Recommendations

Representatives from the oil and natural gas industry on Tuesday urged the Colorado Oil/Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) not to go beyond the recommendations of a statewide governor’s task force on ways COGCC can implement a measure of greater local control over industry activities in cities and counties.

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) will hold hearings Monday and Tuesday in Denver to hammer out new rules to implement two recommendations made early this year by Gov. John Hickenlooper’s statewide local control task force (see Shale Daily, Feb. 25).

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) has checked off the 10th of 12 recommendations from federal regulators leveled at the combination utility four years ago after the San Bruno natural gas transmission pipeline explosion and other shortcomings exposed in its gas operations.

In a minority report, the recently concluded 21-member Colorado statewide task force looking at local control issues for oil and natural gas activities has left a wide array of unfinished business captured in 24 recommendations that failed to receive two-thirds votes. They are part of the final report, but not part of the nine recommendations being passed on for implementation.

Two proposals for strengthening state-local oversight of oil/natural gas development that were approved by a Colorado task force were sent to the state legislature for consideration Friday, a spokesperson for Gov. John Hickenlooper told NGI’sShale Daily.

The 21-member Colorado governor’s task force examining legislative proposals for local control of oil/natural gas issues is huffing and puffing as it nears the finish line. Final recommendations are expected Friday.

As the final meeting for polishing recommendations approaches, Colorado’s oil and gas stakeholder task force, which is examining local control issues, has received broadened guidelines from Gov. John Hickenlooper.

As the deadline nears for a governor’s task force to make legislative recommendations for Colorado’s oil/natural gas local control issues, the prospects for solutions look as dim as ever.

City of Dallas officials are inching toward a conclusion to the long-running debate over how large to make the buffer zone around would-be well sites within the city. One proposal could effectively prevent drilling within the city limits, an industry advocate said.