Idaho’s next chapter of drilling for natural gas has begun.

The Argus Observer reports that drivers northeast of New Plymouth or east of Payette may spot flames spouting from natural gas well testing in the region.

The Observer’s Larry Meyer reports that Snake River Oil and Gas has launched “intensive testing” at three wells, to help determine production viability.  The testing is expected to last two to three weeks.

Snake River, in partnership with Alta Mesa Holdings, purchased a number of wells from Bridge Resources in 2012, after the Canadian-based company liquidated many of its assets, in the wake of financial troubles at the height of its 2011 drilling operations.

Snake River is currently testing wells purchased from Bridge Resources.  No new wells have been drilled.

Read more: Observer: Gas Drilling Resumes in Payette County

(By George Prentice, Boise Weekly)

Last year, the Idaho Legislature passed House Bill 464 and its many detrimental provisions.  It crippled local governments’ ability to conduct the conditional use permitting process for oil and gas development and imbedded the federal “Halliburton Loophole” for hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) in Idaho state law, meaning that the practice of fracking does not fall under the definition of injection.  Thus, neither fracked wells nor wells used for the storage of natural gas and oil are considered injection wells and thus are not regulated as Class II injection wells in Idaho.  The state’s new proposed rules strictly concern the storage of toxins that are a by-product of oil and gas development, such as produced water, brine water, the fracking fluid pumped out of a fracked well, etc.

Please read the following articles respectively dated September and June 2012 for a better understanding of injection well issues and risks and the history of their oversight:

Are Fracking Wastewater Wells Poisoning the Ground beneath Our Feet? by Abrahm Lustgarten, Scientific American

The Trillion-Gallon Loophole: Lax Rules for Drillers that Inject Pollutants into the Earth, by Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica Continue reading →

For only $2.35 per acre, the Idaho Department of Lands leased 1900 acres of state mineral and surface rights in Payette and Gem counties to Snake River Oil and Gas at an auction on August 3.  The transferrable, ten-year (or indefinite if productive) leases for oil and gas exploration and development cover 44 tracts of public trust lands BENEATH navigable river and lake beds along the Payette River (see the map).  The high (and only) bidder railroaded through the 2012 Idaho legislative session House Bill 464, which undermines local control of oil and gas facilities siting and ordinances, and other industry-favorable laws and state regulations.  Snake River Oil and Gas will perform seismic tests to gather data and map areas surrounding the river, but lease preconditions disallow drilling on (but not under?) the river.  Proceeds from the state’s 12 percent royalty fee on oil and natural gas production revenues could benefit Idaho’s general fund (soon ravaged by the aftermath of mine-and-run gas companies).  Peruse the following local, state, and national articles for more information:

Gem County Acres Leased for Oil and Gas Exploration

Snake River Oil and Gas Wins Oil and Gas Lease Bids from State

Idaho Oil, Gas Leases Generate Just Over $4,450

(From WIRT Newsletter)

Looming frackers of southern Idaho described their seismic exploration for oil and natural gas over the next three months near Payette at a Wednesday, July 25, informational meeting:

Oil and Gas Exploration Meeting Set for Payette

Payette County Seismic Testing to Begin Soon

Gas Exploration Comes to Gem County

(From WIRT Newsletter)

Seismic testing will soon be conducted in the New Plymouth area as the next step to discovering and extracting natural gas in western Idaho.

Rod McLeod, a geologist from Gulf Coast Permit Services hired by Snake River Oil and Gas, which is currently collecting leases for mineral rights in the area, presented in front of the Payette County Commissioners Tuesday about his plans for testing for natural gas in the area.

In his presentation, McLeod said he plans to use a seismic test to make a “picture” of the Earth’s subsurface.  The test will be used to create a virtual 3D photo of what is underneath to show where natural gas is likely to be.

Read more: Seismic Testing Will Identify Natural Gas

(By Cherise Kaechele, The Argus Observer, Ontario, Oregon)

BOISE – The new owners of natural gas wells in western Idaho plan to spend more and drill more to find more gas in the state.

“This is exciting news for Idaho,” Snake River Oil and Gas President Richard Brown told the Idaho Statesman in a story published Saturday.  “This acquisition of the productive wells and the thousands of associated leased acres means we can expand our oil and gas exploration program, drill more wells, and bring major investments to the region and the state.”

The company is partnering with AM Idaho LLC, a subsidiary of Texas-based Alta Mesa Holdings.

The companies recently purchased the Idaho gas wells from Bridge Resources Corporation and its partner, Paramax Resources Ltd.  Those companies in 2010 produced what appear to be commercially viable natural gas wells after drilling 11 wells in Payette County.

The new owners plan to use advanced technology that allows geologic mapping of the region to find more natural gas. Continue reading →