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A PRIMER: Oil and gas exploration in El Paso County
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN EL PASO COUNTY?
Ultra Resources is now drilling at three sites in El Paso County and has permits to drill at three more, including two inside Colorado Springs' city limits on 18,000 acres the Houston, Texas-based company bought in 2011.
Hilcorp Energy, also of Houston, has received state approval to drill at two sites in El Paso County.
Both companies are targeting the Niobrara Shale formation roughly a mile beneath the surface. It's a layer of tight, chalky rock that requires a technique called hydraulic fracturing to unlock the oil trapped within.
Other energy companies have leased the mineral rights on parcels of land scattered around the county, but no others have filed for drilling permits yet.
This wave of oil and gas exploration began in June, 2011, when Ultra Resources unexpectedly announced plans to bid on a large portion of Banning Lewis Ranch in bankruptcy court. Ultra won the bidding, paying $20 million for the land that forms Colorado Springs' eastern flank.
The company soon applied for permits to drill at several sites in El Paso County and two on its Banning Lewis property.
In late September, El Paso County commissioners stopped accepting permits for exploratory drilling for four months, to give the county more time to write local land-use regulations. Then, in October, they approved changes that will enable Ultra, part of Houston-based Ultra Petroleum, to drill as early as December.
The county's planning commission approved the proposed regulations in early January, but the development services department modified the proposal Jan. 26, responding to a complaint from the Attorney General's Office that the proposd rules would conflict with the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission's authority.
On Jan. 31, county commissioners approved a set of oil and gas regulations covering issues such as transportation impacts, emergency response plans and noxious weeds, and also requiring a regime of water quality monitoring at one, three and six years after drilling begins. The commissioners also directed county staff to pursue an intergovernmental agreement with the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to cover issues such as setbacks, wildlife impacts and visual and noise impacts.
The city of Colorado Springs on Nov. 30 enacted a six-month moratorium that suspends oil and gas exploration in the city through May 2012. Ultra officials have told city officials, behind closed doors, about their timetable for drilling on the Banning Lewis Ranch, some possible locations and what motivated the firm to buy the property. City Council President Scott Hente said after a closed-door meeting with Ultra officials in November that the firm wants to initially drill a few test wells on a small amount of land. The direction of the company’s drilling plans likely will be determined by what it finds, he said.
After announcing that it wanted to drill for oil and gas, Ultra asked a Delaware bankruptcy judge to set aside an annexation agreement that governs the Banning Lewis Ranch's development. The agreement, spelling out the ranch owner’s responsibilities when it comes to development, would interfere with the company’s plans, which don’t include residential and commercial development, Ultra has argued. It is also challenging the city's zoning on Banning Lewis, which does not currently allow for oil and gas exploration.
The city has countered that the agreement is needed to ensure the property’s orderly development. The annexation-agreement dispute is before a Colorado bankruptcy judge.
On Dec. 12, City Council President Scott Hente commissioned an oil and gas task force to prepare a report before the end of a six-month moratorium on drilling in Colorado Springs. That committee held its first meeting in January.
After 14 weeks of presentations from experts and internal debate, the committee finished its work April 26. Committee members agreed that, generally speaking, the city's existing land use and planning regulations could be adapted to deal with the new industry. However, it left filling in the details and important questions like water quality monitoring and inspections to City Council. Council plans to take up the issue June 26.
While the regulations are getting figured out, it's still likely to be a year or more before anyone knows whether there is economically recoverable quantities of oil and gas under El Paso County. Officials at both Ultra and Hilcorp have called their El Paso County plans highly exploratory and risky.
WANT MORE BACKGROUND?
Here are links to every story The Gazette has written on oil and gas development in the past two years:
Developer's bankruptcy just the latest chapter in Banning Lewis' tangled history
Oct. 30, 2010
http://www.gazette.com/articles/developer-107209-history-latest.html
BANNING LEWIS AUCTION
OIL FIRM SAYS IT WILL DRILL IF BID APPROVED
WITH BANKRUPTCY COURT OK, ULTRA RESOURCES WOULD GET MOST OF RANCH
June 30, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/winning-120626-banning-lewis.html
NOREEN: Drilling, right here in river city
July 1, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/city-120781-inside-colorado.html
BANNING LEWIS RANCH
WINNING BIDDER WANTS OUT OF OBLIGATION TIED TO LAND
COMPANY INTENDS TO DRILL FOR OIL, GAS ON PROPERTY
July 26, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/ranch-122037-ultra-legal.html
BANNING LEWIS RANCH
CITY FIGHTS BACK AGAINST ULTRA
ENERGY COMPANY WANTS COURTS TO DUMP CITY ANNEXATION AGREEMENT
July 27, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/houston-122093-case-lewis.html
BRIEFLY
July 28, 2011
Banning Lewis. hearing in Delaware delayed
A bankruptcy court hearing scheduled for today in Delaware concerning the sale of 18,000 acres of the Banning Lewis Ranch to a Houston energy company has been delayed until next week, according to Colorado Springs City Attorney Patricia Kelly.
