Large oil and gas drilling project moves forward in central Wyoming

Casper, WY . –  The Bureau of Land Management recently released an environmental impact study for a proposed Converse County oil and gas project. Five energy companies submitted the proposal to the BLM to drill approximately 5,000 oil and natural gas wells on 1.5 million acres in Converse County between, Glenrock and Douglas, over a period of 10 years.

Anadarko Resources, Chesapeake Energy, EOG Resources, SM Energy and Devon Energy are partnering on the proposal. The U.S. Forest Service, Converse County, State of Wyoming and several other local and Federal partners are also participating as cooperating agencies.

About 90 percent of the land included in the project is private or state owned. Only about 6 percent of the project’s 1,500 well pads will be built on BLM land. The remainder is on the U.S Forest Service-managed Thunder Basin National Grasslands.

The project has the potential to contribute about 94 million barrels of oil and 5.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas to America’s independent energy reserves. Over 8,000 jobs could be created with approximately $18-$28 billion in revenues and economic activity.

The release of the draft environmental impact statement will mark the beginning of a 45-day public comment period that closes on March 12, 2018.

Three public meetings are scheduled during this comment period in Douglas, Casper and Glenrock.