Oil Workers at Crossroads
Labor Day is meant to be a celebration. A day to reflect on and recognize the achievements of American workers.
There’s little to celebrate this year, however, for roustabouts, roughnecks and drillers — the hard-working muscle for decades on oil rigs from the wilds of Alaska to high plains of Wyoming. These are jobs that have long helped fuel America. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has brought it all to a hard stop in many places.
How bad is it?
Texas, the largest oil-producing state in the U.S., had 440 land rigs at the end of August last year, according to Baker Hughes’ weekly count. That number had shrunk to 104 this year.
Mineral Owners Awarded Victory Against North Dakota
Josh Swanson, Vogel Law, comments on the recent North Dakota Supreme Court decision siding with the private mineral owners after the state attempted to claim their minerals under Lake Sakakawea. Swanson explains some of the impact on the Wilkinson family and calls out the State and the North Dakota Petroleum Council.
To listen to the Full Length Exclusive Interview, click here
To Drill Or Not To Drill
Colorado regulators have spent more than a year overhauling the state’s oil and gas drilling rules, but on Tuesday they face revising what both industry and environmentalists see as the make-or-break rule: setbacks of oil and gas operations from homes and schools.
“Setbacks will determine Gov. Jared Polis’ legacy on oil and gas and whether Senate Bill 181 was a success,” said Emily Gedeon, a Colorado Sierra Club spokeswoman. The 2019 legislation made protecting public health, safety and welfare the priority in permitting oil and gas development.
The industry position is that there is no science to show that the current Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission 500-foot setback is inadequate to protect public health.
Living The Crude Life Live Recording Session: Regulations Gone Wild or New Normal
Bill Jerke, FUEL and former Colorado state legislator, Dennis Pungitore, EVP & Chief Revenue Officer, Meridian Energy Group, Inc. and Tonya Van Beber, candidate for Colorado House District 48, participate in a Living The Crude Life Live Recording Session in Weld County, Greeley, Colorado.
The Crude Life Podcast can be heard every Monday through Thursday with a Week in Review on Friday.
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