Federal Judge Cancels Hundreds of Wyoming Oil and Gas Leases in Major Setback to Trump’s Pro-Drillin

[thackney]

Federal Judge Cancels Hundreds of Wyoming Oil and Gas Leases in Major Setback to Trump’s Pro-Drilling Agenda
https://earther.gizmodo.com/wyoming-judge-cancels-hundreds-of-oil-and-gas-leases-in-1833464832
3/21/2019

The oil and gas industry is having one rough week. A federal court judge cancelled nearly 300 oil and gas projects in Wyoming Tuesday after ruling that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) ignored these projects’ climate change impacts.

U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras is asking the bureau to redo its nine environmental assessments and Finding of No Significant Impact analyses, which federal law mandates must include thorough research on the impacts the projects may have on climate change. These documents failed to meet the requirement because they didn’t properly forecast the greenhouse gas emissions that would result from any drilling, as well as the future use of the oil and gas that get extracted.

The judge took a hard look at BLM’s actions after groups, including WildEarth Guardians and Physicians for Social Responsibility, sued in 2016 over the federal agency’s leasing of some 460,000 acres of federal land across Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming under former President Barack Obama. The suit covers 473 oil and gas lease sales, but the judge ruled on only 282 in Wyoming for the time being.

In his opinion, Judge Contreras wrote:

Given the national, cumulative nature of climate change, considering each individual drilling project in a vacuum deprives the agency and the public of the context necessary to evaluate oil and gas drilling on federal land before irretrievably committing to that drilling....

[IsailedawayfromFR]

This is much more abusive than this article relates.

Another article has this from the judge:

But Contreras said that when the U.S. Bureau of Land Management auctions public lands for oil and gas leasing, officials must consider emissions from past, present and foreseeable future oil and gas leases nationwide.

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2019/03/judge_blocks_oil_drilling_in_wyoming_because_of_climate_change.html

[Fishrrman]

One more ruling that just has to be forced "upward" as quickly as possible ...

[Bigun]

This is much more abusive than this article relates.

Another article has this from the judge:

But Contreras said that when the U.S. Bureau of Land Management auctions public lands for oil and gas leasing, officials must consider emissions from past, present and foreseeable future oil and gas leases nationwide.

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2019/03/judge_blocks_oil_drilling_in_wyoming_because_of_climate_change.html

I find it quite interesting that this particular judge pretty much kept his head down after being recused from the Flynn case until the democrats took over the house and any threat of impeachment had passed.

[rustynail]

Judges know best.

[Hoodat]

Did he do the same for Wyoming wind farms?

[Cyber Liberty]

Surprise, surprise!  An Obastard-appointed "Judge."

https://www.dcd.uscourts.gov/content/district-judge-rudolph-contreras

[RetBobbyMI]

The same CONTRERAS from the FISA court debacle “that was recused”?

[Bigun]

The same CONTRERAS from the FISA court debacle “that was recused”?

Yes! The very same!  I find it just a little interesting that Judge Contreras pretty much kept his head down until the democrats took control of the house and any danger of impeachment had passed.  Might be the only one to find that interesting but I d never the less.

[RetBobbyMI]

Did he do the same for Wyoming wind farms?

This leftist fleabag judge creates his own wind farm.

[Smokin Joe]

Judge Blocks Oil and Gas Drilling on Wyoming Land, Citing Climate Change
http://time.com/5555335/judge-blocks-drilling-wyoming/

(BILLINGS, Mont.) — A judge blocked oil and gas drilling on almost 500 square miles (1,295 sq. kilometers) in Wyoming and said the federal government must consider the cumulative climate change impact of leasing broad swaths of U.S. public land for oil and gas exploration.

The order marks the latest in a string of court rulings over the past decade — including one last month in Montana — that have faulted the U.S. for inadequate consideration of greenhouse gas emissions when approving oil, gas and coal projects on federal land.>snip<It came in a lawsuit that challenged leases issued in Wyoming, Utah and Colorado in 2015 and 2016, during President Barack Obama’s administration.

Only the leases in Wyoming were immediately addressed in Contreras’ ruling, which blocks federal officials from issuing drilling permits until they conduct a new environmental review looking more closely at greenhouse gas emissions.

Colorado (SB 19-181), Wyoming...I hate to say it, but right now, the greeenies are winning.

Something had best be done to turn this around, or we'll be beholden to the Saudis again in short order. (maybe that's the plan)

[Elderberry]

https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Judge-Blocks-Oil-Gas-Drilling-Projects-Citing-Climate-Change.html

Now, the Bureau of Land Management will need to conduct a new environmental review focusing on emissions before it issues new drilling permits.

