nominations
The 29th Annual IPAMS Wildcatter of the Year Gala will take place on May 15, 2010 at the Seawell Ballroom at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, in Denver, Colorado. The IPAMS Wildcatter of the Year is a lifetime achievement award for distinguished service to our industry and the community. Members of the natural gas and oil industry in the Intermountain West are encouraged to nominate deserving colleagues for this prestigious award.
Nominations should be made according to the unique contributions and accomplishments of the individual, particularly regarding: 1) successful longtime Rocky Mountain exploration and production, 2) community service and philanthropy and 3) support of oil and natural gas industry activities and organizations. Invitations to this black tie cocktail reception and award dinner will be mailed closer to the event, but please mark your calendars now. Last year there were over 700 attendees at this festive event. We hope you’ll make plans to join us this year.
The IPAMS Wildcatter of the Year Award is a valuable, limited edition bronze sculpture by renowned wildlife sculptor Veryl Goodnight. Generous sponsors of this year’s award include U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, Bank of Oklahoma and American National Bank. Sponsors of this event include Black Hills Exploration and Production, Inc.,EnCap Investments, M.J. England & Associates, Saga Petroleum, Samson Resources, Shell E & P Company, St. Mary Land & Exploration Company and Whiting Petroleum Corporation.
Click here to access the nomination form. The deadline for nominations is February 19, 2010.
Nomination forms maybe submitted by mail or fax to:
IPAMS
410 17th Street, Ste 700
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 893-0709 -fax
Please contact Becca Ness or call (303) 623-097 for more information.
IPAMS 2010 Calendars Now Available
Thank you to our generous sponsors whose contributions made this project possible: Anadarko, Devon, EnCana, Enerplus, Ensign Energy Services, Fidelity E&P Co., Mesa Energy, Newfield, Noble Energy, Questar, Wells Fargo, Whiting, and Williams.
Please stop by the IPAMS office to pick up your copy or contact Jon Haubert.
IPAMS Would Like To Thank The Following Members:
Now, more than ever, industry is facing some difficult challenges with Congress and the Obama Administration. A special thank you to IPAMS members who have recently upgraded their membership:
• Pioneer Natural Resources
• Jonah Gas Company, LLC
• Mesa Energy Partners
• BENTEK Energy LLC
• Tall Grass Energy Company
• Macquarie Tristone
• Denver Mineral & Royalty Company
• Petros Environmental Group, Inc.
• NVI-Nondestructive & Visual Inspection
• Albrecht & Associates
Other Upcoming Meetings
• Legislative, Legal & Regulatory (LLR) Committee – January 19th, 10:00 a.m.
• Wildlife Committee – POSTPONED
• Air Quality Committee Bi-Weekly Call – January 19th, 3:00 p.m.
• Colorado Basin Advisors Network – January 20th, 10:00 a.m.
• Department of Interior Advocacy – January 28th, 10:00 a.m.
• Montana Basin Advisors Network – February 17th, 1:00 p.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
Sprague’s Pipit ESA Listing Determination – ATTENTION MONTANA/NORTH DAKOTA OPERATORS
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a positive 90-day finding that the Sprague’s Pipit, a small bird native to Great Plains grasslands with breeding habitat in Montana and North Dakota, warrants further consideration for listing as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. States that would be impacted by a listing include Montana, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. The petition, submitted by WildEarth Guardians, claims that oil and gas development has resulted in habitat losses and disturbed the species throughout its range. Public Lands Advocacy (PLA) has contracted with a wildlife consulting firm to review and provide comments and is seeking funding from companies with activities in the affected areas to cover costs associated with this project. Contact Spencer Kimball (IPAMS) at 303-623-0987 for more information or if you would like to contribute. Click here to view the listing petition and click here to view the Federal Register Notice.
Feds recommend approval of 2 Rockies gas lines
published in: Associated Press on: 01/11/2010 by: Matthew Brown
Federal regulators are recommending approval of two natural gas pipelines that could sharply increase fuel shipments from the Rockies to population centers in the Midwest and on the West Coast. The Rockies hold an estimated 375 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, or almost as much as the Gulf of Mexico.
