March 25, 2010
posted on: Mar 25, 2010
IPAMS Meetings and Announcements
Are federal land management policies driving investment and jobs out of the West?
In an increasingly competitive natural gas market, how does the Rocky Mountain region stack-up against other regions? Are federal land management policies that create uncertainty, delays and higher operating costs disadvantaging the West? We think they are, but we’d like to hear from you on the matter.
IPAMS is conducting a survey of members to quantify the actual impacts to jobs and investment in the West compared to other regions. We would greatly appreciate your time in completing the survey linked below. Your responses will help us understand and quantify the opportunity cost of (jobs/capital) federal land policies that are driving investment to other regions. All individual company information will be kept confidential, and any results released will be aggregated.
We have tried to make the survey as brief as possible while still gathering the level of detailed data necessary to quantify impacts and explain their causes. We are asking for contact information only in the event that we need clarification on your responses. Please return the completed survey to Spencer Kimball or fax to (303) 893-0709. Click here to download the survey.
Wyoming BLM Presentation on Sage Grouse Policy Implementation
April 9, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
The IPAMS Wyoming Basin Advisors Network (WYBAN) will be hosting a presentation on April 8th from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. by the Wyoming BLM Deputy State Director, Resource Policy Bill Hill and Wildlife Biologist Chris Keefe on sage grouse policy changes (see IM WY 2010-12 for the new policy), and how BLM is implementing them. The presentation will be followed by discussion to allow participants to ask questions and fully understand how the policy will impact their operations. We believe interest will be high, and are working on securing a downtown Denver location that can handle more than the IPAMS conference room. Please RSVP to Spencer Kimball so that we can secure the appropriate space.
Fundraiser for Congressman Doc Hastings
March 30, 2010 at 11:30 a.m.
IPAMS PAC is hosting a luncheon for Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA), the Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee. As the top Republican on the committee with jurisdiction over most legislation related to energy development in the West, Rep. Hastings has been an outspoken advocate for our industry. He has gone above and beyond to seek IPAMS input and to oppose legislation that would make development in the West even more expensive and difficult. If you would like to serve on the Host Committee, we are asking for a $1,000 individual donation or a $2,000 PAC donation. If you would just like to attend, we are asking for a $500 individual donation or a $1,000 PAC donation. Checks should be made payable to Friends of Doc Hastings and no corporate funds can be accepted.
A special thank you to our host committee: George Solich, Jim Schroeder, Jerry McHugh, Jim Powers, Anadarko PAC, Newfield PAC, Questar PAC, and Williams Companies PAC.
If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to Jon Bargas as soon as possible.
Colorado Senate Poised to Recognize Benefits of Clean Natural Gas – we need your help!
A bill is currently working through the Colorado State Legislature that would require all rate-regulated power plants to create emissions reduction plans. House Bill 1365, also referred to as the Clean Air Clean Jobs Act, passed the assembly this week by a vote of 53-12. Its fate now sits in the State Senate.
The Colorado Clean Air, Clean Jobs Act requires utilities to look at replacing or repowering older, less efficient Colorado coal-powered plants with natural gas. This bill is an excellent example of numerous stakeholders (environmental organizations, state regulators, electric utilities, natural gas producers and state executive leadership) working collaboratively to develop legislation that will allow Colorado to lead the nation in cutting air pollution, creating jobs and increasing the use of cleaner, lower-carbon energy sources. The proposal is also good for Colorado’s economy as the natural gas industry is one of the state’s leading creators of jobs and state and local tax revenues.
If you live in Colorado, IPAMS strongly encourages you to contact your legislators and ask them to support HB 1365! The main number for the Colorado State Senate is 303-866-2316.
Wildcatter of the Year
May 15, 2010 in Denver, CO
IPAMS 2010 Wildcatter of the Year Gala will be held at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts on May 15, 2010. This black tie event begins with a cocktail reception in the lobby of the Bonfils Theatre at 6 p.m. and is followed by dinner in the Seawell Ballroom.
