CASPER — According to a press release by the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (WOGCC), the organization continues to receive an unprecedented number of Applications for Permit to Drill (APD).

The monthly average for APDs received for 2017 was 1,050, which is an increase of 83% compared to the average for 2015.

The volume has prompted the WOGCC to implement some new processes. The WOGCC staff can no longer efficiently process this volume of APDs and are implementing a system to prioritize the approval process.

The staff will perform a basic completeness check prior to assigning the API number for all APDs received and APDs to be to be processed for final approval will be based on an operator-submitted rig schedule every six months.

Per Chapter 3, Section 8 (h), the date an API is assigned is the date of issuance. Further, the permit to drill (approved or unapproved) will expire two years following the issuance date effective for all apd’s received on June 1, 2017 or later.

Also note that the rig schedule submitted by operators will be considered confidential information.