June 17, 2010
posted on: Jun 17, 2010
IPAMS Meetings and Announcements
IPAMS Annual Meeting and Summer Conference
June 23-25 in Beaver Creek, CO
Friday, June 18th is the last day to register! Click here to view the agenda and details and register today!
Space is filling up for this celebrated annual event; an opportunity to meet and network with industry leadership and hear perspectives on what’s happening in our industry, from a macroeconomic outlook to regional issues. Join IPAMS 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.
Golf Tournament: Foursomes are still available; contact us today if you are interested in golfing or would like to donate an item to be included in the golf cart gift bags!
Silent Auction: We will be ending this year’s event with a silent auction; if you are interested in donating an item, contact Membership and Events intern Kristina Rogers for more information.
In case you missed it: Click here to read a message from IPAMS Executive Director Marc Smith,“Industry Summit in Beaver Creek: IPAMS Annual Meeting and Summer Conference continues a tradition of excellence,” outlining in greater detail some of this year’s exceptional speakers.
IPAMS thanks the following sponsors for supporting the Annual Meeting and Summer Conference:
Anadarko | Basic Energy Services | Berry Petroleum Corporation | Bill Barrett Corporation | Black Hills Exploration and Production
Schlumberger | Cordillera Energy Partners III, LLC | Devon Energy Corporation | Edmonds Energy Corp. | El Paso E& P | EnCana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc.
Ensign United States Drilling | EOG Resources | Fulbright & Jaworski, LLP | G3 Operating, LLC | Halliburton Energy Services | Hart Energy Publishing
Mesa Energy Partners, LLC | M.J. England & Associates | New Prospect Company | Nielson & Associates, Inc. | Noble Energy Inc.
Petroleum Development Corporation | Pioneer Natural Resources | Questar Market Resources | Samson Resources | Schlumberger
SM Energy | Tracker Resources | Trinity Petroleum Management LLC | US Bank | Ultra Petroleum, Inc.
Welborn Sullivan Meck & Tooley, PC | Whiting | Williams
For more information and for sponsorship, contact Becca Ness or 303.623.0987.
Tax Increase on Industry Defeated! Please thank your Senators
On Tuesday, an amendment to tax legislation offered by Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-VT) that would have increased taxes on independent producers was defeated. Among the specific provisions in the amendment were the elimination of the expensing of intangible drilling and development costs and eliminating percentage depletion. Sen. Sanders justified his amendment as penalizing “Big Oil,” when in fact it would have overwhelmingly affected independent producers. The amendment mirrored a similar energy tax increase proposed earlier this year by President Obama.
Because of IPAMS hard work over the past several years educating the Western Congressional Delegation on the adverse effects of such punitive legislation, every Senator from the producing states in our region voted no on this amendment. Please take a moment to thank your senator for supporting domestic energy and western jobs.
Click on the Senator’s name below to access their individual contact form:
Colorado:
Michael Bennet (Dem.)
Mark Udall (Dem.)
Utah:
Robert Bennett (Rep.)
Orrin Hatch (Rep.)
New Mexico:
Jeff Bingaman (Dem.)
Tom Udall (Dem.)
Montana:
Max Baucus (Dem.)
Jon Tester (Dem.)
North Dakota:
Kent Conrad (Dem.)
Byron Dorgan (Dem.)
Wyoming:
John Barrasso (Rep.)
Michael Enzi (Rep.)
IPAMS Request for Proposal – Legal
IPAMS is seeking proposals for two potential legal actions that the organization is considering. Proposals are requested for the two legal actions outlined in the notes from the legal task force meeting, available on the IPAMS Government Affairs page in the LLR Committee section.
Proposals should be brief, and detail how the firm would approach the task, a timeline for specified tasks, a cost estimate, relevant firm experience, and CVs of key personnel. Only IPAMS member companies will be considered, with preference given to those that have provided volunteer work and substantive input to IPAMS. IPAMS cannot guarantee at this time that the organization will proceed with one or both of the actions, but will use the proposals to determine a reasonable cost and timeframe to present to the IPAMS Executive Committee. If the Committee decides to proceed with one or both of the actions, a selection process will commence. Please send proposals to Kathleen Sgamma by June 22nd at noon.
IPAMS in the News
Change unlikely for onshore O&G APD deadline
published in: Public Lands News on: 06/11/2010 by: James B. Coffin
“I don’t know how they could extend the deadline,” said Kathleen Sgamma, director of government affairs for the Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain states (IPAMS), “because they routinely ignore that now.”
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. For more information or to refer a company to IPAMS regarding membership please contact Susan Fakharzadeh.
