COST EFFECTIVE REGULATORY APPROACHES TO ENHANCE DOMESTIC OIL & GAS PRODUCTION AND ENSURE THE PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT

Grunewald, Ben ; Jehn, Paul ; Gillespie, Tom ; Binder, Ben

Ground Water Protection Research Foundation

关键词: Methane;    Management;    Mining;    Water;    Program Management;   

DOI  :  10.2172/859169
RP-ID  :  none
RP-ID  :  FC26-01BC15371
RP-ID  :  859169

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

The Environmental Information Management Suite/Risk Based Data Management System (EIMS/RBDMS) and Cost Effective Regulatory Approach (CERA) programs continue to be successful. All oil and gas state regulatory programs participate in these efforts. Significant accomplishments include: streamline regulatory approaches, enhancing environmental protection, and making oil and gas data available via the Internet. Oil and gas companies worldwide now have access to data on state web sites. This reduces the cost of exploration and enables companies to develop properties in areas that would have been cost prohibited for exploration. Early in project, GWPC and State Oil and Gas agencies developed the EIMS and CERA strategic plan to prioritize long term development and implementation. The planning process identifies electronic commerce and coal bed methane as high priorities. The group has involved strategic partners in industry and government to develop a common data exchange process. Technical assistance to Alaska continues to improve their program management capabilities. New initiatives in Alaska include the development of an electronic permit tracking system. This system allows managers to expedite the permitting process. Nationwide, the RBDMS system is largely completed with 22 states and one Indian Nation now using this nationally accepted data management system. Additional remaining tasks include routine maintenance and the installation of the program upon request for the remaining oil and gas states. The GWPC in working with the BLM and MMS to develop an XML schema to facilitate electronic permitting and reporting (Appendix A, B, and C). This is a significant effort and, in years to come, will increase access to federal lands by reducing regulatory barriers. The new initiatives are coal bed methane and e-commerce. The e-commerce program will provide industry and BLM/MMS access to the millions of data points housed in the RBDMS system. E-commerce will streamline regulatory approaches and allow small operators to produce energy from areas that have become sub-economic for the major producers. The GWPC is working with states to develop a coal bed methane program, which will both manage the data and develop a public education program on the benefits of produced water. The CERA program benefits all oil and gas states by reducing the cost of regulatory compliance, increasing environmental protection, and providing industry and regulatory agencies a discussion forum. Activities included many small and large group forum settings for discussions of technical and policy issues as well as the ongoing State Class II UIC peer review effort. The accomplishments detailed in this report will be the basis for the next initiative which is RBDMS On-Line. RBDMS On-Line will combine data mining, electronic permitting and electronic reporting with .net technology. Industry, BLM, GWPC and all Oil and Gas states are partnering this effort.