Wildcatter Weekly, September 24, 2009
posted on: Sep 24, 2009
IPAMS Meetings and Announcements
Last chance to register for the Rocky Mountain Oil & Gas Hall of Fame!
The induction dinner and ceremony will be this Saturday, September 26, 2009 at 5:30 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.
Visit westernenergyalliance.org/HOF for more information including registration.
A special thank you to the individuals who have donated items for our Silent Auction:
Steve Barnes
Pat Buys
Amy Dixon
Cornelius Dupre
Steve Fallin
Stephen Harpham
Mike Kennedy
Carter Mathias
Please consider joining our growing list of sponsors:
Amegy Bank N.A./ Vectra Bank Colorado
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation
Banko Petroleum Management, Inc.
Basic Energy Services
Beacon E&P Company
Bill Barrett Corporation
BOLO by WellPoint Systems
Cimarex Energy Co.
Cirque Resources LP
Cordillera Energy Partners
Denver Mineral & Royalty Company
EKS&H
EnCap Investments
Energy Navigator
Enertia Software
Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.
Gary-Williams Energy Corporation
Great Western Oil & Gas Company
Guaranty Bank and Trust
James C Karo Associates
Jerry D. Armstrong
Kinney Oil Company
Lario Oil & Gas Company
Mesa Energy Partners, LLC
Nabors Drilling USA, LP
Newfield Exploration
NFR Energy
Noble Energy Inc.
Petroleum Field Services
Pioneer Natural Resources
Ray O. Brownlie
SB Energy Partners
St. Mary Land & Exploration Company
Stewart Petroleum Corporation
Tall Grass Energy Corporation
The Brinkerhoff Company
Tracker Resource Development
U.S. Bank
Vaughey & Vaughey
Please contact Becca Ness with any questions regarding the Rocky Mountain Oil & Gas Hall of Fame.
Natural Gas Needed In Climate Change Legislation
Nine U.S. Senators requested the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee “take optimal advantage of America’s abundance of clean burning natural gas to dramatically lower CO2 emissions in both the near and long term” when crafting Senate climate change legislation.
In addition to emphasizing the abundance of supply and opportunities in electricity generation and transportation, the Senators also make some specific requests, including:
-Preserve vital tax incentives for industry (IDC and Percentage Depletion)
-Require “truth in emissions” labeling
-Fund an EPA study to review the risks of hydraulic fracturing.
Annual Utah Call-Up
Please join us for the Annual IPAMS Utah Call-Up in Salt Lake City on October 20th and 21st. The Call-Up is an excellent way to meet and socialize with all the agencies and officials important to natural gas and oil exploration and production in Utah – the Governor, legislators, Congressional Delegation, BLM, DEQ, DOGM, SITLA, and many other allies. Please register on the IPAMS web site. A block of rooms is available at the Little America Hotel. To take advantage of the discounted room rate, call 1-800-437-5288 by September 30th and mention IPAMS. For more information, see the Initial Utah Call-Up Agenda or contact Spencer Kimball.
IPAMS and the Wildlife Habitat Council Present An Informational/Social Event and Barbeque at Lake Lehow
October 10, 2009
We hope member companies will attend and learn more about a unique corporate partnership opportunity. IPAMS is proposing to work with multiple partners to enhance Lake Lehow and the area surrounding it to create high quality wildlife habitat and to provide educational opportunities for kids in the Denver metro area. The event will take place on Saturday, October 10 at 11:30 am at Lake Lehow (11250 Waterton Road, Littleton, CO; directions available upon request). So we invite you to come and network with other IPAMS member-companies and discover potential future projects in which you and your company may want to participate. To RSVP, contact Kristin Salamack or call (303) 376-7549 . You may also contact Spencer Kimball with IPAMS or call (303) 623-0987.
