Innovative Technology Speeds Decision to Pursue Coalbed Natural Gas Development on Indian Lands
Indian Tribal Leadership Taking Fresh Look at Fossil Fuel Development Following Conference
Laramie, WY (PRWEB) February 21, 2005 -- A combination of new technology and education regarding environmental impact has encouraged tribal leaders to take a fresh look at coalbed natural gas development on Indian lands. Representatives from Indian tribes in the Western States and Canada gathered for a two-day, sold-out event in late January to learn about and discuss the opportunities and challenges of fossil fuel development. The conference, sponsored by the Council of Energy Resource Tribes and WellDog, Inc., an energy technology company, was held at the Denver offices of Holme, Roberts and Owen, LLP.
"CERT was very pleased and honored to co-host this event with WellDog," said Roger Fragua, Deputy Director of CERT. "Based on the feedback from Tribal leadership, the event was well-timed and provided great information." Fragua was pleased regarding the in-depth coverage of development issues, especially the environmental impact of water discharge.
"Coming to this conference, many tribal leaders were hesitant to pursue coalbed natural gas development based on environmental concerns," continued Fragua. "Leaving the conference, the bigger issue is how we as tribes conduct our resource assessment to determine the amount of resources in the ground and how we do feasibility studies to move forward. Water management and protection continue to be a paramount issue with the Tribal leadership and a great deal of information and awareness was gained at this event. We can now reassess previous concerns in light of this new information. This is great news."
Wayne Greenberg, CEO of WellDog, Inc., said, "We wanted to ensure the conference presented a balanced overview of energy development, with particular emphasis on alleviating the concerns that accompany coalbed natural gas development. Our innovative reservoir analysis services are a good fit for finding natural gas on Indian lands, since we can identify the 'sweet spots' for development, help quantify resources and reduce water discharge. Combined with the best practice drilling and completion methods and responsible water management techniques presented by the other expert speakers at this event, we are pleased to hear we have accelerated the decision making process for many of the tribes."
Based on the success of this event, CERT and WellDog are now pursuing ways to keep the momentum going, including individual meetings with the tribal leaders to discuss unique needs and concerns, and ongoing educational events so the tribal leaders can have a trusted, up-to-date source of information.
About WellDog, Inc.
Founded in 1999, WellDog, Inc. develops chemical sensing technologies for natural gas exploration and production. WellDog® services give coalbed natural gas developers the information they need to determine which wells will deliver the most natural gas in the shortest amount of time, accelerating gas production and reducing the amount of water produced. These services support an industry, coalbed natural gas, which is identified as the fastest growing sector of natural gas production in the U.S. For more information regarding WellDog, Inc., visit http://www.welldog.com.
About CERT
The Council of Energy Resource Tribes was founded by Indian Tribes out of necessity and out of a profound sense of collective self-confidence - the confidence that they could chart a new course of prudent development that would address Tribal priorities and values while contributing to a more secure energy future for all Americans. Since the inception of the Council of Energy Resource Tribes, CERT leaders have dramatically restructured the federal-Indian relationship regarding mineral development on Indian lands and have forged alliances and partnerships with industry. For more information regarding CERT, visit http://www.certredearth.com.
About Holme Roberts and Owen, LLP
Holme Roberts & Owen LLP is a Denver-based law firm with more than 215 attorneys in offices in Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, London, Los Angeles, Munich, Salt Lake City and San Francisco. For more information regarding Holme Roberts and Owen, LLP, visit, http://www.hro.com.
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