Gas Drillers Tap Coal Beds

USA TODAY ^ | Friday, July 5, 2002 | George Hager

[BOBTHENAILER]

We are battling a vast amount of willful ignorance and a sinister leftist and extremist political agenda.

Your posts are right on point and we both know from personal battles, that it ain't getting any easier. Thanks a million for your comments and kind words.

Hope your exploration efforts in other areas are successful.

[BOBTHENAILER]

They obviously don't want Detroit to have a local 10 year supply of Natural gas at reasonable price. So they want their cut via these law suits.

Your absolutely correct. When the winter hits and gas prices start to climb they and their RAT Senator Carl Levin and his House commie partner John Conyers start the investigations in always futile efforts to prove price gouging.

[BOBTHENAILER]

What is really amazing to me is the obvious difference on the impact to the land with this type of resource extraction vs. the open strip mines that extract coal in the Powder River Basin and the infrastructure needed to support that development (loading areas, railroads, roads, etc).

That point is so good it deserves repeating.

I think all these groups are interconnected and funding always flows quickly to the local Friends of the Virgin Wasteland or whatever name springs up. Isn't it amazing how they pop up overnight and always seem to have good funding?

[BOBTHENAILER]

RE: Barretts CROW Indian deal. Did Barrett manage to get a waiver of soveriegn immunity?

Good question, as that has happened in the past. An old friend of my Dad had a case against the Navajo tribe in Federal Court around 1974 where the tribe was attempting to nullify the leases and takeover production of several good wells he had drilled.

The Navajos eventually prevailed, but it took six years in court and by that time Dave had virtually depleted 85% of remaining reserves.

As to Bill Barrett, he is one very astute operator and my guess is he's well covered contractually. He's planning on spending 40-50 million a year drillng wells and I'm sure he wouldn't throw that kind of money down the drain.

Thanks for all your comments on this topic.

[BOBTHENAILER]

We have been fighting these enviro-nazis for a long time, padnuh! I'm to the point that if they say it, it's bullsh*t!

I think that sums up my thinking as well. Your comments on the difficulties we constantly face are superb.

Currently the CBM wells in the Powder produce about a BCF a day. Production net to Williams (formerly Barrett Resources) and Western Gas Resources is 650 million cubic feet a day.

Considering that storage gas injections have been around 80 BCF a week, that would rank the Powder gas around 10% of national storage figures. Pretty healthy production when it is all put together.

Whatever we can get, wherever we can find it, and however we can produce it, we must have more natural gas production.

You got that right padnuh. Keep it turning to the right!

[BOBTHENAILER]

Baucus is a dangerous demagogue & mindless troglodite.

A big TAYLOR for Senate bump for you. Defeat Baucus at all costs.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Thanks for this edifying post.

[BOBTHENAILER]

You're most welcome.

[COB1]

Bob, I was working out of Point of Rocks outside of Rocksprings in '76 and '77 drilling deep gas wells the conventional way.
It was expensive then and it's more expensive now.
What is happening in Powder is exactly what we need to supplant our dependence on Mid-Eastern oil with a cheap source of natural gas here in the U.S.

[FReethesheeples]

Kudos to you!

Thanks!

[BOBTHENAILER]

Bob, I was working out of Point of Rocks outside of Rocksprings in '76 and '77 drilling deep gas wells the conventional way.

A business partner of mine worked as Yates Petroleum's field geologist in that area around the same time. They were drilling "Madden" (I think)formation, deep gas wells. 20,000 feet or so, monster wells, IP as much as 50MMCFPD. He described the operation as almost like mining as they drilled the first 3000' with, I think he said 36 inch casing.

I was all over that area back then as well. Walked into the Rock Springs Holiday Inn bar one evening for a beverage or two, and spotted at least two hookers plying their trade. Rock Springs, Gillette, Buffalo, Pinedale and Lander were areas I worked back then. It was a lot like the old Wild West in those days.

You're exactly correct about the current CBM development in the Powder and other areas being what we need to supplant Persian Gulf crude. If only they would leave us alone so we can get it for 'em, the US would be a better place.