Wildcatter Weekly, August 20, 2009
posted on: Aug 20, 2009
IPAMS Meetings and Announcements
Rocky Mountain Oil & Gas Hall of Fame
September 26, 2009
in Denver, CO
IPAMS is pleased to announce the Rocky Mountain Oil & Gas Hall of Fame. The induction dinner and ceremony will be September 26, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Denver Convention Center, Denver, CO. This semi-formal event occurs every five years.
In 2004 during IPAMS’ 30th Anniversary, the Rocky Mountain Oil & Gas Hall of Fame was created to honor fifty-four individuals who have had a highly distinguished career in the Rocky Mountain energy industry. The 2009 Hall of Fame class will honor forty members.
2004′s event was attended by almost 900 to celebrate the accomplishments of the inaugural class. “Wow! What an event the HOF dinner and evening turned out to be. The inductees and their families were hugely honored….a very high mark again on the level of detail, thoroughness, professionalism, and fun.” – Robert L. Bayless, Jr., accepting the award on behalf of his father Robert Bayless, 2004 Hall of Fame inductee. Please make plans to be there for the induction of the 2009 class.
Hart Energy Publishing will create a special commemorative volume, Oil & Gas in the Rockies – Wildcatters and Legends profiling the 2009 inductees. Please contact Jon Haubert if you have any questions regarding this publication.
You’ll have an opportunity to bid on a half case of 2004 Silver Oak Cabernet, Alexander Valley in the Silent Auction. Sponsorship opportunities are still available as well. For more information on the event, including registration, please visit www.westernenergyalliance.org/HOF. Please contact IPAMS Events Coordinator, Becca Ness, with any questions.
Marc’s Smith’s Weekly Message: IPAMS Calls on Congress to Expand the Beneficial Use of Abundant, Clean-Burning American Natural Gas
August 18, 2009
IPAMS sent the following letter to Congress offering IPAMS assistance in tackling some of the problems we are facing as a nation. No, we didn’t have any suggestions on health care reform. Instead, we highlighted the solution that natural gas provides for the Administration’s other two priorities, improving energy security and reducing carbon emissions. The letter warns against policies that restrict supply and offers a few suggestions on how to take advantage of abundant, American natural gas supplies.
Please feel free to forward this letter to any Congressional staff contacts you have in Washington DC or in local district offices (please save the above letter as a pdf and send in a separate email.)
Also, if you haven’t done so already, please take just a couple of minutes to complete this online form and let your Congressional representatives know that any energy bill that ignores the critical importance of natural gas is the wrong approach to solving our nation’s energy problems.
Utah Call-Up
IPAMS is considering holding its third annual Utah Call-Up in conjunction with legislative interim committee meetings on October 20-21, 2009 in Salt Lake City. We would like to hear back from you about whether you think the Utah Call-Up is a worthwhile event, if IPAMS should pursue organizing the event this fall, and if you’d be willing to participate.
Last year’s Call-Up included presentations to the Natural Resources Interim Committee and the House Conservative Caucus, as well as briefings to both the Democratic and Republican Senate Caucuses. In addition to the activities at the Capitol, IPAMS met with the entire Utah Congressional Delegation and with the Assistant and Deputy State BLM Directors. A reception was widely attended by state and federal government officials, legislators, and allies.
Please contact Spencer Kimball with feedback about last year’s event and if you have suggestions for new events or meetings with different officials.
IPAMS Annual Photo Contest is Here!
We are looking for scenic photographs featuring wildlife, oil and gas operations, or any picturesque scenes from around the West.
The winner will have their photo appear on the cover of IPAMS 2010 Calendar, which is distributed to member companies, media, other trade organizations, government officials, and business associations. The calendar has proven to be a very helpful tool in demonstrating industry talking points and illustrating visually that oil and natural gas development has a small and temporary environmental impact. The calendar will feature photos of former development areas that have since been reclaimed, wildlife near development, technological advances, etc. Each month will also include a fact that highlights the importance of our industry and the steps we take to minimize environmental impacts
Please submit all photos to Jon Haubert.
New Benefits of IPAMS.org
Personalize your online IPAMS membership options by selecting which items you’d like to hear more about. You can subscribe to Marc Smith’s Weekly Messge, Daily Newsbrief (a daily publication of industry news articles) and more!
