Am Freitag, 22.6.2001 kam das Press Release, dass die US District Richterin Claudia Wilken sich gegen eine
Exploration oder Foerderung auf den Pachtgebieten der Oelunternehmen vor der kalifornischen Küste
entschied, bis ein vollstaendiges Umweltgutachten und die Genehmigung durch die California Costal
Commission vorliegt. Dieser Entscheid wird den Bohr- und Foerderbeginn der Oel- und Gaslagerstaetten
weiter verzoegern. Falls dies zu einem Foerderverbot fuehren sollte, haette Delta Petroleum Anspruch auf eine
Entschaedigung durch die US-Regierung, die fuer Deltas Rocky Point Unit allein mehr als US$ 142 Millionen
betragen wuerde oder mehr als US$ 10 pro Aktie. Delta glaubt, dass in diesem Fall seine Bemuehungen in
Washington in den letzten zwei Jahren zu einer schnellen Entschaedigung des Unternehmens und der
anderen betroffenen Oelgesellschaften (Aera Energy, Exxon Mobil Corp., Shell Oil Corp., Conoco, Nuevo
Energy und Samedan Oil Corp.) führen werden.
SAN FRANCISCO, June 22 (Reuters) - A Federal judge on Friday
halted all oil and natural gas exploration off the central California
coast, a blow to oil companies which hoped to ramp up new offshore oil drilling operations after years
of legal wrangling.
U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken ruled
that offshore blocks leased by oil companies
could not be explored or drilled pending a full
environmental review and approval by the
California Coastal Commission.
Environmental groups, which had joined the state
of California in suits to stop any renewed
exploration, hailed Wilken`s ruling.
``This is a big victory for the California coast,``
Drew Caputo, a lawyer with the Natural
Resources Defense Council, said.
Wilken`s order further delays the possible
resumption of drilling for new oil or natural gas deposits off California`s coast, which has been halted
since 1989.
In 1999, then Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt extended some 36 offshore leases while ordering a
review of their impact on the environment.
The tracts were exempt from the Clinton administration`s 1998 ban on new oil drilling because the
leases were so old, some dating back to 1979.
California`s governor and attorney general, as well as the California Coastal Commission, filed a
lawsuit against the department, saying the state had been illegally denied the right to review the leases
for environmental issues before any action at the federal level.
While the state`s suit did not explicitly seek cancellation of the leases, Davis has expressed reservations
about offshore oil drilling and environmental groups have loudly condemned any move which could
threaten the state`s famous coastline.
Environmentalists have also argued that the Interior Department should scrap the leases, which cost oil
companies more than $1 billion when they were granted 25 to 30 years ago.
``The state is exactly where we are on this issue: they are concerned that oil and gas drilling off the
coast could be damaging,`` Caputo of the NRDC said. ``We hope that they will look very carefully and
skeptically at these proposals.``
Government estimates show the leases, near the resort city of Santa Barbara, could hold 1 billion
barrels oil. The area`s possible reserves of natural gas have also been growing increasingly attractive to
energy companies as prices soar due to California`s unfolding power crisis.
Companies holding the leases include Aera Energy, the combined California exploration and production
operations of Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE:XOM - news)> and Shell Oil Co., a unit of Royal Dutch/Shell
Group , Conoco (NYSE:COCb - news) (NYSE:COCa - news) , Nuevo Energy (NYSE:NEV - news)
and Samedan Oil Corp. a subsidiary of Noble Affiliates (NYSE:NBL - news) .
Exploration oder Foerderung auf den Pachtgebieten der Oelunternehmen vor der kalifornischen Küste
entschied, bis ein vollstaendiges Umweltgutachten und die Genehmigung durch die California Costal
Commission vorliegt. Dieser Entscheid wird den Bohr- und Foerderbeginn der Oel- und Gaslagerstaetten
weiter verzoegern. Falls dies zu einem Foerderverbot fuehren sollte, haette Delta Petroleum Anspruch auf eine
Entschaedigung durch die US-Regierung, die fuer Deltas Rocky Point Unit allein mehr als US$ 142 Millionen
betragen wuerde oder mehr als US$ 10 pro Aktie. Delta glaubt, dass in diesem Fall seine Bemuehungen in
Washington in den letzten zwei Jahren zu einer schnellen Entschaedigung des Unternehmens und der
anderen betroffenen Oelgesellschaften (Aera Energy, Exxon Mobil Corp., Shell Oil Corp., Conoco, Nuevo
Energy und Samedan Oil Corp.) führen werden.
SAN FRANCISCO, June 22 (Reuters) - A Federal judge on Friday
halted all oil and natural gas exploration off the central California
coast, a blow to oil companies which hoped to ramp up new offshore oil drilling operations after years
of legal wrangling.
U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken ruled
that offshore blocks leased by oil companies
could not be explored or drilled pending a full
environmental review and approval by the
California Coastal Commission.
Environmental groups, which had joined the state
of California in suits to stop any renewed
exploration, hailed Wilken`s ruling.
``This is a big victory for the California coast,``
Drew Caputo, a lawyer with the Natural
Resources Defense Council, said.
Wilken`s order further delays the possible
resumption of drilling for new oil or natural gas deposits off California`s coast, which has been halted
since 1989.
In 1999, then Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt extended some 36 offshore leases while ordering a
review of their impact on the environment.
The tracts were exempt from the Clinton administration`s 1998 ban on new oil drilling because the
leases were so old, some dating back to 1979.
California`s governor and attorney general, as well as the California Coastal Commission, filed a
lawsuit against the department, saying the state had been illegally denied the right to review the leases
for environmental issues before any action at the federal level.
While the state`s suit did not explicitly seek cancellation of the leases, Davis has expressed reservations
about offshore oil drilling and environmental groups have loudly condemned any move which could
threaten the state`s famous coastline.
Environmentalists have also argued that the Interior Department should scrap the leases, which cost oil
companies more than $1 billion when they were granted 25 to 30 years ago.
``The state is exactly where we are on this issue: they are concerned that oil and gas drilling off the
coast could be damaging,`` Caputo of the NRDC said. ``We hope that they will look very carefully and
skeptically at these proposals.``
Government estimates show the leases, near the resort city of Santa Barbara, could hold 1 billion
barrels oil. The area`s possible reserves of natural gas have also been growing increasingly attractive to
energy companies as prices soar due to California`s unfolding power crisis.
Companies holding the leases include Aera Energy, the combined California exploration and production
operations of Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE:XOM - news)> and Shell Oil Co., a unit of Royal Dutch/Shell
Group , Conoco (NYSE:COCb - news) (NYSE:COCa - news) , Nuevo Energy (NYSE:NEV - news)
and Samedan Oil Corp. a subsidiary of Noble Affiliates (NYSE:NBL - news) .
