Guv tells drillers to work together

Todd Hartman, Rocky Mountain News

Published November 8, 2007 at midnight

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Gov. Bill Ritter came face-to- face with Colorado's oil and gas industry Wednesday, in a meeting previewed as a confrontation of powerful antagonists.

Ritter, however, tried to debunk that notion from the start. In a speech before the Colorado Oil & Gas Association, he hailed the industry's significance to the state and talked of making it a partner in his energy agenda.

"I hear on the street: The industry is worried about the governor," Ritter said. "And I understand that. If you only read the newspapers, that may be the case."

But, he said, in his talks with industry and in other speeches, he has tried to make it clear: "I understand the importance that this industry plays in the economic vibrancy of Colorado."

The line drew loud applause and set the tone for Ritter's -middle-ground approach. He praised the achievements and contribution of the $23 billion fossil fuel business in Colorado, while calling for "responsible development" that takes into account drilling's damage to the environment.

"We are here to ensure that you thrive," Ritter said. "And we believe we have a role to watch for impact. To measure the impact, to ask questions about impacts on groundwater, air, wildlife and land."

Ritter, not even a year into his governorship, and industry both brought baggage to the event.

Ritter has made headlines for his desire to drill cautiously, or not at all, in some of northwest Colorado's scenic lands. He also successfully pushed a restructuring of the state's Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, reducing industry membership and adding representation from wildlife and health interests on the oversight board.

Industry officials and their allies, meanwhile, have fretted - as they did again Wednesday - about the uncertainty created by new regulations in the offing under Ritter. Some have also criticized his desire to keep the Vermillion Basin in northwest Colorado off-limits.

But Ritter and COGA officials played nice at this event, COGA's annual meeting at the Brown Palace Hotel.

Ritter spoke of industry advances, such as directional drilling, that reduce the number of drill sites companies need to extract natural gas.

And he emphasized the need for "energy security" in the United States, and the role Colorado can play.

"Part of that is our working together to understand how we can responsibly develop the enormous resources in this state, and they include oil, gas, coal and other minerals - that's the main message for today."

hartmant@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5048

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