To update your user profile, click here.
Please contact Donna Parker or Jon Haubert with any problems or errors you may encounter on our recently re-designed website.
We apologize for any inconvenience and are working to resolve the known and identifiable problems.
IPAMS Welcomes Its Newest Members:
Citation Oil & Gas Corporation
Meeting with DoI Inspector General on BLM I&E Program
September 15, 2009 at 10:00 a.m.
The Inspector General is preparing a report on the effectiveness of BLM’s Inspection & Enforcement (I&E) Program for oil and gas leases, and will be meeting with IPAMS on September 15th at 10:00 at IPAMS to get industry input. Because changes in procedures are likely to arise from the report, it’s best that industry provide input at this stage, rather than just having to live with the conclusions. Please help us provide input by sending a representative from your company who can talk about their experiences with the I&E program. The IG is evaluating BLM’s strategy for selecting which leases to inspect, the quality of the inspections, and the enforcement process (including the issuance and resolution of INCs). Please contact Kathleen Sgamma if you can attend.
District Meetings with Members of Congress
IPAMS is scheduling meetings with Western Delegation Senators and some Representatives during the Congressional recess in August. As they’re scheduled, we’ll be asking for volunteers to attend those meetings and help us continue the dialogue on global warming legislation, taxes, public lands access, and fracking. So far, scheduled meetings are as follows:
Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO) August 25th at 4:00 p.m., Lonetree, CO
Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT) August 31st at 2:45 p.m., Salt Lake City, UT
Please contact Spencer Kimball if you can attend these meetings.
Other Upcoming Meetings
* Leasing Advocacy – Biweekly Call – August 27th at 10:00 a.m.
* Air Quality Committee – Bi-Weekly Call – September 1st at 3:00 p.m.
* Wyoming Basin Advisory Network – September 22nd at 10:30 a.m. (Note date change.)
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
Colorado
BLM seeks comments on proposed western Colorado project
published in: Oil & Gas Journal on: 08/19/2009 by: Nick Snow
The US Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comments on an oil and natural gas development proposal on federal leases near Silt, Colo., BLM’s field office in Glenwood Springs announced. It said on Aug. 18 that Bill Barrett Corp. submitted a master development plan for the Gibson Gulch area with plans to drill as many as 136 new wells from 10 proposed well pads over 5 years, starting this fall.
GarCo leads in permits during down drilling year
published in: The Daily Sentinel on: 08/18/2009 by: Dennis Webb
Garfield County has leapt out in front in the number of oil and gas drilling permits approved so far this year, new state statistics show. Meanwhile, Mesa County remains in third place in permits approved by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
Oil-and-gas director says state AG may have to decide drilling setback flap
published in: Colorado Independent on: 08/17/2009 by: David O. Williams
A potentially precedent-setting fight over how close natural gas drilling should come to homes in the Western Slope community of Battlement Mesa may ultimately be decided by Colorado Attorney General John Suthers, according to the director of the state’s oil and gas conservation commission. COGCC executive director David Neslin recently told The Colorado Independent that his commission is empowered by the State Legislature to regulate oil and gas drilling in the state but that sometimes local regulations at the county level can conflict with the state’s interests.
Salazar rules out yanking Colo. drilling leases
published in: Associated Press on: 08/14/2009 by: Staff
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is ruling out withdrawing energy leases issued for the Roan Plateau even though the plan to drill on public land on the western Colorado landmark is being challenged in court. The former Colorado senator started exploring a possible settlement of the lawsuit by environmentalists after taking over as Interior secretary this year.
Montana
NW Energy’s record on alternative energy, conservation
published in: Billings Gazette on: 08/18/2009 by: Staff
While NorthWestern Energy is warning customers about the costs of “cap-and-trade” legislation that aims to reduce global warming, it’s also saying it’s committed to being a good environmental steward. The company points to what it calls “expanded energy efficiency programs” and the fact that 8 percent of its electricity is purchased from renewable sources, like wind.
Petroleum Industry Appreciation Day Luncheon
September 2, 2009 in Billings, MT at 11:30 a.m.