IPAMS Wildcatter of the Year is a lifetime achievement award honoring distinguished service to the natural gas and oil industry and the community. Members of our industry in the Intermountain West nominate deserving colleagues for the Wildcatter of the Year, and the name of the winner is kept secret until the presentation. The winner receives a beautiful bronze sculpture by artist Veryl Goodnight from New Mexico.
Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Click here to become a sponsor.
After registering online, please email Becca Ness or call (303) 623-0987 with the names of your guests to ensure they have a nametag at check-in.
Memorial Service for Robert Schulein
March 28, 2010 at 12:30 p.m., the University Club of Denver, CO
Robert Schulein, 84, died Thursday, March 18, after a brief illness. He is survived by his wife, Nancy, three sons; Scott (Shelly) Leesburg, VA, Mark (Genevieve), Livingston, MT, and Benjamin (Alessandra), Denver, CO; six grandchildren, Mark, Jonathan, Layne, Clyde, Gus, and Robert; and two sisters, Dorothy Lander and Joan (Martin) Lipkin, both of New York, NY. A memorial celebration will be held at 12:30 pm Sunday, March 28 at the University Club, 1673 Sherman Street, Denver, CO. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Denver Hospice, 501 So. Cherry Street, Suite 700 Denver, CO 80246 or Boys and Girls Club of Metro Denver, 2017 W. 9th Avenue, Denver, CO 80204.
IPAMS in the News
EPA to study fracing
published in: KDNK News on: 03/25/2010 by: Conrad Wilson
“Colorado and all other states have never reported an incidence of fracking affecting underground drinking water supplies.”
Decision on wildflower protection expected soon
published in: Associated Press on: 03/23/2010 by: P. Solomon Banda
Meanwhile, companies operating traditional wells in the area place their drilling pads away from the wildflowers, said Kathleen Sgamma, of the Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States. The plant is on the Bureau of Land Management’s sensitive species list.
“We prefer that it remain in the current status, whereby we’re already taking measures to protect the plant,” Sgamma said.
Endangered species decision nears for wildflower
published in: Grand Junction Daily Sentinel on: 03/23/2010 by: Dennis Webb
Kathleen Sgamma, director of government affairs for the Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States, said the BLM already considers the plant a sensitive species and requires companies to survey for it and shift operations away from it.
“I think it’s another example of groups wanting to impose another layer of federal regulations on top of efforts locally on the ground to protect the species,” Sgamma said.
US Suspends Oil Leases For Environmental Review
published in: Law 360 on: 03/19/2010 by: Hilary Russ
“We decided not to oppose [the settlement] but have been assured by BLM that we will have a seat at a table as they are working on the NEPA to correct the situation,” IPAMS director of government affairs Kathleen Sgamma said.
“We think the lawsuit is short-sighted and fails to consider the net benefits of clean-burning gas for greenhouse emissions,” Sgamma said. “The environmental groups as usual choose to focus on production alone.”
IPAMS will be focusing on making sure the reviews were conducted in a timely manner, she said.
BLM Suspends Leases Because of Possible Climate Change Effects
published in: Rocky Mountain Oil Journal on: 03/19/2010 by: Cody Huseby
IPAMS was not included in the settlement discussions. Oddly, the BLM came to IPAMS to explain the agreement on Monday, March 8, but required them to abide by a nondisclosure agreement and not talk about the discussion until after the filing.
Wind giveth, but power plants may be taking away
published in: Denver Business Journal on: 03/19/2010 by: Cathy Proctor
But the new report concludes that emissions levels at some coal power plants have increased because they’re throttled up and down to accommodate the fickle nature of renewable energy — particularly the wind, according to the Independent Petroleum Association of the Mountain States (IPAMS), which paid for the report, and Evergreen’s Bentek Energy Inc., which prepared it.
“It’s like running your car in fifth gear, and then slowing to five miles per hour and then trying to speed back up again,” said Marc Smith, executive director of IPAMS. “Coal plants are meant to run only in fifth gear.”
Bennett: O&G Industry may accept 20 percent royalty if…
published in: Public Lands News on: 03/19/2010 by: James Coffin
But Kathleen M. Sgamma, director of government affairs for the Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States (IPAMS), said, like Bennett, that APD delays don’t tell the whole story. “The hypothetical that Sen. Bennett proposed of BLM taking 19 days to process APDs would be outstanding, but even if BLM could process APDs in 19 days, that doesn’t reflect the years of background work before a company gets to the point of submitting the APD,” she said.