Colorado
Colorado drilling permits down 36% in 2009, but still ahead of neighbor states
published in: Denver Business Journal on: 01/13/2010 by: Cathy Proctor
The number of drilling permits issued in Colorado dropped 36 percent in 2009 from the year before, but Colorado still issued more drilling permits than surrounding states, according to the Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission. Colorado issued 5,159 drilling permits in 2009, down from 8,027 issued in 2008. But that’s more than were approved in neighboring states during the year, according to a COGCC report presented to the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee this week.
GarCo gas drilling predicted to stay flat for the ‘foreseeable future’
published in: Grand Junction Free Press on: 01/11/2010 by: John Colson
The level of well-drilling activity in Garfield County’s gas fields remains essentially flat and will be like that for a while, industry representatives reported this week. “Most of us are status quo, for the foreseeable future,” said Sher Long of EnCana, speaking at the Jan. 7 meeting of the Garfield County Energy Advisory Board.
Colorado Energy Jobs Summit
February 19, 2010 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.
Montana
Baucus: Drilling Leases Along Front to Be Given Up
published in: Associated Press on: 01/13/2010 by: Staff
Montana Sen. Max Baucus plans to announce Thursday that five oil and gas companies will relinquish drilling leases they hold on the Rocky Mountain Front, an area prized by conservationists. In 2006, Congress banned new leasing of federal lands along the east side of the Montana mountain range, but existing lease holders could still develop the property. The same law also created tax incentives for relinquishing leases.
North Dakota
State sees value in natural gas resources
published in: Williston Herald on: 01/11/2010 by: Alan Reed
Expansion of the infrastructure in the state continues so more natural gas can get to market instead of being flared from well sites. As more people are looking toward natural gas as a possible long-term solution to global energy needs, North Dakota continues to see expansion of the statewide natural gas distribution and processing systems that exist.
Oil Boom May Be to Blame for Invasive Weed in ND
published in: Associated Press on: 01/12/2010 by: Blake Nicholson
Booming oil activity in western North Dakota in recent years has boosted the state’s economy. But it might be to blame for the introduction of an invasive weed that can poison livestock and wildlife. Halogeton has been found in most western U.S. states but had never been spotted in North Dakota until late last summer, when a federal official found it in the Little Missouri National Grasslands. Now, state and federal officials hope to raise awareness of the threat.
New Natural Gas Line Is Helping ND Businesses
published in: Associated Press on: 01/11/2010 by: Staff
A natural gas pipeline that was built to serve a southeastern North Dakota ethanol plant is being tapped to serve other customers. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. built the 16-mile line to provide gas to the U.S. BioEnergy plant near Hankinson. Now the North Dakota Public Service Commission has agreed to allow MDU to serve other natural gas customers from the line.
North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven to announce Senate bid
published in: Politico on: 01/11/2010 by: David Catanese
North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven is expected to kick off his candidacy for U.S. Senate Monday evening at a GOP district convention in Bismarck, according to a state Republican familiar with his plans. Hoeven’s announcement will come just six days after Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan said he would retire rather than seek a fourth term in 2010.
Utah
Tim DeChristopher looks to ‘disrupt’ congressional campaign
published in: Deseret News on: 01/13/2010 by: Josh Smith
Known for his creative disruption of an oil and gas lease auction in 2008, this year Tim DeChristopher hopes to creatively disrupt a congressional campaign. DeChristopher and what he calls a “coalition of progressives” have formed a grassroots effort called The Citizens’ Candidate to unseat 2nd District Democrat Rep. Jim Matheson. “There is an overall dissatisfaction with Washington,” he said. “People are looking for a change.”
Democratic Salt Lake County Mayor Corroon promotes energy independence in bid for governor
published in: Associated Press on: 01/12/2010 by: Brock Vergakis
Democrat Peter Corroon launched his gubernatorial bid Tuesday by saying Utah should become energy independent within 10 years by investing in renewable energy. “While our federal government talks about it, Utah can achieve it.” the mayor of Salt Lake County said in a speech officially announcing his candidacy. “We can and should become self-sustaining like the pioneers before us.”
