Industry seeks end to lake drilling ban(Lake Pontchartrain)

Times Picayune ^ | December 05, 2008 | Jen DeGregorio

[BBell]

As the hunt for new sources of domestic fuel intensifies in the face of dwindling world supplies, the energy industry has been quietly lobbying the state to open hundreds of thousands of acres in Lake Pontchartrain to drilling.

The lake has been off limits to fuel producers since 1991, when the State Mineral Board first voted to ban drilling amid concerns about the lake's fragile ecosystem. The board, which controls drilling on state property, renewed the ban periodically until passing a permanent moratorium in 2000. Although the energy industry opposed the measure from the start, the ban has not faced any real challenges in more than a decade.

But as prices for oil and natural gas grew to stratospheric heights during the past year, the industry got serious about tapping the vast fuel reserves thought to flow beneath the lake.

The mineral board might soon put the matter to a vote. The Louisiana Oil and Gas Association, a trade group that lobbies for the energy sector, plans in the months ahead to ask the board to overturn the ban that has stopped drilling on about 400,000 acres in the lake. Mineral Board Secretary Marjorie McKeithen said the board likely would entertain the proposal

"We have been told by the oil and gas association representative that they may be making a formal request to have Lake Pontchartrain placed on the agenda at some point in the future," McKeithen said.

After receiving the request, the board would likely hold public hearings before scheduling a vote to overturn the ban, she said.

[BBell]

We need to drill in the Great Lakes too like the Canadians do. But that won't happen.

[xcamel]

“the lake’s fragile ecosystem”

And about that “Katrina thing”...

[Bogey78O]

The ecosystem in the lake was hurt because every drainage pipe dumped water straight out of septic systems right into the lake. It wasn’t oil that destroyed it.

[xcamel]

The falacy...

“Ecosystems are fragile”

No, only the ego’s of Environazis are.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

In 1980 we did seismic surveys covering Lake Maurepas
on the Pass Manchac waterway, which connects to Lake
Pontchartrain.

[mainestategop]

Yup! Liberals are more concerned about polluted puddles of water than the working poor. We had an incident in Ellsworth when Lowes wanted to build over a wetland there. It was just a polluted mud puddle. The left threw a fit and almost stopped them from building. It would have lead to much needed jobs. But then they relocated because the city council wanted to tax them to oblivion.

[Red_Devil 232]

Yep I managed a shallow water (bottom cable) seismic crew in the 80’s and we were on Lake Ponchartrain exploing for Exxon.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Did you bird dog for Exxon or a crew that worked for them?

I had several shot hole crews for Exxon and three vibroseis
crews around west Texas for Exxon.
I am trying to remember the names of their bird dogs.

My favorite shallow water crew was what we called a Yo Yo boat for Amoco.

[Red_Devil 232]

I was a Party Manger for GSI (as it was known at that time) we were contracted to Exxon.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

I might know a few on the GSI crew because when I joined
Tomlinson Geophysical as Engineer, based in Lafayette, LA
we hired at least one GSI crew.

Did you know that the name GSI was dropped and a person
I know picked up this fine name for just the registration
fee.

[Red_Devil 232]

Yes, when Halliburton purchased GSI from Texas Instruments the terms of the sale where that they keep the globe logo and the name. So we were known as Halliberton Geophysical Survices (HGS). Then Western bought HGS form Halliburton and the name was gone from the industry.

I knew someone had brought back the name GSI.

I lived in Lafayette for about 17 years, but was on the road or out in the Gulf most of the time. Our offices were in New Iberia.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

I have visited your office in New Iberia!

[Red_Devil 232]

Can you remember a time frame (the year) you visited?

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Mid seventies to early eighties, probably eighty one or two.

I lived in Carencro for a few years.

[Red_Devil 232]

Early 80's was before I was transfered to the shallow water - offshore crews. At that time I was running a Highland Dynamite Crew in south Miss. and later East Texas.

I did end up as the Site Manager of that New Iberia office in 92 and survived Western buying us (for a little over a year) then was let go in 94. Ended up working for Grand Geophysical until 03.

[Red_Devil 232]

Grand = Grant

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Do you mean Grant?
Their New Iberia office and crews were bought from a small company, LOXCO?.

Was Jay Granger still involved in the nineties?

[The Cajun]

Seem to remember most of the stuff in Lake Ponchartrain was deep and hot.

[Red_Devil 232]

I don’t remember Granger.