She added, “The additional work that’s not required in Texas and other states includes separate environmental analyses for leasing, exploratory work and development; and wildlife, vegetation, and cultural surveys. The process, including waiting months for APDs, regularly takes over five years, and sometimes much longer.”
Daily Newsbrief
Are you catching all the industry news occurring here in the Intermountain West?
If not, sign up for IPAMS Daily Newsbrief and receive emails every morning with the latest industry news, pertinent activities in Washington DC, Newspaper Editorials, Markets, the Environment and more. If you’d like to sign up for IPAMS Daily Newsbrief please contact Jon Haubert.
Other Upcoming Meetings
• Colorado Basin Advisory Network Meeting– March 31st at 10:00 a.m. (Note date/time change)
• Montana Basin Advisory Network Meeting– April 12th at 1:30 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
U.S. companies looking to shale, this time for oil
published in: Reuters on: 03/17/2010 by: Michael Erman and Anna Driver
Independent U.S. oil and gas companies are scrambling to pick up land where oil is trapped in shale formations in a bid to benefit from relatively high prices for the commodity. Companies and investors are increasingly scouring the country for shales rich in oil and natural gas liquids rather than the gas-rich shales that had been the focus of a series of recent deals.
Colorado
County puts off decision on stiffer oil regulations
published in: Aspen Daily News on: 03/25/2010 by: Staff
The Pitkin County commissioners on Wednesday delayed their final decision on tightening county regulations on oil and gas development. The public hearing will now be held April 28. Representatives from SG Interests, which holds drilling leases in the county, and from the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, asked the commissioners earlier this month to hear their input before they make a final call.
Proposed initiative would let utility customers opt out of renewables
published in: Denver Post on: 03/25/2010 by: Lynn Bartels
A proposed ballot measure would let utility customers vote on whether to opt out of getting their power from wind, solar or other renewable sources. Supporters of the measure said renewable sources are costly and that customers should have the right to choose less expensive forms of energy.
Curry proposes state ‘rainy day fund’ using mineral severance tax revenue
published in: Glenwood Springs Post Independent on: 03/23/2010 by: John Colson
State Rep. Kathleen Curry, I-Gunnison, believes Colorado needs to put aside more money annually for a “rainy day fund” to help the state weather economic slumps such as the current recession. But she wants it to be accomplished as a constitutional amendment, rather than as a statute, which Curry said is “the only way to keep it from being raided every year by the Legislature.”
Ritter signs bill requiring greater use of renewable energy by 2020
published in: Denver Post on: 03/23/2010 by: Lynn Bartels
Colorado, already viewed as a renewable energy leader, took another step Monday when Gov. Bill Ritter signed into law a bill that will give the state the highest renewable energy standard in the Rocky Mountain West. The measure requires that 30 percent of electricity be generated from renewable sources by 2020. “This is a commitment to clean energy that is unparalleled in the country,” Ritter said. “There is no place in the world that compares to Colorado in research and technological innovation around renewable energy.”
Clean-air push for Xcel pits coal industry against natural gas
published in: Denver Post on: 03/22/2010 by: Mark Jaffe
The Colorado House of Representatives on Friday gave initial approval to a bill aimed at cutting air pollution by encouraging Xcel Energy to convert older coal-fired power plants to natural gas. The Front Range is struggling to meet federal clean-air standards for ozone, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering even tougher standards.
Ritter fires back at Hickenlooper
published in: KDVR TV on: 03/22/2010 by: Eli Stokols
In the race to be Colorado’s next governor, Republicans continue trying to tie the Democrats’ new candidate, Mayor John Hickenlooper, to Gov. Bill Ritter, whom both are trying to replace. While Hickenlooper has yet to directly respond to his likely GOP opponent, Scott McInnis, but, in his comments on the campaign trail, he has been increasingly critical of Ritter, who helped shepherd the mayor into the race upon his surprise exit in January. And don’t think Ritter hasn’t noticed.