Politics Up Close: Debate on New Oil & Gas Leasing Regulations IPAMS Interviewed
published in: KCPW Radio on: 01/08/2010 by: Jeff Robinson
Environmentalists are lauding Interior Secretary Ken Salazar’s new guidelines for oil and gas leasing on public lands, an issue that hits home in Utah after the secretary controversially pulled dozens of leases from an auction in late 2008. But energy developers says they’ll lead to unnecessary delays. We get positive & negative reaction to his new guidelines from Steve Bloch, Conservation Director for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, and Kathleen Sgamma, Government Affairs Director for the Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States.
The County Seat
The County Seat is a half hour television program about relevant issues facing Utah’s counties. The program will address two important issues facing Utah’s counties per half hour program. The County Seat is designed to educate the public about important issues as well as foster debate and dialogue so that the public, legislators, state and federal regulators can better understand the depth of issues and the impacts of those issues facing Utah’s county level government. Click here to view the pilot.
Uintah County Commissioner Mike McKee approached IPAMS about the program, since he would like to see an oil and gas show. The rates for commercials spots are extremely reasonable, and translate into a good opportunity to educate the public about our industry. Please contact Chad Booth for more information.
Wyoming
WY Governor fights federal lease rules
published in: Billings Gazette/Casper Star-Tribune on: 01/12/2010 by: Jeremy Pelzer
Gov. Dave Freudenthal met with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and other federal officials in Washington, D.C., on Monday afternoon to protest proposed sweeping changes to federal oil and gas leasing policies. The proposed reforms, unveiled by Salazar on Wednesday, would toughen environmental review procedures and seek more public comment before oil and gas companies are allowed to drill on public lands.
Gov race takes shape
published in: Casper Star-Tribune on: 01/11/2010 by: Joan Barron
The 2010 election campaigns will begin later this month as two more Republicans announce their intentions to run for governor. Former U.S. Attorney Matt Mead and State Auditor Rita Meyer will add their names to the ranks of GOP gubernatorial hopefuls. They will join former legislator and Fort Bridger rancher Ron Micheli, who announced his intentions last year.
Washington Watch
Institute for Energy Research: $135,295 per Job, Obama Announces $2.3 Billion to Create 17K Green Jobs
Following President Obama’s remarks on “green” jobs and “clean energy technology,” Thomas J. Pyle, president of the market based Institute for Energy Research (IER), issued the following statement on the President’s commitment of $2.3 billion additional taxpayer dollars to further subsidize the wind and solar energy industry. Click here to watch the interview on Fox News.
CFTC to Propose New Limits on Energy Speculation
published in: Bloomberg on: 01/14/2010 by: Asjylyn Loder and Peter Cook
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission will take another step today in its efforts to rein in energy speculation, proposing hard limits on the number of futures a single investor can hold. Swaps dealers, index funds and commodity traders have been waiting for the proposal since July and August, when the commission held hearings amid concerns that speculators drove oil prices to a record high of $147.27 a barrel in 2008.
CFTC Hopes to Tame Rocky Energy Markets
published in: Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required) on: 01/13/2010 by: Kara Scannell and Sarah N. Lynch
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is set Thursday to propose limits on positions energy traders can take, advancing a major piece of Chairman Gary Gensler’s agenda after delays and some skepticism from commissioners. The proposal is a response to criticism the agency faced in 2008 when crude-oil prices soared to $145 a barrel. Many in Congress blamed speculators and accused the commission of sitting by and letting it happen. Lawmakers pointed to the entry of pensions and endowments in commodities investing as a factor behind the volatility.
Hinchey calls for oversight of gas drilling
published in: Times Herald-Record on: 01/13/2010 by: Stephen Sacco
The state and Gov. David Paterson might not be enthusiastic about revamping state drilling regulations, but if Rep. Maurice Hinchey has his way, there would be more federal oversight of gas drilling. Hinchey is sponsoring legislation that would eliminate what he says is an exemption gas and oil companies have from some provisions in the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Green groups pine for bill
published in: Politico on: 01/13/2010 by: Lisa Lerer
Moderates don’t like cap and trade. Republicans question climate change. And even some liberal Democrats say there’s little chance for a climate bill to pass the Senate this year. Still, environmentalists and their supporters in Congress, who have spent a decade pushing for cap and trade, aren’t giving up.
