Mick Thomas

Division Administrator – Minerals, Public Trust, and Oil & Gas

Secretary to the Oil & Gas Conservation Commission

This update was sent to the Commission on Saturday, November 6.

November 2021 Secretary Update

Current Items:
Field Status
Dutch Lane #1-13 APD Received
Injection Well Update
IOGCC meeting
News Article(s) of Interest
Current Prices

Field Status
In Harmon Field, the Barlow 2-14 was drilled and completed in October. The operator has designated this as a Confidential Well per Idaho Code §47-327. Completion and other information will be released to the public beginning April 13, 2022. The log data will be released beginning October 12, 2022 (1 year).

The Fallon 1-11, also in Harmon Field, spudded November 1, 2021 and has also been designated as a Confidential well. Operations are expected to be completed by late-November.

Representatives from the BLM along with IDL witnessed meter proving in Willow Field in mid-October for the Kauffman 1-34, ML Investments 1-3 and ML Investments 2-3 wells. The operator has installed proving loops at the well separators in order to test the meters under field conditions as required by the BLM. The Department received copies of the test results from the BLM (all meters passed) and is coordinating with them on their future inspection schedule.

Dutch Lane #1-13 APD Received
Snake River Oil & Gas, LLC submitted an application for permit to drill which is under review by the Department. The application and other information can be found on the Well Permit Applications page (https://ogcc.idaho.gov/well-permit-applications/). The Department is accepting comments on this application through November 16, 2021. This well is located on the east side of Harmon Field, and will likely be drilled in late-November or early December 2021.

Injection Well Update
EPA is continuing its evaluation of the injection well application from Snake River Oil & Gas. The Department has responded to inquiries from them regarding our statutes and rules for well plugging requirements in the state. EPA has not given any indication of the status of the application or timeframe for their recommendation on the permit.

IOGCC meeting
The Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission is holding it’s first in person meeting annual meeting since 2019. Department staff will be attending this meeting in Santa Fe from Saturday, November 6 to Tuesday November 9. We look forward to sharing with the other ~35 member states how the industry has turned around in Idaho thanks to the new operator.

News Article(s) of Interest
Negative narrative continues from Oregon newspaper on Idaho Oil & Gas:
See Independent Enterprise attachment (PDF)

Teton Regional Land Trust announces protection of 3 properties (NOTE: COMMISSIONER HINCHCLIFF)
https://www.postregister.com/news/local/teton-regional-land-trust-announces-protection-of-3-properties/article_6a59d8fd-aa3d-5340-a23b-89af2e55dd9a.html

Biden says he worries that cutting oil production too fast will hurt working people
https://www.upr.org/post/biden-says-he-worries-cutting-oil-production-too-fast-will-hurt-working-people#stream/0

US to gauge climate damage from federal oil & gas sales
https://apnews.com/article/climate-joe-biden-business-environment-and-nature-environment-30b6d0c8de10b0c1381fb1cf4694e53d

U.S. Interior to weigh greenhouse gas emissions of proposed 2022 oil lease sales
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-interior-unit-weigh-greenhouse-gas-emissions-proposed-2022-oil-lease-sales-2021-10-29/

Shell Oil plans to construct a new renewable gas facility in Southern Idaho
https://www.kmvt.com/2021/10/19/shell-oil-plans-construct-new-renewable-natural-gas-facility-southern-idaho/

Current Prices

Utah Sweet Crude	$69.51 bbl.	11/04/21	($0.51 increase since last month)
WTI	$81.34 bbl.	11/05/21	($1.33 increase since last month)
Natural Gas	$5.59 mmbtu.	11/04/21	($0.36 decrease since last month)
NGL	$12.06 mmbtu.	11/04/21	($0.30 decrease since last month)

(green indicates prices increase since last update, red indicates decline)