The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has approved permits for Gunnison Energy Corp. (GEC) to explore for natural gas at two sites near Somerset, CO. The Denver-based producer, which has been fighting criticism from environmental groups that had held up the permitting process, wants to explore for gas and coalbed methane (CBM).

An exploratory well will be drilled at Thompson Creek, CO at an angle to avoid surface disturbance in a roadless area, according to Tony Gale, Gunnison’s vice president. The other well will be conventional. The two planned wells are north of a coal mine owned by Oxbow Corp., GEC’s parent company, and Gale said they decided to look for gas after finding methane released by coal seams in the area. GEC is currently drilling four exploratory natural gas wells on private fee lands in the region.

Last month, the U.S. Forest Service approved GEC’s environmental assessment application to drill six exploratory gas wells on leases in the Grand Mesa Uncompahgre Gunnison National Forest. BLM has not yet issued permits for those wells. The 15-page decision cited the federal government’s policy to “foster and encourage mineral development” and asked GEC to continue to perform well monitoring on the six sites

According to the Western Slope Environmental Resource Council, the Forest Service and BLM had failed to adequately study the effects of gas development in sandstone and coal seams. Jeremy Puckett, a spokesman for the group, said that the government agencies had “missed the point” over the lack of analysis before the drilling projects begin. The council also is concerned because the region set for drilling may cross the wintering range for elks.

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