Grassley: Energy bill likely in 2010; cap-and-trade unlikely
published in: The Hill on: 01/12/2010 by: Michael O’Brien
The Senate will move on energy and environmental issues in 2010, but not cap-and-trade legislation, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) asserted Tuesday. Grassley said that the Senate is likely to take up an energy bill, perhaps including a renewable electricity standard, but not the controversial emissions reduction system approved last year by the House but left undone by the Senate.
Boren blasts Salazar for ‘kings of the world’ remark
published in: Oil & Gas Journal on: 01/12/2010 by: Nick Snow
An oil state US House Democrat strongly criticized Interior Secretary Ken Salazar for his characterizations of the oil and gas industry during a teleconference last week with reporters. Asked about possible criticism of changes in new onshore leasing policies he was announcing, Salazar replied: “I think the difference was that [oil and gas producers] were essentially kings of the world in the prior administration. Whatever they wanted to happen, happened. We brought that to an end because we wanted to protect the public’s resources. I expect the shrill responses from the oil and gas industry will come anyway.”
The 2010 congressional agenda
published in: Politico on: 01/12/2010 by: Lisa Lerer
Pretty soon, Congress won’t be able to hide behind the health-care-first excuse anymore, and plenty of anxious activists are wondering if their issue will finally get some attention in 2010. Most of them are probably going to be disappointed. The shortened election year calendar, heightened partisan atmosphere and dismal public approval ratings for incumbents are forcing lawmakers to do a reality check on just how much of President Barack Obama’s domestic agenda is too much.
Media Watch
Editorial: Gov seeks balance in oil and gas drilling
published in: Casper Star-Tribune on: 01/13/2010 by: Editorial Board
The political pendulum often swings wide. During the eight years of the George W. Bush administration, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says now, the oil and gas industry treated public lands like a “candy store” where it could get whatever it wanted. That’s certainly a view shared by most environmentalists, though industry has consistently argued that the leasing process is still too slow. Salazar, in announcing new rules last week about how oil and gas leases will be awarded on public lands, reminded everyone that there’s a new sheriff in town, and stricter environmental standards will be put in place by Barack Obama’s administration. The new policies are designed to give the public a greater voice in how leases are awarded, Salazar said.
Carroll: Obama’s green jobs fantasy
published in: Denver Post on: 01/13/2010 by: Vincent Carroll
How do you persuade deficit-wary (and weary) Americans to support still more federal spending to boost the economy? If you’re the president, you trumpet spending on “clean” technology and then make claims that require your audience to suspend their critical faculties. “Building a robust clean-energy sector is how we will create the jobs of the future, jobs that pay well and can’t be outsourced,” President Obama said last week in announcing new tax credits for “green” jobs while calling for additional money for green manufacturing.
Op-ed: Cap and trade will add to ranks of jobless
published in: Silver City Sun-News on: 01/11/2010 by: Jim Constantopoulos
Are the days of high unemployment finally coming to an end? One can only hope. Even though the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the U.S. unemployment rate in November was 10 percent, down from 10.2 percent in October, the number is still large, and it undercounts the true number of unemployed. It doesn’t include all of the people out of work who have given up looking for a job, or those who have been furloughed into part-time work but still can’t make ends meet.
Editorial: Industry should be able to meet new ozone rules
published in: Casper Star-Tribune on: 01/11/2010 by: Editorial Board
Last August, the Wyoming Environmental Quality Council unanimously rejected a Sublette County group’s petition to reduce the air quality standard for ozone to lower than the federal standard. The council’s decision was primarily based on the fact that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was already reviewing its ozone rules. We opposed the petition, because we felt there was no reason for the state to part ways with the EPA on this important issue. There were other valid reasons for the EQC’s ruling.
Editorial: Put two in the win column for environment
published in: Salt Lake Tribune/Los Angeles Times on: 01/11/2010 by: Editorial Board
After eight long years during which regulators pillaged the environment rather than protecting it, there’s a clean breeze wafting out of Washington. Last week, the Obama administration took key steps toward reversing two of President George W. Bush’s more egregious assaults on science, conservation and public health. Remember Tim DeChristopher? He was the courageous University of Utah student who, in December 2008, thwarted the Bush administration’s 11th-hour attempt to auction off pristine parcels of Utah’s red-rock desert for oil and gas development by submitting bogus bids.
