Day 2: A Whole New Frontier
Just south of Cheyenne, in the middle of the prairie, a drill rig makes quick work of the ground beneath it. Scenes like this are becoming more common in Laramie County as oil interest in the Niobrara shale heats up. (Read more »)
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- A rig works on a well on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011, east of Cheyenne. Michael Smith/staff
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- Randy Sprouse, Rockies drilling operations manager for Anadarko, holds up a palmful of Niobrara shale, dumped from a small bag after being pulled from thousands of feet below the surface and dried from a rig location just south of Cheyenne. "This is like a bag of gold," he says. Michael Smith/staff
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- A rig worker points to a drilling monitor on a rig north of Douglas earlier this year. Michael Smith/staff
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- Dennis Fogg stands in the ruts left by seismic crews when the came to survey his land east of Cheyenne more than a year ago. He says the ruts make irrigating his hay fields difficult as all the water pools in the depression. So far Fogg has watched four wells go in on his property. Shauna Stephenson/staff
Dennis Fogg stands in the ruts left by seismic crews when the came to survey his land east of Cheyenne more than a year ago. He says the ruts make irrigating his hay fields difficult as all the water pools in the depression. So far Fogg has watched four wells go in on his property. Shauna Stephenson/staff
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- A drill bit sits on a Chesapeake drill pad on Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011. Each bit can cost as much as $40,000 to almost $80,000. Michael Smith/staff
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- The shadow of workers on a rig north of Douglas earlier this year. Michael Smith/staff
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- Jeri Currier does morning chores on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011, on the ranch near Chugwater. She and her husband Brian recently took over operations on the ranch after her father retired. Now they are dealing with oil and gas companies who want to drill on their property. About 16 wells are currently permitted on the ranch. Shauna Stephenson/staff
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- Jeri Currier does morning chores on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011, on the ranch near Chugwater. She and her husband Brian recently took over operations on the ranch after her father retired. Now they are dealing with oil and gas companies who want to drill on their property. About 16 wells are currently permitted on the ranch. Shauna Stephenson/staff
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- Dennis Fogg stands in the ruts left by seismic crews when the came to survey his land east of Cheyenne more than a year ago. So far Fogg has watched four wells go in on his property. Shauna Stephenson/staff
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- Paul Cook, organizer of the Cheyenne Area Landowners Coalition, lives in Meadowlark subdivision, one of many area subdivisions that are now looking at possible drilling in their neighborhoods. In 2010 about 115 applications for permits to drill were submitted to the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. Shauna Stephenson/staff
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- Rig workers maneuver to reinsert a pipe after a drill bit change on a Chesapeake drill rig in February north of Douglas. Chesapeake holds a large percentage of the leases in the play and anticipates producing 5 billion barrels of oil over the life of the field, according to company officials. Michael Smith/staff
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- Jeri Currier opens a fence to feed cows Feb. 8 on her ranch near Chugwater. Currier and her husband recently came back to the ranch where she grew up to take over operations. Shauna Stephenson/staff
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- Steam rises from the deck as rig worker Art Seidel guides pipe with rope on a Chesapeake drill rig in February north of Douglas. Michael Smith/staff
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- Ray Martinez speaks about energy development at his home southeast of Cheyenne earlier this year. Michael Smith/staff
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- Rig workers maneuver to reinsert a pipe after a drill bit change on a Chesapeake drill rig in February north of Douglas. Chesapeake holds a large percentage of the leases in the play and anticipates producing 5 billion barrels of oil over the life of the field, according to company officials. Michael Smith/staff
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- A Chesapeake drill rig in February north of Douglas. Chesapeake holds a large percentage of the leases in the play and anticipates producing 5 billion barrels of oil over the life of the field, according to company officials. Michael Smith/staff
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- Paul Cook, organizer of the Cheyenne Area Landowners Coalition, lives in Meadowlark subdivision, one of many area subdivisions that are now looking at possible drilling in their neighborhoods. In 2010 about 115 applications for permits to drill were submitted to the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. Shauna Stephenson/staff
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- Brian Currier and ranch dog, Woof, feed cows Feb. 8 on his ranch near Chugwater. Currier recently returned to the ranch with his wife after his father-in-law retired. Shauna Stephenson/staff
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- Snow collects in furrows in a field as a drill operates in the distance near U.S. Highway 85 in early February. Many fields will be taken out of production if ranchers sell water rights to the energy industry. Michael Smith/staff
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