Oil & Gas
COMMISSIONER STARTS PROGRAM TO PURSUE ORPHANED OPERATORS
The state Office of Conservation has begun implementing stricter guidelines in pursuing operators of abandoned oil and gas wells and pits in the state. This month the Oilfield Site Restoration Commission voted to have Commissioner of Conservation Philip N. Asprodites recommend appropriate legal actions against operators of orphaned well sites in Louisiana.
EMERGENCY RULE FOR OILFIELD WASTE TESTING AMENDED, EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) officials have amended Statewide Order No. 29-B starting October 1, continuing oilfield waste testing at commercial disposal facilities for 120 days, while eliminating exploration and production (E&P) waste testing at the well sites.
DNR RELEASES FIRST DATA ON INTERNET ON SAMPLES TAKEN FROM OILFIELD WASTE
BATON ROUGE – The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will make available on the Internet today the first raw data gathered on samples taken of oilfield waste from throughout the state.
OFFICE OF CONSERVATION TO OVERSEE OILFIELD SITE CLOSURE IN CAMERON PARISH
Work has begun to close the former Big Diamond waste disposal facility in Cameron parish according to officials at the Department of Natural Resources' Office of Conservation (OC). The first step in the closure process is to pump out rainwater that has accumulated in two treatment cells at the site, reported OC's Director of Injection and Mining Carroll Wascom. Wascom said the next step will be to perform a comprehensive sampling and testing program of the partially treated oilfield (exploration and production) wastes that remain in the pits to determine their current conditions. Using this test data, a complete remediation plan will be devised and implemented. The Big Diamond Trucking Service, Inc. site is located near the community of Sweet Lake. The facility received oilfield waste from 1979 to 1985. By 1990, the OC began closure plans and enlisted the help of operators that had used the site to assist in funding for closure activities. After the water is removed from the pits, the remaining material in the pits will be sampled and analyzed to determine the current status of the waste. Two weeks before the date of the sampling, area citizens will be notified and will have an opportunity to take split samples. "We have been working on this project for the past two years and I'm excited that this will be the start of the process to ultimately clean up and close the Big Diamond site," noted state Representative Dan Flavin of District 36. Anyone wanting additional information on the closure may call Carroll Wascom or Pierre Catrou at (504) 342-9197.
EMERGENCY RULES FOR OILFIELD TESTING TO START MAY 1st
As directed by Governor M.J. "Mike" Foster, the Office of Conservation of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has finalized emergency regulations that call for comprehensive and systematic testing of oilfield waste disposed of in commercial facilities throughout the state. After a recent public hearing and comment period, meetings between intergovernmental state agencies, and participation by a special interest committee, and expert advisors from LSU and elsewhere, DNR Secretary Jack Caldwell said the emergency rule will be promulgated today. Additionally, he said the permanent rules should be promulgated by this summer.
Governor Foster Announces New Oilfield Waste Testing Rules; Public Review and Input Next Step
Gov. M.J. "Mike" Foster Jr. announced today that new Department of Natural Resources' oilfield waste testing rules are ready for public review and input. The new rules require the testing of exploration and production (E&P) waste prior to shipment and further analysis and verification testing upon arrival at the commercial facility.
GOVERNOR FOSTER CALLS FOR REASSESSMENT OF OFFSHORE IMPACT STUDY
In a recent letter to Mineral Management Service's (MMS) regional director, Governor M. J. "Mike" Foster, Jr. has asked the federal government to reevaluate the impact of the proposed sale of offshore leases (169, 172, 175, 178, 182) and its significance to the Louisiana Gulf Coast region. The U.S. Department of Interior's MMS manages the nation's natural gas, oil and other mineral resources on the OCS, and collects, accounts for, and disburses revenues from federal offshore leases.
TEXACO AGREEMENT REJUVENATING OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY
BATON ROUGE -- Jack Caldwell, secretary of the Department of Natural Resources, released to the State Mineral Board today a report on the 1994 Global Settlement Agreement between Texaco Inc. and the State of Louisiana saying the agreement is helping fuel the resurgence of the industry across South Louisiana.