Keynote Speaker: Niger Innis, National Spokesman, Congress of Racial Equality
Topic: “Energy Challenges and Their Impact to the Poor”
Location: Crowne Plaza Hotel (27 N. 27th Street, 3rd Floor, Billings, MT)
New Mexico
Farmington councilors rethink denial of gas companies
published in: Farmington Daily Times on: 08/19/2009 by: Steve Lynn
City councilors will consider whether to reverse their decision to deny permits for two oil and gas companies that commissioned construction of an illegal fence on a man’s property. Councilors, in a tight 3-2 vote, voted Tuesday to reconsider a decision they made last week that barred Energen Resources Corporation and XTO Energy Inc. from changing their natural gas well sites after the companies allegedly allowed an illegal fence to be built around their adjoining wells near Piñon Hills Boulevard and Daybreak Drive in May 2008.
South San Juan Baseline Emissions Inventory is ready for review
The draft baseline oil and gas emissions inventory for the San Juan Basin in New Mexico is now available on our Air Quality page for review. IPAMS is asking that San Juan producers review and provide feedback to our contractor, Doug Henderer (303-781-8211) at Buys & Associates.
The zip file contains the emissions summary entitled “South_San_Juan_Basin_Emission_Summary_060909.xls”. Please review the summary to see if anything seems unusual, but also view the by-source-category spreadsheets, paying close attention to emissions for dehydrators, which seem low. We could really use help to improve the estimate of dehydrator emissions. We are requesting your help with this source category even if your company does not own the dehydration. Please note that the spreadsheets contain aggregated information, and do not reveal any information from individual companies. Please contact Kathleen Sgamma with any questions.
North Dakota
Halliburton Expanding in Williston
published in: KFYR-TV on: 08/13/2009 by: Samantha Mehrotra
Williston`s oil and energy sector is continuing to expand, thanks to Halliburton`s latest investment in a new 30-acre facility. The project is estimated to cost between $15 and $20 million. Halliburton`s new facility will likely increase employment and boost oil and gas activity around the region. Shane Goettle, North Dakota Chamber of Commerce Commissioner, says Halliburton`s investment is a signal that they are here to stay for the long haul.
Energy Citizens’ Rally
August 27, 2009 in Bismarck, ND at 5:00 p.m.
Location: National Center of Energy Excellence at Bismarck State College.
This rally is a family event and is designed to support the North Dakota delegation’s opposition to cap-and-trade along with new taxes and regulations on the oil and gas industry. Food will be provided.
For more information, click here.
For those who cannot attend, the North Dakota Petroleum Council urges you to send an email to the North Dakota Congressional Delegation in opposition to these federal energy policies.For a draft letter and mailing information to send to North Dakota’s congressmen, visit the draft letter and congressmen contact information page.
North Dakota Petroleum Council Annual Meeting
September 1-3, 2009 in Medora, ND
Mr. Chuck VanAllen, Vice President, Americas Production, Hess Corporation will be the keynote luncheon speaker on Thursday, September 3rd.
Hotel rooms are available at the Badlands Motel and other nearby locations. When contacting hotels, don’t forget to indicate you are with the North Dakota Petroleum Council Annual Meeting to receive the group rate.
Click here to register for the meeting, or golf, or for sponsorships.
Contact Marsha Reimnitz at (701) 223-6380 with any questions.
Utah
SLC company plans to store natural gas in salt caverns
published in: Salt Lake Tribune on: 08/18/2009 by: Steven Oberbeck
A Utah company wants to develop eight salt caverns north of Delta to store up to 45 billion cubic feet of natural gas. Magnum Gas Storage, a subsidiary of Salt Lake City-based Magnum Development, calls its project one of the West’s first large-scale salt-cavern natural gas storage facilities and a potential boon to future alternative-energy development in the region. “It isn’t often that nature cooperates and places resources right where they are needed for industrial development,” said Craig Broussard, who along with Rob Webster serve as managing directors at Magnum Development. “We have the perfect location and the perfect resource.”
IPAMS Releases Uinta Basin Air Quality Study (UBAQS)
IPAMS publicly released the results of the Uinta Basin Air Quality Study (UBAQS), a comprehensive modeling study that provides quantitative estimates of air quality in the Uinta Basin of Utah. IPAMS proactively conducted this unprecedented analysis to ensure that industry, state, and federal land managers have the tools necessary to protect air quality. Without this IPAMS initiative, the information would simply not be available to regulators.
