Louisiana’s October oil and gas lease sale, conducted Wednesday, seemed promising for a change —even though Acadiana properties were shut out (none was nominated for purchase). The Mineral Board collected more than $12.1 million in bonuses for the state’s coffers, which trumps the previous six-year October average of $7.1 million. As such, the amount of money collected by the board year-to-date is also beginning to trend slightly upwards and now stands at nearly $23 million.
In all, 29 leases covering more than 1,600 acres were awarded during the October sale, out of 45 nominated tracts covering more than 17,500 acres. There remained a noticeable disparity between action in north and south Louisiana — of the 29 leases sold, 23 were in the north, while only six were located closer to the coast.
The board sold leases in nine parishes this week: Bossier, Bienville, Caddo, DeSoto, Natchitoches, Red River, Plaquemines, St. Helena and Terrebonne. All of the 23 north Louisiana leases that were sold this week were in the area of the Haynesville Shale natural gas formation, around the Shreveport region.
State officials said in a press release this week that lease sale prices remain strong in the shale play, with the 23 Haynesville Shale area leases averaging more than $8,300 an acre. They say lease prices in the shale are on the increase, averaging nearly $4,800 an acre in July and more than $6,500 an acre in August.
While the figures for the shale are strong compared to previous years, they’re not what they were during the heat of the 2008 rush. As for reaching further back, parishes in the Haynesville Shale area today were seeing average lease price sales of about $532 an acre in 2007 and roughly $252 an acre in 2006 — a far cry from the thousands of dollars the same land is presently commanding.
... written by What about the Water? , October 16, 2009 - 09:13 pm
Has anyone else taken an interest in the use of drinking water for fracturing the Haynesville shale? This water, in the millions of gallons, is no longer potable after it's use, in fact, it's a waste product. The State of La. is looking at stopping the use of groundwater for this practice and instead required surface water to be used....rivers, lakes, etc. I wonder if they're going to give away our water to these gas prospectors (Chesapeake et al) or if they're going to get the price right and charge them what this water is worth to all of us. Particularly what about the water fowl, the deer, the fish? Depleted surface water ain't good for local and migratory birds and land animals. The anglers, hunters and all sportsmen out there need to take an interest in this matter.
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There will soon be a whole lot of shakin’ going on at Benny’s Sportshack Supplement Depot, a new concept by Opelousas native Benny Nele. Located at 2002 Johnston St., the supplement shop, smoothie bar and café, featuring hot off the press paninis and wraps, plans to open in late May.
Philip deMahy Sr., a once respected New Iberia ad exec, was sentenced May 2 to spend the next two years (he faced up to 100 years) in a state penitentiary after state and federal investigators found dozens of images depicting children engaged in lewd sexual acts on his personal computer.
This year’s Cool Town issue is all about people who are not native to South Louisiana but made a conscious decision to be here, to be among us, to participate in our culture and contribute to it.
A shelved ordinance transferring $200,000 from a northside drainage project to a south Lafayette development may not break any laws, but it stinks to high heaven.
An effort to restore a shuttered dancehall and document other vacant or razed honky-tonks could serve as a model for saving an endangered species of entertainment.
Lafayette’s gene pool has been host to a long line of eccentric characters who have blurred the lines between crazy, genius, disturbed and curiously entertaining.
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The State of La. is looking at stopping the use of groundwater for this practice and instead required surface water to be used....rivers, lakes, etc.
I wonder if they're going to give away our water to these gas prospectors (Chesapeake et al) or if they're going to get the price right and charge them what this water is worth to all of us. Particularly what about the water fowl, the deer, the fish? Depleted surface water ain't good for local and migratory birds and land animals. The anglers, hunters and all sportsmen out there need to take an interest in this matter.