Visit ipams.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
Colorado, mountain West ‘still struggling,’ says Brookings economic study
published in: Denver Business Journal on: 06/14/2010 by: Staff
The Denver area has made “discernible progress” in recovering from the recession, with two straight quarters of economic growth, “but that growth has yet to be translated into jobs,” says Mark Muro, co-author of the latest quarterly “Mountain Monitor” report on the Intermountain West’s economy from the Brookings Institution and the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.
Gulf spill stirs worry in Rockies
published in: Billings Gazette/Casper Star-Tribune on: 06/11/2010 by: Dustin Bleizeffer
It’s hard to imagine an oil well catastrophe in Wyoming that could compare with the damage wrought in the Gulf of Mexico for years to come.
Western Election News
Denver Petroleum Club Candidates Energy Forum
June 22, 2010 in Denver from 3pm-7pm
Two of Colorado’s candidates for governor will present their platforms on energy and take questions from the audience at a public event hosted by the Denver Petroleum Club on June 22.
The forum will be moderated by Adam Schrager of 9News and recorded for a future broadcast on YOUR SHOW. Members of the audience will be asked to participate in brief survey questions and will have the opportunity to pose questions directly to the candidates. John Hickenlooper and Scott McInnis have been asked to talk about important issues facing the oil and gas industry and discuss its role in Colorado’s economy. The afternoon event will take place in the ballroom of the Denver Athletic Club followed immediately by a reception on the sundeck. Click here for more information.
The cost is $35 for members of the Denver Petroleum Club or Denver Athletic Club, $55 for non-members. To register, visit www.denverpetroleumclub.com.
Washington Post’s Milbank got a lot wrong in his column, Romanoff says
published in: Denver Post on: 06/16/2010 by: Andrew Romanoff
Dana Milbank got my name right — but that’s about it. Milbank’s attempt to malign my character consumed 13 paragraphs in Monday’s Denver Post. Nearly every paragraph is false or misleading.
?Click here to see Dana Milbank’s column: “Andrew Romanoff’s cynical fratricide”
UT: Candidates spar over influence, semantics of industry money
published in: Salt Lake Tribune on: 06/15/2010 by: Brandon Loomis
A brewing dispute over the role of “corporate money” in their impending primary election spilled over into a public radio debate Tuesday between Democratic congressional challenger Claudia Wright and Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah.
Wyo. must adapt, candidate for governor says
published in: Gillette News-Record on: 06/12/2010 by: Nathan Payne
Wyoming must adapt to a new world, or risk being left behind, according to Leslie Petersen, 69, a Democrat running for governor. Regardless of an individual’s belief in the validity of global warming, more people, including regulators, are becoming more convinced by the day, Petersen said.
Colorado
With tighter rules on deepwater drilling, Colorado oil production could get a boost
published in: Denver Post on: 06/16/2010 by: Drew FitzGerald
Oil companies with operations in Colorado are watching the fallout from the gulf oil spill to see if regulatory changes could mean more reliance on land-based drilling for domestic production.
Report to detail potential drilling impacts on health in Battlement Mesa
published in: Aspen Times/Glenwood Springs Post Independent on: 06/16/2010 by: John Stroud
A public health assessment meant to study and offer advance recommendations on potential impacts to Battlement Mesa residents from future natural gas drilling is on track for a final report to be issued this fall.
Xcel’s complicated rate changes jolt some customers
published in: Denver Post on: 06/16/2010 by: David Migoya
If the new power bills weren’t complicated enough already, Xcel Energy forgot to tell its Colorado customers that a new pricing system for summer electricity use has a little twist.
Environmental groups, recreational community divided over land protection
published in: Denver Post on: 06/14/2010 by: Jason Blevins
Three citizen-crafted proposals to expand Colorado’s wilderness acreage could increase the state’s wildest lands by more than 1 million acres, marking one of the most sweeping pushes to protect Colorado’s wilderness.
North Dakota
N.D. official: Gulf spill could benefit state’s oil production in some ways
published in: Grand Forks Herald on: 06/15/2010 by: Ryan Johnson
North Dakota’s booming oil production probably won’t be affected much by the Gulf oil spill and the state may actually benefit from the disaster in some ways, a North Dakota Industrial Commission official said Tuesday.
ND oil rig count jumps 25 percent in 3 months
published in: Associated Press on: 06/15/2010 by: James MacPherson
The number of rigs drilling in North Dakota’s oil patch has jumped 25 percent in three months and more than tripled in the past year, the state Department of Mineral Resources said Monday.
Clark: North Dakota is future energy capital of America
published in: Jamestown Sun on: 06/14/2010 by: Teri Finneman
North Dakota is the future energy capital of North America, Gen. Wesley Clark said today.
ND: Oil-field driving economy
published in: Minot Daily News on: 06/11/2010 by: Eloise Ogden
The concentration of oil-field drilling rigs moving much farther east than they used to be is making the oil industry an important part of Minot’s economy and a big driver, says a North Dakota energy expert.
