New drilling rule targets interstate system

Louisiana has enacted what may be the most stringent rule in the country for drilling near an interstate system. Issued by Commissioner of Conservation James H. Welsh this week, the new policy prohibits oil and gas companies from drilling wells within 1,000 feet of an interstate highway that runs over a major waterway. Along the 10/12 corridor and beyond, that’s prime property. It includes areas like the I-10 crossing of the Atchafalaya Basin, Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain; the I-12 crossing of the Amite River; and the I-20 crossing of the Red River, among others. Most energy-producing states don’t even have such rules, and those that do have an average 100-foot threshold. But Louisiana officials still are reeling from the gas well blowout that marked November 2007. The blaze was tremendous and closed I-10 at Ramah, right outside Grosse Tete, for a grueling 11 days. Welsh says there were other rules that went into effect in December to complement the ban. They call for recurring training, design specifications, mandatory preventers, new diverters and updated requirements for the quick operation of valves controlling in-pipe gas and fluid flow. “We want to minimize as much as humanly possible all potential well blowouts, no matter where the well is located,” Welsh says. Oil and gas companies aren’t exactly overjoyed about the new regulations, but most have been quick to point out their value in terms of safety. For instance, Bridas Energy USA Inc., which was responsible for operating the Ramah well in 2007, reportedly plans to re-drill in the same area, only this time under the new 1,000-feet guidelines. “The new rules have placed new burdens on oil and gas exploration companies,” Welsh says, “but they too recognize the need to make the drilling process as safe as possible for their employees and the public.” – Jeremy Alford