|
<br />i...,~~
<br />I.'""
<br />
<br />\Vhl'n InlNlor ~t:'(ft'lar\' ROgl"< .\1orton announced th{'
<br />oi[.~hall' prototvpt' Il',hlng progr.lm In 'memo!:'r 1'173. h('
<br />'t't 011 on.. ullhl' hOIIt'<"\ deb.lTf'~ v('110 hit this np\\ industr\',
<br />lor lhl;' Ip,l\lng program Inf('cll'd a ~Ir{'am 01 'pli'(iljr~ into a
<br />(()nlro\'Pr'~ (hara<terizen mamh b\ qut'.;,'ion m,nks. (Somt'
<br />or the least' "pl'ciiic.. Jfe ,hO\\ n in lhe J((ompanvinR 00'\.)
<br />\lorton', prllAram openl'd si, :;,OIlO-acre oil.,hale !rach. 1\\0
<br />In {'Jeh 01 the three oil-..hale <;lalt'... lor (Ompf'IIIIH' bIdding
<br />b\ privdtl:' {ompanie.., A({ording to [nlprior deH'lopmenh
<br />on lht''''' trarls are meant!o provide rlt'eded lniOrmdllon on
<br />this ne\\ mdustn both in Term.. 01 it.. (ommercial Vidbilil\'
<br />and its environmental impacl', Bullhp df'l,)ll.. oi Ih(> program
<br />opent'd a ne\\ ,Ht'd 01 conlt>nlion
<br />Tht-' mont'\ mvolvt-'d i~ .I major iaelor in the conlrO\N~\
<br />Ac<.ording 10 .\\orlon'~ lea~inA progr<lm, the- ted('f<ll gmern-
<br />menl will recein' mont'\ Hom the oll-..h<llt, indu,>tr.' in lOur
<br />lorm~; bonu~ bid.., ro\<lltit'~. 1t'<I~l' rl"nlal~ and Id'e~. But
<br />mdn\ environml:'ntdli~h, dnd ~ome publir olticiak chdr~e
<br />that lIlt' ~pt'rjal prO\l'ion, olthl' program will r{'(luce Ihl'~t.
<br />pa\ffienh appr{'(iabl\,
<br />
<br />View from Ihe Outside
<br />
<br />In h('r It.,timom bplorf:' thl' u. S. HOU~t' subcommiltet. on
<br />mine.. and mining. Inhn~on oi the Colorado Opl'n Sp.:l(('
<br />Council. (\\1'10 ~pok(' tor COSC~ 14 m('mber org.lniZdfion~,
<br />the Dt'n\l:'r Audobon ~ociel\ and 2. (h.lpler~ 01 Ihp Sit'tra
<br />C1uhl. e"pre~..t'd Ii'll" tt'ar Ihal in the dl'vE'lopmpnl "'dgf' 01
<br />the program. Ih(' dedUClion' a1l0\\f'd "01.1\ t"H,t'd lht'
<br />dmount dut'. Shl' qalt'd: The progf,lm "pro\lde,> for a
<br />l(,d~lng rpnldl 01 onh 30 cl'nh an aul" .1nnuallv. Thi<, r('ntdl i~
<br />(f('dlted again"l rO\allip,>. \\'t' think this renlal-(''''o'mtiall\
<br />Ht't'--i, gro....l\' oul 01 propor1ion to the \'<lluf' 01 th~' le<l~t'd
<br />Iracl. A~ an mdic<ltlon ot Ihi... con~ider 11'11' iMt 11'1.11 Colorado
<br />Irall C-.l U\erllt" a high.qualit\ oil ,h.llt, rOnl.linmg more
<br />Ihan 1 million barrd, 01 oil per <lcrt'--aboul '; billion b.nrel,
<br />01 oil in ant' Il"a~(' frael 01 3,089 aue..:'
<br />In <lddlllOn. lohn,on ,'ated Iholl lht',t' pro\i'lon, \\t'rl:'
<br />pro-indu.;lrl hlr.lOrdir'l.ll"\ t'n\'lronnwntJI lo't, are 10 bt'
<br />dpduCl(-'d lrllm bonu, bid, and rn\alh p,nmenl,: ,md de\'pl-
<br />opmt'nl Cll'''' which Ihli' Interim Ot'PI. l'~llm.l1t'.; to be Jt
<br />It'a,1 S!:;O million for <II ;O,\l()()-h.lrrd-per-dJ\ plJnt Jre
<br />'Imildrh In Ill' deducted lrom bonu, bid, and rO\Jlt\ P,l\-
<br />menh lor tht' ilr~tll'n \t-'Jr',
<br />likl' man\ olher opponenl' otlhp program 10l1n,on ,11'0
<br />heliPH'<. thalthl' fO\.!ll\ ralt." lor oil ,h.lIe art' 100 10\\ \\hile
<br />Ihe dl'plt>tinn dllo\\.lnn" art' 100 hl~h. 'Thp 'P(rPI,lr\ h"" lull
<br />di'uetion In 'E'tlm~ Ihe ,hall' rm.!lh ratt' bidding prOll'durl"
<br />dnd pa\mt'nl e'-t'mpllon, ,I'll' told the _Uh(Omnlllh't'. "Thp
<br />
<br />26 f\fCLlIVE \\1';1 6[">.1 H\"'li:lo. fOllln">. h'~,,,,~,,, l'r~
<br />
<br />prolnhpp program ,el" the ro\'Jlh .11 11 ct'nt~ per ton 01
<br />30.gallon ",hall' Of 16,8 c('nt~ per barn>!. Thi~ comp.lfe~ to the
<br />58 (ent,> per b.Hrel in fl"<l'nt olhhorp oil It'd...e_" dor produt'-
<br />m~ oil \\Ith knQ\\n If'ChnoJog\ ilnd CO,lS>. And. shl' said
<br />"Tht' 1%1) lnt{.rnal Rt'\enup Codl:'\\a.. H"vised to give an e"ra
<br />in(enllH' 10 dn oil.,ha!t. industr.' h\ changing the point 01
<br />dpplicat'on 01 tht' 15-W'r(pnt depletion allo\\.1nCl' irom th(>
<br />,hall" Ihplf to Ihe marl" \'alu.lble produo. crude. This dppll{"
<br />10 opt'rallon~ hOlh on public and private lands."