Oil, gas producers pump up the volume in Colorado
published in: Denver Post on: 03/21/2010 by: Mark Jaffe
After a punishing year when natural-gas prices slid to their lowest level since 2002, there are signs of life in Colorado’s oil and gas fields. The state’s largest publicly traded producers have, in the past few weeks, issued capital forecasts for 2010 showing rigs and money flowing into Colorado. Still, the state is facing competition as some companies move money and equipment to Texas, Pennsylvania and Louisiana, and smaller operators continue to hold off on drilling.
Montana
Montana Governor Says Coal Money Could Reduce Cuts
published in: Associated Press on: 03/17/2010 by: Matt Gouras
Gov. Brian Schweitzer said Wednesday that if Montana’s Land Board approves an $86 million bid for state coal leases, the money could be used to reduce pending state budget cuts he is considering. Schweitzer said some of the money could also be used to fund local stimulus projects that the administration currently has frozen — as long as everyone understands it’s coal money that is making it possible.
New Mexico
New Mexico has plenty of wind to sell, but how will it get there from here?
published in: Santa Fe Reporter on: 03/17/2010 by: Laura Paskus
Slicing across the eastern Plains, Interstate 40 runs just north of two of New Mexico’s large wind farms. As dramatic as those stands of spinning turbines might seem, the view from the highway offers little in the way of true perspective. Gaining an appreciation of their girth—and that quiet rush of physical power—takes pulling off the highway, winding down back roads. Only when standing close beneath a turbine is it possible to understand the immensity of those swinging blades.
North Dakota
Cease and desist order issued
published in: Williston Herald on: 03/23/2010 by: Nick smith
North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem announced Monday afternoon that he has issued a Cease and Desist Order against Bakken Exploration, LLC of Brighton, Colo. The order is against the company as well as against two principals for alleged violations of North Dakota consumer fraud law and failure to respond to a Civil Investigation Demand. Bakken Exploration is in the business of obtaining or leasing oil and gas rights from mineral owners in North Dakota.
ND: Unemployment rates remain low in area counties
published in: Dickinson Press on: 03/21/2010 by: Beth Wischmeyer
Unemployment remains low throughout the state, a local official said, and some of Dickinson’s largest employers say they are generally able to fill open positions. As a state, North Dakota has a 5 percent unemployment rate, according to January’s non-seasonally adjusted numbers. The nation sits at about a 10.6 percent unemployment rate, according to Job Service North Dakota’s January information.
Enbridge doubles capacity of North Dakota pipeline
published in: Reuters on: 03/19/2010 by: Joshua Schneyer
Calgary-based pipeline giant Enbridge Inc (ENB.TO) has more than doubled the capacity of a U.S. regional North Dakota oil pipeline to handle up to 161,000 barrels per day, as crude production in the region increases, state officials said Friday. Enbridge has expanded capacity of the North Dakota system pipeline, which originates in eastern Montana and bisects North Dakota before reaching Clearbrook, Minnesota, where it ties into the 1.4 million-bpd southbound Lakehead pipeline system, also controlled by Enbridge.
Utah
Board discloses coal interests in advance of strip mine vote
published in: Salt Lake Tribune on: 03/24/2010 by: Patty Henetz
The seven members of the Utah Division of Oil, Gas & Mining board have no direct or indirect relationships with coal mining that would require them to recuse themselves from voting on Alton Coal Development’s permits, the board chairman said. Yet five board members said during a public meeting Wednesday that they have worked for coal mining companies, have served coal mining interests or hold stock options in coal mining operations.
Richard Martin challenges Herbert for republican nomination
published in: Salt Lake City Examiner on: 03/21/2010 by: Alison Peek
Provo businessman Richard Martin has begun his first political campaign, and it challenges Gary Herbert for republican nominee for Governor of Utah. As a successful financial broker with thirty years of experience, he believes he will bring that investor-savvy to the governor’s office. He would like to invest Utah’s reserve funds in gold, allowing their value to grow instead of going down as the dollar is worth less. He also has no plan to raise taxes, and no problem cutting programs to cover a budget shortfall.