Utah
Utah official: Oil leak isn’t life threatening
published in: Associated Press on: 06/16/2010 by: Brock Vergakis
Samples taken from a waterway that had 33,000 gallons of crude oil leaked into it over the weekend show there’s no immediate threat to human health, Utah officials said Tuesday.
Roosevelt: Where energy production is a way of life
published in: Salt Lake Tribune on: 06/14/2010 by: Tom Wharton
The gigantic Nabors Well Service trucks hauling erector-set-like equipment slowed traffic approaching Duchesne County’s largest town.
Wyoming
Them on Us: Teton County vs. Wyoming
published in: Jackson Hole Weekly on: 06/16/2010 by: Jake Nichols
Teton County hex? Teton County is the only county in the state with no oil wells. Maybe that’s why the other 22 don’t understand us. Sen. Grant Larson said there is a definite resistance to Teton County in Cheyenne.
Wyoming prepares to plug CBM wells in rugged terrain
published in: Casper Star-Tribune on: 06/15/2010 by: Dustin Bleizeffer
State regulators may have to rush into a rugged area northeast of Buffalo this summer to plug dozens of abandoned coal-bed methane gas wells, or face additional costs to delay the project another year.
Washington Watch
White House seeks to bolster role in Senate energy talks
published in: New York Times/E&E News on: 06/17/2010 by: Robin Bravender
The White House is trying to assert its influence over the Senate climate debate after President Obama’s nationwide energy address left some questioning how aggressively the president will push for comprehensive climate and energy legislation.
Dems, GOP spar over resolution asking for Interior docs, pass it anyway (subscription required)
published in: E&E News on: 06/17/2010 by: Patrick Reis
The House Natural Resources Committee yesterday easily approved a resolution demanding the Obama administration release more information about any plans to declare new national monuments.
Video: Lincoln to “fight hard” for derivatives plan
published in: Politico on: 06/16/2010 by: Staff
Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) tells POLITICO the derivatives provision she authored in the Wall Street reform bill, which is one of the biggest remaining “X” factors in the legislation, is “very pragmatic” and “certainly possible.”
New oil industry watchdog has little energy experience
published in: New York Times/E&E News on: 06/16/2010 by: Mike Soraghan
To overhaul federal oversight of offshore drilling, President Obama has turned to a Washington lawyer with a reputation for fixing broken government agencies, but little or no background with energy or environmental issues.
Senate rejects killing oil drilling tax breaks
published in: Associated Press on: 06/16/2010 by: Staff
The Senate has killed an attempt to repeal lucrative tax breaks enjoyed by the oil and gas industry.
Republicans Accuse Obama of Trying to ‘Exploit’ Oil Spill to Pass Climate Legislation
published in: Fox News on: 06/15/2010 by: Jim Angle
President Obama has made clear that he sees the BP oil spill as a way to breathe new life into efforts to pass climate and energy legislation aimed at reducing the use of carbon fuels such as oil and coal.
Key Dem says votes lacking to include climate change in energy bill
published in: The Hill on: 06/15/2010 by: Michael O’Brien
There aren’t enough votes to include climate change rules in a Senate energy bill, a top Democrat said Tuesday.
EPA: Climate Bill Costs Less Than Postage Stamp
published in: Associated Press on: 06/15/2010 by: Staff
A climate and energy bill being pushed in the Senate would cost American households 22 to 40 cents a day — less than the cost of a first-class postage stamp, the Obama administration said Tuesday.
?Click here to see IER’s “EPA Paints Rosy Picture of American Power Act”
Sen. Kerry mends relationships with Pickens, Lieberman
published in: The Hill on: 06/15/2010 by: Alexander Bolton
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) has worked to thaw once-icy relationships to advance his dream of passing climate change legislation.
Clinton-era secretary blasts department; scientists say Salazar should quit
published in: New York Times/E&E News on: 06/14/2010 by: Patrick Reis
The Interior Department is under attack from a former department chief who said it is incapable of overseeing offshore drilling and from a group of scientists and environmental groups calling for its current head to be fired.
Dems want chemical disclosure in cleanup, containment efforts
published in: New York Times/E&E News on: 06/11/2010 by: Katie Howell
House Democrats who have led the charge for greater regulation of a controversial natural gas production technique are taking their chemical-disclosure rhetoric to the Gulf of Mexico.
Sens. Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad vote against Murkowski amendment
published in: Bismarck Tribune on: 06/10/2010 by: Rebecca Beitsch
North Dakota’s Sens. Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad, both Democrats, voted against the Murkowski amendment, which would overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s determination that greenhouse gases endanger public health.
Media Watch
Editorial: Wyo should hope BP survives Gulf spill
published in: Casper Star-Tribune on: 06/16/2010 by: Editorial Staff
British Petroleum has the attention of the entire world, thanks to the oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico that killed 11 workers and, more than 50 days later, continues to spew massive amounts of oil and natural gas into the water.