Meanwhile, an oil lease in the Gulf of Mexico yesterday attracted US$244 million in bids, signaling the oil industry’s renewed interest in the legacy producing region as production prices slip lower.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management tendered all federal territory open for drilling, 78.5 million acres in total. Bids were placed on 1.26 million acres, which is better than what the previous Gulf of Mexico auction attracted. After the Contreras ruling, interest in the Gulf might increase further if drillers decide onshore drilling in some parts of the States is becoming too risky an endeavor.

[bigheadfred]

I  suppose you all noticed he probably doesn't  know where Wyoming is. Plus his service in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

Really stinky person.

[Smokin Joe]

I  suppose you all noticed he probably doesn't  know where Wyoming is. Plus his service in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

Really stinky person.

I'm sure some of the folks this might put out of work would just love to show him areas in Wyoming...the parts where jackrabbits pack a lunch and carry a canteen...

He has abused the bench to stop something that has to be evaluated now on the basis of what MIGHT happen--i.e. they now have to guess how many wells will be drilled and completed on a specific lease bloc, how much those wells will produce, what the gas/oil ratio will be, for the duration of the well.

If I had a crystal ball like that, I could make 10 grand or better a day just evaluating prospects and never leave the house.

[bigheadfred]

I'm sure some of the folks this might put out of work would just love to show him areas in Wyoming...the parts where jackrabbits pack a lunch and carry a canteen...

He has abused the bench to stop something that has to be evaluated now on the basis of what MIGHT happen--i.e. they now have to guess how many wells will be drilled and completed on a specific lease bloc, how much those wells will produce, what the gas/oil ratio will be, for the duration of the well.

If I had a crystal ball like that, I could make 10 grand or better a day just evaluating prospects and never leave the house.

Crystal balls can be untrustworthy. I could prolly do better, make the same, with cut and paste.

[Smokin Joe]

Crystal balls can be untrustworthy. I could prolly do better, make the same, with cut and paste.

They ain't so bad if you don't let them knock together...

[RetBobbyMI]

I'm sure some of the folks this might put out of work would just love to show him areas in Wyoming...the parts where jackrabbits pack a lunch and carry a canteen...

He has abused the bench to stop something that has to be evaluated now on the basis of what MIGHT happen--i.e. they now have to guess how many wells will be drilled and completed on a specific lease bloc, how much those wells will produce, what the gas/oil ratio will be, for the duration of the well.

If I had a crystal ball like that, I could make 10 grand or better a day just evaluating prospects and never leave the house.

Surprised he didn’t quote the endangered jackalopes in his judgement.

[Smokin Joe]

Surprised he didn’t quote the endangered jackalopes in his judgement.

Probably has the archaeologists out looking for Indian passion stones as we speak...

[verga]

What's the word I', looking for?...... Oh yeah JACKASS!

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Found this article which talks about this.

Note this lifted from article:

WildEarth Guardians climate program director Jeremy Nichols predicted the ruling would have much bigger implications than a halt to drilling in some areas of Wyoming, assuming the government does what Contreras has asked.

"This is the Holy Grail ruling we've been after, especially with oil and gas," Nichols said. "It calls into question the legality of oil and gas leasing that's happening everywhere."
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/citing-climate-change-u-s-judge-blocks-oil-gas-drilling-n985646

Goal is to use the courts to shut down ALL oil and gas drilling.

[Smokin Joe]

Found this article which talks about this.

Note this lifted from article:

WildEarth Guardians climate program director Jeremy Nichols predicted the ruling would have much bigger implications than a halt to drilling in some areas of Wyoming, assuming the government does what Contreras has asked.

"This is the Holy Grail ruling we've been after, especially with oil and gas," Nichols said. "It calls into question the legality of oil and gas leasing that's happening everywhere."
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/citing-climate-change-u-s-judge-blocks-oil-gas-drilling-n985646

Goal is to use the courts to shut down ALL oil and gas drilling.

They are getting their start on Federal Land, while Colorado is taking a different approach with SB 19-181. Neither is a good thing. The Judge presumed that human activity has more than diddley-squat to do with "climate change", especially oil drilling, This remains unproven--the Piltdown Man of our era.

[Hoodat]

"It calls into question the legality of oil and gas leasing that's happening everywhere"

Perhaps it will call into question why the federal government owns a whopping 48% of Wyoming's land.