Wyoming
Wyo. court sides with Pinedale Anticline investors
published in: Associated Press on: 03/23/2010 by: Ben Neary
The Wyoming Supreme Court says successors to a now-defunct oil company are entitled to a share of the profits of a rich natural gas field in southwestern Wyoming. The court on Tuesday upheld most of an earlier district court ruling ordering Shell Rocky Mountain Production and several other companies to share 5 percent of their profits from some wells in the Pinedale Anticline.
MDU Resources buys Wyoming assets for $113M
published in: Associated Press on: 03/17/2010 by: Staff
A subsidiary of MDU Resources Group Inc. has agreed to acquire producing natural gas assets in southwest Wyoming for $113 million. MDU Resources said Tuesday that the agreement between Fidelity Exploration & Production Co. and the seller, which it did not identify in a statement, is expected to close on or before April 29.
Wyoming Pipeline Authority Public Meeting Notice
April 20, 2010 in Casper, WY at 10:00 a.m.
The meeting will be held at the
Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Building, located at 2211 King Boulevard, Casper, WY.
Contact Brian Jeffries or Colby Drechsel or call (307) 237-5009.
Washington Watch
Obama Aides Meet With Senate Dems to Map April Strategy for Climate Bill
published in: E&E News/New York Times on: 03/25/2010 by: Darren Samuelsohn
President Obama’s top aides huddled yesterday with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Democratic committee leaders to map out a strategy for cobbling together 60 votes on a comprehensive energy and climate change bill once lawmakers return next month from their spring break. The hour-long meeting in Reid’s office included White House legislative affairs director Phil Schiliro and Obama’s energy and climate adviser, Carol Browner. According to a Senate Democratic leadership aide, the Obama officials pledged to work with the committee leaders once Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) release their bill next month.
Senators at odds over climate bill
published in: Reuters on: 03/24/2010 by: Richard Cowan
Two U.S. senators who have been part of negotiations on climate change legislation this year said on Wednesday they disagree with the carbon emissions reduction approach being developed in a compromise bill. Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell and Republican Senator Susan Collins late last year offered a streamlined “cap and dividend” bill to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming.
E.P.A. to Seek More Data on Emissions
published in: New York Times on: 03/23/2010 by: John M. Broder
The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed adding the oil and gas sector and facilities that inject carbon dioxide into the ground to the greenhouse gas sources that are required to report their annual emissions to the government. The agency already requires 31 industries, representing 85 percent of the annual production of climate-altering gases in the country, to track and report emissions. The new rule, if accepted after a public comment period, would also try to track emissions of methane and fluorinated gases, which have a much more powerful impact on the atmosphere than carbon dioxide does.
BP, Others Push Against Federal Regulation of Fracturing
published in: E&E News/New York Times on: 03/23/2010 by: Mike Soraghan
BP America Inc. and two other oil and gas companies are lobbying for the new Senate climate and energy bill to recommend against federal regulation of hydraulic fracturing. And their efforts may be successful. The latest draft of the climate and energy bill being written by Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) reportedly includes language saying U.S. EPA would not regulate the oil and gas drilling technique.
Senate Climate Bill Compromises Frighten, Infuriate Some Enviro Groups
published in: E&E News/New York Times on: 03/22/2010 by: Darren Samuelsohn
Environmentalists began 2009 optimistic about prospects for swift passage of legislation mandating U.S. reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. With President Obama in the White House and Democrats in firm control of Capitol Hill, many saw a strong lineup focused on taking action to curb global warming.
Video: Naturally Speaking?
published in: CNBC on: 03/23/2010 by: Jim Cramer
Insight on the natural gas sector, with Mad Money host Jim Cramer and Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY).
Interior lawyer: U.S. lacks sustainable energy policy
published in: Salt Lake Tribune on: 03/22/2010 by: Tom Wharton
A high-ranking Department of the Interior official told a group of environmental lawyers this week that the United States lacks a sustainable energy policy at a time when a perfect storm of climate change, jogs and energy security are converging. Steven W. Black, counselor to the Secretary of the Interior, spoke on a public lands panel at the 39th annual American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy and Resources’ Conference on Environmental Law in Salt Lake City.
