CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — The Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission intends to unveil a proposal next week to increase the minimum distance between drilling rigs and dwellings.
The Casper Star-Tribune reports (https://bit.ly/1qtMraD ) that the commission intends to call for a buffer of 500 feet between occupied buildings and vertical rigs. It would set a minimum distance of 750 feet for horizontal rigs.
The current distance is 350 feet for all drilling rigs.
Nearly all the rigs drilling for oil in Wyoming today are horizontal. Of the 36 oil rigs in the state as of the week of Sept. 5, 35 were horizontal, according to Baker Hughes, an oil-services firm.
The move comes in response to concerns from landowners over increasing oil production near communities. Much of the ongoing drilling is around Cheyenne and Douglas.
Landowners had sought a greater distance, while the industry argued that the current distance is working.
“The commission wanted me to talk to as many people as I could and come up with something in the middle,” Oil and Gas Supervisor Mark Watson said.
The Powder River Basin Resource Council, a landowners group, had pushed for a minimum quarter-mile distance. It says that drilling close to homes, business and schools creates potential health risks and lowers property values.
“We are not thrilled with the numbers,” said Shannon Anderson, an organizer at the council. The group still hopes the commission will include measures similar to those used in Colorado, where companies drilling near residences and high-use buildings are required to curtail noise and emissions.
“If we’re not going to go out a quarter-mile, then we need additional measures to protect people’s quality of life,” Anderson said.
Tom Kropatsch, the commission’s natural resource program supervisor, said no additional mitigation measures are written into the proposal currently.
John Robitaille, vice president of the Petroleum Association of Wyoming, said the organization is taking a wait-and-see approach to the proposal. He said it still needs to be determined how many wells would be affected by the plan and whether mineral rights might be affected.
Robitaille said he has heard pushback from some association members over the proposal. The commission has had the authority to increase or decrease the minimum distance based on the circumstances of an individual case. He said that type of flexibility can be used to address landowner concerns.
“We think what we have is working,” Robitaille said. “And we’ll certainly take a look at their proposal. We’re not saying an absolute ’no.’ … We are reviewing and looking at what this proposal may actually do to us.”
The plan will be presented to the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission on Tuesday.
Gov. Matt Mead, who sits on the commission, has said he would like to see the rules on setbacks, flaring and well bonding reformed.
Wyoming’s current setback requirements lag behind those of other oil- and gas-producing states.
North Dakota requires a minimum distance of 500 feet. Colorado imposes the same distance but requires additional mitigation in high-use buildings like schools and hospitals. Texas leaves the matter to local communities.
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Information from: Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune, https://www.trib.com
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