Editorial: Foiled by oil
published in: Salt Lake Tribune on: 06/15/2010 by: Editorial Staff
Oil-soaked birds, a sheen on the water, stream banks painted with petroleum. Absorbent booms and mats and men in hard hats skimming oil from the surface, scraping oil from the soil, pressure-washing Colorado crude from Utah rocks. This time, the spill hit close to home.
Op-ed: In defense of the grouse
published in: Casper Star-Tribune on: 06/13/2010 by: Chad Baldwin
When the presence of a critter impedes industrial activity as the sage grouse has in Wyoming, it’s not surprising that the animal would become an object of contempt for people whose livelihoods are linked to that industry.
Op-ed: Oil shale and the future
published in: Salt Lake Tribune on: 06/11/2010 by: Jim Spehar
“The task is great. So is the need. And there is no time to lose.” — Exxon’s 1980 “White Paper” Those stirring words concluded a 10-page document released in the early summer 30 years ago outlining Exxon’s grand plan to help solve the nation’s energy crisis of the 1970s.
Environment and Wildlife
Test case for endangered species?
published in: Associated Press on: 06/15/2010 by: Matt Volz
A federal court hearing today could decide how the federal Endangered Species Act is interpreted, and whether the government can use political considerations in choosing how and where a species can be listed under the act, according to people on both sides of the issue.
Montana oil firm fined over dead birds
published in: Associated Press on: 06/11/2010 by: Staff
A Cut Bank, Mont., energy firm has been placed on probation and fined $15,000 after 18 migratory birds died in a pond of oil that leaked from a storage tank.
Technology, Alternative & Renewables
Mayors Endorse ‘Green’ Construction Code, Natural-Gas Vehicles
published in: New York Times/E&E News on: 06/15/2010 by: Michael Burnham and Jason Plautz
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is backing a mandatory “green” construction code that would slash the negative effects of commercial buildings on the natural environment.
Bureau of Land Management releases rental rates for solar installations on public land
published in: Los Angeles Times on: 06/14/2010 by: Tiffany Hsu
The federal Bureau of Land Management released rental rates for solar power installations planned for public land across the sunny Western states.
Markets
Mystery in Natural-Gas Markets (subscription required)
published in: Wall Street Journal on: 06/17/2010 by: Carolyn Cui and Christine Buurma
A sharp move in natural-gas-market contracts has caught traders’ attention and sparked talk that at least one market participant may have been caught on the wrong side of a trade.
Oil climbs above $75/bbl, while gas tops $5/MMbtu
published in: Oil & Gas Journal on: 06/15/2010 by: Sam Fletcher
The front-month crude contract rebounded June 14 above $75/bbl, recovering most of its June 11 loss in the New York market while the near-month natural gas contract climbed above $5/MMbtu.
Twilight of the Coal Era?
published in: New York Times on: 06/14/2010 by: Matthew L. Wald
The electricity market is in the doldrums, but the market for new generating stations that use natural gas is going strong, industry experts say.
Industry News and Events
After an Oil Calamity, Is It Time for Natural Gas?
published in: Time Magazine on: 06/15/2010 by: Erik Heinrich
What’s the quickest path to achieving a future in which the U.S. is no longer held hostage by foreign oil and carbon emissions are sharply curtailed?
Questar approves spinoff of natural gas business
published in: Associated Press on: 06/14/2010 by: Staff
Questar said Monday that its board of directors has approved the spinoff of its natural gas and oil exploration and midstream field services businesses.
Onshore accidents add to concerns
published in: Houston Chronicle on: 06/13/2010 by: Brett Clanton
A string of accidents this month at natural gas operations on land could not have come at a worse time for Houston’s vast energy industry.
Western Governors’ Association 2010 Annual Meeting
June 27-29, 2010 in Whitefish, MT
The Western Governors’ Association will recognize “100 Years of Common Ground” at this year’s Annual Meeting. Topics will include:
-Sharing a Finite Resource: Challenges and Opportunities in Water Management
-Building New Energy Generation and Transmission
-Working Across Borders to Conserve Landscapes
For more information on the meeting visit the WGA Web site at www.westgov.org.
Front Range Energy Career Expo and Forum
September 24, 2010
The 2010 Front Range Energy Career Expo and Forum, which takes place at Red Rocks Community College, is designed as an educational event for high school students in the Denver Metro area to bring college representatives, energy companies, and students together in one location, to present information about college options and career opportunities to the future generation of leaders. This year’s event will be co-hosted by High Plains Communications, LLC and Red Rocks Community College.
Lunch will be provided for all attendees, and we will have separate break-out sessions for teachers and counselors. Please contact Jaime Gardner or (970) 597-0696 for more information. Click here to download the registration form. Click here to download the sponsor form.
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