Editorial: No More ‘Candy Store’
published in: New York Times on: 01/11/2010 by: Editorial Board
Ken Salazar promised as the interior secretary to strike a better balance between the need for oil and gas development and the need to protect public lands in the Rocky Mountain West. In the Bush years, it was all about the drilling. The administration aggressively leased out millions of acres of public land and issued more than 50,000 drilling permits, in many cases risking wildlife habitat and ignoring legally mandated environmental reviews.
Editorial: Prairie dogs
published in: Salt Lake Tribune on: 01/10/2010 by: Editorial Board
Consider the lowly Utah prairie dog — if only because too few of us today ever do, and too many of our ancestors never did. The pioneers displaced them with farms and cattle. We favor concrete, motorized vehicles and housing developments; prairie dogs, not so much. Lack of human consideration and care has always been the biggest problem facing the Utah prairie dog, a foot-long member of the squirrel family that, despite federal intervention in the 1970s, remains under threat of extinction.
Environment and Wildlife
Lawmakers, business groups reject greenhouse rules
published in: Associated Press on: 01/08/2010 by: Matt Gouras
A legislative oversight panel on Friday blocked state government plans to quickly develop a greenhouse gas rule in response to pending federal Environmental Protection Agency mandates. Republican lawmakers and business groups led the move Friday that will dampen work over at the Montana Board of Environmental Review establishing a way for the state to regulate greenhouse gasses once federal rules on the issue are completed.
U.S. bird listing to hit energy, wind industries
published in: Reuters on: 01/07/2010 by: David Gregorio
Efforts to protect an iconic bird could disrupt oil, natural gas and wind energy development in the U.S. West and add to the Democratic Party’s green woes ahead of the 2010 congressional elections. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has until February 26 to decide whether or not to list the greater sage-grouse under the Endangered Species Act. This may prove politically charged as it comes in the face of opposition from energy interests and state governments who fear it will hurt economic development.
Technology, Alternative & Renewables
Pickens reduces order for wind turbines, puts Panhandle wind farm on hold
published in: Dallas Morning News on: 01/13/2010 by: Elizabeth Souder
T. Boone Pickens has cut his massive order for wind turbines from GE by more than half. T. Boone Pickens said Tuesday that wind power has become less important to him recently because of the drop in natural gas prices. The energy investor, who made wind power a key part of his plan to wean Americans off foreign oil, said Tuesday he will now take delivery of 300 turbines, which he will use for wind farms in Canada and Minnesota. None of the turbines will come to Texas, as originally planned.
Ice may crack open oil deposits
published in: Edmonton Journal on: 01/12/2010 by: Dave Cooper
The tremendous power of ice, which through its freeze-thaw cycles can destroy roads, bridges and buildings, may soon also help boost oil and gas production. “Ice can move mountains, and we are using ice to get oil and gas to flow. It’s a very simple idea,” said Darrell Kosakewich, who founded Triple D Technologies to test and market the technology. When water is sent down well bore holes and frozen, it expands by nine per cent when it turns to ice. The resulting power exerted on the surrounding rock is three times stronger than the pressures created by fracturing — “fracking” — when companies split rock to release oil and gas in tight formations.
Request for Emissions Reduction Credits
If your company has emissions reduction credits for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or nitrogen oxides (NOx) available to sell, please contact Jennifer Biever, Hogan & Hartson LP, 303-454-2410. Your company may be eligible to claim and sell emissions reduction credits if you voluntarily install controls on air pollution sources.
Markets
Natural gas outlook in 2010? Depends on whom you ask
published in: Houston Chronicle on: 01/13/2010 by: Tom Fowler
What ‘The Man’ says: Natural gas production data from the Energy Information Administration. It appears the overall economic outlook for 2010 is going to be better than 2009, but what does that mean for natural gas prices? Here are some of the expert outlooks: The Energy Information Administration’s short-term outlook for 2010 is for consumption to remain flat: EIA expects the annual average natural gas Henry Hub spot price for 2010 to be $5.36 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf), a $1.30-per-Mcf increase over the 2009 average of $4.06 per Mcf. The price will continue to increase in 2011, averaging $6.12 per Mcf for the year.
