DOI Plan for Onshore Public and Tribal Lands

The U.S. Department of Interior released its proposal to regulate exploration and development of onshore unconventional oil and gas resources on public lands and tribal lands in early May. The proposed fracing rules would require full disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing following completion of the operation. The new regulations focus on wellbore integrity and flowback water issues. Secretary Ken Salazar commented on May 4th, "As we continue to offer millions of acres of America's public lands for oil and gas development, it is critical that the public have full confidence that the right safety and environmental protections are in place." Several industry organizations were critical of the proposed regulations. IPAA President, Barry Russell noted that the regulations attempt to fit operators into the "one-size-fits-all" category. Kathleen Sgamma, of the Western Energy Alliance in Denver stated that the new rules will "only discourage the production of American energy." Secretary Salazar said the new rules are designed to compliment rather than duplicate existing state regulations for hydraulic fracturing.

DOE HIGHLIGHTS|

Unconventional Gas and Oil Technologies Funding Opportunity

The DOE Office of Fossil Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory announces the release of the Unconventional Gas and Oil Technologies Funding Opportunity for new research and development projects, with a proposal submission deadline of June 28, 2012, 11:59 PM (EST). The funding opportunity addresses the following areas: (1) Reservoir Characterization and Development Optimization for Liquid-Rich Shale Reservoirs; (2) Improved Horizontal Drilling and Hydraulic Fracturing Effectiveness for Unconventional (Liquid-Rich or Gas) Shale Plays; and (3) "Next-Generation" CO2-EOR. The requested research is a critical component of the DOE portfolio to advance the sustainable development of domestic gas and oil resources and supports ongoing programmatic efforts to (1) improve our understanding of the occurrence, producability and environmental impacts of unconventional shale resources, and (2) expand the use of a greenhouse gas to increase the recovery of domestic oil resources. To view the Funding Opportunity Announcement or to apply go to the NETL website for links to a Synopsis and Forms and Instructions.

IPAA HIGHLIGHTS|

Independents "Declaration of Independence"

Due to oil production in North Dakota and Texas IPAA announced on May 9 a new Declaration of Independence with very impressive facts, "U.S. crude oil production, after sinking to levels not seen since the mid-1940s, rose more than half a million barrels per day just between 2007 and 2011. That size of increase has not been witnessed in the U.S. for more than forty years." The Bakken play in North Dakota, and the Permian Basin operations and Eagle Ford Play in Texas are the leaders in the revitalization in oil production. North Dakota has increased production 240% in the past four years with a corresponding revival in jobs and the economy. Nationwide the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that, "the number of Americans now employed in oil and gas development and support activities has grown by more than 100,000 in five years---from 344,000 jobs in mid-2007 to 454,100 in March 2012."

RPSEA HIGHLIGHTS|

Ultra-Deepwater Program

RPSEA's Ultra-Deepwater Program sponsors two events May 21-24, 2012.

On May 21 the RPSEA Ultra-Deepwater Program Subsea Water Quality Management Sensors Forum will be held at the Cooper Technology Center in Houston, Texas. The objective is to answer questions regarding industry's unmet need and provide input for possible project technical areas of interest.

The Spring TAC Meetings will be held May 22-24, 2012. Flow Assurance and Subsea Systems meetings will be on May 22. Floating Facilities and Risers & Systems Engineering, and Geosciences & Reservoir Engineering will be held on May 23. Drilling, Completions and Interventions, and Environmental, Safety and Regulatory & MetOcean will be held on May 24. Geosciences & Reservoir Engineering will be held at Anadarko in The Woodlands, TX. All other TAC meetings will be held at the Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Center in Sugarland, TX.

PTTC HIGHLIGHTS|

Environmentally Friendly Drilling Systems (EFD)

The EFD Best Management Practices for Utica and Marcellus Shale Development will be held in Morgantown, West Virginia on May 17th. The Environmentally Friendly Drilling Systems (EFD) Program is a long-term, integrated effort to demonstrate current and new technology in land-based drilling systems for compatibility with environmentally sensitive areas. The (EFD) Program has taken a systems approach to utilization of low-impact technology in order to develop drilling systems that will have very limited environmental impact and enable moderate to deep drilling and production operations and activity with reduced overall environmental impact. The presentations will be available on the PTTC website following the meeting.

AAPG HIGHLIGHTS|

Hydraulic Fracturing: New Controversies and Key Plans

The AAPG Geoscience Technology Workshop on Hydraulic Fracturing will be held in Golden, Colorado on August 13-15. The focus will be on understanding the geology, rock properties, geomechanics, geochemistry and fluid flow in natural fractured systems. Highlights will include the Niobrara play, and discussions on how to work with public perceptions on hydraulic fracturing and potential induced earthquakes.

SPE HIGHLIGHTS|

SPE Americas Unconventional Resources Conference

This SPE conference offers state-of-the-art information on drilling, completions, and simulation technologies for development of unconventional resources. Topical highlights feature presentations on emerging technologies, formation evaluation for ultra-tight and shale reservoirs, well performance and modeling, well completions and stimulation and field studies and case histories in unconventional resources. The program will be held at the David L. Lawrence Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on June 5-7.

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