Emerging energy and climate bill could undercut Bingaman
published in: The Hill on: 03/20/2010 by: Ben Geman
Keep an eye on Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) as the Senate climate debate lurches along. The climate and energy bill that three senators – John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) – are crafting could include at least two big provisions that the New Mexico Democrat has a history of opposing.
GOP senators push bill targeting enviro groups’ lawsuits
published in: E&E News (Subscription Required) on: 03/18/2010 by: Noelle Straub
Six Republican senators have introduced legislation that would require the Justice Department to publicly disclose reimbursements it pays out to environmental groups and others that sue the federal government under the Equal Access to Justice Act. The 1980 equal access law pays legal expenses for certain small entities that sue the federal government, but the lawmakers say that environmental groups have abused the statute to create self-perpetuating cycles of litigation over projects on public lands.
Media Watch
Carroll: What’s the rush on natural gas bill?
published in: Denver Post on: 03/24/2010 by: Vincent Carroll
When lawmakers appear hell-bent on passing an important and complex bill as quickly as possible, maybe we should wonder why. What’s the rush? On Monday, the Colorado House advanced a plan that is likely to result in Xcel Energy converting three coal plants to natural gas.
Editorial: Coal conundrum
published in: Grand Junction Daily Sentinel on: 03/23/2010 by: Editorial Staff
Adopting a public policy measure that significantly increases the demand for natural gas produced in Colorado is a prudent thing to do for lawmakers who want to boost the economic fortunes of this state. But encouraging the development of new jobs in the natural gas industry at the expense of coal-mining and related jobs that already exist in Colorado would be counterproductive. We don’t believe that will be the case with House Bill 1365 despite the fears expressed by some lawmakers when the measure was approved by the House Monday.
Editorial: Industry should provide more ‘fracking’ info
published in: Casper Star-Tribune on: 03/23/2010 by: Editorial Staff
The state of Wyoming and the federal government seem to be in tune for once on an issue that involves energy development and environmental protection. Last Thursday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it is beginning a comprehensive research study “to investigate the potential adverse impact that hydraulic fracturing may have on water quality and public health.”
Editorial: New technology spurs potential Wyo oil boom
published in: Casper Star-Tribune on: 03/22/2010 by: Editorial Staff
The oil industry is once again excited about a potential oil boom in eastern Wyoming, which is great news for the entire state — especially in the wake of gloomy prospects for the industry during the past year. Several companies have had successful horizontal pilot wells in the Frontier and Niobrara formations recently. These include Oklahoma-based Chesapeake Energy, which reported impressive yields from its well near the North Platte River west of Douglas, and EOG Resources Inc., just south of the Wyoming-Colorado border near Cheyenne.
Op-ed: Good week for future of energy in Colorado
published in: Durango Herald on: 03/21/2010 by: Bruce Whitehead, CO State Senator
House Bill 1001, which raises the renewable-energy standard requirement for investor-owned utilities to 30 percent by 2020, will be signed into law Monday by Gov. Bill Ritter. To further support Colorado’s New Energy Economy, I am sponsoring House Bill 1365, the Clean Air-Clean Jobs Act, along with Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, and Reps. Ellen Roberts, R-Durango, and Judy Solano, D-Brighton. The Clean Air-Clean Jobs Act will require Xcel Energy to replace, retrofit or repower coal-fired plants with cleaner-burning and less-polluting natural gas by 2017. Colorado is the seventh-largest producer of natural gas, and we retain the third-largest reserves in the United States.
Op-ed: Renewable-energy bill makes sense for air quality in Colorado
published in: Durango Herald on: 03/21/2010 by: Ellen Roberts, CO State Representative
Politics does, indeed, make strange bedfellows, but when normally warring factions can set aside their different world views to come up with an acceptable compromise, it’s worth taking notice and lending a hand. I’m referring to House Bill 1365 that I agreed to carry in the House as part of a bipartisan team with Rep. Judy Solano, D-Brighton. The federal Clean Air Act has been in place for decades, and the stricter regulations requiring change are the result of both Republican and Democratic administrations. First, though, I had a lot of questions as to whether it’s a bill I was willing to vote for.