Click here to view the announcement
Background information: Lake Lehow is located in southeast Denver near Chatfield state park. The property is owned by Denver Water and managed by the Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW). The lake is host to CDOW’s Angler Education clinics, run by Scott Gilmore. IPAMS and WHC staff visited Mr. Gilmore at the Lake and determined that there was a good opportunity to pursue enhancement projects at the site which would lead to mutually beneficial relationships between all organizations involved. Mr. Gilmore is also one of the founding members of the non-profit organization Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK). ELK programs introduce, immerse, educate, and mentor youth from ages 6 – 18 to Colorado’s natural resources and related careers. ELK participants are able to use the lake for fishing as well. The Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) is a non-profit member conservation organization that works on public and private lands to encourage and help implement voluntary efforts of wildlife management, biodiversity conservation, and environmental education. IPAMS is a member of WHC, along with over 100 corporations, conservation organizations, non-profit and trade organizations. WHC staff was introduced to the Lake Lehow property by CDOW staff, and identified the opportunity for partnership with IPAMS.
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 (300 dpi or better) to Jon Haubert no later than October 9, 2009.
IPAMS Calendar Sponsorship Opportunity
The IPAMS yearly calendar is great, cost-effective way to highlight your companies active involvement in IPAMS and environmentally responsible development of oil and natural gas in the Intermountain West. Company logos are visible 365 days of the year on the IPAMS calendar and reach a wide variety of industry, government and public interests.
For more information on IPAMS calendar sponsorships, please contact Jon Haubert.
IPAMS Facebook Page
If you haven’t already done so, please consider signing up as a fan of IPAMS on Facebook and catch great industry articles and view photos from events and trips. Already a fan? Invite your friends and co-workers to join too! Click here to become a fan.
Follow IPAMS on Twitter!
IPAMS also uses twitter as another means of outreach to members and those interest in following oil and gas development in the Intermountain West.
Catch all the latest IPAMS activity with our weekly Tweets! To sign up, go to: www.twitter.com/IPAMS.
Other Upcoming Meetings
* Tax Committee – October 1st at 2:30 p.m.
* Air Quality Committee – Bi-Weekly Call- October 13th at 3:00 p.m.
* WRAP Phase III Wind River Projections Meeting – October 15th at 10:30 a.m.
Agendas are available for upcoming meetings at http://www.westernenergyalliance.org/advocacy/. All meetings unless otherwise indicated are Mountain time, and at IPAMS and via teleconference.
Visit westernenergyalliance.org for the latest news affecting the Intermountain West’s oil and natural gas industry. Headlines are updated daily from local, national and international news sources. You may also sign up for daily newsbrief emails under the Manage Account section of the “Members Only” page.
The West
Who’s Looking At Natural Gas Now? Big Oil
published in: NPR on: 09/23/2009 by: Tom Gjelten
In the energy world, Big Oil has long been the key player — with one notable exception: The natural gas business in the United States is dominated by small, independent companies. More than 80 percent of U.S. natural gas supplies are produced by companies with a market capitalization of less than $500 million. On average, these companies have only a dozen employees. But their business is booming. New production techniques in recent years have enabled companies to extract natural gas from shale rock formations deep underground. As a result, estimates of accessible natural gas reserves have been revised dramatically upward. Small gas producers can justifiably take the credit for the transformation of their industry.
Rediscovering Natural Gas By Hitting Rock Bottom
published in: NPR on: 09/22/2009 by: Tom Gjelten
In recent years, natural gas producers in the United States have struggled, mostly in vain, to be taken more seriously in the energy world. Big oil companies like Exxon had concluded that natural gas reserves in the United States were not sufficiently abundant to warrant big investments in exploration and drilling. When small independent gas producers argued otherwise, they were often ridiculed. “I once had to tell the Exxon people in front of a congressional committee that I respectfully disagreed with every single thing they had presented,” recalls Robert Hefner, 74, a veteran gas producer from Oklahoma.
Colorado
Garfield County may step up on air quality monitoring work
published in: Glenwood Springs Post Independent on: 09/24/2009 by: John Colson
In response to what appears to be growing community concern, the Garfield County commissioners agreed this week that it may be time to step up its efforts to deal with possible air pollution from the oil and gas industry. Commissioner Trési Houpt noted that “we still have a lot of unanswered questions out there” and called for the use of the county’s bulging oil and gas mitigation fund to boost the county environmental health department’s resources.
