 |
Welcome to the first edition of Brammer Broadcast. Brammer Engineering, Inc. is a full service contract operating, property management and consulting firm founded in 1968 in Shreveport, Louisiana. Thanks for taking a moment to let us share with you some news and information about our industry and our company...a longtime outsourcing resource for the oil and gas industry.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| NEW QUALIFIED DISCLAIMER NOW REQUIRED ON DRILLING PERMIT PLATS
|
 As of May 22, 2015, the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Office of Conservation is no longer accepting permit plats that contain the disclaimer, "This is not a property boundary survey and as such does not comply with the 'Minimum Standards for Property Surveys,'" or any variation thereof that would constitute the same statement, unless there is also a qualifying statement included regarding adherence to certain orders of the Louisiana Administrative Code. The Office of Conservation determined that plats containing this unqualified statement did not meet the requirements for an application to drill as found in Statewide Order No. 29-B, Part XIX, Title 43 of the LAC. In the past this statement has generally been included, particularly on plats for horizontal wells, due to the fact that surveyors might not physically survey each and every tract along the lateral portion of the wellbore. Substantial impact could be seen, in both time and cost-effectiveness, due to the required removal of this disclaimer. In an effort to minimize this impact for operators, the state is allowing a qualifier to be added to all permit plats which protects both the state and the surveyor. An example of a full statement, including the qualifying portion, is shown here: "This plat is not a property boundary survey and as such does not comply with the 'Minimum Standards for Property Boundary Surveys' as adopted by the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board; it is, however, in compliance with Statewide Order 29-B and 29-E (Title 43 of the LAC)." |
|
| EPA TO ANNOUNCE NEW NATIONAL AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARD
THIS SUMMER |
 
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
will announce the new National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ground level ozone (O3) this summer. The new concentration is unknown at this time, but it is a certainty that the current standard of 75 parts per billion will be lowered to either 70 or 65. The primary contributors to O3 formation are NOx emissions and VOC emissions. The primary sources are mobile sources (cars and trucks), utilities, and the petroleum industry. Many counties and parishes will be re-designated as non-attainment when the regulation goes into effect (see link below to an interactive map). The state and federal regulatory agencies will promulgate new regulations aimed at emission reductions to reach ozone attainment. The new rules will add additional regulatory costs and emission control requirements to our industry. If utilities are forced to add additional controls to their processes, consumers can expect an increase in their utility bills.
EPA reviewed the air quality criteria for O3, related photochemical oxidants, and the NAAQS. Based on these reviews, propositions for revisions on primary and secondary NAAQS for O3 were made to provide requisite protection of public health and welfare, respectively. The EPA is proposing to revise the primary standard to a level within the range of 0.065 to 0.070 parts per million (ppm).
Click Here For Interactive MapClick Here For PDF With More Information |
|
| EPA Study Confirms No Evidence Hydraulic Fracturing Causes Widespread Impacts On Drinking Water |
 The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a draft study on Thursday, June 4 th, of whether hydraulic fracturing contaminates drinking water supplies. The study concluded that while there have been some cases of contamination, the issue is not widespread. The EPA concluded that its analysis shows that hydraulic fracturing activities in the U.S. are carried out in a way that "have not led to widespread, systemic impacts on drinking water resources" thanks to the safety and effectiveness of state and federal regulations, and current industry practices. The draft study comes in response to a congressional request five years ago that the EPA look into potential concerns about drinking water supplies. The draft study which can be read below will be subject to public comment and a review by the EPA's Science Advisory Board before it can be finalized.
Click Here For More Information |
|
| NEW LOUISIANA NATURAL GAS SEVERANCE TAX RATE |
 Effective July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016, the natural gas severance tax rate in Louisiana will be 15.8 cents per thousand cubic feet (MCF), as established by the Louisiana Department of Revenue. The reduced natural gas severance tax rates (incapable rates) will remain the same. Click Here For More Information |
PHASE 1's . . . Do We Really Need Them?
Brammer Engineering, Inc. helps its clients avoid needless and costly problems by performing comprehensive Phase I investigations.
Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the current owner of a property is responsible for site investigation and clean up at whatever time environmental contamination is found
A part of the Act provides legal protection to the property buyer and lender if a quality Phase I investigation is performed prior to the sale and an environmental hazard is discovered later. This protection, known as the innocent landowner defense, depends on the investigator's exercise of "due diligence" in performing the procedure, because this connotes "quality."
 Quality is key, before and after site acquisition. The investigations performed by Brammer Engineering, Inc. follow strict standards and are more likely to result in discovery of potential problems during the assessment process (before purchase), as well as to hold up if contamination is found at any time post-purchase. A properly performed Phase I investigation supplies in-depth environmental information about a property, thereby minimizing the risk and the associated liability of owning or financing an environmentally damaged property.
The investigation is essentially a survey that examines:
- current and past uses of a property,
- environmental regulatory actions pertaining to the property or to properties nearby,
- industrial processes on or nearby the property, and
- other factors that might result in some form of contamination of the property.
Brammer Engineering, Inc. performs comprehensive Phase I investigations to assist clients in making sound oil and gas investment decisions today and in avoiding unforeseen challenges downstream.
|
"Where's Gilligan?"
Exuma Island, Bahamas
|
"The two most important days in your life are the day you are born...and the day you find out why."
- Mark Twain
|
Eight Centuries of Liberty
This month marks the 800th Anniversary of the Magna Carta, the "Great Charter" that established the rule of law for the English-speaking world. Its revolutionary ideas still resound today.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Corporate Headquarters
400 Texas Street, Suite 600
(Chase Bank Building)
Shreveport, Louisiana 71101
Phone: (318) 429-2345
Fax: (318) 429-2340
|
Ark-La-Tex Production Office
2505 Beech Street
P.O. Box 120
Arcadia, Louisiana 71001
Phone: (318) 263-7500
Fax: (318) 263-7504
|
Gulf Coast Production Office
113 Heymann Boulevard, Building 7
Lafayette, Louisiana 70503
Phone: (337) 232-2215
Fax: (337) 232-7437
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Copyright © 2015. All Rights Reserved.
|
|
|
|
|
