drilling

Groundwater testing could become a pre-drilling requirement

Willow Belden — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 23:55:13 +0000

Governor Matt Mead is considering requiring companies to test for groundwater contamination before drilling for oil or gas.

The new requirement would be part of the Mead’s energy strategy for the state. The goal is to make it easier to determine whether contaminated water was the result of energy production.

Jill Morrison with the Powder River Basin Resource Council says the proposed requirement is long overdue.

Energy industry develops nontoxic fracking fluids

The Associated Press — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 12:34:26 +0000

The oil and gas industry is trying to ease environmental concerns by developing nontoxic fluids for hydraulic fracturing.

But it's not clear whether the fluids will be widely embraced by drilling companies.

Fracking has made it possible to tap into energy reserves across the nation but also has raised concerns about pollution, since large volumes of water along with sand and hazardous chemicals are injected underground to free the oil and gas from rock.

Lincoln County Commission supports gas project in the Bridger-Teton National Forest

Bob Beck — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 00:28:40 +0000

The Lincoln County Commissioners are backing True Oil L-L-C proposal to drill two gas wells in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. One well would be located on a well pad where oil development has already occurred, the second would be a new well.

Lincoln County Commission Chairman Kent Connelly says the company plans to use new technology to recover the gas, and that’s why they support the plan.

Report tracks oil, gas drilling in Rockies

Willow Belden — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:26:26 +0000

A new report tracks the amount of oil and gas drilling that’s gone on over the past 10 years in different counties across the Rocky Mountains.

Julia Haggerty, one of the authors of the report, says the pace and scale of drilling has a profound effect on local communities – not only during the height of a boom, but in the time right before and after. Haggerty says more research needs to be done on how counties rebound after a bust.

BLM seeks comments on proposed Chevron wells

The Associated Press — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:07:20 +0000

The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comments on a company's plans to drill up to 88 new wells in western Wyoming.

Chevron USA, Inc., is proposing to expand the Table Rock Field 40 miles east of Rock Springs with 33 shallow oil wells and 20 deep gas wells. As many as 35 water injection wells also would be drilled.

The BLM says just over 300 acres would be disturbed and the wells would have a lifespan of between 40 and 55 years.