Mick Thomas

Division Administrator, Oil & Gas

Secretary to the Oil & Gas Commission

Current Items:
OGCC Website Updates
Contested Case
Well Activity
Bi-Annual Well Test Report
WSLCA Conference
Four Rivers RMP
News Article(s) of Interest

OGCC Website Updates
Additional transportation information has been posted. These can be found within the monthly reports page on the OGCC website at . The information goes back to January 2013.

Contested Case
Docket No. CC-2017-OGR-01-002 – Kauffman Complaint
On July 29th the hearing officer held a conference to discuss his July 16th order requiring that the respondent AM Idaho produce the following:

1. That the Respondents produce all “trucking tickets” related to the Kauffman wells.
2. That the Respondents produce the requested documents, records or reports as they will assist Complainants in verifying the gross production, disposition and market value related to the minerals extracted under the applicable lease.
3. Nothing in this Order shall be interpreted to mandate that Respondents attempt to obtain any documents, records or reports from third parties. However, to the extent that those documents are already in Respondents’ possession, custody or control, they must be produced.
4. All production ordered hereunder shall occur no later than July 26, 2019.

Documents for this case can be found on the Administrative Hearings page of the OGCC Website.

Well Activity
Bonneville County
All three well pads in Bonneville County (CPC Mineral #17-1, Federal #20-3 and Bell #17-2) are currently undergoing reclamation activity. Current photos of each of these well pads can be found on the individual Well Files page of the OGCC website.

Bi-Annual Well Test Report
The first bi-annual well test report for 2019 was received by the Division and is posted on the Monthly & Annual Reports page of the OGCC website.

WSLCA Conference
Dustin and I attended The Western States Land Commissioners Association Conference in Montana last week. Oil, gas and mineral leasing were topics discussed throughout.
I was invited to participate as a member of the WSLCA/NASTL Communication/Branding team and will be working with a multi-state team on this initiative. More information on what the WSLCA does can be found on their page at

Four Rivers RMP
No comments were submitted by the Department on this latest draft. The Idaho Office of Energy and Mineral Resources asked for a 30-day extension to the comment period.

News Article(s) of Interest

Environment and Energy Publishing: Dems want to kill oil and gas leasing. Here’s what it means.

West Virginia Record: WV, other AGs ask US Supreme Court to reconsider pipeline ruling (Other AGs: Utah, Alabama, Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming)
https://wvrecord.com/stories/512819924-morrisey-other-ags-ask-u-s-supreme-court-to-reconsider-pipeline-ruling

Oil & Gas Journal: Inadequate port capacity may hinder US oil production growth
https://www.ogj.com/general-interest/article/14037706/uh-study-increased-production-raises-questions-about-usgc-port-capacity

Utah: William Perry Pendley, opponent of nation’s public lands, is picked to oversee them as acting head of BLM
https://www.sltrib.com/news/nation-world/2019/07/30/william-perry-pendley/

Utah: Guest Opinion – US dependence on foreign mineral resources

Colorado: BLM offering western slope oil and gas leases for sale
https://www.craigdailypress.com/news/blm-offering-western-slope-oil-and-gas-leases-for-sale/

Alaska: Alaska Mental Health Trust approves final permits for exploration drilling at the Palmer Project
https://khns.org/alaska-mental-health-trust-approves-final-permits-for-exploration-drilling-at-the-palmer-project