Mora Citizens Turn Out In Force at County Commission Meeting on Oil and Gas Development

La Jicarita News

By Kay Matthews

"At the public hearing about potential oil and gas development that the Mora County Board of Commissioners and Planning and Zoning Commission held on June 6, the many citizens who attended were articulate, informed, passionate, and loud and clear that this kind of industrial activity is not appropriate in their unique, agriculturally-based valley. Over 90% of the more than 48 people who spoke (400 were in attendance) expressed their desire that there be no drilling on public or private lands in their county, but many acknowledged that while the county commission may not have the authority to ban drilling altogether, it must draft and enforce regulations that will protect the people, animals, and land from the harmful effects of the drilling and extraction that is looming on the horizon." More>>>>

Mora County drilling faces fight

Santa Fe New Mexican

"A group of concerned Mora County residents continued their fight to prevent oil and gas drilling in the rural county at a meeting Monday night in the village of Mora.

The county commissioners held a special meeting at the local high-school gym to discuss the issue, and an estimated 400 people lined up to hear three hours of testimony, according to the group Drilling Mora County.

The group claims fewer than half a dozen speakers out of 48 supported drilling at the meeting. Johnny Micou of Drilling Santa Fe, which fought drilling in the Galisteo Basin, was among the drilling opponents who spoke at the meeting.

Bob Gallagher of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association spoke on behalf of the industry. A couple of ranchers from elsewhere in New Mexico talked about how oil and gas operations had impacted their operations." Link>>>>

Mora County gets views on drilling

Las Vegas Optic

By David Giuliani

"MORA — Ojo Feliz resident Emilio Valdez acknowledged during a public hearing that he leased his land’s mineral rights to oil and gas companies. He said Mora County needs economic development.

“There are people who are opposed to any industry. They look at the negative side of things,” he said, adding that he wanted to make sure future generations of his family had a source of income.

And he said if others had land to lease to energy firms, they would do so as well.

Not so, others said.

Valdez was one of more than 40 speakers during a three-hour public hearing Monday night at Mora Elementary School. More than 200 people attended.

The hearing was organized by the Mora County government, whose officials are considering changes to regulations to deal with possible oil and gas development.

More than a year ago, Albuquerque-based KHL Inc. started looking at leasing mineral rights near Ocate, northeast of Mora, a first step to drilling. A group calling itself Drilling Mora County, which is pushing for stricter regulations, has been seeking a public hearing for more than a year.

The county has yet to receive an application for drilling.

By the applause at Monday’s hearing, it appeared as if more people in attendance sided with anti-drilling speakers. But industry representatives and their supporters got cheers as well." More>>>>

Galisteo Basin tours quick to fill up

The New Mexican

7/4/2009 - 7/3/09

"If you want a tour of the county-owned Petroglyph Hill property in the Galisteo Basin, you'll have to take a number.

Santa Fe County issued a news release Wednesday with dates for reservation-only tours of the archaeologically rich area. But the 60 slots — four tours of 15 people each — filled up before the information could be distributed to the general public, according to Open Space and Trails Director Beth Mills.

Within hours, Mills said, about half the slots where reserved by city and county employees, and the other half were taken by nongovernment employees who may have gotten the news from family or friends who received the original e-mail announcing the tours." More>>>>

Mora Co. to hold hearing on drilling

Las Vegas Optic

By David Giuliani

"For more than a year, a Mora County group has wanted their voices heard on the issue of possible oil and gas drilling.

Next week, it’ll get its chance.

The Mora County government is holding a public hearing from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Monday at the Mora Elementary gym.

“The aim of this meeting is to give people a chance to speak about their opinions on oil and gas,” County Manager John Garcia said.

He said the county has invited members of the County Commission and the Planning and Zoning Committee to attend.

Kathleen Dudley, chairwoman of Drilling Mora County, urged the County Commission to be open with the public.

“What we’re finding is that the County Commission is trying to keep this issue as low-profile as possible while the industry is making inroads into the county,” she said. “I would like to have a fair opportunity for a discussion on this.”

Drilling Mora County was formed after Albuquerque-based KHL Inc. started looking more than a year ago at leasing mineral rights near Ocaté, northeast of Mora, a first step to oil and gas drilling." More>>>>

Santa Fe Reporter News in Brief

SFR Briefs: June 17

By: Dave Maass 06/16/2009

"Fossil Fuels: In December 1985, SFR reported on Black Ferrill No. 1, the first well in Santa Fe County to produce marketable amounts of crude oil. For oilman Bruce Black, the well represented success after more than 15 years of fruitless wildcatting in the county.

