American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2020 - 79

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IssuesUpdate: Petroleum Association of Wyoming
full set of facts and not just accept something like that wholesale."
Moreover, he laments, the report suggests WOC may be willing to eschew its
reputation as a reasonable voice on environmental issues in favor of something
more strident. "The Wyoming Outdoor

Council has a long, storied history as a
legitimate group that has done some great
work over the years," Obermueller reflects.
"It is not usually in that group's playbook
to release something with so many objective, verifiable inaccuracies and misleading statements. If that is the direction

it is choosing, that is a shame."
"We in Wyoming have a long history
of working together and across the aisle,
so to speak," Ulrich considers. "If we are
going to truly accomplish great things in
our state, we must work together. Reports
like that do not endear collaboration." ❒

Producer Works Toward Cleaner Gas
PINEDALE, WY.-Most of Wyoming's
energy production goes to West Coast
markets that increasingly call for clean
energy, notes Petroleum Association of
Wyoming Chairman Paul Ulrich. The
state's producers are striving to meet that
demand, he says, and cites his employer,
Jonah Energy LLC, as an example.
"We are looking for innovative ways
to provide cleaner natural gas, which is
an opportunity that we as a company and
a state need to fully understand, embrace
and run with," advises Ulrich, vice president of government and regulatory affairs
at Jonah Energy's Pinedale office. "To
thrive in the natural gas market, we need
to provide a better product as our core
customers demand-and in most cases require-cleaner energy sources."
Therefore, he reports, Jonah Energy
is investing in making its wells cleaner
sources of natural gas. "Our forwardlooking infrared and leak detection and
maintenance program exceeds state and
federal regulations by magnitudes," he
describes. "Our emission intensity rate is
75% below the national average and exceeds its stated goals."
To measure its air quality contributions,
as well as its undertakings dealing with
wildlife protection, surface disturbance
reduction, and ground- and surface water
protection, he notes, Jonah Energy went
through the Independent Energy Standards
Corporation's TrustWellTM rating program
in 2019.
"The question was if we could quantify
our business practices and learn what
that would mean in the marketplace,"
Ulrich recounts. "We went through a
process with IES to certify 500 of our
wells and came out with a gold rating.
We were proudest of qualifying for what
IES terms as a 'low-emission attribute,'
which means our methane emissions are
very low. It was something we always
assumed because of our leak detection
and repair program, but until then, there
was no validation."

According to Ulrich, Jonah Energy
began using FLIR cameras long before
they started to appear in federal and state
regulatory requirements. The company
also performs monthly handheld camera
inspections and supplemental checkups
with aerial drones.
Last fall, he continues, Jonah Energy
joined an industry collaboration known
as Project Canary to became one of the
country's first companies to pilot the use
of fixed monitors at some of its locations
so it could detect and repair leaks immediately. According to Ulrich, about 63
million cubic feet a day run through company facilities equipped with fixed monitors scrutinizing the throughput 24 hours
a day, seven days a week.
"We have focused on real-time data
and monitoring versus measuring by way
of mathematical calculations," he contrasts.
"That is how our company demonstrates
it is providing what we call 'responsibly
produced natural gas.'"
The key, Ulrich says, is for the marketplace to recognize the fuel's negligible
environmental impact and deem it an acceptable alternative to renewable energy
sources. "I believe there is a prominent
place in the marketplace for producers
who take sustainability seriously," he
maintains. "We have been working
throughout the pandemic with conservation
groups, utilities, elected officials and
others to raise awareness about what we
are doing. We hope this will help us ink
a deal with a like-minded utility or power
producer that understands the importance
of managing molecules."
Speaker Series
As his third and final year as PAW's
top officer winds down, Ulrich reflects
on the group's value as an industry advocate and notes its numerous contributions,
from legislative outreach to ensuring
large-scale oil and gas projects proposed
on federal land survive National Environmental Policy Act requirements. "By

providing a strong, unified voice for oil
and gas producers, PAW has taken a leading role in working to prevent harm to
Wyoming's industry," He reasons.
Of course, the association also fills
other important needs, including a social
one that unfortunately must bend to 2020
realities. Early this summer, PAW decided
to forego its annual convention in place
of online events. Although moving online
will help minimize COVID-19 exposure
risks and relieve cash-strapped companies
of registration, sponsorship and travel expenses, Ulrich acknowledges, it also limits
a key opportunity for people in Wyoming's
energy industry to interact with others
who identify with their challenges.
"It is isolating," Ulrich admits. "The inability to see my friends and approach this
personally together is tough because we in
the industry have supported each other for
so many years. Plus, some of our best ideas
have come out while all of us are sitting
around commiserating over beers."
For its digital alternative, PAW is cooperating with the North Dakota Petroleum
Council and the Montana Petroleum Association to arrange a speaker series,
PAW President Pete Obermueller reports.
NDPC set up the first presentations in
late July, with talks from Trump administration economic adviser Stephen Moore
and Continental Resources Executive
Chairman Harold Hamm.
"We are all working on different speakers and inviting the members of all three
associations to join in," he describes.
As for the impending completion to
Ulrich's chairmanship, Obermueller praises
the leadership from which PAW has benefitted during a period of significant transition. "When people think about engaged,
active work in Wyoming oil and gas,
many picture Paul. He has committed
more than five years of his life to leadership
at PAW-including an atypical third year
as chairman-and has been a steady hand
with institutional knowledge of and passion
for the industry and Wyoming."
❒
AUGUST 2020 79

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