The judge in the bankruptcy has scheduled Wednesday as the day to hear the city’s motion to move the case to Colorado from Delaware, and agreed to hear other issues at that time as well, Kelly said. Ultra Resources, a subsidiary of Ultra Petroleum, is seeking to have the judge set aside an annexation agreement and other land-use controls that regulate the development of Banning Lewis,
NOREEN
Firm trying to gain Ultrasweet agreement
July 29, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/ultra-122245-city-hall.html
BANNING LEWIS RANCH
CITY TALKING TO ENERGY COMPANY
HEARING SET FOR TODAY RESCHEDULED AGAIN
August 3, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/company-122510-springs-talks.html
OIL AND GAS DRILLING
LANDOWNERS SAY THEY’RE GETTING A SHAKEDOWN FROM ENERGY FIRMS
The Denver Post
August 15, 2011
http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_18678240
NOREEN
OPINION
If angst were oil, we’d all be rich
August 17, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/oil-123344-falcon-yet.html
NOREEN
OPINION
SDS is rare water plan that hasn’t gone dry
August 21, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/friday-123537-risk-historic.html
BANNING LEWIS RANCH
CITY WANTS COLORADO COURT TO DECIDE ISSUE
SAYS LAND-USE RESTRICTIONS SHOULD STILL APPLY
August 24, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/city-123743-colorado-wants.html
BANNING LEWIS RANCH
NO DECISION YET ON DRILLING
BOTH SIDES IN DISPUTE PLAN TO MEET FRIDAY
August 25, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/company-123840-energy-ruling.html
BANNING LEWIS RANCH
BANNING LEWIS DECISION DELAYED
August 27, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/delayed-123989-lewis-bankruptcy.html
BANNING LEWIS RANCH
COMPANY CAN BUY MOST OF LAND JUDGE RULES
BUT COLORADO COURT TO DECIDE ABOUT USE AGREEMENTS
September 17, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/sale-125066-judge-lewis.html
BANNING LEWIS RANCH
texas company seeks to block sale of land
LOSING BIDDER CHALLENGES PRICE REDUCTION FOR WINNER OF AUCTION
September 22, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/ranch-125392-lewis-banning.html
BANNING LEWIS
BID TO BLOCK SALE IS REVERSED
REAL ESTATE COMPANY BACKPEDALS ON EFFORT
September 24, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/ranch-125568-bankruptcy-banning.html
EL PASO COUNTY
HOLD ON OIL/GAS PERMITS TICKS OFF REGULATORS
October 4, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/county-126103-well-permits.html
OIL, GAS DRILLING
CITY WEIGHS OVERSIGHT OPTIONS
BANNING LEWIS RANCH OWNER WANTS TO DRILL
October 8, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/gas-126400-springs-oil.html
BRIEFLY
Banning Lewis Ranch now has new owner
October 16, 2011
Ultra Resources on Wednesday confirmed it has completed its $20 million purchase of most of the Banning Lewis Ranch, setting the stage for a U.S. Bankruptcy Court battle with the city of Colorado Springs over whether city landuse agreements should remain intact. Ultra plans to drill for oil and gas on the property.
The Banning Lewis deal appears to be just one part of Ultra’s plans for drilling in the area. Ultra paid $1.67 million in July and August to Denverbased Pine Ridge Oil & Gas LLC for leases on nearly 100,000 acres of land in eastern El Paso County and an exploratory well east of Fountain.