At the time, the well located between Cerrillos and Galisteo produced approximately 10 barrels a day. Each barrel could be sold for $28. However, not everyone predicted a black-gold rush.

“If you ask my opinion, I don’t think that Santa Fe is ever going to become an oil patch town like Hobbs or Farmington,” New Mexico petroleum geologist Roy Johnson said at the time—and so far, he’s been right.

According to data from the Socorro-based Petroleum Recovery Research Center, that inactivity resulted in the well producing only an average of 10 gallons of oil per year since 1993. Under the control of Tecton Energy, production reached a peak of 81 gallons in 2007.

Tecton is now trying to find a buyer for drilling rights. " SFR>>>>

Tecton closes well and chapter in Santa Fe history (Podcast)

KSFR

"SANTA FE (2009-06-19) -- A Houston-based oil development company capped off its last well and pulled out of Santa Fe County this week. The event marks the closing of a chapter in county history that led to a new ordinance on all types of development in the county, including oil and gas drilling.We go back to listen to part of the very first meeting on the question, reactions from county commissioners, and the promise of the ordinance. And we'll talk with Johnny Micou, the county resident who is called a 'villain' by drilling proponents and a 'hero' by its opponents. New ways to get news updates: (1)Headline updates on Twitter.

(2)News to your cell phone.
© Copyright 2009, KSFR
Find a free MP3 Audio Player. "

New Mexico Environmental Law Center

The New Mexico Environmental Law Center, the organization that represented Drilling Santa Fe for the Santa Fe County oil and gas issue, has launched a new website. For access, click here>>>>

State commission approves pit rule change

By James Monteleone The Daily Times
Posted: 06/19/2009 12:00:00 AM MDT

"SANTA FE — The state Oil Conservation Commission on Thursday approved limited changes to the pit rule proposed by Gov. Bill Richardson to reduce the costs of compliance for oil and gas producers."

The state pit rule, enacted in June 2008, required oil and gas producers follow stricter regulations regarding disposal of drilling by-products, use of in-ground storage tanks and well site environmental testing. The rule was designed to prevent contamination of ground water supplies." More>>>>

Galisteo Basin well to be plugged

The New Mexican

6/13/2009 - 6/12/0

"A Houston-based oil and gas company says it will plug the Black Ferrill well in the Galisteo Basin near Santa Fe.

Tecton Energy suspended production from the well in December 2007 when Santa Fe County implemented a moratorium on oil and natural gas drilling activities in the area.

The company says the plugging process, which includes removing equipment and installing protective casings between the wellbore and the aquifer, has been approved by state regulators.

The work is scheduled for next week.

Tecton announced in February it was no longer planning to drill in the Galisteo Basin, citing the economy and tougher state and county drilling regulations." Article>>>>

Energy ordinance would help residents go green

Staci Matlock | The New Mexican

6/4/2009 - 6/3/09

"Santa Fe County could be the first county in New Mexico to create an ordinance that will help homeowners purchase solar, wind or geothermal energy systems with almost no up-front cash.

Santa Fe County staff hope to have a draft ordinance for county commissioners by July. Commissioner Kathy Holian said she plans to introduce it.

The Legislature passed two bills in the 2009 session that allow counties to voluntarily establish special renewable energy tax assessment districts. The bills were modeled on similar loan programs in Berkeley and Palm Desert, Calif.

Counties who approve the special tax districts would offer low-interest loans to property owners who want to install solar photovoltaic panels, solar water heaters, wind turbines or ground-source heat pumps. Participating in the program would be voluntary for homeowners.

The renewable energy loan payments would be paid back through property taxes.

Coupled with existing state and federal tax credits, the loans would allow a homeowner to more easily cover the price of a renewable energy system that can cost thousands of dollars. In addition, Public Service Company of New Mexico pays customers for each kilowatt hour of electricity produced by a solar photovoltaic system.

The New Mexico Association of Counties, state agencies and the New Mexico Renewable Energy Industries are working with Santa Fe County to create a model renewable energy loan ordinance that other counties can use.

The bills were sponsored by Santa Fe legislators Rep. Brian Egolf and Sen. Peter Wirth. Cities from Los Alamos to Las Cruces are calling to find out more about the renewable energy loans, Wirth said." More>>>>

Progressive Talk Radio - Oil and gas drilling

Drilling Mora County interview with Las Vegas, NM Peace and Justice Center>>>> or full download >>>>

County Drilling Moratorium Watered Down after Litigation Threats

Rio Grande Sun

By Bryant Furlow
SUN Staff Writer

Published:

Thursday, May 28, 2009 10:22 AM MDT

"Rio Arriba County’s moratorium on new oil and gas drilling is over.