U.S. Overtakes Russia as Biggest Natural Gas Producer
published in: Bloomberg on: 01/12/2010 by: Stephen Bierman
The U.S. overtook Russia as the world’s largest natural-gas producer last year as U.S. suppliers tapped unconventional resources while demand in Russia plunged amid the country’s worst economic decline on record. U.S. output advanced 3.9 percent in January through October to 18.3 trillion feet (519 billion cubic meters), according to the latest Department of Energy data. Russian output, about four-fifths of which comes from state-run OAO Gazprom, plunged 17 percent in the period to 462 billion cubic meters.
Industry News and Events
Pennsylvania gas lease prices double at auction
published in: Reuters on: 01/13/2010 by: John Hurdle
Surging demand for access to shale gas reserves in Pennsylvania pushed bid prices for leases on state land to twice the level of the previous auction, generating a windfall of some $60 million for state coffers, officials said. Sixteen energy companies bid an average of $4,020 an acre for access to six parcels totaling 32,000 acres of state forest in north-central Pennsylvania at an auction on Monday, earning the state $128.5 million in revenue or more than twice the amount called for by lawmakers.
Podesta and Pickens Stump for Natural Gas
published in: New York Times on: 01/13/2010 by: Clifford Krauss
T. Boone Pickens, the billionaire Texas financier, and John Podesta, President Bill Clinton’s White House chief of staff, are not exactly political soul mates. But Mr. Pickens and Mr. Podesta did hold a joint news media briefing on Wednesday to talk about legislation that would grant large tax breaks to fleets of heavy trucks if they switch from diesel fuel to natural gas. They called on Republican and Democratic lawmakers to get together behind natural gas to replace oil imports from hostile or unstable nations.
Gas Pains: The Problems with a Gas-Fired Bridge to Clean Energy
published in: Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required) on: 01/11/2010 by: Keith Johnson
Natural gas is often seen as the “bridge fuel” to a clean-energy future—it’s abundant, reliable, and has about half the emissions of coal. Today, a couple of reminders of just how tricky it can be to really make that gas-powered energy revolution a reality. In California, state regulators are concerned that new emissions rules from the Environmental Protection Agency could actually “retard” the state’s efforts to clean up its energy mix, The Wall Street Journal reports today.
Bentek Sees U.S. Gas-Productivity Gain Displacing Imports, Coal
published in: Bloomberg/BusinessWeek on: 01/08/2010 by: Edward Klump
Surging productivity from U.S. fields will end the need for natural-gas imports and provide enough additional fuel to run vehicle fleets and reduce coal-fired power generation, said consulting firm Bentek Energy LLC. “We may very well be on the cusp of a completely different energy era than we’ve had for the last 30 or 40 years,” Bentek Chief Executive Officer Porter Bennett said yesterday in an interview in Bloomberg’s Houston bureau.
Rocky Mountain EHS Peer Group Quarterly Meeting
The next meeting will be Thursday, January 21st at Williams, 1515 Arapahoe St. from 8:30 to 2:00.Click here to view the agenda.
2010 Colorado Business Hall of Fame inducts Merle Chambers and James Wallace
February 4, 2010 at the Hyatt Convention Center (650 15th Street, Denver, CO)
Join Junior Achievement and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce will induct five new Laureates at Colorado’s premier business black-tie gala event, the 21st Annual Colorado Business Hall of Fame. Over the past 21 years more than 100 of Colorado’s more prominent business leaders have been inducted into the Hall of Fame and this year is no different as Hank Bosco, Merle Chambers, The Gart Brothers, Fred Hamilton and James Wallace join this group. Proceeds from the event support the programs of Junior Achievement and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. A reception for the event begins at 6:00 p.m. with program to follow.
Tables for this event start at $2,750 with individual tickets for $275. For more information or to purchase tables contact Shawna Robbins, at Junior Achievement, at 303-260-6286 or srobbins@jacolorado.org.
For more information visit: http://www.jacolorado.org/content/view/78/90/
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.
