Mick Thomas

Division Administrator, Oil & Gas

Secretary to the Oil & Gas Conservation Commission

This update was sent to the Commission on Saturday, October 19.

Current Items:
Town Hall Rescheduled
Well Activity – Plug and Abandon
News Article(s) of Interest

Town Hall Rescheduled
The Oil and Gas Town Hall scheduled for Tuesday, October 22 has been moved to Wednesday November 6th. We have made arrangements for the change with commissioner Shigeta and Payette County. Please see the media release.

Well Activity – Plug and Abandon
On Thursday, October 17, 2019 the Department noticed High Mesa Holdings / AM Idaho that the 12 month period allowed to plug and abandon wells in the Hamilton Field had expired and that they are currently out of compliance. These five wells are the Espino #1-2, White #1-10, Korn #1-22, Tracy Trust #3-2, and State #1-17.

The notice provides two options to the operator:
1. Notify the department that plugging operations have commenced by October 26, 2019.
2. If P&A has not commenced by the above date, the operator is to provide the following by Friday, November 1, 2019:
a. New applications to plug and abandon the 5 named wells.
b. $500 application fee for each well per Idaho Code § 47-316.
c. Inactive Individual Well Bonds for each of the five named wells per IDAPA 20.07.02.220.03 and IDAPA 20.07.02.220.04. As authorized by IDAPA 20.07.02.220.04, the Department is setting the individual bond rate at $75,000 per well.

Note: The above wells were drilled by Bridge Energy during their initial exploration of the field approximately 10 years ago. Other than the State #1-17 none of the wells ever produced in economic quantities.
I’ll keep the Commission informed as this process evolves.

News Article(s) of Interest
Plan for drilling and mining on sage-grouse land blocked
https://www.cpr.org/2019/10/17/trump-admins-plans-for-drilling-mining-on-sage-grouse-lands-blocked/

Governor, House Speaker respond to Judge Winmill’s sage-grouse ruling