Click here to read IPAMS News Release
Wyoming
Powder River Basin water losses debated, analysis pending
published in: Casper Star-Tribune on: 08/20/2009 by: Dustin Bleizeffer
Some areas of the Powder River Basin have experienced significant groundwater drawdown – as much as 625 feet between 1993 and 2006 in some areas, according to a new report. But what the report is missing is analysis to determine whether the impact is in line with federal modeling conducted in 2002. However, some say the raw data reveals obvious impacts to groundwater supplies.
Wyoming Geological Survey reports on Powder River Basin groundwater
published in: Oil & Gas Journal on: 08/10/2009 by: Nick Snow
The Wyoming State Geological Survey, in association with the US Bureau of Land Management’s Buffalo, Wyo., field office, released a report on Aug. 7 about groundwater monitoring in the Wyoming portion of the Powder River Basin. Extraction of coalbed methane-produced groundwater from coal deposits in the basin has caused widespread public concern about declines in groundwater availability, according to the report, “Open-File Report 2009-10: 1993-2006 Coalbed Natural Gas (CBNG) Regional Groundwater Monitoring Report: Powder Basin, Wyoming”.
Activist Group Tries Again to Mislead on Hydraulic Fracturing
Last week, the Oil & Gas Accountability Project (OGAP) issued a press release to national energy reporters stating categorically that EPA had “confirmed” that materials used in the hydraulic fracturing process in Fremont County, Wyoming had “contaminated” local “drinking water.”
No evidence to support that claim was offered; no links to relevant EPA studies or reports were provided; no EPA experts were cited, named or quoted. And none of that seemed to matter, claimed OGAP, since it had it on good authority that “a group of over 70” had been told by EPA that the contamination did occur, and that activities related to hydraulic fracturing were to blame.
Having established its (unverifiable) version of the facts, OGAP was quick to offer up a resolution: Ban hydraulic fracturing. And one way to do it, the group suggests, is to convince Congress to pass the DeGette/Casey anti-fracturing bill – a “critical” tool for “prohibit[ing] endangerment of drinking water,” even though hydraulic fracturing has not once in 60 years been credibly linked to any such endangerment.
As it turns out, the “facts” presented in the OGAP press release don’t quite measure up to the facts on the ground in Wyoming. The Energy In Depth coalition, of which IPAMS is a member, was quick to react with this issue alert stating the facts.
Washington Watch
Former Lt. Gov. Norton weighs U.S. Senate run
published in: Denver Post on: 08/18/2009 by: Lynn Bartels
Former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton will decide in 30 days whether to run for the U.S. Senate. If she does, Norton will join an already crowded list of Republicans vying for the nomination and the chance to knock off Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet next year. “She’s seriously considering it, and she’ll make a decision in 30 days,” her husband, Mike Norton, said Monday.
Cap-and-Trade Bill ‘Out of Control,’ Former Senator Wirth Says
published in: Bloomberg on: 08/18/2009 by: Kim Chipman
Cap-and-trade legislation to limit U.S. carbon dioxide emissions has “gotten out of control” and needs to be scaled back in Congress, said former Democratic Senator Timothy Wirth. “The Republicans are right — it’s a cap-and-tax bill,” Wirth, a climate-change negotiator during President Bill Clinton’s administration, said in an Aug. 14 interview. “That’s what it is because they are raising revenue to do all sorts of things, especially to take care of the coal industry, and it makes no sense.
Colorado natural-gas supporters prepare for legislative blitz
published in: Denver Post on: 08/17/2009 by: Mark Jaffe
The natural-gas industry — after failing to lobby on the energy-climate bill passed by the House — has amassed an $80 million war chest to ensure it gets a piece of the legislation in the Senate. “The natural-gas industry wasn’t at the table,” said Josh Dorner, a spokesman for the Sierra Club, an environmental group that lobbied heavily on the bill. “And if you aren’t at the table, you’re on the menu.”
Energy Legislation Pushed Further Aside as Health Care Fight Continues
published in: Roll Call on: 08/17/2009 by: Steven T. Dennis
With health care town halls generating all the heat this August, global warming legislation has been left to simmer on the back burner. Democrats and President Barack Obama are in the throes of an all-out public relations war to rescue their health care plans, which have been beset by falling poll ratings and increasingly vitriolic attacks.
