NEW CASTLE — Orion Energy Partners has found enough natural gas from an exploratory well in the Garfield Creek State Wildlife Area that it is considering three more well pads there, Colorado Division of Wildlife spokesman Randy Hampton said.
Doug Harris, vice president of operations for Denver-based Orion Energy Partners, said the level of natural gas produced from its exploratory well warrants additional drilling to further outline where natural gas may lie.
“We will do everything in our power to work with the DOW to help mitigate the impacts to wildlife,” he said.
Hampton said another company, Dejour Energy USA is also exploring possible drilling in the habitat. The company is a unit of Dejour Enterprises Ltd., a Canadian company.
“Preliminary indications are Dejour may be mapping for a number of wells,” Hampton said. “We have seen proposals from the company suggesting eight well pads.”
Harrison Blacker, president of Dejour USA, said the company and other partners have about 2,000 acres of leased mineral rights underneath the wildlife area.
“We are exploring about how we are going to develop those leases,” he said. “We do intend to work with all the stakeholders involved, which include the DOW, the Bureau of Land Management and the local community.”
The Division of Wildlife cannot prevent drilling in the wildlife area because it does not own the mineral rights below the surface. State law allows mineral owners to have a reasonable use of the surface to drill for natural gas, even if the owner of the land objects.
The 13,234-acre wildlife area is home to deer and elk. It stretches south of Interstate 70 from Grand Mesa east of Grand Junction to Glenwood Springs.
“As we have said all along, our preference would be for no development occurring on the state wildlife area,” Hampton said.
In a meeting last week, the Division of Wildlife and Orion had preliminary discussions about a “surface-use agreement” that would be similar to one the two parties reached earlier this year for the exploratory well. That agreement included several wildlife mitigation requirements, such as seasonal drilling restrictions.
Hampton said wildlife officials will hold a public meeting for area residents about the agency’s role in future development in Garfield Creek.
“I think it would be a shame to turn the Garfield Creek State Wildlife Area into the Garfield Creek Gas Field,” said Kyle Holt, who lives near the wildlife habitat south of New Castle. “We should do everything to at least keep the development proper and prudent to protect the wildlife habitat.”
The wildlife area also sits on top of 10,544 acres of federal mineral parcels that may be targeted for drilling, said Ron Velarde, northwest regional manager for the DOW.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has deferred leasing of 1,237 acres of federal minerals in the wildlife habitat until a long-term resource plan for the Glenwood Springs area is completed. A draft of that plan is expected to be released late next year.
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Information from: Post Independent,
