Between 100,000 and 120,000 wells were drilled and fraced from 2011 to 2014, but few led to issues with drinking water A draft assessment released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today claims that “hydraulic fracturing activities have not led to widespread, systemic impacts to drinking water resources,” according to an EPA press release. The assessment compiles date from 950
House Bill 40 makes Denton frac ban unenforceable Denton City Council held a meeting last night to consider its options for moving forward with the ban on hydraulic fracturing that it enacted in December of last year. The Texas legislature passed Texas House Bill 40 last month, making the Denton frac ban unenforceable. According to the text of HB 40,
Utah energy advisor says new regulations are legally and pragmatically faulty Utah’s Governor Gary Herbert announced that his state will be joining North Dakota, Colorado and Wyoming in their lawsuit against new federal rules regarding new hydraulic fracturing regulations on federal lands. OAG360® spoke with both Gov. Herbert and his energy advisor, Cody Stewart, about the matter recently. Stewart told
HB 40 hopes to clarify limits of local control on oil and gas operations, preventing frac bans Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed legislation today designed to pre-empt local regulations on drilling activities in the state. The bill, House Bill 40, will avoid a “patchwork of local regulations” that might hamper oil and gas production, according to Gov. Abbot. According to
The fight over home rule moves to Texas House Municipal control over activities involved in hydraulic fracturing has become a hot topic nationwide, with the small town of Denton, Texas, being one of the focal points of the conversation about local control of oil and gas regulations. In Denton, the city passed legislation banning hydraulic fracturing, causing uproar in the
The Ben Franklin Shale Gas Innovation and Commercialization Center helps develop new innovations in shale The introduction of hydraulic fracturing brought about a tremendous change in the oil and gas industry, a shift so pivotal that it is referred to as the shale “revolution,” a word often reserved for only the most seismic developments in the world. In the hopes
The giants of the oilservice industry kicked off earnings season last week. The viewpoints of multi-billion dollar companies like Halliburton (ticker: HAL), Schlumberger (ticker: SLB) and Weatherford (ticker: WFT) are unique, given that the companies provide an insider’s perspective on industry activity based on what they are experiencing firsthand in the field. The oilfield services sector has appeared to bear
Frac sand companies could continue to feel strain even if oil makes a recovery Every corner of the oil and gas industry has felt the effects of lower commodity prices since prices fell off drastically November of last year. Even as prices seem to be making a slow comeback, with Brent at $65.07, up $11.56 from March 17, and WTI
A bill that would prohibit local frac bans is expected to reach the Governor The Oklahoma House approved a bill 64-32 that would prevent local governments from enacting bans on hydraulic fracturing. Senate Bill 809 would leave local governments with the power to enact “reasonable ordinances” in regards to oil and gas activities, but would prohibit any outright bans. After passing the
A district court judge allows litigation to lift a Colorado frac ban to proceed District Court Judge C. Scott Crabtree has decided not to dismiss a motion from the Colorado Oil & Gas Association (COGA) to lift a local moratorium on hydraulic fracturing in Broomfield, Colorado. The city of Broomfield passed a measure in 2013 that put a five year
An OAG360® Exclusive: Interview with John Hickenlooper, Governor of Colorado Listen to the interview Colorado enjoys robust energy development as an integral piece of its economy. It’s the seventh most productive oil state, sixth in natural gas production and it’s eleventh in the U.S. for coal production. According to the Business Research Division of the Leeds School of Business at
Government Energy Arm Releases 2015 Annual Energy Outlook The Energy Information Administration (EIA) released various energy-related projections through the year 2040 in its yearly release of the Annual Energy Outlook (AEO). In the 2015 edition, the EIA made five rather notable projections, including: Brent Prices will stay below $100 through 2028 The EIA shook the oil markets in its Short-Term Energy