No vacation in oil tax battle
published in: Oil & Gas Journal, Washington Pulse on: 08/14/2009 by: Nick Snow
Lobbyists have told me that the August congressional recess can be one of the most crucial periods in making important points to legislative staff members. There are so many issues affecting oil and gas in 2009 that it’s hard to pick one on which to focus, unless you’re an independent producer. Then it’s relatively easy: the Obama administration’s proposals to repeal what it considers tax breaks for the oil and gas industry, and what the industry considers vital incentives. There are signs of slow, but steady, progress. On Aug. 3, the Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States reported that Colorado’s two US senators, Michael F. Bennet and Mark Udall (both of whom are Democrats), wrote Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) that they oppose the White House’s tax proposals, which include repealing expensing of intangible drilling costs.
Washington: Colorado can regulate its own industry, thank you very much
published in: The Daily Sentinel on: 08/14/2009 by: Kathy Hall
Over the past several months, hydraulic fracturing has become a hot topic and subjected to much misrepresentation. In June, Congresswoman Diane DeGette, who represents Colorado’s 1st District, introduced the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act of 2009: the “FRAC Act.” The bill is an attempt to give authority to the federal government to regulate a widely-used and safe process that is already being effectively managed at the state level.
Congress’ Approach to Energy Research: There’s No Place Like Home
published in: E&E News, New York Times on: 08/14/2009 by: Anne C. Mulkern
Congress gave a lukewarm reception to Energy Secretary Steven Chu’s plan to create eight “innovation hubs” focused on developing breakthrough technologies. Lawmakers responded far more warmly to requests to fund energy research in their own backyards. Members of the House and Senate Appropriations committees who wrote legislation financing the Department of Energy and water projects tucked into those bills at least $75.2 million in earmarks for research at schools back home.
Media Watch
Carroll: No economic reality for Redford
published in: Denver Post on: 08/19/2009 by: Vincent Carroll
Robert Redford is an example of the human species at its finestrich and good-looking, I mean — so naturally he would never consent to live in anything so tawdry as a “subdivision.” During his visit to Denver last week, the film icon and green activist had a few dismissive words for that particular type of development. “I think the New West should return to the Old West, when there was an emphasis on communities, on families and neighbors,” Redford told a gathering sponsored by Project New West. “It’s time to think about what kinds of development we want, whether we want to develop more communities or subdivisions and sprawl.”
Gov. Ritter spreads the budget-cut pain
published in: The Daily Sentinel on: 08/18/2009 by: Editorial Staff
This community has certainly suffered along with the rest of the state as a result of the downturn in the national economy. Coupled with the dropoff in the natural gas industry, and the hundreds of jobs lost in that arena, one could argue the impact of the recession on this part of the Western Slope has been even greater than in much of the state. Because of that, no one can welcome the fact that 57 more jobs are to be lost at the Grand Junction Regional Center as a result of statewide budget cuts announced by Gov. Bill Ritter Tuesday.
Op-ed: Can natural gas save the world? Well, it’s better than coal
published in: Salt Lake Tribune on: 08/18/2009 by: Randy Udall
Some 15 million Americans believe the moon landings were faked. Millions more are convinced that the sun revolves around the Earth, which is approximately 6,000 years old. Reason and science have their fans, but many Americans find faith more appealing. The National Academy of Sciences has decreed the evidence for climate change unmistakable, but that won’t stop Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., from declaring it a hoax. He’s not alone.
Editorial: The Climate and National Security
published in: New York Times on: 08/17/2009 by: Editorial Staff
One would think that by now most people would have figured out that climate change represents a grave threat to the planet. One would also have expected from Congress a plausible strategy for reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that lie at the root of the problem. That has not happened. The House has passed a climate bill that is not as strong as needed, but is a start. There are doubts about whether the Senate will pass any bill, given the reflexive opposition of most Republicans and unfounded fears among many Democrats that rising energy costs will cripple
Op-ed: America can improve health, energy policy
published in: Billings Gazette on: 08/14/2009 by: Mike Phillips, Kendall Van Dyk, Mary Caferro and Dick Barrett
President Obama’s visit to Montana provides an opportunity to reflect on the similarities between reform of our nation’s health care system and the need to enact climate solutions to create a clean energy economy. Rising consumer health care costs have outpaced inflation and have become unaffordable for the average citizen.
