An effort to buy oil and gas leases in western Wyoming to protect the land from development is raising funds at about half the speed needed to complete the $8.75 million deal.
After three years of work, a conservation group and a petroleum companyreached a deal that will prevent gas drilling in the Wyoming range.
The Trust for Public Land announced in Jackson today that it plans to buy out nearly 58,000 acres of oil and gas leases from Houston-based Plains Exploration and Production Co. The leases were for a pristine area of the Bridger-Teton National forest.
A land conservation group has reached a long-sought agreement to prevent a gas drilling project in northwest Wyoming by buying out a vast area of mineral leases inside Bridger-Teton National Forest.
The Trust for Public Land tells The Associated Press it plans to buy out 58,000 acres of oil and gas leases owned by Houston-based Plains Exploration and Production Co. for $8.75 million.
PXP confirms the agreement, to be formally announced Friday. The deal would end PXP's plans to drill 136 gas wells near the Hoback River headwaters inside the national forest.
The Bridger-Teton National Forest has decided to conduct an additional environmental study and solicit more comments on a proposal to drill in the Upper Hoback Basin of western Wyoming. The Forest Service made the decision after considering over 60-thousand comments on the proposal by Houston based Plains Exploration and Production Company. The company wants to drill 136 wells in the area. The Forest Service will be developing a new alternative for drilling in the area. Dan Smitherman of the group Citizens for the Wyoming Range is thrilled with the move and says he hopes this will lead
