Energy leasing advances. Controversy fails to stop Bridger-Teton. By Cory Hatch, Jackson Hole News and Guide.
Earlier story on this (April 23). Wyoming Governor: Forest deal ‘suspect’. Federal government gave energy company broad influence over study of Wyo. Range. Jackson Hole News and Guide.
Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan's Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of "Hiking Idaho." He also wrote "Beyond the Tetons" and "Backpacking Wyoming's Teton and Washakie Wilderness." He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.
Recently I listened to President Bush, and later in the day, heard a CEO with Shell Oil, complain about the few remaining areas that are “off-limits” to energy development. Not one word was uttered about the energy conservation. They care not one bit about the land, water and air. They have a terminal case of the “Mores” believing that we can consume, breed and exhaust our way into a better world!
What they also fail to mention is that the oil contained within the “vast Alaskan reserves” has a high sulphur content and there are no refineries in the US capable of refining this crude. ALL of the oil from these reserves will go to foriegn countries that have high sulphur refining capabilities and will not benefit Americans in any way. The oil companies will continue to profit however.
He doesn’t understand the refineries can’t process additional amounts of crude oil from any source. More refineries need to be built first anyway.
No wonder his oil company went broke.
The Wyoming Range has no petroleum. Any discoveries will be natural gas, and it will probably be the worst kind — sour gas.