SandBoxUtah: Salt Lake Tribune "Utah extends public comment period for refinery expansion"

Judy Fahys:
"State regulators have again extended the public comment period for Tesoro’s proposed refinery expansion.

On Monday, the Utah Division of Air Quality said it was extending the deadline to June 7 — partly to accommodate critics who have a beef with the Salt Lake City plant’s expansion and who will be required to pursue their concerns in a new appeals system that begins May 8. The comment period was originally set to end in March...."  (Read more?  Click title)

SandBoxUtah: The Vernal Express "Collaboration on Anadarko drilling project praised "

Coloradans watched closely the collaboration between Bill Barrett Corp and Utah conservation groups over the proposed drilling in the Jack Canyon Wilderness  and Desolation Canyon areas in 2010.

The mutual satisfaction on both sides of the issue has been held up since, as a goal for negotiations throughout our own oil and gas regions.

A reminder to Utahans of that historical compromise can be found by clicking here.

As 'Utah's SandBox Commentators' continues its soft launch, reading up on all the oil and gas current doings around the State of Utah and surrounding states has been interesting.

Some of the current articles that seem to show a wide range of feelings are linked here:

http://www.platts.com/RSSFeedDetailedNews/RSSFeed/NaturalGas/6157250

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/jazz/53902874-90/blm-canyon-congress-desolation.html.csp

http://www.standard.net/stories/2012/04/21/obama-designates-new-monument-bishop-cries-foul

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20120423/NEWS01/120423004/As-Bakken-oil-booms-police-prepare-change-updated-1-45-p-m-?odyssey=nav%7Chead

Overall, there seems to be less angst directed at the industry by conservationists than there is in Colorado.  But, the organizations that Utah has in protest to all energy development seem to be much more volatile.

Congratulations again to Bill Barrett Corp for breaking historic ground in the compromise arena in 2010.  Here's to many more years of both sides of the issues finding ways to come together in agreement.

Mary Bernard:

"Kudos to Anadarko, who has been receptive to the potential impacts to sensitive lands and willing to modify their approach,” said David Garbett, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance attorney.

SUWA reached a landmark conservation agreement with Anadarko to protect a stretch of the White River within the proposed project area.

Anadarko has offered to limit the number of wells along the White River, including the lands adjacent to the river in a conservation easement.

“It’s a win-win solution that balances environmental protection with development,” Garbett says.

The BLM, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the conservation partners came to an agreement over the impacts to wilderness and air quality to move forward with the project approval.

“This is a big step in the right direction,” said John Christiansen, Anadarko spokesman. “It shows was can be done when parties come together and have reasonable conversations to find reasonable solutions.”

Christiansen says cooperation was key in their talks, an aspect echoed by federal officials.

Utah BLM state director Juan Palma concurred issuing a statement praising the cooperation of stakeholders.

“We have worked collaboratively with federal agencies and tribal governments to move forward with developing our nation’s domestic energy resources, providing a boost to the Uinta Basin and Utah economies and ensuring the right environmental protections are in place,” Juan Palma, BLM’s Utah state director, said in a statement....." (Read more?  Click title) 

SandBoxUtah: Deseret News "Utah's largest oil producer will invest $500 million in Utah this year"

Geoff Liesik:
"Houston-based Newfield has accounted for roughly one-third of the oil produced in Utah in each of the past three years, according to the state Division of Oil, Gas and Mining, which makes it a major contributor to state coffers.

Utah receives more than $10 million in state royalty payments and severance taxes annually from Newfield, and between 2005 and 2010, the state received more than $50 million in ad valorem and production taxes from the company.

Duchesne and Uintah counties derive more than $5 million annually in tax revenues from Newfield as well."