After more than a year of delays, County commissioners approved the Oil and Gas Ordinance at a special meeting May 20 in Tierra Amarilla. The County had allowed the drilling moratorium to lapse May 18." More>>>>

Galisteo Basin boundaries set

Santa Fe New Mexican

May 30, 2009

"The state Oil Conservation Commission on Thursday approved the legal boundaries defining the Galisteo Basin. The division used the Office of the State Engineer's description to establish the boundaries, according to Mark Fesmire, Oil Conservation Division director.

"We're making a law so we can't just say the Galisteo Basin. We have to have a legal description," Fesmire said.

With the legal boundaries decided, the commission can complete a proposed set of special rules governing oil and gas drilling in the Galisteo Basin. Originally, the commission was going to look at special rules for all of Santa Fe County.

"The commission decided there wasn't sufficient evidence to extend the rules outside of the Galisteo Basin," Fesmire said.

Residents of the Galisteo Basin began pushing for special protections from oil and gas development in 2007 after a Texas company Tecton Energy, announced plans to drill there.

Fesmire said the primary concerns in the basin are to protect water supplies and extensive archaeological and cultural sites.

The commission will vote on the proposed special rules for the Galisteo Basin at their next meeting in mid-June. " Link>>>>

Drilling the Marcellus Shale Through the Halliburton Loophole

Counter Punch

Will EPA Force a Review of Hydraulic Fraturing?

Weekend Edition
May 29-31, 2009

By ADAM FEDERMAN

"Of all the threats posed by oil and gas companies seeking to drill in the Marcellus Shale—a geologic formation that stretches from Ohio to New York and may contain the largest supply of natural gas in the United States—hydraulic fracturing has been cited as perhaps the one we should be most worried about. That is understandable. We don’t know enough about hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to judge whether the process will contaminate drinking water supplies, harm the environment, and have harmful effects on human health....

he Stringer report details a number of other cases of water contamination from faulty storage and the use of unlined pits. In New Mexico, Governor Richardson issued a moratorium on drilling in the Galisteo Basin after hundreds of cases of water contamination from unlined pits were reported. In Utah, a pit with 150,000 barrels of fracking fluids leaked and the toxic wastewater ended up on a nearby farm. A well in Bulette County, Wyoming was found to have levels of benzene 1,500 times what are considered safe." More>>>>

Natural Gas Politics

From left, former Vice President Dick Cheney, Rep. John Salazar, Rep. Diana DeGette and Sen. Bob Casey are all trying to leave their mark on how natural gas is drilled in the U.S. (Abrahm Lustgarten/ProPublica)

Pro Publica

by Abrahm Lustgarten - May 26, 2009 8:14 am EDT
Tags: American Petroleum Institute, Dick Cheney, Drilling, Energy Policy Act, Hydraulic Fracturing, John Salazar, Natural Gas

"Four years after Vice President Dick Cheney spearheaded a massive energy bill that exempted natural gas drilling from federal clean water laws, Congress is having second thoughts about the environmental dangers posed by the burgeoning industry.

With growing evidence that the drilling can damage water supplies, Democratic leaders in Congress are circulating legislation that would repeal the extraordinary exemption and for the first time require companies to disclose all chemicals used in the key drilling process, called hydraulic fracturing.

The proposed legislation has already stirred sharp debate.

The energy industry has launched a broad effort in Washington to fend off this proposed tightening of federal oversight, lobbying members of Congress and publishing studies that highlight what it says are the dangers of regulation. In mid-May, the industry released a detailed report asserting that the changes in current law would cost jobs and slash tax revenues. A key advocate of past efforts to regulate gas drilling, Rep. John Salazar (D-CO), has declined to support the legislation, expressing concern about how it would affect the energy companies.

However, with a strengthened Democratic majority in Congress and the party's capture of the White House in last year's election, the fracturing legislation is viewed as having its best chance at passage in years. Its House sponsor, Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), aims to attach a bill to a larger piece of legislation with broad support -- possibly a bill on climate change or a new energy policy measure – where it would be shielded from industry resistance. On the Senate side, according to congressional staff close to the effort, Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) has a companion bill ready to follow."

Read more...

At $60 a barrel, oil industry still seeing layoffs

New Mexican / Associated Press

May 25, 4:02 AM EDT

Selected quotes:

"Oil company executives agree that oil in the $70-$75 per barrel range is needed to revive the industry, but a lack of credit capital, unstable oil prices and high service costs are all factors holding back the industry."