Op-ed: BLM’s nonsensical excuses for blocking Montana drilling
published in: Billings Gazette on: 03/20/2010 by: Dave Galt
The new Disney movie, “Alice in Wonderland,” opens with Alice falling down a rabbit hole and landing in a nonsensical world where logic is turned upside down and where, as the Cheshire cat comments, “we’re all mad here.” When the U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced late on March 12 that it will suspend the leases it had already granted on 61 oil and gas parcels in Montana in order to mollify two obscure out-of-state environmental groups and a Helena outfit notorious for stopping business development, I felt as if I had taken the plunge down the hole to Wonderland myself.
Environment and Wildlife
Easement aims to protect grouse
published in: Billings Gazette/Casper Star-Tribune on: 03/21/2010 by: Jeremy Gearino
A prime sage grouse habitat area west of Pinedale in Sublette County will be preserved under a conservation easement announced this week. The Conservation Fund, the Wyoming Stock Growers Association and the Jonah Interagency Office have completed a critical conservation project near Daniel in the Upper Green River Valley, officials said. The Aspen Ridge Habitat Conservation Project will protect 640 acres of habitat through a conservation easement and will improve the habitat on approximately 10,400 acres of adjacent public lands.
Sage grouse saga far from over
published in: Idaho Mountain Express on: 03/17/2010 by: Jason Kauffman
The Hailey-based Western Watersheds Project has gone to bat once more in an effort to force the federal government to protect the greater sage grouse and its habitat in Idaho and 10 other Western states. On Monday, March 8, the environmental group filed a legal challenge in Idaho federal court against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in a continuing effort to force the agency to give the wide-ranging bird full protection under the Endangered Species Act.
WRAP Phase III – Draft Wind River Basin 2012 Projections
The draft Wind River Basin 2012 Projections are ready for producer review, and are available on the IPAMS WRAP Phase III page. Please provide any comments to Doug Henderer, IPAMS Air Quality Integrator by March 31st.
Technology, Alternative & Renewables
Fossil Fuel Interests Paid for Danish Study Critical of Wind Power. Does It Matter?
published in: New York Times Green Inc. on: 03/22/2010 by: Lars Kroldrup
A widely circulated report published last fall by the Center for Political Studies, or Cepos, a Danish research group, concluded that the country’s wind energy figures were incorrect. While it generally recognized the oft-cited statistic that Denmark gets roughly 20 percent of its electricity from wind power, the report argued that only an average of around 10 percent of the country’s electricity needs were actually met by wind power over the last five years.
Markets
Govt. says US oil production increased in 2009
published in: Associated Press on: 03/24/2010 by: Mead Gruver
Increased crude oil production in the Gulf of Mexico and North Dakota more than offset declines elsewhere last year to result in the first annual increase in U.S. oil production since 1991, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Domestic oil production in 2009 averaged 5.32 million barrels a day, up 7.4 percent from 4.95 million barrels a day in 2008, according to the federal agency’s Short-Term Energy Outlook report for March.
BENTEK: Marcellus Shale Production Poised to Disrupt U.S. Natural Gas Market
published in: Press Release on: 03/23/2010 by: Staff
According to a new Market Alert just released from BENTEK Energy, LLC, growth in natural gas production from the Marcellus Shale in the Appalachian Basin will result in widespread disruption to regional flow patterns and downward pressure on prices in the Northeast region. “More than 30 gas pipeline expansion projects have been announced to support this growth in the Northeast, representing the addition of more than 12 Bcf/d of new gathering, short-haul and long-haul pipeline transportation capacity and pipeline interconnections in the region.”
A gas cartel: Gas isn’t traded like oil, so can they really do it?
published in: Financial Times on: 03/17/2010 by: Carola Hayos
Every time the topic of a gas cartel comes up, so does the question: Could they really do it? With more and more gas traded on the spot market, rather than tied up in long-term supply contracts, the answer is increasingly yes. That doesn’t mean it will be easy, or likely to be a quick success.
