Methane Drilling Halts in Powder River Basin

CASPER - Dustin Bleizeffer reports in the Casper Star Tribune that coalbed methane drilling has dropped off so dramatically in the Powder River Basin that officials are not even bothering to count rigs this summer. Instead, officials counted one well drilled in May. No wells were drilled in June, and so far one well has been drilled in July, according to Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission supervisor Tom Doll.

It’s a dramatic shift from an average of 300 new wells per month in 2008. “It’s been pretty dismal over the past four or five months,” Doll said. “I’m not sure if there will be a tremendous increase in activity.” The sudden paralysis is a combination of poor pricing and the fact that the industry has drilled out most available private and state leases.

READ HIS FULL STORY HERE.

Forum Focuses on Wind Development on
State-Owned Lands

CASPER - Wind energy companies continue to focus on Wyoming farms for future development and that has prompted the Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments to begin studying issues related to wind power development on state-owned lands.

Next Thursday, August 6th, the office will host a forum at Casper College to discuss the compatibility of wind farms and existing surface uses such as agriculture, oil and gas development and mining.

The state is steward to roughly 3.6 million surfaces acres of state trust land, most of which is managed for the benefit of the public school system. Representatives of the agriculture, oil and gas, mining and wind energy industries have been invited to participate in the forum.

Wind Farm Clean-Up Cost at Issue

By Dustin Bleizeffer/Casper Star Tribune

CASPER - A budding wind energy industry in Wyoming added approximately 289 turbines and more than 465 megawatts of electrical generation capacity in the state during the past year. Another 162 turbines are under construction, and wind developers have ambitions for adding at least another 3,000 turbines over the next 10 years, according to an informal survey by the Casper Star-Tribune.

Although wind developers expect turbines and mechanical upgrades to easily exceed 20-year contractual warranties and power purchase agreements, there’s no set standard for setting aside funds to decommission wind turbines and related facilities. “That’s probably one of the largest areas of concern I hear as a policymaker,” said Sen. Jim Anderson, R-Glenrock.

READ HIS FULL STORY HERE.

Fairgrounds “Going Green and Keeping it Clean”

By Carol Crump/Casper Journal

The Central Wyoming Fairgrounds sits on approximately 86 acres that were deeded from the Jim Carey Ranch in 1938, and another 10 acres that were purchased from the Schulte family when the Terrace Drive-In theater closed in 1983. The same kind of partnerships that built a fairgrounds that has hosted the county’s agriculture, ranching and community events since 1942 will showcase a new accomplishment on July 31.

The Natrona County Fairgrounds is the first fairgrounds in the state to develop and implement animal waste and storm water management plans that meet Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WYDEQ) standards.

“We’re going green and keeping it clean,” said Project Manager Deena McDaniels.

READ THE COMPLETE STORY HERE.