Drilling slump hits school budgets
published in: The Daily Sentinel on: 09/23/2009 by: Dennis Webb
Administrators didn’t expect students to fill the new Grand Valley Middle School to the brim when the doors first opened this school year. Neither did they anticipate the middle-schoolers would end up with a lot of elbow room, which turned out to be the case because of the natural gas drilling slowdown of the last year. Principal Scott Pankow said the school’s enrollment is down about 10 percent from last year at the former St. John’s Middle School, which has been converted to an elementary school.
BLM nets $154K in first-ever online lease sale in Colorado
published in: Denver Business Journal on: 09/20/2009 by: Staff
In the agency’s first-ever online sale of oil and gas leases, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s Colorado office sold 19 parcels of 28 offered, totaling 7,701 acres, and earned $153,637. Forty-nine percent of the proceeds will go to the state of Colorado, BLM said. BLM conducted the online auction as a one-time test authorized by Congress to assess its feasibility. Colorado was selected for the test.
BLM Best Management Practices Workshop
October 14, 2009 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. in Rifle, CO
BLM is hosting an oil and gas workshop on ‘Best Practices for Community and Environmental Protection’ to facilitate the use of best practices in oil and gas development through greater understanding of BMPs and community and industry interests. The workshop will take place on Wednesday, October 14th, 9:30 – 4:30 at the Garfield County Fairground, Rifle with a special evening session on constructive engagement to follow from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. There will also be a field trip the afternoon of October 13th. The event is being cosponsored by the CU Natural Resources Law Center and the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
The workshop is free, but RSVP and registration is requested. To RSVP/register, email: nrlc@colorado.edu (Please put “BMP workshop registration” in the subject line) or leave a message for Carolyn at 303-492-1281. For more information, go to: http://www.oilandgasbmps.org/workshops/registration.htm.
EHS Peer Group 4th Quarter Meeting
October 15, 2009 at 8:30 a.m. in Denver, CO
The 4th Quarter 2009 Rocky Mountain Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) Peer Group meeting will take place on Tuesday October 15th at 8:30 am. The meeting is at Williams’ offices at 1515 Arapahoe Street (16th Street Mall and Arapahoe Street), Tower 3, 7th floor.
Please RSVP Laura Sillstrop at by October 13, 2009. Click here for more information.
Montana
Schweitzer says the state leads in energy production
published in: Montana News Station on: 09/22/2009 by: Staff
Montana’s Governor says the state is leading the entire country in energy production and doing it in a clean way. Brian Schweitzer spoke at the Environmental Council of the States in Whitefish. The council is an association of environmental agency leaders created to protect human health and the environment. Schweitzer told agency leaders Montana leads the country in oil production and is increasing wind energy at the fastest rate. He says Montana has 30% of the country’s coal and will develop it in a clean manner.
New Finds Bring Excitement
published in: Big Sky Business Journal by: Evelyn Pyburn on: 08/18/2009
Stabilized oil prices will do much to resume activity in Montana’s oil fields, and not just for production of existing wells, but to augment exploration for new – especially in formations below the Bakken.Recent reports from North Dakota say that discoveries in the Three Forks/Sanish hold the promise of doubling the production that has been projected for the Bakken, a resource that has been compared to that of Saudia Arabia. Big news for North Dakota, and perhaps for Montana, since the formation extends into the northeastern part of the state.
North Dakota
Oil and water: Research seeks to preserve water in oil development
published in: Minot Daily News on: 09/18/2009 by: Jill Schramm
Researchers hope to find a way to cut oil production costs and save a precious resource by recycling some of the water used in North Dakota’s oil drilling operations. Beth-any Kurz, senior research manager with the Energy & Environmental Research Center in Grand Forks, spoke about the project at the North Dakota Solid Waste and Recycling Conference in Minot Thursday.