Environment and Wildlife
Moving prairie dogs
published in: St. George Spectrum on: 08/19/2009 by: Staff
The Utah prairie dog has been winning the battle against landowners in Iron County thanks to the animal’s federal protection under the Endangered Species Act since 1973. However, the county is now in the position to implement a strategy in its Habitat Conservation Plan intended to keep the threatened mammal alive and thriving while moving previously stalled development forward. The Iron County Commission is in the final stages of solidifying a deed of conservation easement and memorandum of understanding with the Division of Wildlife Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife for 220 acres in Little Horse Valley, near Minserville.
Agency says 29 species may need federal protection
published in: Associated Press on: 08/18/2009 by: Mike Stark
Twenty-nine species in more than 20 states — from a rare beach-dwelling plant in Yellowstone National Park to a caddisfly in Nebraska — may need federal protections to avoid extinction, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The agency said Tuesday that 20 plants, six snails, two insects and a fish may warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act but in-depth studies are needed first.
Wyoming panel rejects Sublette ozone petition
published in: Associated Press on: 08/18/2009 by: Bob Moen
The Wyoming Environmental Quality Council unanimously has rejected a citizen request to consider stricter air pollution standards in Sublette County. Sublette County has had problems with elevated ozone levels during the winter, caused in part by intense natural gas drilling. The problem prompted state officials to issue Wyoming’s first ozone alerts in early 2008.
Exxon-Mobil pleads guilty to bird-treaty violations
published in: Denver Post on: 08/13/2009 by: Staff
Howard Pankratz Exxon-Mobil Corp. has pleaded guilty in Denver to violating the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act in five states, including Colorado, the U.S. Justice Department announced today. The charges stem from the deaths of about 85 protected birds — including waterfowl, hawks and owls — at Exxon-Mobil drilling and production facilities in Colorado, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas between 2004 and 2009.
Technology, Alternatives & Renewables
DOE funds nine shale gas, coalbed methane technology efforts
published in: Oil & Gas Journal on: 08/19/2009 by: Nick Snow
The US Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory is supporting nine projects targeting environmental tools and technology for shale gas and coalbed methane production, DOE’s Fossil Energy Office announced. It said that the NETL projects’ goals are to improve management of water resources, usage, and disposal; and to support science which will help the shale gas development regulatory and permitting process. DOE’s share of the projects’ total $10.2 million cost will be $6.9 million, it indicated.
A New Test for Business and Biofuel
published in: New York Times on: 08/17/2009 by: Kirk Johnson
An unusual experiment featuring equal parts science, environmental optimism and Native American capitalist ambition is unfolding here on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation in southwest Colorado. With the twin goals of making fuel from algae and reducing emissions of heat-trapping gases, a start-up company co-founded by a Colorado State University professor recently introduced a strain of algae that loves carbon dioxide into a water tank next to a natural gas processing plant. The water is already green-tinged with life.
Seismic-while-drilling technology advance hailed
published in: Oil & Gas Journal on: 08/14/2009 by: Nick Snow
Technology International Inc. of Kingwood, Tex., has developed a breakthrough borehole imaging system that is nearly commercial, according to the US Department of Energy, which is sponsoring the project. By pushing the limits of seismic-while-drilling technology, the patent-pending SeismicPulser system provides more accurate geosteering for oil and gas discoveries, facilitating field development and improving well economics, DOE’s Fossil Energy Office (FEO) said on Aug. 12.
Markets
Natural gas futures rebound after hitting 7-year low
published in: Fort Worth Star-Telegram on: 08/20/2009 by: Staff
Natural gas futures slipped Wednesday to their lowest since 2002 before rallying modestly as buyers stepped in, but traders remain concerned that a glut of the fuel will weigh on the market until demand sets in with colder weather. Gas futures bottomed out at $3.0549 per million Btu, then closed at $3.12, up 2 cents from Tuesday. That gain followed nine consecutive days of declining prices.