Industry News and Events
Don’t Risk ‘Clean Energy’ Future to Save Coal Jobs, Says BP’s CEO
published in: E&E News/New York Times on: 03/24/2010 by: Mike Soraghan
The United States isn’t going to get “beyond petroleum” anytime soon, but the chief executive of oil giant BP says it’s time for the nation to start thinking beyond coal. The nation should not be trying to save coal jobs at the expense of cleaner fuel industries, Tony Hayward, head of BP PLC, told a Washington think tank audience yesterday, adding that there is no reason to keep building coal-burning power plants here.
Pa. justices side with gas industry over landowner
published in: Associated Press on: 03/24/2010 by: Marc Levy
Pennsylvania’s high court sided Wednesday with the natural gas industry in a dispute with landowners who had sought to invalidate the leases they signed before the Marcellus Shale rush intensified and drove up land values. In a 6-0 decision, the Supreme Court upheld a Susquehanna County judge’s ruling that validated lease agreements that subtract drilling costs from the calculation of landowners’ natural gas royalties.
Oilfield Company Failed to Report Fracking Violations to EPA — Documents
published in: E&E News/New York Times on: 03/23/2010 by: Mike Soraghan
One of the world’s largest oilfield services companies continued to tell U.S. EPA it was complying with an agreement barring the injection of diesel fuel near drinking-water aquifers, documents show, after admitting to Congress that it had violated the pact. BJ Services Co. acknowledged in January 2008 to investigators from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that it had violated a 2003 agreement not to use diesel in specific types of hydraulic fracturing. When that was disclosed last month, a BJ Services executive said that the company had “self reported” the violation to EPA.
Former Interior Secretary Udall dies at age 90
published in: Associated Press on: 03/20/2010 by: Barry Massey
Stewart Udall, who sowed the seeds of the modern environmental movement as secretary of the interior during the 1960s and later became a crusader for victims of radiation exposure from the government’s Cold War nuclear programs, died Saturday. He was 90. A statement from Udall’s family, released through the office of his son, Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., said he died of natural causes at his home in Santa Fe, surrounded by his children and their families.
Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America (RPSEA) Unconventional Gas Conference 2010: Technological Keys to Unlocking Additional Reserves
April 6-7, 2010 in Golden, CO
The meeting will cover recent results from the RPSEA Unconventional Gas Research program with many topics of interest to Rocky Mountain Producers. RPSEA has an active research program with a current portfolio of 28 projects all targeting development of unconventional gas in the U.S. including activities in coalbed methane, tight gas formations, and shale gas. Unconventional gas currently represents almost one-half the domestic production in the U.S. This conference offers an ideal opportunity to hear the latest perspectives and exchange ideas with industry experts.
Click here to access the agenda and how to register.
Piceance Basin Tight Gas Research Seminar
April 8th, 2010 in Denver, CO 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
This meeting will review the first year of RPSEA-sponsored collaborative research on tight gas in the Piceance basin, Colorado, including basin-wide regional studies as well as reservoir research on the Mamm Creek field. Researchers from CSM, CU-Boulder, iReservoir and Mesa State will present findings from the first year’s research – and take advice and directions for next year’s work.This meeting will be hosted by EnCana, 40th Floor of Republic Plaza Building, 370 17th St, Denver. Click here for more information.
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.
University of Wyoming Energy Resources and Produced Waters Conference
May 25-26 2010 in Laramie, WY
Final call for Presentations and Registration is still open. The Energy Resources Produced Water Conference, convened by the University of Wyoming’s Ruckelshaus Institute and the School of Energy Resources, is intended to advance the understanding of current research and monitoring projects related to the management, treatment, protection, and use of water associated with energy development in Wyoming and the West. The conference will cover produced water issues from various types of energy development, including, oil, gas, coalbed natural gas, coal mining, uranium, and carbon sequestration.
The format for the two-day conference will consist of oral presentations in concurrent sessions as well as a display of posters. Click here to learn more.
BENPOSIUM
June 7-10, 2010 in Houston, TX
The most comprehensive natural gas symposium that applies the “fundamentals” perspective to how production, capacity, flow, inventories and demand interact to drive prices, trading opportunities and marketing and investing strategies. The goal of BENPOSIUM is to provide executives, analysts, traders and investors for an in-depth look at the shifting energy market dynamics and how these developments are the reshaping natural gas and power industry landscape. Click here to view the agenda and to register.
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