Utah
Uinta Basin Air Quality Study (UBAQS) Data Available
The UBAQS modeling report is available on IPAMS website. Companies wishing to obtain the data may do so by contacting Kathleen Sgamma. Because of the large data volumes, there is a charge to obtain the files from Environ, as outlined below. In addition, IPAMS is charging $10,000 to companies to obtain the data, in order to make up for the cost of the study. Companies that have already funded will have their contribution subtracted from the $10,000 cost (i.e., no cost to those companies contributing over $10,000), but will be required to pay Environ for the data processing costs below.
| No. | Description |
Size |
Cost (w/o HD) |
Cost (w/ HD) |
| 1. | CMAQ 2005 and 2006 36 km and 12/4 km inputs and 12/4 km outputs for 2005 and 2006 Actual Base Case, 2006 Typical Base Case and 2012 Base Case emissions scenarios (no 3-D output for CMAQ 36 km run) |
~4,000 Gb |
$3,000 |
$3,640 |
| 2. | Pre-merged emissions for 2005 and 2006 Actual Base Case, 2006 Typical Base Case and 2012 Base Case emission scenarios |
~1,500 Gb |
$1,100 |
$1,340 |
| 3. | Complete SMOKE emissions processing data set including inputs and scripts |
~100 Gb |
$750 |
$830 |
| 4. | 2005 and 2006 MM5 36/12 km output files |
~2,300 Gb |
$1,300 |
$1,700 |
Drilling near parks opposed
published in: Deseret News on: 09/17/2009 by: Lee Davidson
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told Congress Wednesday that he will not support oil drilling near Arches and Canyonlands national parks, nor Dinosaur National Monument. That comes as his office is reviewing which of 77 canceled oil and gas leases in those general areas should be reinstated after Salazar earlier this year rescinded a Bush administration auction of them. It also comes as a Vernal couple who depend on the oil industry for their livelihood traveled to Washington at the invitation of the Department of the Interior only to be stood up by Salazar’s top deputy.
Wyoming
Wyoming gains in pairing of wind, natural gas
published in: Casper Star-Tribune on: 09/24/2009 by: Dustin Bleizeffer
From the standpoint of an electrical utility, wind alone and natural gas alone each come with significant shortfalls. Wind only blows 35 percent to 38 percent of the time. Natural gas is susceptible to extreme price volatility. But by pairing the two fuels, utilities can gain a source of generation that’s consistent, low in carbon emissions and perhaps a lot cheaper than coal in the long run.
Unemployment flattens in August
published in: Casper Star-Tribune on: 09/24/2009 by: Tom Mast
Wyoming’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained virtually unchanged in August. David Bullard, senior economist for the Wyoming Department of Employment’s Research and Planning Section, said the increase from 6.5 percent in July to 6.6 percent in August was not statistically significant. The state rate remained much lower than the national rate of 9.7 percent. Wyoming was tied with Montana for the sixth lowest unemployment rate in the nation.
Freudenthal: Natural gas, coal industries will both lose if they target each other
published in: Billings Gazette, Casper Star-Tribune on: 09/18/2009 by: Dustin Bleizeffer
Gov. Dave Freudenthal told the natural-gas industry Thursday that depressed energy prices are going to drag down the state’s economy, and he’s particularly concerned about the increasing unemployment rate. That drives Medicaid costs and other social services, and is probably the biggest budget pain for Wyoming. He said the current economy is discouraging, and relief doesn’t appear to be just around the corner. But the strongest message he wanted to impress upon the natural-gas industry was this: Stop attacking coal.
Washington Watch
IPAMS to U.S. Congress: ‘Let Us Develop Clean, Abundant American Energy!’
On September 17, 2009, IPAMS Board of Directors Member, Alex Campbell, testified regarding provisions in the Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources (CLEAR) Act of 2009 that could have serious adverse effects on the domestic natural gas and oil industry in the Intermountain West. (Click here to watch the testimony on youtube.)
Representing both IPAMS and Enduring Resources, a majority of the questions from Committee Members were directed towards Alex. Perfectly positioned to respond, he calmly and articulately detailed the leasing and drilling process on public lands and provided facts and examples from his own company. (Click here to watch the Question/Answer session with Chair Nick Rahall or click here to watch the Question/Answer session with Congressman John Duncan.)
