A Bureau of Land Management (BLM) decision to allow year-round oil and natural gas drilling within 1.5 million acres of federal and Wyoming state land has ended a six-year stalemate among a consortium of producers and regulators.

The BLM decision allows the exploration and production (E&P) companies to drill on 1,500 multi-well pads within the proposed Converse County Oil and Gas Project area of the Powder River Basin (PRB) for 10 years. 

The E&Ps are allowed to use all types of drilling techniques — directional, vertical and horizontal —  according to the Record of Decision (ROD). Also allowed is infrastructure within the PRB including well pads, roads, pipelines, power lines, compressor and electrical substations, as well as ancillary facilities such as water supply wells and...