Oil & Gas Issue
Delivering over 40,000 papers to rural Adams, Morgan, and Weld Counties
Volume 9 • Edition 04
March 15, 2014
Raw Data from Colorado Oil & Gas Association website: coga.org
Open Primaries in Colorado are One Way to Counter Partisan Politics
Colorado’s center doesn’t have a voice in the process
By Kent Thiry In his farewell address to the nation in 1796, President George Washington provided what has proven to be a remarkably insightful warning about the influence of political parties. These parties, Washington penned, “serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put, in the place of the delegated will of the nation, the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community.” More than 200 years later, Washington’s words are startlingly prescient. With the smoke clearing from last fall’s fractious elections, and a contentious Congress in session, lawmakers have returned to old habits with their abysmal track record of policy gridlock. Now is the time to work toward essential reforms that correct the dangers our forefathers warned against. It has become increasingly popular and justified to criticize the performance of Congress over the last 20 years, even as the basic architecture of our electoral process fuels polarization among members with partisan-driven closed primaries and gerrymandering/redistricting. Largely left unaddressed is the issue of primaries. Face it, the current political system rewards those who can best articulate their cause and support their outer fringes Cont. on Page 13, See Open Primaries One Way to Counter Partisan Politics
WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE:
Page 7: Weld Central Students Compete at TSA State Leadership Page 11: Ceretto Family Proud to Call Ft. Lupton Home Page 14: Zenergy De-esculating the Fracking Wars Page 14: COGA Holds Iron Chef Competition Page 16: The Basics: Well to Wheel Page 17: COGCC Update on Colo. Flood Response Page 19: Celebrating Centennial of the Lazy S Over S Ranch Page 20: Stub’s Gas & Oil Celebrates 65 Years Page 21: Growth in US Hydrocarbon Production Page 22: Air Quality Regulation Fast Facts
www.lostcreekguide.com
Raw Data from Colorado Oil & Gas Association website: coga.org
Managing Oil and Gas Development
Recently I had the opportunity to read a McKinsey Global Institute paper published in December of 2013 entitled: “Reverse the curse: Maximizing the potential of resource driven economies.” The paper focused on the development of resources in undeveloped countries.. Yet upon reflection there was much to be seen as a parallel to be learned by all of us, at a local, state and national level. The overall model focused on transforming the potential resource windfall into long term prosperity. It had six core elements: • Building the institutions and governance of the resource sector • Developing infrastructure • Ensuring robust fiscal policy and competitiveness • Supporting local content • Deciding how to spend a resources windfall wisely • Transforming resource wealth into broader economic development As can be seen at the head of this page, horizontal drilling oil development is currently focused in Weld County in Colorado although it is beginning to spread. Horizontal drilling has shown a much higher average daily production from around 100 barrels per day in 2010 to around 350 barrels per day per new well in 2013.( Energy Information Agency Niobrara Drilling Report New Well Oil Production per rig report March 2014). Looking at an EIA display of possible shale production opportunities in the United States one has to wonder looking at the six core elements mentioned above, why we as a country do not have a consistent national energy policy that focuses on the resource management that allows the development of a national plan or guidelines for the states to implement so that the benefits of the oil production can be used with the six core elements in mind. As a country we have fundamental issues that need to be addressed: healthcare, particularly our seniors and young people, infrastructure deterioration, education, economic development opportunities. In Colorado we have the same issues, yet we seem stalled in having a legislature that will not face the tough issues. They get side tracked on partisan secondary issues. Let us elect people who understand they are there to do the people’s work not their personal issues work. Most of the increased oil and gas production has been stimulated by the increase in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing process, something that has been around for a long while. We want safe and healthy energy development and the economic benefits that come from it. We have the resources but do we have the will to drive it to closure and produce a state and then perhaps a national plan to effectively develop our resources. A plan that has everyone participate, not just in the economic benefit but also in the production piece. Oil is not everywhere but those places that have it should exploit it. But we should exploit it with the intent of addressing the needs of all our people. Do our existing elected politicians have the will?