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, 10/12 Weekly reports today. 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. 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 closed Interstate 10 over the Atchafalaya Basin for 11 days. “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.” To read the rest of 10/12 Weekly, click here.—Jeremy Alford