RBC commissioners attend oil, gas banquet

RBC I Rio Blanco County commissioners Shawn Bolton, Ken Parsons and Kai Turner attended the seventh annual Energy Forum and Expo and West Slope Colorado Oil and Gas Association’s (WSCOGA) annual banquet last Friday at the Two Rivers Convention Center in Grand Junction.
United States Congressman Cory Gardner, representing Colorado’s 4th District and a member of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, was the keynote speaker at the banquet.
“We were pleased with the turnout at the annual banquet and I believe Congressman Gardner added to it,” David Ludlam, director of WSCOGA said by phone. The event was attended by more than 400 people, including energy operators from western slope counties Rio Blanco, Mesa, Garfield, Moffat, Delta and Routt. Ludlam spoke of Rio Blanco County’s active role in the association.
“The theme for this year’s expo was ‘New Horizons,’” Ludlam said. “In the short-term we have some challenges with the current price of natural gas but new deposits of natural gas found that were not known about even five years ago extend throughout the Piceance Basin. I think long-term the western slope will be the workhorse for energy development.”
Ludlam said WSCOGA has a “task force” in each of the counties the association represents and Rio Blanco County is “the most active.”
“They are transparent in their planning processes and diligent in their attendance of task force meetings,” Ludlam said of Rio Blanco County’s commissioners. “It is refreshing to work in a collaborating way.”
Last fall, Turner requested a review of the county’s current impact fees and Ludlam was appreciative of the opportunity for his association to be involved in the solution.
“I’m excited the commissioners approached us to see if we can come up with something better,” Ludlam said. “Rio Blanco County is the future nucleus and the commissioners are aware of it. We understand the importance of County Road 5 and like that the commissioners are looking at other ways of generating revenue for it.”
According to its website, the WSCOGA’s mission is to foster and promote the beneficial, efficient, responsible and environmentally sound development, production and use of Western Colorado oil and natural gas. WSCOGA is an affiliated chapter of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association.
WSCOGA strives to educate stakeholders, encourage technology enhancements and foster environmental stewardship throughout oil and gas operations and supply chains.