OIL AND GAS
COMPANY RECEIVES APPROVAL FOR EXPLORATORY DRILLING IN COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS RETHINK IDEA OF MORATORIUM
October 21, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/ultra-127076-exploratory-drilling.html
EL PASO COUNTY
EXCEPTION WORRIES, ANGERS OIL CRITICS
DECISION ALLOWS FRACKING BY OIL DEVELOPER ULTRA
October 25, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/drilling-127253-county-approved.html
EL PASO COUNTY
3 POTENTIAL DRILLING SITES PINPOINTED
1 LOCATION NEAR HOMES, BUSINESSES
October 26, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/county-127315-proposed-wells.html
COLORADO ENERGY
DRILLING GETS CLOSER TO OUR DOORSTEPS
SOME COUNTIES HURRY TO SET DOWN REGULATIONS
October 31, 2011
http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_19221360
ULTRA RESOURCES
FIRM SEEKS MEETING WITH CITY
AMID LEGAL BATTLE, SPRINGS OFfiCIALS OPEN TO DISCUSSION
November 1, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/ultra-127632-resources-fight.html
BANNING LEWIS RANCH
ULTRA RESOURCES, CITY PLAN TO TALK DRILLING ON MONDAY
COMPANY LIKELY REMAINS SERIOUS ABOUT OIL, GAS DRILLING PLANS
November 12, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/officials-128356-ultra-resources.html
DRILLING
CITY SAYS ULTRA PLANS TEST WELLS
COMPANY MEETS WITH OFfiCIALS
November 15, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/city-128516-ultra-company.html
ENERGY
SPRINGS WEIGHS A HALT TO DRILLING
COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS AN EMERGENCY MORATORIUM
November 30, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/city-129377-application-consider.html
ENERGY
CITY COUNCIL SUSPENDS DRILLING FOR 6 MONTHS
EMERGENCY ORDINANCE CALLS FOR A ‘TIMEOUT’ TO STUDY IMPACT, REGULATIONS
Dec. 1, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/city-129455-drilling-month.html
ULTRA APPLIES FOR USE PERMITS
COMPANY SEEKS OK TO BEGIN DRILLING THIS YEAR
Dec. 2, 2011
OPINION
TRUST, VERIFY, THEN ‘DRILL, BABY, DRILL’
CITY SHOULD ENSURE SAFE FRACKING — QUICKLY
http://www.gazette.com/articles/drill-129586-fuels-oil.html
ENERGY EXPLORATION
CITY SEEKS ATTORNEY’S HELP WITH OIL AND GAS MATTERS
EXPERT IN fiELD ATTENDED CITY COUNCIL TASK FORCE MEETING
Dec. 16, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/gas-130261-oil-city.html
NOREEN
Drilling regulations are needed for Springs
Dec. 18, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/sorely-130306-drilling-needed.html
ULTRA SUBMITS DRILLING PERMITS
COMPANY PLANS TWO WELLS WITHIN SPRINGS CITY LIMITS
Dec. 22, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/ultra-130580-company-drill.html
SPRINGS, ULTRA STILL SPARRING OVER WELLS
BANNING LEWIS RANCH DISAGREEMENT CONTINUES
Dec. 24, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/ultra-130688-city-ranch.html
ULTRA SAYS PROPOSED RULES NOT NECESSARY
VP AT fiRM THAT HOPES TO DRILL CALLS REGULATIONS ‘INEFfiCIENT,’ ‘VAGUE’
Dec. 30, 2011
http://www.gazette.com/articles/county-130936-representative-drill.html
COUNCIL LOOKS FOR VOLUNTEERS TO WORK ON OIL AND GAS PANEL
Jan. 5, 2012
OIL AND GAS DRILLING
LAST DAY TO APPLY FOR CITY COMMITTEE
MEMBERS WILL NEED TO TAKE PART IN REGULAR MEETINGS
Jan. 12, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/city-131571-thursday-committee.html
OIL AND GAS COMMISSION EXTENDS COMMENT PERIOD
CITIZENS GET MORE TIME TO WEIGH IN ON ULTRA DRILLING
Jan. 14, 2012
OIL AND GAS
STATE TELLS COUNTY ITS RULES ARE IN CONFLICT
Jan. 18, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/attorney-131896-general-oil.html
7 PICKED FOR OIL AND GAS PANEL
SCIENTIST, EX-OIL EMPLOYEE AMONG RECOMMENDATIONS
Jan. 21, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/oil-132101-seven-endorse.html
SPRINGS GETS INITIATION ON DRILLING REGULATIONS
EXPERT TALKS ABOUT POTENTIAL OIL, GAS DEVELOPMENT
Jan. 27, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/city-132422-gas-oil.html
OIL AND GAS
COUNTY LEADERS APPROVE RULES TO GUIDE DRILLING
Feb. 1, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/county-132696-water-quality.html
OIL AND GAS
ULTRA APPLIES FOR 5TH LOCAL DRILLING SITE
NINE-ACRE SITE COULD HOLD 5 WELLS
Feb. 2, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/county-132726-ultra-fifth.html
OIL AND GAS
THE ROAD TO DRILLING
ULTRA RESOURCE PREPARES TO DRILL IN EL PASO COUNTY
Feb. 19, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/county-133728-paso-prepares.html