'"Natural gas is basically worthless at this point," said Johnny Gray, president of Marbob. "A lot of companies will use the natural gas to pay a lot of their overhead and they take the profits off the oils and drill new wells. If natural gas is worth nothing, then you have to take part of your oil profit and use it for overhead."'

"Fine said he believes federal regulations being discussed will help regulate the price, which should stabilize around $70 a barrel.

Bob Gallagher, president of the New Mexico Oil & Gas Association, said he, too, thinks $70 a barrel for oil is coming."

Article>>>>

With Billions at Stake, Trying to Expand the Meaning of ‘Renewable Energy

Left: Leah Nash for The New York Times; top right: Sean Gallup/Getty Images; bottom right: Rick Smith/Associated Press

New York Times

By FELICITY BARRINGER

Published: May 24, 2009

Question about the article: Is this a Joke?

"The meanings of “renewable” and “alternative” have been expanded in some states. Wind, flammable pellets made from garbage and the burning of waste coal have all been designated renewable energy, or an equivalent, in at least one state."Article>>>>

A quote from the article: "Senator Jeff Bingaman, Democrat of New Mexico and chairman of the Senate energy committee, said that if too many new technologies beyond core renewable sources like wind and solar were to be included, “the whole purpose of the renewable electricity standard is defeated.”

The goal, he said, is “to encourage the development of some of these newer technologies and bring the price down.”

He added, “If you throw in everything else” and call it renewable, “then your numbers get way out of whack."'

Cost of Wildcatting: $8 Million

Santa Fe Reporter

"When Tecton Energy President Bill Dirks announced his firm’s plans to drill for oil in the ecologically delicate Galisteo Basin, SFR ran a background check on Dirks and his previous company, Samson Canada.

SFR discovered Samson faced fierce opposition from residents of the Charlie Lake area of British Columbia. Dirks called it quits and sold the drilling rights to another firm, Terra Energy. Residents lamented to SFR that Terra Energy was far more aggressive and less environmentally responsible than Dirks.

Now history is repeating itself. In November 2008, again facing unwavering environmentalist opposition, Dirks announced that Tecton’s holdings in Canada and New Mexico were up for sale. This month, Tecton found a buyer for the Canadian operations: Terra Energy, again. The company will pay $8 million for the rights this month. So far, Tecton has reported no interested buyers in the Galisteo Basin" Link>>>>

The Ethanol Squeeze: Special Report

MarketWatch

The OVERVIEW
Fixing the biofuels market
"Will the ethanol industry get a second chance? It sure could use one. After the initial rush to build new plants, fueled by easy money and a federal mandate to ease the nation’s dependence on foreign oil through the use of home-grown biofuels, the ethanol business is now scrambling to protect troubled investments and keep itself a relevant part of U.S. energy policy." More>>>>

Reuters

Solar Quest on National Geograhic

Message:
From Deb Anderson:

"Split Estate is finished and I'll send you information soon about the latest news, and the launch of our website etc. We've just been selected to be in the Good Pitch at the SILVERDOCS Film Festival in Washington DC in June which will be significant.

Today, however I thought that the oil and gas folks should know about another project. Craig Coffman, another neighbor produced this documentary for National Geographic and I edited it. It is the first job I've had in a while that I wish everyone would see because the information in it is so interesting and important for our future. It is about Concentrated Solar Power - Large power plant sized solar technologies and what is the latest in this field. Really interesting stuff that we should all know but rarely hear about. Thanks for passing this on to all who would be interested. Its first airing is tomorrow."

Link about the National Geographic program>>>>

From link above, "Craig Coffman Productions is proud to announce its latest documentary production: Solar Quest, airing this Thursday, 7pm ET on the National Geographic Channel.

Solar Quest, part of a series exploring the world's biggest green projects, is a 1-hour program about the resurrection of one of the world's most effective - and forgotten - renewable technologies: Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)."

To see a clip from SOLAR QUEST please click here.

Producer/writer: Craig Coffman

Executive Producer (NG): John Mernit

Director of Photography: Rich Scholtz

Editor: Debra Anderson

Mix: Ron Sunsinger

Associate Producer: Kendra Gahagan

Hydraulic Fracture Fluid Kills 18 Cattle Near Chesapeake Well in LA

by TXsharon

Daily Kos and Bluedaze

The drilling crew at a Chesapeake well site in Louisiana was "injecting fluids at high pressure to break down the shale and release natural gas," when some cattle ingested the fluid and died. 19 of the cattle died.

That sure sounds a lot like hydraulic fracturing. In 2005, at the urging of Dick Cheney, former Halliburton CEO, Congress exempt fracing from the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. It's way past time to repeal that exemption! I'll have a link up later to resolutions your group, municipality, county, etc. can adopt asking our legislature to remove the exemption.