<br />Tht',(, I{'a,p pro\'I"lon, hd\'''' rai.,,,,d .I dpbatl' thaI is no\\
<br />rt'ct'i\ing n.ltion.ll allention. and rhargt'\ 01 "gin:'d\\aV" arf'
<br />Ihe (enfr.ll thl'm(>. In fM!. Vim Wright. pre'ldt'nl 01 case,
<br />"a".. Ihat "COSC ha~ nOl rult'd out a la\\.;uil." to stop the
<br />program. allhough ..ht, add~ that Ii'll' group will go 10 court
<br />onh a, a I,hl rt'~ort.
<br />
<br />The question of production:
<br />public or priv.lle or . . ,
<br />\\'hal .Ht' <'Ol1lt' nl lht' olhl"r It'a'l' INm.. oi lht' IPderal
<br />program 11'1.11 do nol 'It \\('11 with critic,! Ont' i~ produclion
<br />rdle~. Soon dflt'r bid~ \\t're mdde tor 11'11' iirq led'lng trar!.
<br />Sen, Ht'nf\ l.ltk'o'ln r[) -W,b.h.!. rhairmdn of the InlNior
<br />Commilf('f' ,md St'n Lt'(' ,""etcall rD.-\\onU, rh,llrman Ollht,
<br />Intpflor .;uhcommilll'P on mlnera!" and iUt't.., called tor a
<br />f(>-t'valudllon 01 tht, It'a~e term... At'{'ording to lhe senators,
<br />the It'a.;f' 1Nnh do not require production ralt', thaI \\ould
<br />ju~tll\ lh(' dt'ductlon~ dnd (If'<I.h ofler{>{!.
<br />flt,trhf'f 01 RO:\\COE ~el'~ ~e\ {'r<lJ <lddilional problem... for
<br />one, "Tne Int!'rior Depl. ha, '>did Iht'"" 1l'i1~e provisions are
<br />onh ior 11'11' prOIOh'pt' progrilm. Bul i~ thi~ rpall\' .In expert-
<br />mt'ntaJ proWell Tht' It'd'(" "ill run lor 10 vears or i1~ long as
<br />produclinn I.l,h-lhat'~ ,1 prell\ Idrge Ihlng." AnOlht'r point:
<br />"Tht' Inll'rior Dl'PI. "n~ II i~ nOI intt'rl"led in an\" (',-peri.
<br />m('ntdJ IPchnologle'" (tWInj.!. u..('d In thl~ 1t'.1.,ing program}.
<br />fletcher dlsu leel.. that In II, rush to ~t't oil .,h,lle into
<br />produfllon Ihe ~o\t'rl1mt'nt I' nul giVing t>nough allt'ntlon
<br />10 nlhN lorm" 01 ent'rg\ 'ucn a' ,alar .lnd gt'othermal thaI
<br />apP"i1r to prf'.;l'nl fl'wer problt'm.;. 'lnt'rgv-cn~i<. rt'a<.oning
<br />h.h pu..hed a,idt' _omt> hellt'llh to tht' public:' \ht' ".lV'
<br />One 01 (O"'C , m.llo'lr (Ol1fl'rn, I" Ihp \t'f\ premise lor 11ll'
<br />It'a~ing program. II IPel, thai thp .In'\\t'', bf'ing ,>oughl on
<br />publtf land" b\ 11'11' le<l,ing prm:ram (ould hI' lound jU'>1 a,
<br />\\1'11 on prl\att'h .o\\nt'd l.lnd,. The It'df'f,ll !!mernment 0\\ n<,
<br />-1 percent 01 11'11' oil-,hale r('glon and an eslimdll'd 80
<br />per{enl 01 Ii'll' totill re..ef\'('<,. Bul pri\'all' companies hold
<br />aboul 2.14,OOU acre" ot pri\ale oil-~hdlt' I,lnd and the Interior
<br />Dt'pl. ~ go,11 01 a miJlion-barrel.per-da\ IndU.;lf\ b\ 198:; dot',
<br />d.-pend on m.lm 01 thow barrel~ {Onllng tram pfl\dtt' land...
<br />
|