It was a great opportunity to define the role of independents in the energy industry and how harmful irrelevant protests, litigation and unnecessary regulatory hurdles delay development and increase costs.
A huge thank you to Alex Campbell at Enduring Resources.
With Little Clout, Natural Gas Lobby Strikes Out
published in: NPR on: 09/24/2009 by: Peter Overby
There is almost a century’s worth of natural gas in shale rock formations all over the country, enough to make a significant change in the debate about America’s energy future. But as Congress moves toward writing a new national energy policy, natural-gas lobbyists have been mostly missing in action. “Natural gas is the cleanest of the fossil fuels,” says Christopher Flavin, president of the Worldwatch Institute, a think tank that does environmental research. “I think nobody’s ever argued that. The big thing, of course, that’s changed is that shale gas has now opened up as this enormous resource.”
Murkowski to move against EPA
published in: Politico on: 09/23/2009 by: Lisa Lerer
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) plans to introduce an amendment Thursday morning banning the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating carbon dioxide. The proposal is fiercely opposed by the administration, which sees EPA action as a way to pressure the Senate into passing cap and trade legislation curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Prospects for the bill have dimmed in recent weeks, as the health care debate has taken center stage.
Cap-and-trade will depress home prices
published in: Politico on: 09/23/2009 by: Ryan Young
Cap and trade is back in the news. By the end of this month, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) is expected to unveil new legislation along the lines of the Waxman-Markey bill, which passed the House on June 26. That bill contains 397 new regulations. One of them would affect almost everyone who buys or sells a home. If Waxman-Markey becomes law, homes for sale that qualify as “federally related transactions” — which is almost all of them — would be required to undergo an environmental inspection.
Video: Former Sen. John Warner discusses impact of climate change on national security
published in: E&E TV on: 09/22/2009 by: Monica Trauzzi
What impact will climate change have on the United States’ national security? Will the security issue gain traction as the Senate takes up climate legislation? During today’s OnPoint, former Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) explains how the United States’ security will be affected by climate change. Warner, who recently joined the Pew Project on National Security, Energy and Climate, discusses how Congress can address this issue in the legislation making its way through the Senate. He also gives his take on this year’s climate debate.
Rahall bill would hamper US resource development, House panel
published in: Oil & Gas Journal on: 09/18/2009 by: Nick Snow
A bill that aims to make federal oil and gas leasing more effective and efficient would have the opposite effect instead, two oil and gas industry officials told the US House Natural Resources Committee on Sept. 17. “We believe that it is important to develop policies that provide more access to federal lands and remove barriers that delay the development of these resources,” said Doug Morris, group director for upstream and industry operations at the American Petroleum Institute. “We should not be erecting additional obstacles to development which, unfortunately, would be the unintended consequence of this legislation.”
Media Watch
Editorial: Energy industry advances, even in down economy
published in: Casper Star-Tribune on: 09/24/2009 by: Editorial Board
It’s well known that Wyoming’s economy lives and dies according to demand for our energy products, and the slump brought on by the worldwide recession has yet to loosen its grip. But amid the concern about the state’s economy, including the highest unemployment rate in two decades, there are some hopeful signs out there. Among the good news that has appeared in the Star-Tribune recently.
Editorial: Natural-gas climate
published in: The Daily Sentinel on: 09/23/2009 by: Editorial Board
uesday’s United Nations confab on climate change produced lots of rhetoric from political leaders worldwide, but few specific commitments to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Several news reports Wednesday said there is so much dispute on the issue, that it’s unlikely any new global agreement on climate change will be reached when world leaders gather in Copenhagen in December.
Editorial: Rahall bill will not improve energy outlook
published in: The Daily Sentinel on: 09/23/2009 by: Editorial Staff
The sex scandals within the federal office of Minerals Management Services last year — in which federal employees were reported cavorting with oil company executives whose royalties they were collecting for the government — deservedly caused outrage. Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar announced last week that he plans to phase out the royalty-in-kind program that was at the heart of the scandal, a program that allowed oil and gas companies to pay their royalty fees in the products they produced rather than cash.