But, there's no need to worry because the industry tells us that hydraulic fracturing is perfectly safe and never, ever contaminates any water and it's really precise except for when it's imprecise.

UPDATE: First person account HERE. I got word that the death toll is now up to 30 but that's unconfirmed.

An animal lies near the drilling site where at least 18 cows died Tuesdayevening
in a pasture next to a Chesapeake Energy Corp. drilling site in Caddo Parish. (Jim Hudelson/The Times)

DEQ: 'Nobody is owning up to it'

DuBose said he and Canady captured on video a yellowish-green substance that was spewing into the air and falling onto the ground. Caddo deputies also said a yellowish-green substance was covering the ground and a Chesapeake employee said it was a chemical used in the fracing process.

19 head of cattle die near north La. gas well

...investigators found white, milky puddles here and there both on the well site and in a 400 square-yard area just inside the pasture.
...
The livestock died Tuesday near rain puddles in their pasture, said a Caddo Parish sheriff's spokeswoman, Cindy Chadwick. Local residents reported the cattle were foaming at the mouth, bellowing and had bleeding tongues.
...
"The cows' tongues hanging, bleeding off front and back, foaming at the mouth and bellowing" she said.

William Dubose said he captured video of yellowish-green fumes that smelled like a combination of antifreeze and petrochemical.

News video available HERE

Antifreeze just happens to be one of the chemicals in frack fluid.

Frac Water Chemicals Chemical Components (From MSDS)

This is not an isolated case. One of the Wise County Commissioners lost a calf because it got in a spill on his land, in Freestone County several cattle died so the gas company paid the owner and hushed him up. There are many such cases if you dig around a little bit.

If it does that to cattle, imagine what will happen to people. Oh, HERE's what.

Scientists studying residents living in a 1970s era housing development built atop a retired oil field waste pit found an extraordinarily high incidence of lupus, an autoimmune disease. Researchers calculated that the rate was 30 to 99 times higher in people living in this six-block area of Hobbs, NM, than what would be expected in the general population.

Drink up! Eat up!

Check out the video at Daily Kos or Bluedaze.

Also see:
Splashdownpa
un-naturalgas.org

US appeals court sides with NM in drilling fight

Associated Press

April 29, 2009 10:51 AM ET

"ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - The U.S. Bureau of Land Management failed to comply with federal law in developing a plan for managing oil and natural gas development on southern New Mexico's Otero Mesa, an appeals court has ruled.

A three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Court of Appeals in Denver said in a ruling filed Tuesday the BLM skirted the National Environmental Protection Act by not considering an alternative that would have put the mesa off limits to drilling and by not analyzing all of the likely impacts of the agency's chosen alternative.

"BLM's obligation to manage for multiple use does not mean that development must be allowed on the Otero Mesa," the ruling states. "Development is a possible use, which BLM must weigh against other possible uses — including conservation to protect environmental values, which are best assessed through the NEPA process."' More>>>>

Officials in Three States Pin Water Woes on Gas Drilling

by Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica - April 26, 2009 7:00 am EDT

"Norma Fiorentino's drinking water well was a time bomb. For weeks, workers in her small northeastern Pennsylvania town had been plumbing natural gas deposits from a drilling rig a few hundred yards away. They cracked the earth and pumped in fluids to force the gas out. Somehow, stray gas worked into tiny crevasses in the rock, leaking upward into the aquifer and slipping quietly into Fiorentino's well. Then, according to the state's working theory, a motorized pump turned on in her well house, flicked a spark and caused a New Year's morning blast that tossed aside a concrete slab weighing several thousand-pounds.

Fiorentino wasn't home at the time, so it's difficult to know exactly what happened. But afterward state officials found methane, the largest component of natural gas, in her drinking water. If the fumes that built up in her well house had collected in her basement, the explosion could have killed her." More>>>>

Report: Otero Mesa Drilling Not Worth the Effort

By TIM KORTE , 04.15.09, 05:43 PM EDT

"A Montana-based research group that studies Western land issues has concluded oil and natural gas development on southern New Mexico's Otero Mesa would offer limited jobs and revenue, even at peak production.

Not surprisingly, the report from Headwaters ( HW - news - people ) Economics was hailed by New Mexico environmentalists after its release last week.

"It's interesting that an outside group would agree with what conservationists have been saying for the last eight years. Otero Mesa is worth more protected than drilled," New Mexico Wilderness Alliance associate director Nathan Newcomer said.

However, federal land managers and a representative of New Mexico's oil and gas industry questioned most of the report's findings." More>>>>