OIL AND GAS
ATTEMPT TO ADD REGULATIONS DIES IN HOUSE
STATE REPUBLICANS VOTE DOWN BILL
Feb. 21, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/regs-133850-gop-house.html
OPINION
WISH THEM WELL AS THEY BEGIN TO DRILL
Feb. 21, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/resources-133853-crews-wish.html
BANNING LEWIS PARCEL UNSOLD; DEADLINE PASSES
KEYBANK SAYS IT WILL CONTINUE TO ACCEPT BIDS ON RANCH’S NORTHERLY 2,400 ACRES
Feb. 23, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/buyers-133958-lewis-northern.html
OIL AND GAS
FIELD TRIP WITH HUGE RELEVANCE IN SPRINGS
GREELEY TRIP SHOWS PROS, CONS OF DEVELOPMENT
March 1, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/gas-134361-oil-greeley.html
OIL AND GAS
BREAKING GROUND
DRILLING FOR OIL NEARS REALITY AGAIN IN EL PASO COUNTY
March 4, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/county-134507-paso-drilling.html
OIL & GAS
HOUSTON COMPANY APPLIES FOR FOUR DRILLING PERMITS
HILCORP HAS RECENTLY TAKEN OUT 21 LEASES OF RIGHTS IN COUNTY
March 14, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/county-135068-hilcorp-company.html
OIL AND GAS
OIL DRILLING MAY BRING BIG BUCKS CHALLENGES
CITY COMMITTEE AIMS TO UNDERSTAND ECONOMIC IMPACT
March 16, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/big-135277-oil-county.html
TRAFFIC TO DRILL SITES HARD ON ROADS
COUNTY ENGINEER SAYS COSTLY REPAIRS UNDER WAY
March 21, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/county-135529-oil-drilling.html
ULTRA MAPS DRILLING PLANS
COMPANY OWNS 18,000 ACRES OF BANNING LEWIS RANCH
March 23, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/ultra-135669-oil-banning.html
STATE OKS ULTRA PERMITS TO DRILL AT BANNING LEWIS SITES
CITY HAS MORATORIUM ON EXPLORATION TILL MAY
March 27, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/ultra-135829-city-ranch.html
CITY GOVERNMENT
OIL, GAS PANEL WRESTLES WITH REGULATIONS
AGREEMENT THAT CITY HAS A ROLE, BUT REACH OF RULES IS DEBATED
March 30, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/gas-136018-oil-development.html
COMMITTEE COMPILES LIST OF POSSIBLE OIL GAS REGULATIONS
RECOMMENDATIONS WILL GO TO COUNCIL FOR A VOTE
April 6, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/code-136354-oil-chapter.html
CITY COUNCIL
UTILITIES WILL ASK FOR LEGAL AUTHORITY TO ACCESS LAND
April 24, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/utilities-137396-oil-access.html
ENERGY
CHAMBER PONDERS IMPACT OF DRILLING
ANADARKO TO INVEST $1B IN WELD COUNTY IN 2012
April 25, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/gas-137436-impact-oil.html
BRIEFLY
City votes to give Utilities access
April 25, 2012
The City Council voted 5-2 Tuesday to give Colorado Springs Utilities the authority to access property owned by Houston-based oil driller Ultra Resources to continue work on the Southern Delivery System water pipeline.
The city-owned utility says Ultra claims it isn’t trying to stop work on the 62-mile pipeline between Colorado Springs and Pueblo. But the company won’t grant Utilities access to its property despite repeated requests, said Lyman Ho, SDS land acquisition manager. The property is within the 18,000 acres of Banning Lewis Ranch that Ultra bought last year.
“At this time, I think a negotiated right of entry is within reach. However, the time schedule for the project requires that we need to move ahead,” Ho said
BANNING LEWIS
OAKWOOD HOMES PLANS TO BUY NORTHERN 2,600 ACRES OF RANCH
April 25, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/homebuilder-137446-homes-banning.html
CITY COUNCIL
BIG QUESTIONS REMAIN ON OIL, GAS DRILLING
PANEL RECOMMENDS BROAD STROKES, LETS COUNCIL fiLL IN DETAILS
April 27, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/committee-137583-oil-gas.html
THE KEY INGREDIENT IN OIL DRILLING? WATER
April 28, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/water-137682-oil-say.html
DRILLING FOR OIL TAKES WATER AND MAKES WATER
April 29, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/well-137684-water-gas.html
Q&A WITH DIANA MAY: DELVING INTO OIL AND GAS ISSUES
May 5, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/-137961--.html#ixzz1vcdLdeIv
UCCS STUDENTS TAKE ON ECONOMICS, IMPACTS OF OIL AND GAS
May 11, 2012
http://www.gazette.com/articles/oil-138495-drilling-students.html#ixzz1vcdVj6iP
PUBLIC MEETING ON CITY OIL AND GAS REGS THURSDAY
May 22, 2012