Editorial: Salazar making headway as Interior’s “new sheriff”
published in: Denver Post on: 09/22/2009 by: Editorial Staff
When Ken Salazar took the reins at Interior nine months ago, it was apparent the “new sheriff,” as he was calling himself, had a big job ahead of him in cleaning up a department plagued by scandal and mismanagement. In recent weeks, the magnitude of the work has come into focus, and so too has Salazar’s resolve in taking on the department’s entrenched practices and culture.
Editorial: No accountability; Bush drilling rules put West at risk
published in: Salt Lake Tribune on: 09/21/2009 by: Editorial Staff
Drill, baby, drill became the mantra of conservatives during last year’s presidential campaign, especially during the months of $4-a-gallon gasoline. But it would have been a suitable slogan for the entire eight years of the George W. Bush presidency. Long before Americans panicked over high gas prices, the Bush administration did all it could to pander to the oil and gas industries, with little or no regard for the environmental damage the drill-everywhere policy caused the fragile ecosystems of the arid West, including Utah.
Environment and Wildlife
Sage-grouse season opens through Sept. 30
published in: Buffalo Bulletin on: 09/23/2009 by: Justin Gerard
The Area 1 sage-grouse hunting season opened Sept. 19 and will continue through Sept. 30. Tom Christiansen, the Wyoming Game and Fish sage grouse coordinator, said the agency is managing sage-grouse conservatively by using a shortened season and lower bag limits. The current regulations allow two sage-grouse to be harvested per day. Christiansen added that loss of habitat, not hunting, is the major problem causing a decline in sage grouse populations in northeast Wyoming.
Water Contamination Concerns Linger For Shale Gas
published in: NPR on: 09/23/2009 by: Tom Gjelten
Advances in technology have helped boost the growth of shale drilling in the United States over the past few years. But as the practice of harvesting natural gas embedded in shale rock deep below the Earth’s surface has expanded, it has raised concerns about the impact this type of drilling has on the environment — especially on groundwater. At issue is the practice of “hydraulic fracturing,” which in combination with horizontal drilling is an essential part of the shale gas production process. The shale rock in which the gas is trapped is so tight that it has to be broken in order for the gas to escape.
States Can Sue Utilities Over Emissions
published in: New York Times on: 09/22/2009 by: Matthew L. Wald
A two-judge panel of a federal appeals court has ruled that big power companies can be sued by states and land trusts for emitting carbon dioxide. The decision, issued Monday, overturns a 2005 District Court decision that the question was political, not judicial. A panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, in New York, ruled that eight states — California, Connecticut, Iowa, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin — as well as New York City and three land trusts could proceed with a suit against American Electric Power, Southern Corporation, the Tennessee Valley Authority, Xcel Energy and Cinergy Corporation, all large coal-burning utilities.
Technology, Alternatives & Renewables
Solar options grow in So. Utah
published in: St. George Specturm on: 09/22/2009 by: David Demille
Local officials have been touting Southern Utah as an ideal spot for solar energy for years, but that potential could now be trending toward reality. At least that was the thinking of Jack Scully, a builder working on two new passive solar homes in St. George, as he showed off the buildings’ features Monday. “Our philosophy is that the housing industry is going to move to smaller, more efficient homes anyway,” he said, adding that 70 million baby boomers nearing retirement will soon be looking to downsize and live in more energy-efficient homes, especially if those homes are affordable.
Wind-Turbine Makers Press for Green Mandates
published in: Wall Street Journal, Subscription Required on: 09/22/2009 by: Russell Gold
Wind-turbine makers say growth in their industry could dramatically slow unless the federal government requires more electricity come from renewable energy. New federal stimulus grants helped restart a stalled wind-power industry, but Vic Abate, a General Electric Co. vice president in charge of its wind-turbine business, said orders for wind turbines to be built in 2012 and thereafter have been “extremely light.”
