With a little over a year since the Setback Rule took effect, companies are communicating more successfully with surface owners. “This was the goal,” states Supervisor Mark Watson. “Getting everyone on the same page of understanding helps alleviate miscommunication, misconceptions and frustrations before operations begin." That was the objective of the required Mitigation Plans and community meetings when the rule was incorporated. However, as Watson points out, some operators have been practicing these approaches before they were required to do so and have seen the type of outcomes for which the agency was shooting when the rule was designed.
One such company is Samson Energy, which has operations in Laramie County. Samson proactively held meetings with surface owners that might be impacted by their operations since they started operating in the southeast part of the state. “Though oil and gas operations are not new to most of Wyoming, they are new to Laramie County, and communication is extremely important to the residents there,” Watson explains.