MARKET WATCH: Energy prices rebound; crude inventories drop
published in: Oil & Gas Journal on: 08/20/2009 by: Sam Fletcher
Energy prices rebounded Aug. 18 as the value of the US dollar fell ahead of a large, unexpected drop in US crude inventories. The Energy Information Administration said Aug. 19 commercial US inventories of benchmark crudes plunged a whopping 8.4 million bbl to 343.6 million bbl in the week ended Aug. 14. Gasoline stocks fell 2.1 million bbl to 209.8 million bbl in the same period. Distillate fuel inventories declined by 700,000 bbl to 161.6 million bbl.
Terrible Twos Near For Natural Gas
published in: Forbes on: 08/18/2009 by: Jesse Bogan
How low could natural gas go? On Tuesday, it was trading just above $3 per thousand cubic feet, the lowest level since 2002. “We are sort of right on that knife edge, if you will, as to which way are we going to fall,” says Kenneth Medlock, an energy fellow at the Baker Institute at Rice University. “Are we going to stay at $3-plus or go down into the twos? Right now, we are leaning toward the twos.”
No Respect? Cheap Natural Gas Draws Political Crowd
published in: Wall Street Journal, Subscription Required on: 08/17/2009 by: Ben Casselman
Never mind being the Rodney Dangerfield of fuels—natural gas is starting to seem like the punch line to a bad joke: “Natural gas is so cheap…” But seriously, folks, natural gas futures fell another 43.6 cents last week to $3.24 per million British thermal units. That’s the lowest gas has traded since Reese Witherspoon’s “Sweet Home Alabama” was in theaters (that was 2002, back when Enron was still falling, but not fallen.)
Industry News and Events
Buys & Associates’ Stormwater Training Seminars
According to figures reported by the EPA, states in the Rocky Mountain Region have increased enforcement to target stormwater violations, especially at construction, industrial, and oil and gas sites. With above average summer rainfall and anticipated heavy snowfall for the coming winter, poorly planned sites or ineffective stormwater management programs may result in timely project delays and costly fines for operators found out of compliance.
Buys & Associates, Inc. will be hosting two Stormwater Management & Erosion Control training workshops in September.These seminars are designed to help companies properly plan sites from the beginning, identify and fix sites found out of compliance, and will assist in minimizing costly stormwater violations in the future. B&A’s Stormwater Program Manager and Training Instructor, Mr. John A. Jehn, has trained hundreds of satisfied oil and gas companies on stormwater program management, federal and state permitting, inspection and reporting requirements, and final site stabilization and project closeout.
September 4, 2009- Littleton, CO
September 24, 2009- Sheridan, WY
Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK) 2009 Annual Golf Tournament
September 18, 2009
Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK) is holding its Fourth Annual “Put a Little Wildlife in a Child’s Life Celebrity Golf Tournament” on September 18th at 11:00 am at the Green Valley Ranch Golf Course in Denver. ELK is still looking for players and sponsors and all proceeds support science education, mentorship and leadership training for culturally diverse youth through ELK. As a Denver-based 501(c)3, ELK was established in 1996 by two wildlife biologists who saw a growing need to introduce and educate Colorado’s urban youth about science, leadership and careers. Since ELK’s founding, 70,000 youth and families have been introduced to and immersed in science education, and many youth have become first-generation high school graduates and college students. Click here to view the invite for the event and click here to view a list of sponsorship opportunities.
DJ Basin Energy Expo
September 23, 2009 in Greeley, CO
Anadarko, Noble and EnCana sponsor this expo so residents can learn more about energy development in northeast Colorado. At this community event, attendees will have the opportunity to talk one-on-one with representatives from the natural gas and oil industry, as well as the alternative energy industry, and governmental and regulatory agencies.
Click here for more information.
Save the Date: RPSEA Member Reception
September 21, 2009 in Washington, D.C.
All RPSEA Members are invited to join the RPSEA Board of Directors and staff for a Member Reception the evening of Monday, September 21. The reception will take place on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Details are being finalized and will follow at a later date. Please save this date as we hope all members will join us in networking and fellowship while hors d’oeuvres and cocktails will be served.
Contact Danette Mozisek for more information.
The Front Range Energy Career Expo and Forum (Expo)
October 15, 2009 at Tivoli Auraria Campus
The Front Range Energy Career Expo and Forum is an educational event for high school students in the Denver Metro area. The goal of the event is to bring college representatives, energy companies, and students together in one location, to present information about college options and job opportunities to the future generation of leaders that will graduate from high school in the next three years.
Click here for the Sponsorship Form.