Markets
Pipeline zone change OK’d: Ruling brings natural gas line one step closer to construction
published in: Logan Herald-Journal on: 09/23/2009 by: Jay Patrick
A massive underground natural gas line running across southern Cache County is a step closer to being built following a key ruling this week. The County Council on Tuesday OK’d a rezone required for the Ruby Pipeline to move forward. The 42-inch pipeline, a $3 billion project of the El Paso Corporation, is planned to run 680 miles from Wyoming to Oregon, via Utah and Nevada. Eighteen miles traverse southern Cache County farmland, with Avon and Paradise being the communities closest.
IHS Herold: Oil market to have ‘moderate’ recovery in 2010
published in: Oil & Gas Journal on: 09/22/2009 by: Paula Dittrick
Prices for light, sweet crude are expected to average $67/bbl during 2010, a spokesman told a Pacesetters Energy Conference hosted by IHS Herold Inc. on Sept. 22 in Greenwich, Conn. Oil prices dropped to about $35/bbl during February and have since rebounded with reports of improving global economic growth. Jim Burkhard, managing director of the IHS CERA’s (Cambridge Energy Research Associates) Global Oil Group, believes world oil demand peaked during 2005.
EnCana VP: Natural gas cars could save prices
published in: The Daily Sentinel on: 09/18/2009 by: Emily Anderson
Natural gas-fueled cars may resuscitate wilting gas prices, said Don McClure, vice president of government and stakeholder relations and legal for EnCana Oil and Gas USA. Europe and Asia have led the way in natural gas-run vehicle purchases. McClure hopes North America will catch up to the trend soon. One percent of all cars in the world run on natural gas. In Utah, McClure said it costs 90 cents a gallon to fill a natural gas-fueled car. The cars could save consumers money at the pump while earning companies such as EnCana more cash.
Industry News and Events
Energy expo caters to teachers, students
published in: Greeley Tribune on: 09/24/2009 by: Bill Jackson
Julie Mitchell jumped at the chance to get out of her Erie High School classroom and introduce some of her geology students to the real world. Mitchell and Julie Constantine, a Frederick High School teacher, were among the teachers and students who attended the Wednesday morning session of the second annual Denver-Julesburg Basin Energy Expo at the Exhibition Building in Island Grove Regional Park.
ANGA-commissioned study cites gas industry’s economic contributions
published in: Oil & Gas Journal on: 09/22/2009 by: Nick Snow
The US natural gas industry supports nearly 3 million American jobs, providing a significant positive impact to the general economy, a study commissioned by America’s Natural Gas Alliance concluded. The study, “The Contributions of the Natural Gas Industry to the US National and State Economies,” by IHS Global Insight was the first ever to separate the gas industry’s US economic impact from that of the domestic oil industry, ANGA officials said at a Sept. 17 briefing.
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.
Gas & Oil Company Compliance in a New Era of Regulatory Oversight
October 15, 2009 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. in Denver, CO
Fulbright & Jaworski has assembled an impressive faculty of legal and industry experts to review and explore recent developments and emerging trends in the area of gas and oil industry stakeholder compliance with the latest regulations and rulings of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Attendees will be briefed on why compliance and considered responses to agency enforcement actions are important, what these agencies expect from companies that operate within their jurisdiction, and how to implement an effective compliance program.
Hydraulic Fracturing Conference
November 12-13, 2009 in Denver, Colorado
Presented by the American Institute of Professional Geologists, this day and a half conference is designed to focus on technical, regulatory, legal, and political aspects of this production-enhancing technology. Presenters and attendees will represent the private sector, government, and academia. The conference is structured to allow for consideration and ample discussion of the most crucial aspects of the hydrofracing process as it pertains to oil & gas production, groundwater production, environmental, and economic impacts.
The American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG) was founded in 1963 to certify the credentials of practicing geologists and to advocate on behalf of the profession. AIPG represents the professional interests of all practicing geoscientists in every discipline. Its advocacy efforts are focused on the promotion of the role of geology and geologists in society.
Click here for Call For Abstracts and Click here to Register Online (click on Events)
For additional details contact Cathy Duran or (303) 412-6205.
