General DNR News
DEQ, DNR announce assistant secretaries
BATON ROUGE – The Departments of Environmental Quality and Natural Resources announced today that the agencies are making changes at the assistant secretary position. DNR Secretary Scott Angelle announced Louis Buatt is taking the position of Assistant Secretary of the Office of Coastal Restoration and Management. DEQ Secretary Harold Leggett said that Paul Miller has been named as Assistant Secretary of the Office of Environmental Assessment, the position Buatt is leaving.
State mineral leasing sale second highest collection on record
The Louisiana Mineral Board collected $93.8 million at its August lease sale Wednesday, nearly doubling the $48.7 million collected in July. The majority of the August lease sale dealt with state-owned land, meaning a windfall for the state of Louisiana.
DNR reinforces well notification rules
The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources’ Office of Conservation has issued a memo to oil and gas operators and water well owners throughout the state re-emphasizing the need to provide the legally required notification to the commissioner of conservation prior to drilling or using water wells for any purposes other than drilling rig supply operations, including hydraulic fracturing of shale formations to retrieve natural gas.
Water Video Says Conserve
The state Department of Natural Resources’ Office of Conservation announced today the launch of a new educational video aimed at increasing awareness of the need for water conservation in our state. The video also stresses environmental stewardship by our youth.
DNR reinforces well notification rules
The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources’ Office of Conservation has issued a memo to oil and gas operators and water well owners throughout the state re-emphasizing the need to provide the legally required notification to the commissioner of conservation prior to drilling or using water wells for any purposes other than drilling rig supply operations, including hydraulic fracturing of shale formations to retrieve natural gas.
Oil and Gas Seminar to be held in September in New Orleans
The state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will hold an “Oil and Gas in Louisiana: From SONRIS to Sunset” seminar in New Orleans on September 22-23.
Drilling permit spike highlights trend of increasing exploration
The upturn in drilling permits being handled by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Office of Conservation this year continues, with 52 drilling permits having been submitted on Monday.
State Mineral Leasing takes another big leap
The Louisiana Mineral Board collected $48.7 million this month, surpassing last month’s record payment of $35.8 million. According to Mineral Board Chairman and Department of Natural Resources Secretary Scott Angelle, “it appears that with the Haynesville Shale discovery underway, several major companies are validating their intentions to develop and produce natural gas in a big way. The state’s energy production figures look to be on the upswing this year.”
DNR Secretary expresses vindication on court ruling
The State Supreme Court issued a decision yesterday in New Orleans to uphold Act 312 of 2006, a legislative enactment designed to ensure proper remediation of environmental damage caused by oilfield operations. The high court declared Act 312 constitutional, emphasizing that the district courts do maintain control of the restoration process, and thus overruling a decision made by a district court judge in Catahoula parish in January 2007.
New Rules for the Louisiana Oilfield Announced
Louisiana Commissioner of Conservation James H. Welsh has issued effective June 29, 2008, two Emergency Rules regarding drilling safety requirements for oil and gas wells located within the state. The temporary moratorium prohibiting drilling within a quarter of a mile of all Louisiana’s interstate highways is now lifted, he said, and the two emergency rules will be in effect for 120 days.