Oil Drilling at the Sand Dunes National Park. Options

[johnnybravo300]

All that is good to know thanks!

[Clay Diggins]

Yes I would agree the title is a little misleading especially after you see Astrobleme's maps of the land that is for sale. It's on the other side of the mountain for crying out loud. This is why it is so important to talk to people and get the facts on the matter. When we are afraid to talk we put up walls and except what is fed to us. (North Korea is a perfect example of where that leads).

Thanks Astrobleme for the info.. but I have to admit, I hate the term fake news. All news, on some level, is biased but to call it fake gives a bad names to the ones who try and uphold the integrity of the facts. Much like saying all cops are bad because of a few sensational articles. Shock factor always sells best but the facts can still be had even if you disagree with the delivery.. :^)

Thanks for the community education everyone! Most of the articles I have read were the opinion of the writer and none had any info on the actual land auctions. Astrobleme's map took care of all my questions.

Thanks to Astrobleme for posting up the map. Visuals are so much easier to make a point with.

Please try to understand that these are not land sales, leases or rentals. No land or rights to land are included in these auctions.

The winner of one of these auctions will have a limited time lease to explore for oil/gas. The lease is not a land lease it's a gas/oil development right lease. Nothing is being sold but the limited time exclusive right to prospect for oil/gas on a particular parcel of land.

If the winner of the auction discovers commercially viable oil or gas deposits they still have to get all the permits, bonds, environmental studies and pay the many fees before they even think about drilling a well for their oil/gas lease. Once they have accomplished a functioning well they will have to pay the United States royalties and taxes on the oil/gas they pump from the well. When the well is closed the lessee is required to restore the site to it's original state.

When the lease expires the auction winner may be able to extend the lease if they meet certain requirements spelled out in the lease and well permits. If the winner of the auction does not renew the lease the exploration rights revert back to the United States. At no time in this process does the land owned by the United States change hands.

[EchoBravo]

Thanks Clay Diggins! I knew I would get the strait talk by asking the folks who live in my new favorite state.